NEWFIELD, NJ: If you’re a Walmart Supplier, you certainly understand the effect of the company’s On Time In Full (OTIF) policy and the impact it can have on your supplier ratings and your company’s bottom line. Finding a third-party logistics (3PL) provider who is both consistent and reliable is critical for successfully navigating these requirements. At RLS Logistics, we pride ourselves in the ability to meet supplier key performance indicators, as well as retail requirements such as the Walmart OTIF policy.
OTIF was implemented to improve Walmart’s supply chain and only hold what is needed in their inventory, helping to keep their carrying costs to a minimum. Companies who rely on less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers to deliver their products can’t afford to have them arrive a day early or a day late without facing penalties. Late or early shipments, or missing items from suppliers can trigger a fine equal to 3% of their value.
“For most LTL carriers, it’s always been a trade-off between efficiency versus hitting the actual delivery date,” said RLS Vice President of Business Development John Gaudet. “Prior to the OTIF policy, early was ok, but now it isn’t in the eyes of Walmart, and that’s part of the challenge. If you don’t have established weekly delivery days, it’s very difficult to adhere to the OTIF policy.
“Our customers have trusted RLS Logistics to manage their complicated cold chains for over 50 years,” Gaudet continued. “Because of our success, more and more small and mid-sized companies are turning to RLS in order to meet stringent compliance requirements that large retailers like Walmart are adopting. Through our Pool Program #464, we manage the orders and combine shipments with our other Walmart supplier inventories. The Program provides customers day specific service to all 44 DC’s throughout the United States on a weekly sailing schedule for both Frozen and Refrigerated products.”
“The RLS Pool Program features personalized, fully-integrated solutions that allow Walmart suppliers to inventory their product at one of our cold storage locations, we can pick up pre-tagged orders at the customers facility via our transportation program, or customers can drop ship their orders directly to our cross dock in Newfield, NJ” said Gaudet. “Many of Our competitors do not offer these many options. You have to carry inventory in their facilities to take advantage of their consolidation programs.”
“Our electronic order management, shipment planning and control, and real time performance technology tools, along with our outstanding customer support teams, ensure accuracy for individual suppliers and help them to maximize their profitability,” Gaudet continued. “As a result, the RLS Pool Program customers will see lower transportation costs; decreased lead times; less over, short, or damaged cargo; and elimination of OTIF compliance penalties.”
For more information on how RLS Logistics can help your company succeed, please contact us at 800-579-9900 or info@rlslogistics.com.
ABOUT RLS LOGISTICS: Founded in 1968, RLS Logistics is a family-owned, third-party logistics provider (3PL) specializing within the cold chain. The company is a nationally recognized frozen & refrigerated temperature-controlled logistics provider offering LTL and TL transportation, cold storage warehousing, and e-commerce fulfillment services. For more information, visit www.rlslogistics.com.
