German freight forwarder Globaltrans aims to expand its business with high-quality services and pro-active customer focus. The Düsseldorf-based medium-sized company will rely on support from Scope, the efficient and multifunctional software from Riege, which enables users to make rapid market decisions and relieves staff of routine tasks. The company aims to grow into one of Germany’s top 20 air and ocean freight forwarders within the next 5-6 years.

Reliability and Service

Globaltrans, founded in 2004, currently employs 45 staff at six locations in Germany. Its revenues are likely to exceed €20 million in 2011, according to managing director Kay Uwe Gretsch. Air freight forwarding accounts for about 60 per cent of this figure while ocean freight generates the remaining 40 per cent.In Germany, about 60 per cent of logistics volumes are generated by medium-sized companies. Such firms put a high priority on reliability, consistency and customer-focused services, Gretsch emphasises. “Of course, the transport price is an important element but only one among others,” the company owner comments.

For its international business the forwarder relies on close cooperation with selected exclusive partners, especially in the core markets of China and the USA. Globaltrans sees its other main markets as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in East Asia. Its key industries served are electronics, textiles and fashion, automotive as well as oil and gas. In addition, aircraft and ship’s parts are special products.

Quality Leap

The close cooperation with Riege Software International has led to a quality leap for the company. With Scope, Globaltrans has introduced a transport management system that was newly developed by Riege and which is offered worldwide. The system results in faster data transmission and thus eases the staff workload. “The workload for our employees has been significantly reduced. As a result, they can now concentrate more intensively on customers and on gaining new business,” said manager Josef Dietz, highlighting the software’s key benefits. Scope is a user-friendly system that has been gradually enhanced with the special requirements of the company, he pointed out.

“All the requirements for e-freight are contained within the software and make handling very easy.”

– Frank Bramer, Consolidation Manager at Globaltrans

Successful Participation in IATA e-freight

Scope also supports participation in IATA’s e-freight initiative. The aviation association aims to introduce obligatory paperless air freight transport on all relevant routes by 2015. “The topic of e-freight has a very high priority for us,” says Kay Uwe Gretsch, director of Globaltrans GmbH. In September 2011 the company’s air freight division received a ‘green light’ from Lufthansa Cargo and Air Canada. The two airlines each check the data quality and processes of freight forwarders before accepting them into the paperless handling scheme.

“Scope is a very innovative user-friendly system that relieves our staff of significant workload and supplies excellent data quality.”

– Frank Bramer, Consolidation Manager at Globaltrans

Frank Bramer, consolidation manager at Globaltrans, praises the transport management system’s performance: “Scope is a very innovative user-friendly system that relieves our staff of significant workload and supplies excellent data quality. All the requirements for e-freight are contained within the software and make handling very easy.”

Recommendation Opens Doors

Lufthansa Cargo, which has declared the IATA e-freight initiative as a strategic objective, was also very satisfied with the results of the test phase. “The data quality that Globaltrans delivered to us with Scope was excellent. That is why we were able to switch over quickly to real paperless shipping,” explains J. Florian Pfaff, Vice President Area Management Germany.

“The data quality that Globaltrans delivered to us with Scope was excellent.”

– J. Florian Pfaff, Vice President Area Management Germany at Lufthansa Cargo

Thanks to this positive experience with Scope, the Düsseldorf-based logistics firm now also wants to recommend to its partners that they should review the system and potentially use it. “In this respect, we see ourselves with a kind of door-opener role for the Riege product,” Gretsch confirms.