With the inflation surging, every penny counts. On the other hand, having a strategic partner in logistics by your side can avoid the costly risk of a line stoppage. How to decide what is best for your company?

Saving production costs is an immediate and undeniable necessity.

However, looking for the best price in logistics services is quite stressful: coordinating different suppliers of different modes of transport may lead you to waste time and money.

Today we want to show you 5 great advantages of building a strong long-term relationship with a freight forwarder.

You could also be interested in this story: Learn how acting as a strategic partner in logistics ensured a long-term relationship with an industry-leading Tier 1 (Veritas AG).

1. A little less conversation, a little more action

You found a new provider that offers a service that seems to respond to your needs. Nevertheless, that means having to schedule at least a few meetings to explain your product, review lists of specificities, requirements, protocols and, above all, position your expectations of time and quality level.

In that process, you waste energy, time, and other resources.

However, if you have a strategic partner in logistics, the long-term relationship between your companies will save you time related to new processes, documentation and communication of specific requirements.

You basically just reach to a team that already knows your procedures and can almost immediately dedicate time and efforts to deliver your cargo on time and make a simple request.

You should also read: Acting fast with our Next Flight Out Service to recover time wasted with bureaucracies.

2. Long-term relationship partners act faster

When a cargo becomes urgent, the financial cost of critical services is usually lower than other consequences – which can go as far as the loss of a customer. In this case, there is no time or reason to look for the lowest rate.

An unexpected critical situation – a machinery failure, a cancelled route, a port omission, new sanitary measures at origin – demands concentrating all efforts on delivering the cargo on time.

When you have a long-term relationship with a freight forwarder – especially one expert in time-sensitive logistics solutions – you have at hand a portfolio of possible alternatives for each movement, which allows you to minimize the risk of a line stoppage and guarantee that the material will be delivered on time, despite the disruptions.

You should also read: Can you avoid critical cargo?

3. A better control over providers and purchase orders

More than working on specific shipments, a true strategic partner can offer you a comprehensive logistics plan. It can even include coordinating your purchase orders and providers.

In addition, that partner can be your single point of contact with that entire network, controlling the accomplishment of precise delivery times, the cut-off of carriers in all modes, port and airport departure times.

Information is power. Focusing it on a single point of trust means more agility and security in your decisions.

Are you On top of logistics? Get there with our monthly update on market situations, routes, products and services.

4. Transparency to balance programmed and urgent shipments

Finding the ideal solution for a shipment means evaluating shipper lead times, the consignee location, routes, services available, multimodal alternatives, rates and market situation at the two points.

A transparent relationship with a strategic partner in logistics eliminates hidden agendas and streamlines the decision-making process. You provide the forecast and point out your need. For its part, the logistics partner returns with accurate information, alternatives and visibility on the scope of each option.

When is it really necessary to hire a premium service?

A partner is not going to sell you just for the profit. You’ll have at hand the full picture of the movement, taking into consideration the whole lead time of your supply chain, to support your best decision.

This could also interest you: Get to know how we coordinated transporting a whole production line between continents using air and ocean freight synchronized solutions!

5. Flexibility when facing sudden changes

We can think of thousands of unforeseen events and having nightmares where we’re not able to change plans without a lot of negotiation.

Having a strategic partner in logistics means having alternatives & options at hand, and someone working on multiple projects while focused on moving your cargo to its destination, ensuring that it arrives on time, always.

You should also read: Not even a storm can delay a critical cargo!

Europartners Group, more than a freight forwarder,

your best strategic partner in logistics

At Europartners Group, we work hard to become a trusted partner for our clients. We want to conquer a high-level and mutually beneficial long-term relationship.

In addition to having more than 70 own offices in the world, we offer Key Account Manager and in-house services.

Do you want to build a long-term relationship based on trust with a strategic partner in logistics?  Connect with us.