Up and down the East Coast last week, businesses were busy preparing for the arrival of winter storm Jonas. Readying shovels and plows, we all watched the weather forecasts closely and prepared to do some digging. It's a familiar feeling here at Capacity. Around the same time last year, we had to handle
Octavia, followed by the ominously-named (and eventually underwhelming)
Thor. Over the years, we've learned to listen less to the flamboyant names and more to one simple mantra that sees us through: Capacity keeps working, even when the weather doesn't!
Capacity Works When the Weather Doesn't
Winter weather challenges the best of us. Even with ample preparation time and all the right equipment, Mother Nature is more than capable of throwing a curve (snow)ball at us all. A quick glance at today's back-to-work updates confirm how tough this past weekend has been for the major carriers. UPS released this statement earlier today:
"Recovery efforts are underway following severe winter weather in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Operations have resumed, however, service continues to be impacted in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. where there are no pickups and deliveries in some areas. Our teams have implemented contingency plans to help ensure that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as possible. However, some shipments may be delayed." FedEx reports a similar situation, advising customers to read an
area-specific update on where the winter storm hit its operations hardest. As deliveries get going again after the weekend, customers will undoubtedly expect to see some delays given the circumstances. At the same time, they'll know it could have been considerably worse if the heaviest snow had hit just a few days later.
The Storm's Silver Lining
Thankfully, much of the disruption was minimized, at least in economic terms, by the fact that the brunt of the storm hit over the weekend. Analysts had predicted that the cost of lost business and delayed operations could have approached $1 billion, but the reality is now
expected to be half of that.
Even so, disruption was inevitable and it's a reminder that the right fulfillment partner is crucial if you want to be sure that everything possible is done to get your orders out on time.
This is why Capacity works when the weather doesn't, because customer expectations are rarely snowed in for long! That's why Capacity works when the weather doesn't. Because, like our loading bays, customer expectations are rarely snowed in for long!