By Jon Walden, Senior Logistics Manager, Greenshields Cowie, Greenshields Cowie & Co. Ltd
SubscribeThe freight-forwarding element of supply chain management has developed considerably over the past forty years. Containerisation, multi-modal operations and the expansion of airfreight and express services have all combined to revolutionise the cargo industry.
Many forwarders have re-branded themselves as 'logistic providers', a term which causes tremendous confusion as it means different things to different people but what is clear is that the efficient movement of goods and products is an essential element of the overall strategy of all exporting companies.
For many companies the freight forwarder provides the ‘engine room’ for all export operations including the generation of correct documentation to ensure that cargoes arrive at the correct destination at the correct time and can be customs cleared and delivered to the consignee without complication or unexpected extra charges. The link between compliant documentation and payment of the exporters invoice is indisputable, particularly when Letters of Credit are involved.
At Greenshields Cowie we handle Letter of Credit documentation for a wide variety of clients, indeed this is one of our most popular services. Cash flow is all-important to exporters and, with over 50% of Letter of Credit document sets being rejected by banks on first presentation due to discrepancies, our capability in generating and presenting compliant documents proves exceptionally cost-effective to companies of all sizes.
Documentation is one of several services provided by Greenshields Cowie. As the elements of International Trade become increasingly regulated we find ourselves becoming more and more integrated into our clients operations and processes by providing a range of services including packing, dangerous goods advice, customs presentation and warehousing and storage solutions. Our ability to provide our clients with a flexible range of services, appropriate to their needs, enables them to concentrate on their core activities, essentially to increase the overseas market share for their products/goods – this has to be advantageous for all of us.
Throughout its 250 year history Greenshields Cowie has developed an expertise in shipping difficult cargoes to some of the most inhospitable parts of the world, including areas devastated by war and natural disaster. The resources required for such operations, specifically highly trained and dedicated staff together with an effective global network of associates and agents, provide an invaluable platform for the more conventional and routine commercial shipments, which represent the bulk of Greenshields’ work.
We stress, however, that no two, apparently routine, shipments are alike and that it is essential to identify the specific needs of clients and the requirements of their individual consignments and consignees – customer focus is essential to our business, we ask our customers what they require and work with them to establish bespoke operating procedures rather than expecting them to adapt to rigid systems and routings. They can book cargoes with us, and track consignments, using the Internet or by a simple telephone call. We believe in the value of old fashioned personal service whilst encompassing the technological advances that have become prevalent in our industry during the last decade.
Greenshields Cowie has provided logistics services to almost every major international emergency aid operation in recent years. In the early 1990’s they were involved in delivering humanitarian aid and material for infrastructure reconstruction and rehabilitation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
Also during this decade they charted aircraft to carry essential supplies, search and rescue personnel and equipment to countries that were affected by major floods (Mozambique), earthquakes (Turkey); and in the new millennium they arranged aircraft charters to transport humanitarian aid following earthquakes in India and Algeria and the refugee crisis in Afghanistan. Greenshields is currently involved in freight forwarding services to Afghanistan, and to Iraq, where they have recently opened an office in conjunction with Al Jazy Forwarding, a leading Jordanian freight forwarder.
Because of its long history and experience in emergency aid logistics coupled with its reliability in getting goods to difficult destinations, Greenshields has been the choice of many aid providers.