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Why you need a cross-functional team in logistics
If you work in logistics or are even tangentially related to it - this information will be important for you. Because today in the blog of LLC «SyncraNova» we will talk not about ‘just a team’, but about a cross-functional team. And if you still don't understand why you need one, you're missing opportunities every day. You can build perfect processes, hire super managers, buy automation systems, but if you don't have a team, things are bad.
What is a cross-functional team
It is a group of people from different departments - purchasing, production, warehouse, IT, finance, sales - who work as one unit.
Not in parallel, not once a week for a zoom meeting, but actually solving logistical tasks together.
Why it's important
Imagine: the purchasing department has purchased goods for a month in advance, and the warehouse staff is not aware of it and is not prepared. Your lorries will be parked with goods that have nowhere to unload. You will suffer losses simply because of the lack of dialogue.
Or: the sales department promises a customer an urgent delivery without specifying whether there are cars available. Turns out there aren't. The customer is furious, the reputation suffers - again losses.
The problem is that there is no unified team that looks at the process through the eyes of the whole chain.
What a cross-functional team brings
Firstly, speed of decision making. Information is not passed from one department to another for days - it is discussed and decided here and now. Everyone understands how their actions affect others. People stop thinking ‘that's not my job.’
Secondly, flexibility. Does the market, demand, conditions change? The team adapts instantly, because everyone sees the big picture.
All of this together eliminates a lot of mistakes. When everyone is in touch, there is less risk of encountering the problems of ‘wrong delivery’, ‘wrong shipment’, ‘wrong procurement’.
What is a cross-functional team
It is a group of people from different departments - purchasing, production, warehouse, IT, finance, sales - who work as one unit.
Not in parallel, not once a week for a zoom meeting, but actually solving logistical tasks together.
Why it's important
Imagine: the purchasing department has purchased goods for a month in advance, and the warehouse staff is not aware of it and is not prepared. Your lorries will be parked with goods that have nowhere to unload. You will suffer losses simply because of the lack of dialogue.
Or: the sales department promises a customer an urgent delivery without specifying whether there are cars available. Turns out there aren't. The customer is furious, the reputation suffers - again losses.
The problem is that there is no unified team that looks at the process through the eyes of the whole chain.
What a cross-functional team brings
Firstly, speed of decision making. Information is not passed from one department to another for days - it is discussed and decided here and now. Everyone understands how their actions affect others. People stop thinking ‘that's not my job.’
Secondly, flexibility. Does the market, demand, conditions change? The team adapts instantly, because everyone sees the big picture.
All of this together eliminates a lot of mistakes. When everyone is in touch, there is less risk of encountering the problems of ‘wrong delivery’, ‘wrong shipment’, ‘wrong procurement’.
What are the losses without such a team
Financial. Due to downtime, returns, fines, emergency deliveries.
Reputational. One delivery failure and the customer will never come back. No one needs unnecessary stress.
Human. The team burns out, people blame each other, staff turnover increases.
Temporary. It takes longer to find mistakes, slower to solve problems.
Financial. Due to downtime, returns, fines, emergency deliveries.
Reputational. One delivery failure and the customer will never come back. No one needs unnecessary stress.
Human. The team burns out, people blame each other, staff turnover increases.
Temporary. It takes longer to find mistakes, slower to solve problems.
How to assemble a cross-functional team
Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Each individual person can be a genius in their department, but if the rest of us don't know their moves - the business will remain at a loss. Every logistics failure is unpleasant, and a cross-functional team is one option to solve your problems.
Strong logistics today is synchronised interaction, the specialists of LLC «SyncraNova» are sure. Assemble such a team and see how quickly your business will start to grow.
Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Identify the key points in the logistics chain. Where are failures most likely to occur? Who is involved in them?
- Appoint representatives from each functional block. Not managers, but those who actually do the work with their hands and brains.
- Define common goals. Not ‘everyone is responsible for their own,’ but one common metric: speed of delivery, level of returns, shipping accuracy.
- Implement regular cross-functional meetings. Not tick-box meetings, but live discussions of real cases.
- Use digital tools. Chats, dashboards, task trackers - all help you see the whole picture.
- Create a culture of mutual respect. Logistics is not a departmental war, but a team game. Teach employees to see the business as a whole.
Each individual person can be a genius in their department, but if the rest of us don't know their moves - the business will remain at a loss. Every logistics failure is unpleasant, and a cross-functional team is one option to solve your problems.
Strong logistics today is synchronised interaction, the specialists of LLC «SyncraNova» are sure. Assemble such a team and see how quickly your business will start to grow.