by logisticsplus | Dec 2, 2014 | Testimonials
I want to reach out to you and let you know how valuable Pawel Wronski (from Logistics Plus Poland office) has been to (us) with his handling the logistics of our specially designed resistivity collars orders. These collars are made in Austria … and due to their size and weight present some challenges. At first, (a different logistics company) was handling logistics, and it was taking two weeks for a collar to get here after completion. We contacted Logistics Plus and Pawel was able to successfully get our collars here in less than a week, and some even down to 4-5 days . The time he saved us has enabled us the ability to convert the two orders that equate to over $6MM. He has been a pleasure to work with and is always readily available to answer all my questions.
Bill, Materials Manager, An oil & gas company
by logisticsplus | Dec 2, 2014 | News
What’s the difference between a 3PL and a 4PL? Well, before we go there, how about a 1PL and 2PL? A 1PL is simply the owner of the cargo who manages the entire distribution process internally. A 2PL is a for-hire air, ground, rail, or ocean carrier that directly provides transportation service to a shipper. As far as 3PLs and 4PLs are concerned, according to the glossary published by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), the definitions for both are as follows:
Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
Outsourcing all or much of a company’s logistics operations to a specialized company. The term “3PL” was first used in the early 1970s to identify intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) in transportation contracts. Up to that point, contracts for transportation had featured only two parties, the shipper and the carrier. When IMCs entered the picture—as intermediaries that accepted shipments from the shippers and tendered them to the rail carriers—they became the third party to the contract, the 3PL. The definition has broadened to the point where these days, every company that offers some kind of logistics service for hire calls itself a 3PL. Preferably, these services are integrated, or “bundled,” together by the provider. Services they provide are transportation, warehousing, cross-docking, inventory management, packaging, and freight forwarding. In 2008 legislation passed declaring that the legal definition of a 3PL is “A person who solely receives, holds, or otherwise transports a consumer product in the ordinary course of business but who does not take title to the product.”
Fourth-Party Logistics (4PL)
Differs from third-party logistics in the following ways; 1) 4PL organization is often a separate entity established as a joint venture or long-term contract between a primary client and one or more partners; 2) 4PL organization acts as a single interface between the client and multiple logistics service providers; 3) All aspects (ideally) of the client’s supply chain are managed by the 4PL organization; and, 4) It is possible for a major third-party logistics provider to form a 4PL organization within its existing structure. However, 4PL was originally defined by Accenture as a trademark in 1996 and defined as “A supply chain integrator that assembles and manages the resources, capabilities, and technology of its own organization with those of complementary service providers to deliver a comprehensive supply chain solution.”, but is no longer registered.
Logistics Plus 4PL & Supply Chain Management
Okay, now that we have the academic definitions out of the way, what do services really entail for a company working with Logistics Plus on a 4PL basis? Logistics Plus 4PL customers generally receive dedicated, on-site support and expertise in managing their supply chains. Our dedicated resources will work with customers to:
- Manage both domestic and international shipping
- Document and simplify the logistics process for shipping sites
- Oversee customs regulations and compliance
- Provide tools, like eWorldPlus™ and eTNTPlus™, for tracking and compliance
- Identify potential savings opportunities
- Implement cost savings projects
- Liaison between allocated carriers and sites
- Resolve disputes raised by sites or carriers
- Audit freight invoices to ensure accurate billing
- Facilitate idea generation with customers’ logistics team
- Test pilot special projects to determine effectiveness
- And anything else needed to add value to the partnership
If your company is struggling with logistics management and getting control of its supply chain, Contact Us and let us provide you with a risk-free logistics analysis. Call us a 3PL, 4PL, or whatever you’d like — but we’ll help you identify areas of opportunity and how we can help you address them.
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by logisticsplus | Nov 24, 2014 | Testimonials
We at Hydrasun, a customer of Parker Hannifin, endured a real difficult few days last week, in relation to supply of critical goods to a key customer. I’d like to say thanks to Emily, who had a real difficult journey in getting the goods to us. After a serious amount of hours travelling, with very little sleep, I couldn’t believe how friendly and pleasant she managed to be, at the point of arrival. …. I’m not convinced I could have achieved this. It goes without saying, and I’m pretty certain you’ll agree, you’re really fortunate to have a work colleague and an asset, that is Emily Grein.
Scott M., External Sales Manager, Hydrasun
by logisticsplus | Nov 24, 2014 | News
People often ask us what the “Plus” in Logistics Plus means. Although it can be difficult to put into words, we often say the “plus” represents all of the extra little things we do to help our customers be successful – whether that means someone working late to track a shipment, assigning a dedicated resource to work on a project, or providing some training on trade compliance regulations.
Yes, these are all things we do, but nothing is more representative of the “plus” than an actual example. Many of these “true examples” go unnoticed and undocumented since it is just the way we go about our business here at Logistics Plus. However, from time to time, we get a customer who takes the time to acknowledge something special one of our employees has done, and it really helps shine a light on some pretty cool stuff our people will do to get the job done.
Take Emily Grein, a logistics specialist and member of our International services staff. On Thursday of last week, Emily received a call from one of our customer’s customers. Apparently, a production line in Scotland was going to shut down if a special part in Erie, Pennsylvania was not delivered immediately. Emily, with her passport in hand, volunteered to pick up the part, drive it to the Cleveland airport in a total snow blizzard, and then fly to Glasgow, Scotland where she personally delivered the part the next day.
In the end, the customer avoided a costly production line shut-down for which they were very happy. In fact, the external sales manager for the company wrote the following testimonial back to us to say … “We (all) endured a really difficult few days last week, in relation to supply of critical goods to a key customer. I’d like to say thanks to Emily, who had a real difficult journey in getting the goods to us. After a serious amount of hours traveling, with very little sleep, I couldn’t believe how friendly and pleasant she managed to be, at the point of arrival. …. I’m not convinced I could have achieved this. It goes without saying, and I’m pretty certain you’ll agree, you’re really fortunate to have a work colleague and an asset, that is Emily Grein.”
That, my friends, is how we put the “plus” in Logistics Plus. Contact us if you need our hand-carry service for a critical shipment.
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by logisticsplus | Nov 19, 2014 | News
Last week Jim Berlin, CEO and owner of Logistics Plus Inc., and Yuriy Ostapyak, director of global operations, both attended the EY Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, CA where the annual EY Entrepreneur of the Year™ awards was presented. Jim and Yuriy both report that the conference was entertaining and inspirational and they brought back a lot of ideas learned and shared with fellow entrepreneurs at the conference.
The conference included many thoughtful and insightful presentations from well-known celebrities such as Ron Howard, Seth, Myers, Emmitt Smith, Jimmy Johnson, and David Robinson, as well as accomplished entrepreneurs such as Tony Hsieh (CEO for Zappos) and Patricia Woertz (CEO for Archer Daniels Midland Company).
As a very entrepreneurial company in its own right, Logistics Plus would like to congratulate Mr. David Hung, CEO, and founder of Medivation, one of biotech’s greatest success stories, for taking home the “2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year” award. We’d also like to congratulate the many regional winners and finalists for their extraordinary achievements.
You can click here to see more highlights from the show, or watch the YouTube video below.
http://youtu.be/0IkpRe5xo8A?list=PL3ZOd0y-i_r4rFpe49WyNrvUpRXtBcFrf
Of course, Jim Berlin is no stranger to the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards having won an award himself back in 2004 for the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia Region. Jim is also a lifetime member of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame, a truly well-earned distinction (see image below, which can be found on the www.ey.com website).
