Pioneering multi-functional logistics

PIONEERING MULTI-

FUNCTIONAL LOGISTICS

Nippon Express is the world’s premier global logistics solutions provider and one that continues to lead the field. Philip Yorke looks at how the company is pioneering new technologies and sustainable logistics systems both in Europe and throughout the world.

Since 1937, when Nippon Express was founded in Japan, the company has grown to become the largest and most successful in the logistics industry and operates the world’s biggest global logistics network. Today the company is established in over 380 key locations in 37 countries worldwide and employs over 15,000 people, all of which are supported by state-of-theart IT infrastructure systems.

Nippon Express offers tailor-made customer services that perfectly match their client’s individual needs at every stage of the logistics journey. Customers of Nippon Express have over the years come to rely on an exceptional level of service and dedicated support wherever they may be in the world. With its European headquarters centred in the Netherlands, the company focuses on a number of core business areas, such as Air Freight Forwarding, Ocean Freight Forwarding and Third Party Logistics (3PL).

Since 1977 Nippon Express has developed a strong logistics base at Rotterdam, which provides it with the largest ocean gateway in Europe. Nippon Express also operates from other key installations in the Netherlands at Schiphol South, Schipol Rijk, Nieuw Vennep, Venray and Maasvlakte. These modern sites provide the company with more than 120.000m2 of warehouse space for handling the diverse logistics needs of many of Japan’s biggest companies.

Multifunctional logistics for Thailand

Unlike many other logistics companies, Nippon Express prefers to grow organically, rather than taking over their competitors and then having the problem of managing an often costly and lengthy integration process. Louis Vitalis, the company’s European general manager said, “We develop clones. Whenever we open a new warehouse site or office, it operates in precisely the same way as all the other Nippon Express business units – right across the globe.” Nippon Express does things ‘steadily’ and in a ‘stable’ way he added.

This highly successful business model and proven company strategy has been enshrined in the company’s latest flagship development at the Laem Chabang Logistics Centre in Thailand. Thailand’s development as one of South East Asia’s more advanced industrial countries has been accelerated by the automotive and electronic equipment industries. Nippon Express’s subsidiary, Hi-Tech Nittsu (Thailand) Co. Ltd is constructing a modern, dedicated warehouse complex and logistics centre at Laem Chabang that was due to become fully operational in February 2012. This purpose-built facility features two warehouses that together offer over 50,000m2 of space, as well as a 7500m2 all-weather multifunctional work area at the centre of the site. All vehicles will have direct access to this area, and the warehouse’s raised and flat loading docks will enable all types of cargo to be handled with precision. In addition, the new facility has a separate marine cargo container stockyard to facilitate container arrangements in line with the needs of its customers.

In a separate development, Nippon Express has established a local corporation in Istanbul, Turkey, which is one of the Vist’ and Next Eleven countries following hard on the heels of the BRIC countries. Turkey has been called ‘Europe’s factory’ due to its booming exports of automobiles, household appliances and other goods. Here Nip-

pon Express is creating consolidated truck transport service products that will provide stronger logistics links between Europe and Turkey. The new company is headquartered in the vicinity of Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport, and plans are already well advanced with the building of a new storage and distribution facility in the Tuzla district of the city. This is designed to meet the growing demand for logistics services in the area and is close to where many Japanese companies are setting up operations. Technologies to counter global warming

In July 2011, Nippon Express and Fujitsu were awarded a major project from the NEDO to promote technologies to counter global warming. The objective: to harness Japan’s advanced low-carbon technologies and products outside Japan in order to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions in other countries.

By targeting the CO2 emissions of trucks operating in Asian countries, the project measures the reduction in CO2 emissions. This is achieved through a vehicle operations management system that utilises vehicle-based terminals and cloud computing applications.

Through this new cloud computing technology, Fujitsu collect data on mileage and fuel consumption from the terminals built into Nippon Express’s trucks and develop cloud applications for calculating and analysing the reductions in CO2 emissions in ways that are measurable, reportable and verifiable. This project is part of a broader

programme that underlines the company’s commitment to sustainability and the protection of the environment

Next-day transfer service cuts time to Europe

Nippon Express (Nederland) BV recently opened a new ‘European Cross-Dock Centre’ as an import/export ocean-going CFS facility in the Maasvlakte district of the port of Rotterdam. This modern terminal provides a next-day transfer service for small-lot ocean cargo that has been shipped from Japan and Asia to Europe. The option of next-day transfer for ‘arriving cargo’ to locations throughout Europe, means a one- to three-day reduction in transport schedules for operators. The Dutch government has also given priority to measures aimed at developing the port of Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte district and it is expected to set up Europe’s largest container terminal there to make the district the new Open Gateway to Europe.

Furthermore, in the future, collection and distribution runs will be made between Nippon Express’ air cargo locations at the Netherlands’ air gateway of Schipol Airport and the new centre. This will then provide one-stop, high-speed service handling for both air and ocean cargoes. n