Logistics Planning for the New Year — AMEX International (Eagan, MN)
As businesses head into 2026, one of the most impactful resolutions you can make is to create a strong logistics and shipping strategy. Whether your organization ships locally or globally, carriers large and small face ongoing supply chain challenges — from fluctuating freight costs to regulatory changes. Building an intelligent, proactive shipping strategy now will help you reduce costs, increase reliability, and support growth throughout the year.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the key elements of logistics planning, from goal setting and inventory planning to the real cost advantages of effective logistics. We also highlight how partnering with a trusted logistics provider like AMEX International in Eagan, MN can elevate your operations with custom crating, hazardous materials handling, shipping expertise, and warehousing solutions. Amex International+1
Why a Logistics Strategy Matters in 2026
In simple terms, logistics encompasses everything involved in getting your products from where they are now — to where your customers need them. Done well, logistics becomes a competitive advantage; done poorly, it can be an ongoing cost center that frustrates your team and customers alike. Strategic planning helps you:
• Reduce overall operational costs - Smart logistics planning identifies inefficiencies in transportation, warehousing, and routing — then eliminates them. When you balance shipping volumes and routes, plan inventory ahead of demand, and manage carriers strategically, you save on fuel, labor, expedited fees, and more. Shopify
• Improve reliability and delivery performance - With a thoughtful strategy, you avoid last-minute rushes and reactive fixes that cause delays. Logistics planning helps businesses anticipate demand, coordinate shipments, and optimize routes so customers get what they ordered — on time, every time. Inspire Solutions Asia
• Enhance customer satisfaction and trust - On-time delivery is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s an expectation. Meeting or exceeding delivery expectations improves loyalty and gives your brand a reputation for reliability. Ship Science
Step 1: Set Clear Logistics Goals for 2026
Before you dive into tactics, you need clarity on what success looks like. Ask your team:
✔ What are our delivery expectations in 2026?
✔ Are we expanding to new markets or shipping more internationally?
✔ What shipping costs are acceptable versus unsustainable?
✔ Where have we experienced delays, damage, or inefficiencies?
By setting measurable goals — such as reducing average transit times by 15%, cutting freight spend by 10%, or improving on-time delivery rates to 98+% — you create benchmarks that help you manage performance throughout the year.
Step 2: Forecast Demand and Optimize Inventory
A common mistake businesses make is treating inventory and logistics as separate disciplines. In reality, they are deeply connected: accurate inventory planning directly affects your shipping outcomes. Here’s why it matters:
• Avoid overstocking and understocking - Excess inventory ties up capital and elevates storage costs, while stockouts lead to missed sales and expedited shipping costs. Effective inventory forecasting helps you maintain just the right amount of stock. ShipScience
• Align inventory with customer demand - Use historical sales data and market trends to anticipate demand spikes — especially seasonality tied to holidays, trade shows, or large product launches. Accurate forecasting means you have the right products in the right place at the right time.
• Reduce shipping delays and costs - With better inventory planning, you’ll fulfill orders faster and with fewer expedited (and expensive) shipping choices. This streamlines logistics and improves customer satisfaction. Inspire Solutions Asia
Step 3: Audit and Improve Your Supply Chain Processes
With goals and inventory in place, it’s time to examine your current supply chain processes. Ask:
🔍 Are we using real-time data to track shipments and inventory?
🔍 Are routes optimized for cost and delivery speed?
🔍 Do we have contingency plans for carrier or weather disruptions?
Modern logistics planning tools and analytics can help answer these questions. Tools that offer real-time visibility into inventory levels and shipment locations also allow you to react to delays before customers do. NetSuite
Step 4: Partner with Logistics Experts Like AMEX International
For many businesses, outsourcing parts of their logistics is both cost-effective and operationally smart. At AMEX International in Eagan, MN, your business gains access to decades of shipping and packing experience tailored to your unique needs — from custom crating to hazardous material handling and container loading. Amex International
Here’s how AMEX International supports your logistics strategy:
📦 Custom Crating Services
Every product is unique — especially fragile or high-value goods. AMEX International builds custom crates designed to protect your shipments through every stage of transit, including export compliance with ISPM-15 standards for international freight. Amex International
⚠️ Hazardous Material Packing & Documentation
Shipping dangerous goods requires strict documentation and packing protocols. The team at AMEX is certified to handle these materials safely and compliantly, whether by land, air, or sea. Amex International
🏢 Warehousing Solutions
Need storage? AMEX offers short- and long-term warehousing, helping you position inventory closer to demand centers — reducing delivery times and shipping costs. Amex International
🚢 Container Loading & Secure Shipping
Loading ocean containers requires precision to prevent damage and shifting. AMEX professionals have the expertise to block and brace cargo securely for long hauls. Amex International
By partnering with AMEX International, you free internal resources to focus on growth strategies, while their team ensures your logistics backbone is solid and dependable.
Step 5: Review and Refine Quarterly
A calendar year can bring unexpected changes — market demand, fuel prices, carrier capacity, and even global shipping regulations can shift. That’s why logistics strategy isn’t a “set and forget” process.
Conduct quarterly reviews to:
🔁 Evaluate performance against goals
📊 Analyze shipping costs and delivery metrics
📍 Adjust inventory forecasts and reorder levels
💡 Identify new opportunities to reduce costs or improve service
This iterative approach lets you stay agile, minimizing risks and enhancing your logistics outcomes over time.
Conclusion: Make 2026 Your Best Shipping Year Yet
Logistics planning isn’t just an operational task — it’s a strategic investment that pays dividends in cost savings, customer trust, and operational efficiency. As you step into the new year, focus on clear goals, intelligent inventory planning, supply chain audits, and partner with logistics professionals like AMEX International in Eagan, MN to support your strategy. With a proactive approach, your business won’t just ship products — it will deliver remarkable experiences.
💡 Ready to boost your shipping strategy in 2026?
Reach out to AMEX International in Eagan, MN for a logistics partner who’s invested in your success. Their experience in crating, logistics, hazardous material handling, and warehousing can be a game changer for your business. Amex International
Matt Hagdorn - AMEX International, Inc.
Post by AI - March 5, 2025
As businesses head into 2026, one of the most impactful resolutions you can make is to create a strong logistics and shipping strategy. Whether your organization ships locally or globally, carriers large and small face ongoing supply chain challenges — from fluctuating freight costs to regulatory changes. Building an intelligent, proactive shipping strategy now will help you reduce costs, increase reliability, and support growth throughout the year.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the key elements of logistics planning, from goal setting and inventory planning to the real cost advantages of effective logistics. We also highlight how partnering with a trusted logistics provider like AMEX International in Eagan, MN can elevate your operations with custom crating, hazardous materials handling, shipping expertise, and warehousing solutions. Amex International+1
Why a Logistics Strategy Matters in 2026
In simple terms, logistics encompasses everything involved in getting your products from where they are now — to where your customers need them. Done well, logistics becomes a competitive advantage; done poorly, it can be an ongoing cost center that frustrates your team and customers alike. Strategic planning helps you:
• Reduce overall operational costs - Smart logistics planning identifies inefficiencies in transportation, warehousing, and routing — then eliminates them. When you balance shipping volumes and routes, plan inventory ahead of demand, and manage carriers strategically, you save on fuel, labor, expedited fees, and more. Shopify
• Improve reliability and delivery performance - With a thoughtful strategy, you avoid last-minute rushes and reactive fixes that cause delays. Logistics planning helps businesses anticipate demand, coordinate shipments, and optimize routes so customers get what they ordered — on time, every time. Inspire Solutions Asia
• Enhance customer satisfaction and trust - On-time delivery is no longer a “nice-to-have” — it’s an expectation. Meeting or exceeding delivery expectations improves loyalty and gives your brand a reputation for reliability. Ship Science
Step 1: Set Clear Logistics Goals for 2026
Before you dive into tactics, you need clarity on what success looks like. Ask your team:
✔ What are our delivery expectations in 2026?
✔ Are we expanding to new markets or shipping more internationally?
✔ What shipping costs are acceptable versus unsustainable?
✔ Where have we experienced delays, damage, or inefficiencies?
By setting measurable goals — such as reducing average transit times by 15%, cutting freight spend by 10%, or improving on-time delivery rates to 98+% — you create benchmarks that help you manage performance throughout the year.
Step 2: Forecast Demand and Optimize Inventory
A common mistake businesses make is treating inventory and logistics as separate disciplines. In reality, they are deeply connected: accurate inventory planning directly affects your shipping outcomes. Here’s why it matters:
• Avoid overstocking and understocking - Excess inventory ties up capital and elevates storage costs, while stockouts lead to missed sales and expedited shipping costs. Effective inventory forecasting helps you maintain just the right amount of stock. ShipScience
• Align inventory with customer demand - Use historical sales data and market trends to anticipate demand spikes — especially seasonality tied to holidays, trade shows, or large product launches. Accurate forecasting means you have the right products in the right place at the right time.
• Reduce shipping delays and costs - With better inventory planning, you’ll fulfill orders faster and with fewer expedited (and expensive) shipping choices. This streamlines logistics and improves customer satisfaction. Inspire Solutions Asia
Step 3: Audit and Improve Your Supply Chain Processes
With goals and inventory in place, it’s time to examine your current supply chain processes. Ask:
🔍 Are we using real-time data to track shipments and inventory?
🔍 Are routes optimized for cost and delivery speed?
🔍 Do we have contingency plans for carrier or weather disruptions?
Modern logistics planning tools and analytics can help answer these questions. Tools that offer real-time visibility into inventory levels and shipment locations also allow you to react to delays before customers do. NetSuite
Step 4: Partner with Logistics Experts Like AMEX International
For many businesses, outsourcing parts of their logistics is both cost-effective and operationally smart. At AMEX International in Eagan, MN, your business gains access to decades of shipping and packing experience tailored to your unique needs — from custom crating to hazardous material handling and container loading. Amex International
Here’s how AMEX International supports your logistics strategy:
📦 Custom Crating Services
Every product is unique — especially fragile or high-value goods. AMEX International builds custom crates designed to protect your shipments through every stage of transit, including export compliance with ISPM-15 standards for international freight. Amex International
⚠️ Hazardous Material Packing & Documentation
Shipping dangerous goods requires strict documentation and packing protocols. The team at AMEX is certified to handle these materials safely and compliantly, whether by land, air, or sea. Amex International
🏢 Warehousing Solutions
Need storage? AMEX offers short- and long-term warehousing, helping you position inventory closer to demand centers — reducing delivery times and shipping costs. Amex International
🚢 Container Loading & Secure Shipping
Loading ocean containers requires precision to prevent damage and shifting. AMEX professionals have the expertise to block and brace cargo securely for long hauls. Amex International
By partnering with AMEX International, you free internal resources to focus on growth strategies, while their team ensures your logistics backbone is solid and dependable.
Step 5: Review and Refine Quarterly
A calendar year can bring unexpected changes — market demand, fuel prices, carrier capacity, and even global shipping regulations can shift. That’s why logistics strategy isn’t a “set and forget” process.
Conduct quarterly reviews to:
🔁 Evaluate performance against goals
📊 Analyze shipping costs and delivery metrics
📍 Adjust inventory forecasts and reorder levels
💡 Identify new opportunities to reduce costs or improve service
This iterative approach lets you stay agile, minimizing risks and enhancing your logistics outcomes over time.
Conclusion: Make 2026 Your Best Shipping Year Yet
Logistics planning isn’t just an operational task — it’s a strategic investment that pays dividends in cost savings, customer trust, and operational efficiency. As you step into the new year, focus on clear goals, intelligent inventory planning, supply chain audits, and partner with logistics professionals like AMEX International in Eagan, MN to support your strategy. With a proactive approach, your business won’t just ship products — it will deliver remarkable experiences.
💡 Ready to boost your shipping strategy in 2026?
Reach out to AMEX International in Eagan, MN for a logistics partner who’s invested in your success. Their experience in crating, logistics, hazardous material handling, and warehousing can be a game changer for your business. Amex International
Matt Hagdorn - AMEX International, Inc.
Post by AI - March 5, 2025