“BoxTop has really grown on us – it’s so easy to use. It’s built for purpose and is laid out in such a logical way; it’s actually designed to work the way the job flows. We find users really like it and its natural flexibility has significantly streamlined our business.”
- 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