How to take freight control to a new level with logistics control towers.
Within a model of trust-based supply chain management, logistics control towers bring a more strategic, analytical view to the management of freight solutions. Multinational transport and logistics company AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG provides global control tower solutions for B2B Clients and can coordinate multiple logistics, transportation, and warehousing providers from the centralized management of a control tower.
Typically, large companies have in-house logistics managers to manage rail, air, sea and road freight in collaboration with wide variety of outsourced logistics and transport services providers. But in cases where large loads necessitate increased management attention or where in-house logistics managers are temporarily unavailable, outsourcing logistics management to a single company can save time and money.
For example, in September AsstrA provided a fully outsourced logistics control tower solution for one of the world’s largest distributors of industrial chemicals and plastics, whose logistics manager was on temporary leave. As the Client had existing relationships with other leading global transportation brands, AsstrA was proud to be selected for this role on the basis of reliability, trust, and responsibility already proven to this Client.
“Our Client trusted us to take over the control tower on their logistics because we had already been providing them with high-level logistics solutions with which their entire management board were satisfied. During 2016, we started off transporting 1-2 FTLs per week for them. Later the amounts grew 20 FTLs and LTLs per week and and eventually we were entrusted with managing all the logistics for this business. Now we oversee all their transportation activities and represent them with all their logistics services providers. It’s a great honor to be given this responsibility, and it shows that this Client has recognized our loyalty and trusts us,” says Artur Antonin, AsstrA Country Manager for Spain and coordinator of the Control Tower working group.
As a control tower service provider, AsstrA’s main requirements are to receive full information from the Client’s purchasing department about freight traffic including volume, delivery scheduling, and European factory destinations. AsstrA then chooses optimal carriers, fully monitors the transportation process up to the last mile, and ensures all the necessary legal and physical conditions for successful deliveries. Mr. Antonin indicated that freight mostly consists of FTLs and LTLs of propylene copolymer.
“In order to meet all Client expectations, AsstrA placed me in charge of a special working group. This global Client, whom we served with the control tower solution, trusts the competent, experienced, and careful people at AsstrA. It’s also worth mentioning that a well developed supply chain always makes a mutual Partnership with a Client smoother, no matter where he is located,” adds Mr. Antonin.
In Europe, the concept of the logistics control tower is an increasingly popular logistics management model involving the centralization of transport operations. Management by a team of oursourced logistics managers, as opposed to a single in-house logistics manager, allows workforce optimization and boosts quality and accuracy in operational and organizational procedures.