Industrial transportation: 100% reliability target

Nowadays, it has to be admitted that the priority of European transport companies is cost reduction, with European routes being served by just two or three departures a week. In addition, services provided vary as a result of subcontracts being sourced individually and the use of non-integrated organisations comprising agents, correspondents and subcontractors with mini profit-centre structures. This also leads to the implementation of a push-based supply chain, with vehicles departing only when fully loaded to reduce costs as much as possible. Companies are forced to put up with the situation and sometimes have to introduce contingency solutions such as organising order management with transport company departure days in mind, keeping safety stocks and, most frequently, having their own emergency fleet to cope with advanced deliveries.

Non-quality of flow increases the risk of production line shutdowns, stock shortages, production rescheduling, part orders, unmet delivery lead times, extra administrative costs, etc. In Marielle Bloch Dolande’s opinion, “costs resulting from non-quality flows must be taken into account when planning a freight budget. Also, businesses have to break down flow in line with their own requirements. This is because either the value per kilo of goods is low, which means flows must be grouped together (full lorry loads) or companies choose higher stock levels over more frequent flows. Another example is when goods shipped are stored rather than being used straightaway. In this case,” continues the Managing Director of Beauvais International, “the choice of transport provider is cost orientated. On the other hand, if flow quality is a real business issue, then the choice of provider is based on whether they have the necessary expertise and resources to meet the company’s requirements. We are talking about interactive flows.”

Beauvais International at the leading edge
Addressing these issues has become Beauvais International’s priority. This has resulted in more secure company customer flows, lead time improvements through supply and sales flow management and closer control over European supplies. Marielle Bloch Dolande adds that an after sales service has been set up to meet various requirements, from maintenance to repairs, with tracking of operations between customers and the after sales service. Finally, Beauvais International helps businesses reduce stocks at production sites by adapting flow frequency to production needs, compensating for supplier delays with accelerated flow, offering a level of reliability and visibility where flow is considered as rolling stock, and also, for example, by eliminating national stock distribution via direct deliveries from the production site throughout Europe.

The value of this system is three-fold: 1) maximum reliability: Beauvais International offers unequalled reliability of 99.6% (all errors included); 2) information tracking: this provides increased visibility over pick-up and delivery deadlines and dates, quantities and goods delivered, from the moment a shipment is received by Beauvais International’s European network; and 3) scheduled flexibility: there are guaranteed daily departures at fixed times from the 10 Beauvais International locations in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, with three possible speed options for each shipment. This offers customers an opportunity to gain time on a daily basis should the need arise.

Meeting customer requirements
“Besides having an error-free organisation of the production site, it is also possible to cope with damaging business events such as a supplier delay, a two-day production backlog due to quality problems, an emergency, etc.,” says Marielle Bloch Dolande. It should also be remembered that costs incurred due to contingency solutions and the consequences of non-quality are eliminated. So, thanks to Beauvais International’s high level of reliability and adaptability, reassured business managers need no longer worry about monitoring European shipments and can focus on strategic challenges with an appropriate, efficient supply chain and transportation system.