Global Supply Chain Control Towers are gaining interest among organizations that need greater visibility and control within their increasingly sophisticated supply chains. In a recent Capgemini Consulting report, a supply chain control tower is defined as a central hub with the required technology, organization and processes to capture and use supply chain data to provide enhanced visibility for short- and long-term decision making that is aligned with strategic objectives.
Supply chain towers are often an important component to 4PL supply chain solutions as companies realize that mastery of their supply chain must become a core competency to remain competitive. Although visibility within the supply chain is often a significant driver, the supply chain control tower must go beyond visibility to provide integrated transportation and logistics solutions and global trade compliance services. These services must be configured to support the needs of business units and the key fulfillment attributes of a product-line.
The value of having one global supply chain system and standardized processes gives companies the flexibility to plug in new transportation and logistics providers as needs change, or quickly assimilate new businesses. The control tower reduces the risk of getting locked into using an external provider’s system, and changes the balance of power. Control tower managers have the visibility and data-driven analysis of service levels to objectively manage each provider. Similarly, new businesses and product-lines can be plugged in with standard interfaces and highly configurable processes.
Logistics Plus has significant experience creating and managing global supply chain towers for a number of clients. We take a very customized, yet dedicated approach to configuring and integrating the control tower into each client’s supply chain. The two illustrations shown below are examples of control towers we have implemented for two very different companies (click to enlarge). One is a global energy company, and the other is a leading co-working space provider. As shown in the examples, the first company’s supply chain required multiple regional control towers to ensure visibility and control of logistics across multiple regions. In contrast, the second company required one primary, centrally-located control tower to oversee everything from procurement to warehousing to final deliveries.
If you’re looking for greater visibility and control within your supply chain, with an experienced 4PL partner that uses a very customized and dedicated approach, please contact us. We’d love to review your business challenge and discuss whether a global supply chain tower might be a good fit for your company.
Load a dismantled ship unloader from a barge in Taicang, China for transport to Grain Terminal in Haifa, Israel (normally only grain can be loaded/unloaded here, but we acquired permission under special permit from Port of Haifa).
Pick up 84.5 metric ton heavy gas turbine from storage area in Antwerp, Belgium; load to barge, shift to outgoing terminal, and load on container vessel for breakbulk shipment by floating crane; final delivery to China.
Pick up 94 metric ton heavy gas turbine from storage area in Antwerp, Belgium; shift to Rotterdam and load on container vessel for breakbulk shipment to Shanghai, China.
Pick up two (2) oversized skids in Zaventem, Belgium and truck them all the way to Skogn, Norway.
Receive damaged FGSS (fuel gas supply system) skid from Shanghai, China, and truck to Jiaxing factory for repairs. Upon completion of repairs, pick up at factory and truck back to Shanghai; ship to Imabari, Japan shipyard.
Collect various components for re-liquefaction system from various suppliers; export to Shanghai; re-import and deliver to Hudong, China shipyard.
Ship two moonpool hatches and components from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Suape, Brazil.
Pick up three (3) windmill blades each 67 meters in length in Jiangyin, China; bring them to port and ship to Eemshaven, Netherlands.
Pick up six (6) windmill blades each 50 meters in length in Tianjin, China; bring them to port and ship to Eemshaven, Netherlands.
Ship 32 brewery system tanks and supporting legs from Antwerp, Belgium to Namibe, Angola.
The animated image below contains photographs from the projects described above.
Need help with your big, bad or ugly project cargo? Let us know!
Check out these beautiful photographs provided by the Logistics Plus (LP) Project Cargo Team. These photos are from yet another successful project cargo movement coordinated jointly by the LP Turkey and LP Belgium offices. For this project, Logistics Plus safely loaded a 24.2m X 5.70m X 6.00m 105-ton cryogenic gas tank for transit from Turkey to Norway. Tune back in soon: We’ll be sharing a video of the final delivery too!
This is the last in a 10-part series of extended interview videos with Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. The original interview was conducted in August 2016 as part of the company’s 20th Anniversary celebration. In this video Jim discusses the company’s goal of world domination.
This is the ninth in a 10-part series of extended interview videos with Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. The final segment in the series will be shared tomorrow. The original interview was conducted in August 2016 as part of the company’s 20th Anniversary celebration. In this video Jim discusses the positive impact of growth and how it creates good things for the company.
Our 
This is the last in a 10-part series of extended interview videos with 