The Holiday Effect On Supply Chains

Beware,Traffic Jams

Memorial Day will cause headaches for many travelers. Nearly everyone makes a getaway to see family or head to the beach for rest and relaxation.

BusinessInsider.com reported on this foursquare infographic with the weekend’s most crowded travel hubs based on check ins on the social media network back in 2012. The same will probably apply to many more Memorial Days to come. 

Courtesy of Travis Okuliski's article: These Transportation Hubs Will Be Jam-Packed Memorial Day Weekend

The Effect

This phenomenon made us think," Does the Holiday Effect Our Business ?"  The answer is a resounding, "YES." Why? The reason is obvious. It's because it effects our customers. We are apart of their supply chain. We are effected by changes to their business.

The vast majority of the companies that RBW works with are large consumer good manufacturers. It is not a secret that consumption and purchasing picks up during the holiday seasons for one reason or another. 

We offer a lot of these customer overflow warehousing / storage and drayage transportation. Consequently, we see a peak in "Ins" and "Outs." We have witnessed an increase in activity from as far out as six months prior to a major holiday. 

How Do We Overcome It ?

We understand that a bullwhip effect can occur in a supply chain. This is why we believe in communication and making methodical decisions. Through the collection of data and data analysis, we have been able to project when those peaks and valleys will occur with our customers. It has allowed us to better utilize our space and our workforce.  This is probably a reason why many other overflow warehouse providers may say," Sorry we are out of space.." while we keep saying, " Sure, let's talk about it. Maybe we can be a fit!"

If your company is in need of any space, feel free to reach out to us.