• Matt Beech
• Commercial & IT Director
• Maltacourt Limited

In data we trust…

The background

Maltacourt is a privately-owned UK-based freight forwarder, offering international air and sea services and European road freight. It was established in Widnes, UK in 1981 and now also has offices at London’s Heathrow airport and in Australia, Canada and Hungary. Maltacourt is a growing business and has recently (Nov 2009) doubled its warehouse space near Heathrow and expanded into central Europe.

The challenge

Maltacourt’s business was growing and it needed to find a more efficient way to manage the information along with the freight itself. In order to remain competitive, it needed to improve productivity per employee and to link its Widnes and Heathrow offices.

Maltacourt also wanted to improve visibility for customers – to allow them to access what information they needed, when they needed it. It also wanted to improve visibility for its own employees – so they could always access information about the status of the cargo and, most importantly, be alerted to potential problems. The existing system was no better than just recording data for invoicing.

The solution

Maltacourt investigated a variety of freight forwarding software systems and narrowed it down to the last two. Matt Beech, Commercial and IT Director, says the functionality of the two was very similar but what persuaded him to select BoxTop was its ease of use. “We asked the operations people to look at the systems and they were able to use BoxTop straight away. It was obviously designed by people who understand the industry. Training takes a minimal amount of time and it is a quick and easy system to use.”

Matt Beech also wanted the system to be based on Microsoft SQL “so we could build anything we wanted to sit alongside and extract and exchange data. Data is only interesting if you can use it.”

This means Maltacourt can give its customers exactly what they want. “One customer wanted a POD with more information than just the time, date and person who signed. So we added the data they wanted, created it in the format they wanted and send it to their server automatically twice a day.”

Maltacourt also asked BoxTop to help when it needed to interact more easily with a partner in Hungary who was handling goods out of three factories there. “Our partner can now input data about the cargo, using an Internet process designed by BoxTop – what, where and precisely what time the goods were picked up as well as warehouse and trucking data, and this information updates BoxTop instantly for us. This has greatly increased efficiency – and the accuracy of the data.”

The result

Maltacourt has found that customer satisfaction levels have improved. “With BoxTop, we can always give our customers exactly what they want. BoxTop is led by its customers. We ask them if they can offer us a particular facility and they almost always can deliver it!

“BoxTop is a vast improvement on what we had in the past and on what others can offer. They promised us a swift and seamless transition to their system – and they delivered.”

International Track 100 is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford company that researches Britain’s top-performing private companies and provides a useful analysis, of the available figures, on growth in overseas trade by British private companies.

Horizon International Cargo, a BoxTop customer for many years, is ranked 39th with growth of nearly 80% a year between 2007 and 2009. Since the company started its operations in 1991 as a small air freight business at London’s Heathrow airport, it has grown substantially and now employs 90 staff in 11 offices worldwide to handle the demand from customers for its air, sea and logistics services. Horizon has opened five overseas offices in the past two years.

B & H Worldwide, in 89th place, provides supply-chain management and logistics services to the aerospace and publishing industries and have been using BoxTop since 1997. BoxTop is currently used by B & H in their offices in the UK, USA, Asia and Australia.

We have more to offer customers now, including much better visibility throughout the supply chain.

This is helping us win more business.”

• Alan Vincett
• Operations Director
• Oceanteam Logistics

Value on-board…

The background

Oceanteam Logistics, a highly successful independent freight forwarder, based near Heathrow, was founded in 2000. It has a wide variety of customers but is keen to expand both the business it does for existing customers and its total client base. To cope with the growing focus on this side of the business, they have expanded the export department and, more recently, have taken over the lease on the neighbouring premises.

The challenge

Oceanteam Logistics had an existing freight software system but it just couldn’t deliver what Oceanteam – and, more importantly, its customers – needed.

“For instance, we wanted a better web tracking system for our customers,” explains Alan Vincett, Operations Director. “And we needed a package that would link to our accounts software to help us work more efficiently.” Just as importantly, Oceanteam felt that it should be able to get faster response times from the software provider when any problems or queries arose.

Additionally, a major customer, was considering moving its European Spares Operation out of the Amsterdam warehouse of one of the world’s largest logistics companies. And Oceanteam needed a warehouse software system to be able to secure the business.

The solution

“We began working with BoxTop in January 2009,” says Alan. “The system is definitely more user-friendly and very logical. It is easy to show a new employee how to use it.” It also has better functionality, including creating air waybills, road freight CMRs and sea freight bills of lading more easily.

To win the new warehouse contract, Oceanteam thought it was faced with having to invest significant sums in a bespoke warehouse management system. “But when we looked at our existing BoxTop package, we found that everything we needed was in that – at no extra cost! That showed we had made the right decision when we decided to work with BoxTop.

“We talked to Christopher [Hewlett, BoxTop co-founder and Managing Director] and Alex [Delmonte, a member of the BoxTop development team] about BoxTop’s warehouse features and very quickly we discovered we already had a proven solution that could provide exactly what our customer needed.”
Using BoxTop’s web interface (BoxTrax), our customers can now access the inventory in real time and place orders 24/7.

The result

Since July 2009, Oceanteam Logistics has run the European distribution centre for one its customers. It arranges the collection of goods from throughout Europe, warehouses around 3,000 line items and then picks and delivers these items around the world at the customer’s request.

“BoxTop were an integral part of our securing the business,” says Alan. “We had the people and the skills but we needed to prove that we had the systems to match our customer’s requirements. BoxTop was so flexible that it allowed us to make the changes that our customer wanted – quickly, easily and without additional cost.”

An added bonus is that Oceanteam can now use BoxTop systems to attract other customers. “We have more to offer customers now – both the better visibility through the supply chain and the warehouse software. This is helping us win more business.”

Freight forwarders are seeking greater visibility. “Just being able to track cargo is no longer good enough,” says Christopher Hewlett, managing director and co-founder of BoxTop Technologies.

“Visibility is much more useful if it is used pro-actively for planning and preventing problems, not just for finding out who is to blame when things go wrong,” he explains. “It should not be used simply as a historical record.”

Hewlett believes that BoxTop were ahead of the game when it first started providing this functionality and its freight management software system has included high levels of visibility for many years. However, many of the small and medium-sized forwarders are only now seeking to use all the functionality.

“With the recent economic climate, the smaller forwarders are facing two issues – intrusion into their traditional area of business by the bigger forwarders and logistics companies, and demands for greater reliability and cost control from their existing customers,” says Hewlett.

In addition to offering their customers greater visibility, BoxTop users are also able to widen their service portfolio by adding inventory management services, on-line stock control and pick & pack fulfillment services. “This allows them to compete with much larger forwarders – the exporters and importers can have the best of both worlds, intelligent use of information and personal service,” explains Hewlett.

• Michael Jones
• Director
• Dynamic International Freight Services Ltd

Focussed on delivery…

The background

Dynamic International Freight Services Ltd is a privately-owned UK-based freight forwarder, offering international services and specialising in the film/television production market. It has a strong loyal customer base, demanding a very high level of on-time delivery.

The challenge

Dynamic had some freight forwarding software but decided it needed a more sophisticated system – partly to make sure that it was able to offer the same level of service as the global integrators. And also to ensure its own management of the freight and its reporting systems were as effective as possible.

The solution

Dynamic selected BoxTop after comparing the systems offered by four rival software companies.

Michael Jones, Director, Dynamic International, says: “BoxTop has a good reputation – it must be the top of the tree in terms of independent software suppliers. We looked at the system and liked both it and the people.” But it was not until the system was installed and in use that the team at Dynamic realised how much easier it made their jobs.

“It looked like a good idea and it transpired that it was,” says Michael Jones. “Once you get it, you realise how good it is. Every piece of information is captured and you can drill down into the system and cherry pick any bits of information that you need.”

Dynamic is particularly impressed by BoxTop’s response to its requests. “We call up Christopher (Hewlett, BoxTop co-owner) and stuff happens. BoxTop are always willing to look at any sensible – or even not so sensible – ideas we have and see if they work.”

Although BoxTop supports a worldwide customer base, it remains focussed on the individual needs of its customers. An example of this is a bespoke project undertaken to send electronic invoices streamlining the accounting process and allowing Dynamic to continue to satisfy the changing demands of a prestigious account.

The result

Dynamic International can now compete more effectively with the big integrators as it can gather and use a much greater range of information about any shipment.

Michael Jones says: “BoxTop, in terms of technology, brings us up to the level of the express companies. In fact, it is better. The express companies are stuck with what they specified years ago. We have a lot more flexibility as BoxTop works with us to give us exactly what we need to meet customer needs and make the whole process run more smoothly.”

Testimonials

“BoxTop gives me a handle on every operational aspect of the business.” says Michael Jones, Director, Dynamic International Freight Services Ltd.

“Forwarders need software that allows open access to data – but also lets them add their own updates,” says Christopher Hewlett, Managing Director at BoxTop.

“Capturing data is not that easy; there is a shift to web portals to allow the right information to be seen long before the goods become a shipment. This way forwarders, shippers and consignees can identify problems before they occur – allowing decisions to be made to adjust the delivery process – for example, change the mode of transport; reduce the size of the order; source materials elsewhere; or transfer stock from another location. The need for early visibility becomes even more important when shelf-ready goods are involved, as no stock literally means empty shelves! We’ve spent 18 months working on software to support this enhanced visibility.”

“This is much more than a standard freight tracking service,” says Christopher Hewlett, managing director and co-founder of BoxTop Technologies. “It allows forwarders to publish any document or give access to any information that their customers might want to see.

“Most of the BoxTop team have freight and logistics backgrounds so we understand what forwarders’ customers are looking for to make their lives easier. BoxTrax starts with on-line booking by customers and allows all aspects of the service until final delivery and invoicing to be seamlessly followed through the system.”

As well as providing standard real-time visibility, BoxTrax has a powerful search engine which lets forwarders’ customers search for specific consignments from a comprehensive array of options including their own references.

“We recognise that there is no point having all the information available unless customers are able to access it in a way that makes sense to them,” says Christopher Hewlett.

BoxTop continues to design and develop its services in close co-operation with its customers and is focussing on its warehouse features, including inventory stock management, in anticipation of future demand.

“We never just launch a product and say ‘here it is, take it or leave it’,” explains Christopher Hewlett. “Our customers, the smaller and medium sized forwarders, often win business on their ability to be more flexible and more responsive than the largest logistics providers who force customers to fit into their own systems. We help our customers tailor their services to exactly meet their own customers’ needs.”

The BoxTrax system also provides the unique BoxTrax Stats page, allowing forwarders to access statistics, showing them who exactly who is viewing what, when and how often. “This helps them understand their own business processes – and, equally importantly, gives them a greater understanding of how their customer works.”

BoxTop Technologies is a leading provider of freight forwarding software. The company was founded in 1995 by Christopher Hewlett and Bill White and since its revolutionary, Windows-based forwarding software was launched in 1997 the solution has been continuously enhanced as forwarders – and their customers – demand greater levels of visibility, reliability and efficiency.

BoxTop prides itself on its personal approach. “Our customers talk directly to the technical support guys to discuss any issues. Together we identify the need for new features or improvements to existing ones – and we develop and implement workable, robust freight software solutions. BoxTrax is just the latest example of that process,” says Christopher Hewlett.

• Jon Smerin
• Logistics Manager
• Hankyu Hanshin Express UK Ltd

Flexible nature…

The background

Hankyu Hanshin Express (UK) Ltd is a new company created by the merger of two Japanese transport giants in 2008. It offers international freight forwarding services, specialising in high value, time-critical express freight.

The challenge

Hankyu in the UK was using a software system which had been chosen for the company’s European offices in 2001 and was not delivering what it promised in terms of functionality, development or support for the UK. The company had invested a significant sum in this system so could not easily change.

Jon Smerin, IT and UK Logistics Manager, knew there was a better way. “We employ quite a lot of temporary staff and they kept asking us why we didn’t use BoxTop as it is a far better system. I got a bit tired of hearing about BoxTop to be honest!”

The solution

However, when the opportunity arose to explore new systems, Jon Smerin did look at BoxTop. “I immediately liked the fact that there is no massive investment upfront. You rent it, rather than buy it like most other freight systems. BoxTop set it up for nothing and we just pay per user.”

It is a very easy system for people to learn. “In the past, it was not worth taking on temporary staff for a few days because it would take them so long to get used to using the system. Now, even if they don’t already know BoxTop, they pick it up very quickly and are productive straight away.”

BoxTop also greatly reduces the need for re-keying of data as it links to both ASM for Customs and to Hankyu Hanshin’s own accounts system.”This saves a lot of double entry – and cuts down the potential for errors.”

He is also impressed with the support. “In the past, we had to send an email request and screen shots to the support desk and wait for a reply. Now we can just pick up the phone and, if necessary BoxTop will instantly logon to the user’s screen to see what’s happening and provide an immediate suggestion or solution.

The result

Jon Smerin says: “The support is fantastic. We call them with a problem or idea and they immediately know what we are talking about. A lot of them have freight forwarding backgrounds, so they understand our needs – and our customers’ needs.

Testimonials

“The system is really easy to use. It is laid out in a logical sequence, the way the job flows, and users like it. There are not a lot of fancy buttons that are pointless. The system has streamlined our business considerably.” says Jon Smerin, Logistics Manager, Hankyu Hanshin Express (UK) Ltd