TradeBeam, Global Link Logistics expand partnership, provide additional services for furniture shippers
Jeff Berman, Senior Editor -- Logistics Management, 12/11/2007
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SAN MATEO, Calif.—Global trade management software provider TradeBeam and Global Link Logistics (GLL), a furniture freight forwarder from Asia to the United States and subsidiary of Golden Gate Logistics, a San Francisco-based transportation and logistics merger and acquisitions firm, announced today they are taking steps to expand their relationship, which will provide furniture shippers with additional functionality to Global Link’s online tracking and supply chain visibility services.
A good chunk of this initiative stems from Global Link’s FLEX offering. GLL said FLEX (Furniture Less than container Express) enables manufacturers and retailers to consolidate furniture orders from single or multiple factories at origin. And it added that TradeBeam provides the IT backbone for FLEX with its Supply Chain Event Management (SCEM) platform that provides shippers with supply chain visibility and event management technology.
GLL Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ed Feitzinger told Logistics Management that this initiative is a joint project between TradeBeam and Global Link Logistics that's come about not so much to change the relationship, but rather to enhance the functionality of Global Link's offerings and leverage TradeBeam's expertise and experience.
He also said that in addition to major manufacturers La-Z-Boy and Woodmarc, more companies are taking advantage of FLEX, adding there are not an exact number of customers available at this time.
“With the introduction of FLEX, Global Link wanted to create a product that would support the service and provide its customers with industry leading supply chain visibility solutions, and specifically create LCL (less than container load) shipping and supply chain visibility options that didn't previously exist in the shipping business,” said Feitzinger. “TradeBeam and Global Link have worked together to develop and support this product.”
Feitzinger added that Global Link's FLEX service specifically caters to the furniture industry, which, for the most part, has not been able to use LCL because of factors like high rates of damage on the ocean, costs and container requirements, among others.
“People importing furniture have never had access to a partial container product before like FLEX…[which] lets them consolidate orders from single or multiple factory origins and ship direct to as many locations as they want,” said Feitzinger. “It eliminates expensive regional warehousing, increases inventory turns, improves their cash flow and reduces the obsolescence caused by the traditional methods.”
Another driver for this partnership cited by Feitzinger is that furniture shippers are going to need to know as much about their shipments as they possibly can, and be able to effectively manage as many of the events in their supply chain as they possibly can to reap the full benefits. And that is what the TradeBeam and Global Link relationship expansion is designed to accomplish, he noted.
Shipper benefits: Today there are essentially two options for landing furniture in the U.S, according to Feitzinger. The retailer can purchase full container from one origin to one destination, he said, or they can bring product out of a U.S. warehouse that typically holds three months worth of stock. “With FLEX and the expansion of TradeBeam and Global Link's relationship, [shippers] can now cost effectively consolidate multiple orders from multiple origins to be shipped to multiple destinations.”
Other benefits cited by Feitzinger are that TradeBeam and Global Link have full coverage in the U.S. and have complete IT integration from “cradle to grave.” And, because of the nature of consolidation and the early stages of service, he said, Global Link is the only player with the volume and scale to provide consistent consolidation services from major origins to major deconsolidation points.
“Other LCL companies are looking into this technology and service, but those LCL's don't have the volume or ability to connect with land transportation or other partners because they don't have a TradeBeam,” said Feitzinger. “No one else has this knowledge.”
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