EOFY wrap-up: trends, challenges, and why Avion your ideal logistics partner

As the end of the financial year (EOFY) approaches, businesses are preparing to wrap up their finances and plan for the year ahead. Smart businesses use EOFY as a time to reflect on what did and didn’t work in the previous period and adjust their tactics accordingly, says Alessio Longhi, Account Manager/Customer Service Dept. Manager at Avion Australia. 

“This is a good moment for proposing cost savings initiatives,” he says.  

“Australian importers/exporters who are encountering pricing difficulties should reach out to our Avion team for assistance. We are readily available to provide support and help.”  

EOFY is also the ideal time for businesses to assess their inventory levels and make necessary adjustments. By working with an experienced logistics partner and leveraging advanced technologies, businesses can access real-time visibility into stock levels, create accurate demand forecasting, and recommend inventory optimisation strategies. This ensures that businesses maintain optimal stock levels, minimise holding costs, and avoid the pitfalls of overstocking. 

This EOFY has seen businesses weighing up the impact of global events on their bottom line. Businesses that failed to respond and pivot in a timely manner saw hits to their profits as well as client bases. Logistics organisations that thrived were those that provided solutions and went above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction. These businesses are poised to transform the industry by instigating lessons learnt into more effective ways of doing business. 

Meeting logistics challenges 

The challenging market conditions reflected in geopolitical tensions and slow post-COVID economic development has seen a rapid change in the global supply chain industry, says Goran Drozdibob, Avion Australia General Manager (Vic, WA, SA, Tas).  

“This requires remodelling traditional freight handling methods and ‘out of the box’ approaches,” he says. 

“Avion has recognised clients’ needs and invested in human resources enforcement, strengthening relationships with strategic providers and expanding its logistics network. With these investments and by placing the customer at the heart of our business, the Avion Group delivered a strong result and has shown healthy growth in the 2022/23 Financial Year.”  

Avion Australia retained its existing customers over this period and significantly expanded the customer portfolio with new business including automotive and construction. 

An opportunity to optimise operations 

The EOFY period is also an excellent time for businesses to evaluate their overall costs and identify potential areas for savings. A strategic third-party logistics partner can help optimise costs by: 

• analysing supply chain operations 
• identifying inefficiencies 

• proposing cost-saving initiatives.  

By leveraging economies of scale and implementing sustainable practices, Avion Australia can help businesses reduce transportation costs and improve overall efficiency. This enables effective resource allocation and invest in growth-oriented initiatives. 

During the EOFY rush, businesses often experience a surge in orders and heightened customer expectations. With a reliable logistics partner, businesses can ensure seamless order fulfillment, meeting deadlines and customer demands with ease. Leveraging their robust infrastructure, extensive network, and streamlined processes, logistics providers like Avion Australia can handle increased volumes efficiently. Whether it’s managing multiple distribution centres, coordinating transportation, or optimising route planning, a trusted logistics partner ensures that orders are delivered accurately and on time. 

Supply chain issues   

Air and sea freight routes were paralysed during COVID, with capacity constraints, skyrocketing costs, border closures and stringent safety protocols adding to the challenges. With severe restrictions on movement and labour shortages, production slowdowns and factory shutdowns were widespread, causing a domino effect across international supply chains that resulted in delivery delays. Consumers and businesses had to grapple with uncertainties like never before – and are still feeling the effects now.  

Against this volatile backdrop, Avion Australia’s resilience and agility became apparent as the company went above and beyond to assist their customers with their freight forwarding requirements. Using lessons learnt during these trying times, Avion is now better equipped than ever to help drive the transformation of global logistics and contribute to the global economic recovery. Staff worked with an empathic and professional approach to ensure customer satisfaction and to provide timely solutions, says Goran.  

Alessio Longhi says freight forwarders around the globe are relishing the return of business as normal after multiple years of extreme disruptions.  

“The main reason to celebrate has been the end of doing business during the pandemic. COVID made a lot of factors come to surface, such as the freight costs explosion and all issues related to the reduced space on vessels and aircraft,” he says. 

“During COVID the biggest challenge (apart from trying to keep the costs as low as possible, in light of the exponential freight cost increase imposed by the shipping lines) has been to find space/container allocation with the shipping lines. Delays and congestion was a daily issue for years and mainly thanks to the long-standing relationships with overseas agents, shipping lines, airlines and Avion’s offices, we managed to get through that period and keep the customers afloat by making sure they were still receiving their goods as quickly as possible and at the best achievable landed cost.” 

Avion goes from strength to strength  

Despite the global uncertainties, Avion Australia managed to open two new offices in the last financial year in Melbourne and Brisbane. We also created a new business unit to partner with companies that want to take advantage of planning their digital supply chain using the latest technological advances.   

“Avion has developed Avion 3PL and 4PL solutions, providing end-to-end solutions with complete visibility through tracking, vendor and order management, documents check, billing audit and dispute management, financial planning and digital budgeting digital tools,” says Goran. 

The expansion will strengthen Avion’s network in Australia, providing a higher quality of service and enabling better support for clients. 

Avion Australia can help optimise your logistics operation and save on costs through efficient warehousing and ordering processes. Find out more or request a quote.