The Effect of Brexit on Logistics
As the country braces itself for Brexit, concerns are growing about the potential effects on UK logistics. If your business imports goods, you’ll need an EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number, which must start with the letters ‘GB’. And, you’ll have to either employ the services of a customs agent or learn how to make import declarations yourself.
Whether you’re for or against Brexit the fact remains that the EU is our largest and most important trading partner. EU imports and exports currently account for around half of our international transactions, so establishing clear supply lines following Brexit is essential.
Brexit may lead to increased costs
In the aftermath of Brexit, border friction and increased tariffs are likely to be a major cause of concern for businesses, with experts warning that the long-term effects could rumble on for several years. So, it’s absolutely essential to prepare your business beforehand, so you can minimise any disruption to your business supply chain.
Warehousing costs could also increase following Brexit, leading to further expense for businesses that need to store parts and products. In some cases, just-in-time processes may also be severely impacted, as any border delays could push costs even higher.
Time to overhaul your supply chain?
Instead of viewing Brexit as an obstruction to your business, why not take this opportunity to review your current supply chain strategy? Perhaps you could source some of your products or parts from local suppliers, rather than those based overseas? Could you improve your storage and inventory systems to ensure that you hold sufficient stocks of in-demand items?
And, if you deal with overseas suppliers or importers, now is the time to discuss your needs with them in as much detail as possible. This is particularly important where you deal with UK businesses that rely on imported parts, as you need to be absolutely certain that your deliveries won’t be affected.
Here at GenRev we’ve developed a broad selection of services that can help you keep your business running efficiently, no matter what happens with Brexit. We have many years’ experience working with companies who rely on time-critical parts, so we know exactly what’s required to keep your business running efficiently.
Our In-boot parts delivery service ensures that your field and service engineers always have the parts they need at the start of each working day. Our In-night distribution service ensures that your items are delivered as early as 7am, so your employees can get straight to work, without having to wait around for necessary parts. We also offer Just in time distribution, as well as scheduled and multi-drop deliveries, so you always have the parts you need, exactly when you need them.
If you haven’t already considered the impact Brexit might have on your business, now is the time to take action and to start making any necessary adjustments to your supply chain.
Please contact us to find out how our smart logistics solutions can help you negotiate Brexit.