When one of the largest publishing houses in the world came to WTA to improve their shipping processes, our specialist team were only too happy to comply. With an annual freight spend in the millions of pounds, the client was able to save £1 million over a 12 month period through the innovative, customised solutions that delivered their products on time and to budget.
About the client
This client is one of the largest publishing houses in the world. With highly complex supply chain requirements with their goods being sent all over the world, they boast an annual freight spend of £5 million in the UK alone. However, they were looking to streamline their processes, improving both their productivity and profit margins.
The challenge
Previously, the client had left their printers to arrange freight, resulting in multiple LCL shipments arriving on a regular basis to the UK distribution centre - as well as their client’s centres all over the globe. The production department never had visibility over their purchase orders during the shipping process. Obtaining any information involved sending a many emails to different parties. This slowed the process down substantially, resulting in a burdensome and overly complicated supply chain.
How we helped
After handling a number of small areas of the client’s business for several years, WTA conducted a freight audit to determine the efficiency of their supply chain. This audit concluded that WTA could save them £1 million over a 12
month period.
By designing a customised Order Management System, we streamlined the tracking requirements of the production department. As more of the client’s business needs were overseen by WTA, volumes increased substantially.
Our fully customisable services allowed us to tailor-make a solution that was an exact fit to their needs. Our dedicated
team worked solely on behalf of the client, gaining the best results for them. We developed a strong API link between the publisher’s in-house system and our supply chain software. This allowed overseas suppliers to feed information into the client’s system. It also allowed for the automation of invoicing.
We also created a specialised freight calculator for our client, enabling the production and sales teams to obtain specific unit costs at a singular item level, months in advance of shipment. Our team worked tirelessly to improve the KPIs that were agreed upon by the client and implemented by WTA.
Through our dedication to the client’s goals, we were able to reduce distribution costs through managing the delivery of pallets at our warehouse to the start of the following month. Bespoke reports were also created for our client to give them greater visibility into their operations. These included:
- A destination report so that the distribution centre could instantly view everything due to arrive within a set date range - from container level to individual item level.
- An annual CO2 report that demonstrated reducing CO2 emissions through improved container utilisation.
- Reports based on information contained within our system.
Service level agreements were put in place for our client, and we performed biannual shipping presentations to their
production and sales departments to improve the level and quality of communication. We also conducted regular
port tours, giving the opportunity for our client to better understand the logistics involved and to build up face-to-face
time with the WTA team. Through our concise, consistent communication and regular on-site visits, we were able to build a solid relationship with the client’s key overseas suppliers.
How does this help you?
At WTA, our global logistics experts are completely committed to improving your import/export endeavours. Through our bespoke services and dedication to you, we are able to help your business to reach and exceed its goals. We go above and beyond to ensure that your business is as efficient as it can be, increasing your profit margins and the
reliability of deliveries in the process. Would you like to learn more about what a customised, first-class logistics solution could do for your business? If so, contact Jade Blackburn to book a supply chain audit today.
Have a question? Speak to our import specialist
Jade Blackburn has worked with companies of all sizes across the globe to create effective import strategies.
