The Challenge
Skeptical. That's how Jack England*, the apparel manufacturer's senior manager of distribution, felt when Streamlite offered both improved delivery performance and cost savings in one solution. A 31-year veteran in the distribution industry, England thought the savings coupled with better service were too good to be true, so he solicited multiple bids for his company's shipping business.
Streamlite presented two options: 1) significantly improve transit times with modest cost savings, or 2) maintain transit times with substantial cost savings.
To England's surprise, Streamlite's tailored solutions won on both fronts: lower costs and reliable delivery. "And the fact that the team was flexible out of the gate with alternative solutions to reach my objectives was a real plus," said England. He granted Streamlite the business.
The Solution
Increased Efficiency
From the beginning, the partnership was built on open communication and flexibility. Previously, they prepared shipments according to the sorting requirements of its former providers; pre-sorting under-a-pound packages, while sending the over-a-pound packages unsorted, with no opportunity for efficiency. Since the retailer had the ability to pre-sort internally, Streamlite advised the company to streamline their internal process and sort all packages by destination, enabling deliveries to bypass an origination hub, reducing both postage costs and time to deliver.
"Streamlite doesn't make you fit into one mold or canned solution like other companies," said England. "The team is always flexible and searches for ways to meet my goal of maximizing cost savings."
Removing Road Blocks and Adding Value
The partnership was running smoothly when the manufacturer informed Streamlite that limited IT resources would delay integrating shipping labels, which Streamlite initially recommended for the cost-savings plan.
I thought, "We've hit a barrier that will postpone cost savings,'" said England. "But flexible Streamlite came back with a solution: create an over-label to use until we integrate and start achieving savings now."
Even with the IT delays, the company realized greater visibility with package-level tracking information that Streamlite provided for its under-a-pound shipments. In addition, one of the manufacturer's largest customers, a well-known consumer goods chain, requested third-party billing – another customization its previous shipping company couldn't provide—but a piece of cake for Streamlite to deliver through its flexible technology platform, OnTrack.
"We'll do whatever it takes to help our customers create a competitive advantage," said Streamlite account manager Kathy Alexander. "We're successful when we enhance business relationships that are vital to our customers."
The Result
"We've already realized cost savings," said England. "And the customer service is outstanding."
England noted that all Streamlite employees – from Kathy, his account manager, to Ed, who schedules pick-ups – is extremely positive and responsive.
"As someone who's been in this business for more than three decades, I can tell you what a difference it makes to have a true partnership rather than a vendor to customer relationship."