Industrial IoT for Small 3PLs: Affordable Sensors and What They Actually Deliver
29 September 2025
Warehouse location strategy: how it impacts delivery speed and conversion rates
29 September 2025
OUR GOAL
To provide an A-to-Z e-commerce logistics solution that would complete Amazon fulfillment network in the European Union.
Shipping delays are one of the most frustrating problems for both e-commerce businesses and their customers. A late delivery can damage customer trust, reduce repeat purchases, and increase operational costs. While some delays are unavoidable, many are preventable with careful planning and the right logistics strategies. This article explores the seven most common shipping delays and provides detailed strategies to prevent them, ensuring a smoother, more reliable fulfilment process.
1. Global Emergencies and Geopolitical Disruptions
Causes
Global emergencies, such as pandemics, natural disasters, or geopolitical conflicts, can disrupt shipping across multiple regions. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread factory shutdowns, port closures, and labor shortages, causing delays in both production and shipping worldwide. Similarly, geopolitical tensions, such as trade restrictions or sanctions, can prevent goods from reaching international markets on time.
Port congestion is another frequent issue. For example, the 2021 Suez Canal blockage halted a significant portion of global maritime traffic, delaying shipments across multiple continents. Companies relying on a single port or shipping lane are particularly vulnerable to such events.
Prevention Strategies
- Diversify Suppliers and Routes: Avoid depending solely on one manufacturer or shipping route. Use multiple suppliers across different regions to reduce risk.
- Maintain Safety Stock: Keep extra inventory in key locations to buffer against supply chain disruptions.
- Monitor Global Events: Use tools and services to track potential disruptions and adjust shipping schedules proactively.
- Flexible Contracts with Carriers: Establish agreements that allow rerouting or alternative shipping methods during emergencies.
By preparing for unexpected events, businesses can reduce the impact of global disruptions on order fulfilment.
2. Supply Chain Disruptions
Causes
Supply chain disruptions can occur at multiple stages — from raw materials to final delivery. Factors include delayed production, shortages of essential components, port congestion, and labor strikes. For example, electronics companies frequently face delays when semiconductor shortages affect production timelines.
For e-commerce sellers, even small delays at the supplier level can cascade into significant fulfilment problems. If products do not arrive on schedule, warehouse processing and shipping timelines are immediately impacted.
Prevention Strategies
- Real-Time Supply Chain Visibility: Implement software that tracks orders, inventory, and shipments in real time. This allows businesses to detect issues early and respond quickly.
- Multiple Supplier Relationships: Building relationships with backup suppliers reduces reliance on any single source.
- Proactive Inventory Management: Analyze demand patterns and maintain safety stock for high-volume or critical items.
- Collaboration with Carriers and Warehouses: Communicate regularly with logistics partners to anticipate potential bottlenecks.
Proactive management of the supply chain ensures fewer surprises and smoother delivery performance.
3. Weather Anomalies and Natural Disasters
Causes
Extreme weather events — such as hurricanes, snowstorms, floods, or wildfires — can halt transportation and delay shipments. For example, winter storms in Europe often disrupt road and air transport, delaying parcels by several days. Hurricanes or floods can damage port infrastructure, resulting in backlog and rerouted shipments.
Even moderate weather events, like heavy rain, can affect local delivery efficiency, particularly for last-mile services.
Prevention Strategies
- Weather Monitoring Tools: Track weather conditions and forecasts in all operational regions.
- Flexible Delivery Schedules: Allow for rescheduling deliveries in affected areas, and notify customers proactively.
- Warehouse Positioning: Store inventory in multiple, geographically diverse locations to mitigate the impact of localized weather events.
- Emergency Logistics Plans: Prepare contingency plans for rerouting shipments and using alternative carriers during disruptions.
By anticipating weather-related delays, businesses can maintain service levels and minimize customer dissatisfaction.
4. National and International Holidays
Causes
Holidays affect carrier operations, warehouse staffing, and customs processing. International shipping can be delayed during local holidays in either the origin or destination country. For instance, shipping to Germany around Christmas or France during Bastille Day often results in slower deliveries due to high volumes and reduced staffing.
E-commerce businesses frequently underestimate the impact of peak holiday periods, resulting in missed customer expectations and increased customer complaints.
Prevention Strategies
- Plan Ahead for Seasonal Peaks: Schedule orders and shipments well in advance of key holidays.
- Communicate Clearly: Inform customers about expected delays during holiday periods to manage expectations.
- Negotiate with Carriers: Discuss operational plans and capacity during peak periods to ensure timely fulfilment.
- Implement Holiday-Specific Inventory Strategies: Increase inventory in regional warehouses to reduce last-minute shipping pressures.
Proper planning for holiday periods prevents avoidable delays and improves customer satisfaction.
5. Labor Shortages and Strikes
Causes
Labor shortages in logistics, warehousing, or transportation sectors can result in delayed shipments. Strikes, high turnover, or inadequate staffing during peak periods exacerbate the problem. For example, courier strikes in major European cities can lead to widespread delivery delays across the region.
These human factors are particularly significant during periods of high demand, such as e-commerce peak seasons.
Prevention Strategies
- Cross-Train Employees: Ensure warehouse staff can perform multiple roles to maintain operations despite shortages.
- Outsource to Third-Party Logistics Providers: Partner with flexible 3PLs who can scale labor resources during peak periods.
- Engage in Workforce Planning: Analyze data to forecast staffing needs accurately.
- Maintain Open Communication with Carriers: Stay informed about potential labor disputes and prepare alternative shipping methods.
Addressing labor challenges proactively reduces the risk of service interruptions.
6. Inaccurate Shipping Information
Causes
Incorrect addresses, incomplete customer data, or mislabeled shipments lead to misrouted parcels. Human error during order entry or manual processing is often the culprit, particularly in high-volume e-commerce operations.
Prevention Strategies
- Implement Address Validation: Use software tools to verify addresses at the point of order.
- Customer Verification: Encourage customers to double-check shipping details before checkout.
- Automated Labeling and Barcode Scanning: Reduce manual handling errors in warehouses.
- Regular Database Updates: Maintain accurate and up-to-date customer information.
Accurate shipping data is a simple yet highly effective way to prevent delays and reduce costs associated with returned parcels.
7. Last-Mile Delivery Challenges
Causes
The final stage of delivery — last-mile logistics — is often the most complex. Challenges include traffic congestion, missed delivery attempts, inaccessible delivery locations, and overloaded local carriers. Last-mile inefficiencies can account for a significant portion of total shipping delays.
Prevention Strategies
- Route Optimization Software: Use technology to plan efficient delivery routes and minimize delays.
- Flexible Delivery Options: Offer scheduled delivery, pickup points, or locker services to reduce failed delivery attempts.
- Proactive Customer Communication: Provide tracking updates and estimated delivery windows to keep customers informed.
- Partner with Reliable Local Carriers: Work with local delivery companies that understand regional traffic patterns and conditions.
Improving last-mile performance directly enhances customer satisfaction and reduces operational inefficiencies.
Additional Strategies to Strengthen Shipping Reliability
Leveraging Technology for End-to-End Visibility
One of the most effective ways to prevent shipping delays is through end-to-end supply chain visibility. Modern warehouse management systems (WMS) and transportation management systems (TMS) allow real-time tracking of inventory, shipments, and carrier performance. Integrating these systems with your e-commerce platform ensures that every order, from placement to delivery, is monitored continuously. Alerts for delayed shipments or anomalies can trigger proactive measures, such as rerouting packages or informing customers before delays escalate. Businesses that adopt these technologies reduce operational errors, improve delivery predictability, and maintain customer satisfaction.
Strategic Inventory Positioning
Strategically placing inventory in multiple warehouses across key regions can significantly reduce shipping times and costs. By analyzing customer demographics and order patterns, businesses can identify high-demand regions and pre-stock products in nearby fulfilment centers. For example, an e-commerce company shipping to Germany, France, and the Netherlands may benefit from splitting inventory between warehouses in Frankfurt, Lyon, and Rotterdam. This approach minimizes last-mile delivery distances, avoids customs bottlenecks for cross-border shipments, and enhances the customer experience with faster deliveries.
Building Strong Carrier Relationships
Strong partnerships with shipping carriers are crucial to navigating challenges such as seasonal peaks, labor shortages, or unexpected delays. Regular communication allows businesses to negotiate priority handling, secure extra capacity during busy periods, and ensure that any service issues are addressed promptly. In addition, collaborating with multiple carriers, including regional couriers for last-mile delivery, helps reduce dependency on a single provider, thereby mitigating the risk of delays due to operational disruptions.
Customer-Centric Communication
Transparent and proactive communication with customers can alleviate the negative impact of delays. Providing accurate tracking information, estimated delivery windows, and immediate notifications in case of disruptions helps manage expectations and reduce customer frustration. Additionally, offering flexible delivery options, such as scheduled delivery times or pick-up locations, increases convenience for customers and decreases failed delivery attempts.
Conclusion
Shipping delays are inevitable in complex global supply chains, but proactive planning and strategic management can mitigate their impact. By understanding the common causes — global emergencies, supply chain disruptions, weather, holidays, labor issues, inaccurate data, and last-mile challenges — businesses can implement solutions that maintain timely delivery and preserve customer trust.
E-commerce companies that invest in diversified supply chains, advanced logistics technology, and robust contingency planning not only reduce the risk of delays but also gain a competitive advantage. Transparency, accurate data, and communication with both carriers and customers are essential for building a resilient shipping strategy.
Ultimately, preventing shipping delays is about anticipation and preparation. The companies that excel are those that treat logistics as a strategic function rather than a reactive one, ensuring that every order reaches its destination reliably, efficiently, and on time.
