Logistics partnership and joint growth in contract logistics
Wine and spirits is not the only sector where warehousing and individual value-added services are in demand. With its contract logistics solutions, DACHSER meets a wide array of customer requirements. An interview with Alexander Tonn, Corporate Director, Corporate Contract Logistics at DACHSER.
Mr. Tonn, how does contract logistics add value?
Contract logistics is all about integrated solutions. We combine inbound and outbound transports with specialized warehouse services and tailored value-added services. Our goal is apply this intelligent combination of services to optimize our customers’ logistics balance sheets. DACHSER has invested a considerable amount in achieving this. For example, over the last five years the number of pallet spaces has increased by 22 percent—to 2.4 million. Whether or not commercial and industrial companies outsource their warehouse services, and if so to what extent, varies from industry to industry and depends partly on market developments.
How do you balance custom solutions with the standard offerings that are essential for large groupage networks?
That’s not a contradiction in terms. Our strength is in our standard portfolio: thanks to existing warehouse solutions at 177 DACHSER network locations serving over 1,430 customers around the world, we can build upon a comprehensive pool of tried and true processes. About 60 to 80 percent of the steps these processes follow are the same. The rest consists of the customized value-added services I already mentioned, or specialized processes in incoming and outgoing goods. Here is where our experts in planning and operations come in, applying their expertise to redefine processes before integrating them into our Mikado warehouse management system and optimizing them—all in the interest of our customers.
What industries does DACHSER target with its contract logistics?
We focus on industries and products for which we have already built up comprehensive expertise in our European overland transport networks as well as in Air & Sea Logistics. Our Food Logistics business line caters to well-known commercial and industrial companies in the food industry—both for refrigerated and non-refrigerated items—while our European Logistics business line serves customers in other sectors, such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and durable consumer goods (DCG), not to mention DIY-Logistics, Chem-Logistics, and electronics.
Thank you very much for the interview.
Alexander Tonn is Corporate Director Corporate Contract Logistics at DACHSER.