What exactly can be offered at a rework facility, and what could it mean for your business? Here are just a few examples:
Improve Quality Standards
If you’ve made a change in manufacturer, carrier, product design, or packaging, it’s possible you’ll see more product imperfections as things get fine-tuned. What you don’t want is for imperfect product to reach your customers. That can lead to more headache and costs with reverse logistics and replacement. Instead, hiring a rework team for quality inspection services can act as an impartial evaluator while ensuring no damaged product makes it to the customer.
Solve Unexpected Challenges
At some point, despite all prevention, you’re likely to run into obstacles. Because these events can be unpredictable, it would be wise to have a network of partners with a variety of skillsets and value-add who can get you back on track. For example, a dumped load of product is to be expected when transporting freight by road. To prevent damaged product landing in the hands of your customers, the right rework team can repalletize the load for safe transport. AFS’s Indianapolis rework facility is a hub for short-term warehousing and quick turnarounds if drivers encounter a bump in the road.
Strengthen Your Product’s Brand Recognition
When it comes to your ability to make a sale and keep a customer for the long term, your branding can make a huge impact. But if your product is sitting on a shelf or arriving at your customer’s door in neutral packaging, that’s a missed opportunity for your brand to make several impressions. Reworkers can repackage your product into branded packaging if provided, and can even add barcoding and labeling to them to boost your inventory management and tracking. It’s just one way rework services can improve your client experience overall.
Build New Product Configurations
Do you have products in your inventory that could be customized with a few simple changes? What about multiple products in a lineup that go well together in a kit for a reduced price? Or maybe there’s some assembly required for your clients, and you want to be able to offer a fully assembled product as well. These things and more are possible with a rework partner that offers kitting and assembly services.
Streamline Last-Mile Deliveries
Oftentimes early in a driver’s route, they have to load their truck in a way that will balance across axels. But that configuration often isn’t the best case for deliveries. Reworking freight once you’re approaching last-mile deliveriescan help prioritize your route planning and minimize unnecessary work on the driver’s part when they don’t have access to a climate-controlled environment, dock support and safety equipment. This is what can make rework services a safer option for your supply chain workers as well.
Having a rework service facility as part of your supply chain contingency plan can help simplify solutions when the unexpected happens, but it’s also a great tool to include as a regular part of your supply chain to ensure quality standards, expand your offerings, provide support to your supply chain team, and build a better client experience. To learn more about how a rework service provider can expand possibilities for your business, reach out to our team.