In September 2024, we embarked on a journey with a major customer, managing the distribution of cameras, point-of-sale equipment, and holiday merchandise. Our mission: to ensure each mall could kick off its holiday event festivities with a bang. This involved transporting goods primarily from the East Coast to the West Coast of the United States, with additional responsibilities for intra-Canada deliveries. All equipment needed to be operational by mid-November, and we were determined to make it happen.

Challenge

The customer faced several challenges with their existing logistics setup:

• Coordination Complexity: Deliveries involved scheduling appointments with regional managers and mall operators, making the coordination process complex and time-consuming.
• Cost and Damage Issues: Previous transportation methods led to higher costs and increased damage rates due to multiple LTL handling points, impacting overall efficiency and budget.

Solution

Implementing/we implemented a strategic approach to address these challenges:

• Consolidated Trailers: By consolidating loads from the customer’s location into trailers, the solution significantly reduced transportation costs and minimized the risk of damage.
• Efficient Coordination: Our East Coast teams built consolidated loads and managed the logistics from the customer's location to SGL’s facilities, ensuring that deliveries were coordinated efficiently and on schedule.
• Intra-Canada Deliveries: We also handled intra-Canada deliveries, ensuring a seamless operation across US and Canadian regions.

Results

The new logistics strategy delivered notable improvements:

• Cost Savings: The consolidation approach reduced overall transportation costs, providing financial relief to the customer.
• By moving away from LTL shipments, the customer saw a significant decrease in handling and damage issues. This led to more reliable delivery outcomes, ensuring the customer's peace of mind.
• Timely Setup: The efficient logistics solution ensured that all equipment arrived and ready by the mid-November deadline. With all the holiday components delivered on time, the customer had a smooth operational launch for the holiday festivities hosted in the malls.

This approach met the customer’s immediate needs and established a more efficient and cost-effective logistics framework for their ongoing distribution requirements.