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Delivering differing products from a catalogue of over 28,000 items is no mean feat. However, Rhys Davies has taken on this challenge, delivering Kaiser + Kraft Ltd's products across the UK.
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Kaiser + Kraft, supplier of business hardware ranging from transport devices to office equipment, has no local stock holding in the UK. The company was looking for a UK-based distributor to receive goods from its central stores in Germany and effectively deliver products nationwide to its end customers.
Andrew Henman, Managing Director of Kaiser + Kraft, said that the company had previously used hauliers whose service ranged from okay to catastrophic. He said, "The category of goods that we sell are considered by the haulage industry to be 'ugly freight'. It is not a case of simply loading pallets onto a lorry. Big trolleys, waste skips, swivel chairs and ladders might all need to be loaded onto the same lorry. That makes it a complicated business to get involved in."
Rhys Davies' Radlett warehouse receives three trailers of Kaiser + Kraft's products each day. The product is unloaded, checked and then sorted for distribution either through the Rhys Davies network, or via a managed parcel carrier service. The delivery could range from one box containing an office bin, through to a six metre by three metre smoking shed.
Gary Phillips, Commercial Manager of Rhys Davies Freight Logistics said that
the dimensions of the products are not known in advance, so the operation can be time consuming and requires a high level of management. "The products are split into delivery loads, either loose or palletised, and are generally stacked to the roof of the trailer. We then trunk them overnight into our multi-user operation. This means our deliveries are fast and also that Kaiser + Kraft only pays for the space taken on the delivery vehicle rather than the whole truck."
Thanks to Rhys Davies, a high proportion of Kaiser + Kraft deliveries now arrive within two days, and certainly within three.
Rhys Davies also provides Kaiser + Kraft with direct access to its tracking system, which allows its sales team to determine the exact delivery status of a consignment. Should a customer ask for a Proof of Delivery (POD), then Kaiser + Kraft staff simply access the Rhys Davies website, and search for the POD within the scanned POD archive. They can then upload or e-mail a copy of the POD directly to the customer.
"Rhys Davies appealed to us, first and foremost, because of their eight regional hubs and the fact that all goods in their network can be tracked at all times," continued Andrew. "In the past our contractor would consign goods to a freight service. So when a customer called to enquire as to when their delivery would be arriving we weren't able to give a direct answer. With the Rhys Davies system you can look into their system as a customer and see precisely where a consignment is at any time. It gives us full end-to-end visibility."
Rhys Davies also provides a wide range of management reports, from delivery performance, through to customer service issues for the company.
Rhys Davies Freight Logistics is a national network employing 400 staff, operating 170 vehicles through eight operating centres throughout the UK. It offers a uniquely tailored warehousing, distribution and handling service that extends to much more than just transport. These services include: re-working, re-packing, quality control, auditing and across-the-threshold deliveries to businesses and private residencies.
'More than just transport'
Contact Information
Steve Jordan
The Words Workshop
26 Swanwick Lane
Broughton
Milton Keynes
MK10 9LD
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