Close to Market Solutions through Virtual Warehousing

The COVID-19 crisis has shown how vulnerable the world-wide fragmented production chains really are. Companies have been confronted with factory, port and even border closures while simultaneously managing blank ocean sailings and a reduced airfreight network.

Having the ability to react quickly to ensure your customers in the various regions will be delivered against best cost and conditions. Aside from the chemical industry (polymers), those such as traders of raw materials (such as cotton) and low-end technology producers would ffeedstock closer to the customer and/or markets to be able to seek differentiation from local competitors. Of course, this would not be based on product quality and cost alone, but short delivery time and service.

So, how do you avoid investments in physical assets and expensive outsourced logistics solutions (which would place product closer to the customers), while also creating significantly higher cost to market? By deploying solutions that reduces lead-times, without increasing total cost of logistics: close to market solutions.

Two different solutions

There are 2 different type of services which would offer the aforementioned benefits:

Both models (virtual warehousing) are based on maximizing the utilization of free-time in trans-shipment points, generally closer to destination and in turn, removes the non-value adding element of expensive physical warehousing.

Differences between DiT and HiT

The graph below shows the difference between DiT and HiT:

Advantages and disadvantages of DiT and HiT

Overview of Potential Ports

How BDP International Manages Delay in Transit

BDP is an experienced provider of alternative solutions to warehousing at destination: Offering a product postponement solution which allows inventory to be held closer to customers, across multiple regions, using multiple carriers through a single visibility tool.

1. BDP International’s DiT solution supports our customers’ supply chains through enabling shippers/consignees to plan DiT shipments, gain full visibility of the entire supply chain, manage storage costs and “call off” product seamlessly from DiT locations. Coupled with our visibility tools and control tower solution, we enable our customers to actively anticipate and approach global disruptions through a strengthened supply chain.

2. Booking and space is secured through BDP’s transport management system (TMS), selecting ocean carrier based on carrier or NVO contract details.

3. Containers are discharged at transshipment location serving agreed extended stay. De-consolidation and in-transit warehousing storage may be utilized where applicable.

4. BDP provides visibility and actively reports on container idling time, monitoring against agreed free time & costs (5 days prior to end free-time customer receives an alert notification about status).

5. BDP coordinates booking for final movement to destinations based on your contracted ocean carrier/BDP NVO solution and requested delivery dates (in case of HiT, a second leg B/L will be required).

6. At port of destination, BDP coordinates customs clearance and delivery to end-receiver.

7. End-to-end visibility via BDP Smart, DiT control tower and our advanced analytics provides you with shipment details you need to be firmly in control