Introduction
Finance and logistics operations are often fragmented and costly, especially for companies selling into multiple retail channels across Canada and the U.S. From managing deductions and tracking promotions to consolidating shipments and reducing freight costs, these functions demand substantial internal resources. This whitepaper explores how TLS’s outsourced financial and logistics services help clients eliminate operational inefficiencies, reduce costs, and drive bottom-line growth.
The Challenge: Hidden Costs in Finance & Logistics
Many growing brands encounter barriers such as:
- Manual deduction and invoice reconciliation that drain team resources
- Multiple accounts receivable (AR) relationships across retailers and regions
- Inconsistent pallet configurations, leading to non-compliance fines and excess freight charges
- Disjointed payment systems resulting in delayed cash flow
- A lack of visibility across financial operations and logistics metrics
These challenges aren’t just annoying — they’re expensive. They slow down operations, increase staffing requirements, and make it harder to scale efficiently.
TLS’s Shared Services Model: A Turnkey Back Office
TLS acts as your outsourced back office, integrating financial and logistics support under one roof. Here’s how the model works:
1. Trade Spend & Deduction Management
TLS equips clients with an online Trade Management system and Tableau dashboard access for real-time visibility. All promotions and deductions are automatically scanned and matched. Any disputes are resolved in partnership with your sales team and TLS, eliminating the need for an internal deductions team.
2. Warehouse & Freight Optimization
Freight costs are minimized through pallet configuration audits and consolidation strategies. TLS helps clients:
- Avoid fines by meeting retailer-specific configurations
- Combine shipments from multiple clients into one drop, creating shared logistics savings
- Increase order velocity by acting as vendor of record for over 1,000 SKUs
3. Accounts Receivable (AR) Simplification
TLS becomes the single AR point of contact for Canada or the U.S. This simplifies tracking and eliminates the need for managing dozens of accounts and relationships. Clients no longer require large AR teams.
4. Payment Consolidation
Instead of dealing with unpredictable payment schedules, TLS issues one weekly payment based on agreed terms. This smooths out cash flow and simplifies financial reporting.
5. Compliance & Value-Added Services
TLS also advises on:
- Foreign exchange (FX)
- Labeling and packaging compliance
- GS1 and stewardship programs
- Co-packing and retailer readiness
This ensures brands stay compliant with ever-changing retail requirements — without investing in internal regulatory teams.
Measurable Benefits
- Reduced Internal Staffing Costs: By outsourcing deduction and AR processes, clients save on overhead and hiring.
- Freight & Warehouse Savings: Clients benefit from optimized pallet design and shipment consolidation via continuous yearly reviews, avoiding compliance fines and overage fees.
- AR and Cash Flow Improvements: TLS simplifies receivables and delivers consistent, consolidated payments.
- Operational Visibility: Clients gain real-time insight through shared dashboards and systems.
- Retail Readiness at Scale: TLS’s vendor of record status enables clients to meet order minimums and grow across channels, without added complexity.
In Summary…
Outsourcing finance and logistics operations is no longer just about cost-cutting — it’s a strategic move for companies looking to scale smartly. TLS provides a turnkey financial and logistics support model, helping brands grow faster, stay compliant, and operate more efficiently across North America.
If you’re ready to simplify your backend and free up your team to focus on growth, TLS is the partner to get you there.