Optimising your service portfolio
Selected operational projects
'Smart City' concept
Our customer: A public transport provider
Client's aim: Checking how to contribute to improving the traffic situation and the city's eco-balance and increase public transport passengers’ satisfaction.
Our approach: In a tiered approach, we set up the foundation for a contemporary e-commerce ecosystem. Our goal was to link the formerly separated passenger and goods transport systems in the city. In close collaboration with our client, we prioritised the different potential approaches and identified the most promising project for a pilot scheme. In the next step, our team made well-structured preparations for the trial phase, e. g. by surveying the particular requirements of each stakeholder in the project and developing a viable business case.
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Cost optimisation of the client's express and air freight volumes
Our customer: A technology group
Client's aim: Cutting annual costs of 330m euros for global express and air freight services.
Our solution: In view of the considerable volumes, our client had completely outsourced its transport management in a long-term contract. Therefore, re-negotiating existing contacts together with our client was not an option. In a multi-tiered approach, we examined the client's global shipping volume, down to single shipments, with the aim of cutting costs and curtailing transit times. Our team made tangible recommendations focussing on our client's main routes; Asia - USA and Asia – Europe. Overall, our recommendations led to annual savings of 17m euros, while cutting transit times at the same time.
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Introduction of parcel lockers in a market
Our customer: A technology group
Client's aim: Identification of promising solutions for an expansion in the parcel market.
Our approach: We used a modular, multi-tiered approach to identify the needs of market players and potential solutions for the planned expansion in the parcel business. Based on the results of the first step, we prioritised our client's strategic options with regard to their attractiveness and suitability in an iterative process. Afterwards, the identified solution was approved by the board. One of our recommended solutions was the introduction of so-called parcel lockers. Our team developed a viable business case for the introduction and the complete pilot test and accompanied the trial.
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Development of a web-based shipment manager
Our customer: One of the 15 biggest logistics providers in Germany
Client's aim: First, our team identified our client's actual needs and the fitting solutions by collecting primary data and carrying out an operational analysis on site. Based on the results of this step, we developed an integrated, web-based information system for monitoring consignments from receiving orders, to the delivery by an in-house distributor, e. g. to different carriers. Our client needed a completely customisable notification in the event of a deviation from the usual shipping process. In addition, the system had to include a modifiable conveyor control, a balancing module for automated invoicing with carriers and several different payment terms for different contractors. Apart from this, the system offers the client's controlling team a tool to check contribution margins in addition to a multitude of statistics and evaluation tools. The system currently handles over 12m shipments per year.
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Benchmarking for publishing logistics providers
Our clients: A collaboration of over twenty companies from the publishing logistics industry
Clients' aims: Developing a method for benchmarking the performance, costs on the last mile, and optimising the delivery.
Our approach: In order to provide sound results, we developed a classification system that takes each participant's individual framework conditions into account. In the next step, we collected data from the companies involved, and consolidated and analysed it. Based on the data we compiled, our best-in-class benchmark allowed the clients to assess their individual performance with regard to last-mile delivery and their product mix. This benchmark even allows the clients to assess their performance by region. Based on these results, we carried out a causal analysis that revealed weak spots and provided an approach for tangible streamlining measures.
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Operational due diligence
Our customer: A private equity firm
Client's aim: Assessing the operational performance of an acquisition target
Our service: Our team conducted a comprehensive operational due diligence for a logistics company that operates throughout Europe. The primary goal was vetting an investment of around 450m euros and assessing resale opportunities after the consolidation phase.
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Second opinion on network planning
Our client: A global leader in logistics
Client's problem statement: Vetting a planned network expansion worth several hundred million euros in view of the strategic importance of heavy and bulky shipments.
Our solution: In our three-tiered approach to the project, we compiled data on the regional development of shipment volumes (source and sink), the change of shipment sizes over the period, and identified important drivers for the development of shipment volumes and sizes.
Altogether, our team analysed the source and sink of over one million transactions in the so-called two-man delivery market and structured them by commodities.
Moreover, we identified consumer preferences in this segment with our 'Dynamic Consumer Feedback', that was developed for this project. The feedback provided us with the necessary information to assess the current and future challenges our client's delivery service faces, and describe the implications this has on our client's network planning.
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Tapping a New Business area: Healthcare
Our client: A leading contact logistics firm in Germany
Client's aim: Entering the healthcare business
Our approach: Initially, we examined the business sector by viewing the different segments and their market relevance, thus providing our client with decision guidance. Our client chose the cosmetics submarket for his initial market entry. We identified the most promising target customers in a detailed analysis of the European cosmetics market, which
included structured profiles of producers, retailers and distributors. We added these profiles to our client data base. In collaboration with our client, our team then approached chosen target customers in an anticipatory sale.
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Optimising utilisation rates in the textiles distribution business
Our client: A leading textile logistics provider
Client's problem statement: High distribution costs, especially in structurally weak regions, due to insufficient utilisation rates
Our approach: In a comprehensive, structured analysis of target industries, our team identified products from certain sectors as potential extra cargo, and assessed whether these goods met the client's demands. The results were provided in the form of detailed profiles. Based on these results, we supported our client by identifying the most promising target industries in a three-tiered approach, and developed a strategy for establishing the new business fields.
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