A major step like relocation has to be carefully considered, whether you have warehouses, trade centres, or trade counters, regionally, nationally, or continent-wide.
And it’s a decision that can’t be taken purely on guesswork or gut feeling, but instead must be based on data and intelligence.
This can help you decide whether relocating your logistics premises actually needs to be done, and if so, where to.
As location intelligence experts, at Tech4T we are often asked to help businesses make these vital decisions.
We use information such as the location of current outlets and business or retail premises, transport links, travel distance, ease of access, and much more, as well as information held by the companies themselves. This information is consolidated and analysed to create actionable location intelligence using fully interactive zoomable maps for any region, country, or continent that enable business leaders to make the right location planning decisions.
And we’re going to detail here some of the key questions you need to think about when considering relocating your logistics centres.
Reshaping your business
Do you need to adjust the range of your goods or services?
Are you looking to add more products to your stock, which may need more warehouse space?
Are you looking at extending or changing your customer base? Or are you looking to rationalise and downsize?
Would a warehouse / trade counter premises relocation be the more convenient and cost-effective way of doing this?
Opportunities and Threats
Would you find more sales opportunities in other locations – for example, to somewhere with a better concentration of customers, planned housing developments, established industrial parks or retail centres?
Where are your main business customers located? How close are they to the nearest warehouse or trade counter?
Where are your business partners located and how easy is it to supply them when they run low on your product?
Are complementary businesses nearby attracting more customers to you?
Will there be less competition at another location?
Premises
Is crime an issue where warehouses and trade counters are currently based?
Do staff and customers feel safe when they visit?
Should you be looking at premises in more secure areas, or where there are extra security features?
Staffing
Are you having trouble finding employees of the right calibre, or the right number of staff, in the areas where you are currently located?
Could a move to a different location give you access to staff with a better skill base, or more people willing to work for your company?
Access
How accessible are your warehouses and trade counters for customers, local businesses, staff, and suppliers?
Are your current locations well served by road, rail, sea, and air transport links?
Would you find it easier and quicker to make deliveries from other locations, with the very welcome added benefits of increasing customer satisfaction, improving your brand’s reputation, and cutting costs?
Would the supply chain be improved with a change of location?
Other issues to consider
How will the short to medium-term costs of relocating stack up, compared with the long-term benefits to the business, either through extra sales or reduced logistical costs, such as vehicles, fuel, and overtime?
Also if you are renting your current premises, how do rental costs compare in possible new locations?
Or if you are planning to buy or build, are the costs justified by the benefits of moving?
And what about local, regional, or national legislation that may be affecting your business? You may find that you could relocate your logistics centres to areas and regions that offer financial and other advantages to your company.
Conclusion
As highlighted above, there are numerous important factors that need to be considered when thinking about relocating your logistics centres, wherever they may be.
Get it right and your business will save time, money, and inconvenience. But get it wrong and your business may suffer from a wide range of problems that threaten your viability and reputation.
Tech4T has the experience and expertise to make sure you make the right decisions about the locations of your premises every time. That’s why we’ve been trusted by multinational, national, and regional brands and businesses for more than 25 years and why our Territory Runner Location Intelligence System is the number one choice for thousands of businesses internationally.
