The 5 Most Important Factors
A food retailer’s success depends on the ability to keep fresh products on the shelf. Inventory must be fresh and available at every location. Choosing the right direct store delivery (DSD) partner is important. To ensure profits and satisfied, loyal customers the DSD you choose must provide more than just the safe transportation of your products to your retail location. Here are 5 important components you should consider when choosing your DSD partner.
- Technology– Having access to a virtual portal that provides important information to run your business should be a must for your DSD provider. You should never have to wonder where your product is, if it will be on time, or if it will be delivered at the right temperature. You should have access to all this information anytime you want to see it.
- Total Distribution Support– Transparent distribution support for the entire transportation of your product will give you the confidence that your supply chain is working for you. Your DSD should be able to provide all the information you need to compile accurate reporting on the delivery of your products.
- An Eye for Food Safety– Any refrigerated truck can transport food from one place to the other. But a good DSD provider should know how to protect your products through the entire cold chain process. The process from manufacturing through delivery must be monitored for quality preservation. You need a DSD who knows food safety and has a proven track record.
- A Partner Mentality– Having experience in food, distribution and warehousing are essential for the DSD you choose. Your DSD should be prepared to partner with you to provide a collaborative approach to your success to keep costs down and the quality of your product at its best.
- A Company That Lives Out Its Core Values– Finally, the core values of the DSD you choose as your partner for success are important. Not only the values themselves but also putting them into everyday practice. Integrity, commitment, and a passion for results are important values to have in your DSD partner. Implementing these core values will ensure success at every level of your relationship.
FreshOne Distribution Services brandishes all the components to be your DSD partner. We use state of the art technology so you can stay informed and make knowledgeable decisions for every store, every route, every day.
At FreshOne we staff a 24-hour Distribution Support Center (DSC) for our operations throughout the United States. We alert our drivers about road conditions they need to avoid and weather events that might impact delivery. The DSC is aware of any truck malfunctions which allow preemptive problem solving to get your product to the store on time and at the right temperature.
FreshOne is a distribution service company that knows food. For over 13 years we have worked with food manufacturers to bring needed food product solutions to the market. To do this safely, we protect our products throughout the entire cold chain process ensuring that the product is always at the right temperature. As a part of our distribution services procedures all employees, including drivers, are trained in food safety and report anything that may impact the cold chain process.
FreshOne will be a true partner in your success by using our experience to provide valuable input to maintain low costs and high efficiency in the transportation and delivery of your products. (Source: Small Business Chronicle)
FreshOne is a different company. From how we interact with our customers to how we hire our employees we adhere to our core values. We are a clearly Christian company that believes in accountability and demonstrating we will do the right thing. We are not perfect, and we may make mistakes but if we do, we will own it and fix it. FreshOne wants to be your Direct Store Delivery partner. For more information about how we can help you and our core values visit www.fresh-one.com.
Written by Bill Ford, Director of Sales and Marketing