Selecting appropriate shipping methods is crucial for developing and maintaining a strong and efficient supply chain. This aspect of logistics can significantly impact your operations, customer satisfaction, and ultimately your bottom line.
In this article you will learn about the most common ways of shipping and when to choose one or the other.
Sending your goods by plane is the more expensive solution. But it is much faster than sea freight shipping. An air freight delivery from Singapore takes about 5 days. Sea freight can on the other hand take 20-45 days or longer.
If your goods are lightweight, you should consider shipping by plane. In this case, the cost difference between air and sea freight will be smaller and you will receive your goods earlier.
If your market demands are transparent and predictable, sea freight is a sensible solution.
Because of the long shipment time, there is no last-minute delivery. This solution often requires extra time for local transport, local storage, customs and documentation checks, and other pre-shipment activities.
But if you can plan your deliveries long-term, sea freight is the less expensive solution.
Furthermore, this solution is sensible for heavy and/or fragile goods.
Shipping by courier lets you track the shipment from the supplier to the final destination. This is especially useful when developing prototypes because it makes it easier to plan.
Sending samples with a courier is faster but also the most expensive option.
When you ship goods, it is important to protect the components accordingly – especially if you use air freight where goods are handled with less care.
Read about different packaging solutions here.