It’s quite interesting to see the full gamut of assets that businesses have to work with when defining their value. For some, digital services are their bread and butter and a virtual good rather easily delivered (despite the upfront effort required to set this up in a proprietary fashion and maintain it), while others may not even sell products that are available online.

For this reason, it’s important for every business to consider where their assets lie and how to best protect them. Thanks to the ever-digital march of businesses opening up, it’s true to say that many advice columns rarely talk about this topic anymore. We hope to do that.

But it’s also important to consider not only managing your inventory, but what to do if they need to be sensitively handled and cared for. Any lapse in planning could potentially mean thousands of dollars worth of value could need to be written off. For that reason, it’s best to plan your logistical supply properly, even if you’re a humble business in an industry like food production. Let’s consider how that may work:

Use Reliable Shipping Services

Reliable full-truckload (FTL) shipping is best utilized when serviced by a reputable brand, one able to ensure long-distance hauls and sensitive needs, such as making sure your items are stored safely during passage and before pickup. Using a service that runs like clockwork, that affords you discounts for continual and bulk use, and that protects your freight can help you ensure that even when your inventory isn’t quite in your hands, it’s there to be carefully looked after.

Heighten Accountability

Heightening accountability within your firm is always important, especially when it comes to practicing the careful handling of your inventory. This might include, for instance, making sure that stock rooms include sign-in and sign-out functionalities, ensuring regular inspections and having that signed off on, or ensuring that safety equipment used for the correct handling of materials is properly and adeptly curated in the best possible sense. This way, you can not only make sure you weed out those who haven’t conformed to the right procedure, but you can reinforce training, ensure mistakes aren’t repeated, and also alleviate needless blame during unfortunate accidents.

Define Exacting Standards

Define exacting storage standards. Not all inventory is created the same, and sometimes, its sensitivity requires a sensitive storage solution. This might involve making sure your stock room temperature and ventilation is well defined, using extracting hoods and fans to increase shelf life. It might mean that you hang certain items from the ceiling, such as large bodies of meat, or perhaps dividing your products on the shelves so that they’re not touching each other, or are upright at all times. Define your procedural standards and make sure your freight company knows about them and is able to use them in their logistical efforts.

With this advice, we hope you can protect sensitive inventory as a business.