Different kind of freight brings different kind of logistical challenges and aspects to be taken in consideration. But they all have one thing in common: the need for reliability.
Logistics of fast-mover shipments such as fruit and vegetables require maximum punctuality and professionalism. The suppliers must also respond flexibly to the actions of businesses and sometimes transport “just” a few pallets rather than full truck loads. On top of this, the customer wants to be able to track his goods online at all times. Also, the chemical industry needs to reach its customers in the desired time and quality regarding a specific sensitivity to its special products. All in all, transport challenges to cope with in everyday business.
We talked to Germans Barri, fresh food specialist from Spain und German’s chemical products manufacturer MC-Bauchemie how they master their different challenges in transportation….
Challenge #1: High fluctuations in order volumes and order cycles
The biggest challenge for the business of fruit and vegetables provider Germans Barri is the variation of order volumes and cycles of its customers. Aside from exporting products to all European countries, Germans Barri moves a total of 150 million kilos of fresh goods every year. Exactly as customer want and need it. Their orders and routes are changing constantly resulting in the need for continuously new transport service providers. The search for transport partners took massive time. “Perhaps only 10-20 percent of the 2,000 emails sent out in search for transports were read. You are working against the clock with fresh goods and faced with high technical requirements for refrigerated shipments,” reports Natalia Echeverry, dispatcher at Germans Barri.
Challenge #2: Special goods need special transportation
Whereas highly flexible transports are necessary for fruits, the opposite is needed for MC-Bauchemie. The German company is expert in developing, manufacturing and suppling concrete admixtures and repair systems. “We organise and plan both part loads and full loads for projects and constructions sites – or when we restock our storage”, says the Logistics Manager Lars Laskowski. “In total a volume of 500 to 600 tonnes per day and around 120,000 tonnes per year.” The company mainly cooperates with fixed freight forwarding companies to move liquid and powder materials requiring special transports. Only for those orders that cannot be transported by the standard daily rhythm, MC-Bauchemie uses transport service providers in the spot-market.
The solution that makes (daily) dispatching easier
By using the Smart Logistics System of TIMOCOM, Germans Barri is able to gain planning security thanks to the extensive coverage and high reaction speed of other TIMOCOM users – often with a response from a suitable service provider within 10 minutes. “You can even carry out numerous searches simultaneously. The simple search for a service provider makes the daily dispatching so much easier”, reports Natalia Echeverry, dispatcher at Germans Barri.
Another important point is trust: “If we assign a transport service provider through TIMOCOM, we can be sure that the goods will arrive exactly where they should do. We could establish a network of trustworthy partners through the platform who we work with on a regular basis”, she added.
A prime example from the production industry and how the Smart Logistics System represent flexible solutions is shown by the German company MC-Bauchemie. The loading of the vehicles as well as the routes are planned by the in-house planning department.
For irregular transports, the planning and shipping department uses, among others, TIMOCOM’s transport platform. The shipping department had very good experiences from the start and, thereby, has been achieving significant savings: 30 seconds after he entered the load, the phone wouldn’t stop ringing, explains Laskowski.
The simplified, quicker and more secure transport offers through the Smart Logistics System enable Germans Barri and MC-Baustoffe to focus more on other tasks, save money and valuable time. With various apps within one system, TIMOCOM provides the perfect solution for the needs in transportation described. It helps companies to react flexibly to new and established markets as well as customer requirements without overthrowing established processes within their business.
You can find more information on Germans Barri, MC-Bauchemie and TIMOCOM at:
