With COVID-induced restrictions on face-to-face interactions, businesses have increasingly gone online. With ecommerce on the rise, some businesses have found surprising success in the face of the outbreak, as consumers buy essentials remotely   – letting online stores do the hard work of stocking goods and delivering them to their doorstep.

However, businesses find storing physical products to present a risk during this pandemic, especially as their business grows. And hiring a third party warehousing supplier somehow feels just as risky as handling it yourself.

If you’ve made your retail business a virtual one, you probably have your own reservations about working with a third party for your warehousing needs. You’ll feel better working with a logistics and warehousing company that can meet stringent COVID protocols, while efficiently storing and shipping your products.

How do you identify companies you can feel safe working with? Here is a checklist to consider:

• The warehousing company should have clear health guidelines aligned with government’s health protocols. The Department of Health has issued COVID health and safety protocols for businesses, which are also aligned with interim guidelines on COVID prevention and control in the workplace prescribed by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Labor and Employment. When in doubt, ask the company about the precautions they are taking to put your mind at ease.

• The warehousing company should have stringent safety protocols. Do they have strictly-implemented protocols in their warehouse? This is the facility that will be storing your products, so utmost care is necessary here too. Confirm if basic health guidelines are followed – such as social distancing, wearing of proper protective equipment, and regular disinfection of door knobs and other high-touch surfaces. You should also check if they follow active contact-tracing measures in case any of the staff contract COVID-19.

How well they stick to safety measures reflects on the company’s culture – are they careful and thorough… or not? This culture of care or neglect trickles down to other processes, like the riders’ delivery to your customers.

• The warehousing company already has a track record of efficient service delivery. Go with an established company that offers considerable experience working with companies like yours. If you work with an inexperienced  company, you might be putting your business – and your customers – at risk.

Entrego, a technology-driven business solutions provider for the fulfillment and logistics needs of enterprises, has a warehousing service fully adapted to the pandemic’s new normal.

Given our track record as a trusted partner for clients based in a variety of industries, Entrego renders services that go beyond the usual warehousing practices. Apart from our strict adherence to COVID protocols, Entrego provides a premium portfolio of “   – including a Storage and Warehouse Management System (WMS) which provides real-time visibility and tracking of your inventory; seamless ecommerce integration; and specialized kitting and packing services to meet the majority of special requirements.

With its expansive nationwide network and last-mile capabilities, Entrego can serve you and your customers anywhere, with locations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao – all at lower distribution costs, thanks to Entrego Express, its courier and parcel management service.

With these precautions in hand, and a partner like Entrego in harness, you can take your online business to the next level in certainty and safety.