No longer a novelty, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are now well established within the retail calendar and play a pivotal role in effectively extending the ‘seasonal rush’ for a variety of supply chain businesses.
What’s more, in recent years there’s been a growing trend for retailers to maximise the opportunities they present by spreading special deals and major discounts over a couple of weeks. Consumers are looking to maximise their disposable income and are on the ball when it comes to picking up a bargain. It’s therefore no surprise that retail statistics suggest we are taking advantage of these blockbuster sales to shop for Christmas gifts.
This year competition is set to intensify, as retailers bid to come up with the best offers. Coupled with the uncertainties surrounding Brexit and its impact on the economy, this creates a ‘perfect storm’ scenario for logistics operations, which will come under even greater pressure.
Maximise existing resources
In this kind of trading environment it’s vital to build in maximum flexibility. Whereas, in the past, supply chain businesses have had to budget to bring in extra trucks and manpower to cope with the impact of Christmas trading, now they are looking to maximise their existing resources and get the best possible use out of current assets over a longer timeframe.
During periods when you know you will experience a spike in demand a reliable energy management programme is vital. Maintenance, correct charging procedures, actual truck use and frequency of use all take their toll on battery life. Capacity can be reduced by opportunity charging and this, in turn, can affect performance, even causing a forklift battery to malfunction, although it must be said that new technologies offer improved performance.
Organising replacement batteries and chargers to deal with unexpected emergencies or breakdowns in order to maintain productivity is not necessarily straightforward. Plus, the purchase and maintenance costs can account for a significant share of warehouse running costs.
The good news is there’s a simple, low-cost alternative, which actively promotes truck uptime. Our dedicated battery and charger rental service is purpose-designed to allow businesses to buy in the power they need when they want it. What’s more, using our latest Trak.collect technology, it’s possible to obtain accurate real time information about energy usage.
Cost-effective solution
Our rental service is a cost-effective solution to what could otherwise turn into a recurring headache. As retailers focus increasing efforts on rolling out price cuts and short-term deals in the weeks prior to Christmas, intensive logistics operations – many of which operate 24/7 and 6.5 days a week – can plan ahead to access extra capacity with ease.
It means they can maintain fleet performance during one of their busiest periods without incurring any additional capital outlay. The monthly rental fee comes out of the revenue budget so businesses can spread the cost. It means you’re under no obligation to enter into a long-term investment and, perhaps more importantly, eases cash flow management.
Tailored contracts
Our rental service is managed by a team at our UK headquarters in Staffordshire so we can deliver direct to customer premises within a couple of days. Contracts are tailored to meet individual business needs and can be as short as one month or as long as a couple of years. All lead-acid, FNC and lithium-ion batteries available for hire are supported by a maintenance contract, so you can leave it to our experienced engineers to take care of topping up and servicing.
Whether you’re making plans to ensure your logistics operation remains nimble, competitive and profitable post-Brexit, or you need help to stay on top of scheduled as well as unexpected demand peaks in your business, it’s worth looking seriously at battery and charger rental. It’s the easy and cost-effective way to maximise existing materials handling assets to enhance productivity whilst keeping costs under control.