Pallet distribution across Europe: from one warehouse to many ramps
This scenario is an example of a typical task. It does not describe a particular customer.
Starting situation
A manufacturer outside Germany sells its products to business customers in several European countries: specialist dealers, installers, workshops, branches of a retail chain. So far it ships every order individually from its plant. The customers complain about long delivery times and customs paperwork with every delivery; the manufacturer complains about high freight costs for small quantities. It wants to hold a stock in the middle of Europe and deliver from there by the pallet.
What the customer needs
- A centrally located warehouse that accepts full loads from the plant and keeps the stock by article
- Deliveries by the pallet to many recipients, each with time slot, delivery notice and delivery note as the recipient demands
- A proof of delivery for every delivery, reported back to its own system
- Customs clearance once at goods receipt, if the plant is outside the EU, instead of with every delivery
How we handle it
Setting up stock and recipients.
We take over the manufacturer's article list and the list of its recipients with their delivery rules: time-slot procedure, pallet type, pallet exchange, reference numbers required on the delivery note. These rules are recorded once and applied at every delivery.
Goods receipt from the plant.
Full loads from the plant arrive with us. If the plant is outside the EU, we clear the load once. The pallets are checked, counted and put into stock; the manufacturer receives the goods receipt report.
Orders.
The manufacturer sends us its customers' delivery orders as a file or through a connection. We pick by the pallet or assemble mixed pallets, secure the load and prepare the delivery note and consignment note with the recipient's references.
Transport planning.
Deliveries to the same region we consolidate into part loads; large recipients get their own vehicles. We book time slots with the recipients, send delivery notices and agree pallet exchange where it is required.
Delivery and feedback.
Our transport partners deliver in the booked time slot. The signed proof of delivery comes back to us, is checked and reported to the manufacturer with the order number. Deviations, for example a damaged pallet, we report on the day of delivery.
Stock and replenishment.
The manufacturer sees the stock and receives a notice when articles fall below the agreed threshold, so that the next full load from the plant can be planned.
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Request a quoteServices involved
If individual recipients order less than a pallet, we ship cartons as parcels from the same stock (see Order fulfilment, shipping and customer service).
What the customer gets
Shorter ways to its customers; one customs clearance per full load instead of per delivery; deliveries accepted at the ramp because time slot, papers and pallets are right; a proof of delivery for every order in its system; stock reports and replenishment notices; and a named contact for warehouse and transport. Its customers keep ordering from it, and delivery comes from the middle of Europe.
You deliver by the pallet to many recipients?
Send us an idea of the articles, the number of pallets per month and the countries of your customers. We will describe how warehouse and distribution would be set up with us.