Logistics News ME June 2019

Unsung hero

Interview

Digital

Raki Yadav, head - key accouns, planning & strategy at Premier Logistics

Creating opportunities to launch products in new and untapped markets

Nokia’s end-to-end LTE and 5G technologies support logistics companies

Connecting trade professionals with industry intelligence

June 2019

Uber Trucks TruKKer operates 12,000 trucks across GCC, Jordan and, Egypt

Contents

Contents

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Website: www.CBNme.com/logistics-news twitter: @logisticsnewsme Facebook: /LogisticsNewsME

June 2019

R e a d a l l t h e l at e s t i s s u e s o n I s s u u

Start 10 | News

Features 22 | Cover Story 26 | Sea Transportation 30 | E- Commerce 32 | Talking Point 34 | Interview 36 | Report 38 | Digital 42 | Product Review 44 | Maritime

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48 | Event Preview 50 | Supplier News 52 | Unsung Hero Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 3

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Ed i to r ’ s L e tt e r

J u n e 2 019

A note from the editor Kasun Illankoon

CEO Wissam Younane wissam@bncpublishing.net Director Rabih Najm rabih@bncpublishing.net Group Publishing Director Joaquim D›Costa

I just wanted to touch upon the latest news on how Oracle is helping organisations to improve productivity across global supply chains.

The latest updates enable customers to better support trade compliance and customs processes, such as country of origin management, or certificate management associated with trade agreements which is really interesting.

To help organisations design and operate efficient and agile supply chains, Oracle announced a series of logistics management updates to Oracle Supply Chain Management (SCM) Cloud. The updates include a new logistics network modeling product and enhanced transportation management and global trade management capabilities. The latest innovations can help customers drive better business outcomes by enhancing supply chain responsiveness, optimising shipments and asset utilisation, and improving productivity across global supply chains.

The new product enables custom-

ers to analyse logistics networks using real-time, operational data— all within the context of their own cloud environment. Unlike point solutions that often inaccurately model real-world conditions, Logistics Network Modeling analyses real production data in the context of a customer’s unique rules, policies, and planning algorithms to show the true impact of change on logistics operations. This enables Oracle customers to enhance decision making and quickly improve agility and profitability.

Aside from this we would like you to enjoy this edition of Logistics News ME where we have Gaurav Biswas in the front cover as he explains why TruKKer is the Uber of Trucks. Plus we have Continental tells us all about their latest ContiPressureCheck System and how their Conti360 degree fleet services are benefiting their customers.

Kasun Illankoon Editor, Logistics News Middle East

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A MEMBERS OF EMIRATES TRANSPORT BUSINESS CENTERS:

Regional News

Regional News A n u p dat e f r o m a r o u n d t h e r e g i o n Free Zones

Dubai Free Zones Council Submits E-commerce Initiative to The Executive Council of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Free Zones Council (DFZ Council), headed its 12th meeting that discussed the latest developments across initiatives and industries.

The first item on the agenda was the completion of the Council’s e-commerce initiative proposal that was submitted to The Executive Council of Dubai for implementation.

Following the recent announcement about developing a comprehensive geo-economic map of Dubai aligned with the FiftyYear Charter, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Council members also appointed the team that will work on the initiative as a second order of business.

The team is tasked with assigning economic objectives to each geographical area to advance the overall economic diversification of the emirate with the support of the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai Development Authority, Jebel Ali Free Zone, the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Customs, Dubai 10 | Logistics News ME | June 2019

Municipality, the World Free Zones Organization, and the Ministry of Economy.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “The DFZ Council aspires to position Dubai as a regional driver of sustainable economic growth, as well as a reference point for forecasting the future in various fields, including education and innovation, while reflecting the outcomes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Following the directives of the UAE’s visionary leaders, we have completed a study on our e-commerce initiative and look forward to constructive feedback from The Executive Council of Dubai.”

He noted that the Council works tirelessly to build on its pioneering experience

in implementing successful initiatives through leveraging promising opportunities that emerge as an outcome of new economic systems, such as sharing economy, green economy, and digital economy.

Through the comprehensive geo-economic map of Dubai, the DFZ Council aims to continue exploring new horizons and examine new operational frameworks for a sustainable economy.

The council also recommended to conduct market research on optimal ways of supporting the halal industry, a study on sharing Dubai’s best practices in establishing free zones abroad, and a comprehensive assessment of industryfocused free zones.

The Council members

discussed the recent launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 by the Government of the UAE that seeks to contribute to shaping a knowledge economy while encouraging innovation and establishing an integrated economic system that enhances quality of life and drives sustainable growth.

In line with the DFZ Council’s sustained efforts to improve ease of doing business across the free zones in Dubai, the members endorsed the recommendation to implement the requirement of an insurance policy instead of a bank guarantee for free zonebased companies. In addition to safeguarding employee rights, this will boost liquidity for the companies and attract greater investment capital. www.cbnme.com

J u n e 2 019 Ports

A Regional First: SOHAR Port and Freezone launches SOHAR Navigate

SOHAR Port and Freezone recently launched SOHAR Navigate, a unique online route planner, which provides information on available connections to hinterland destinations. The platform is the first of its kind in the region and will comprise of sea schedules connecting to 550 ports worldwide.

Commenting on the launch of the proprietary tool, Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of SOHAR Port and Freezone noted, “The Navigate platform was initially launched by our partner, Port of Rotterdam.

It is considered the most comprehensive route planner of its kind. Capitalising on this technology, we have modified SOHAR Navigate to suit our regional and global stakeholders and provide them with outreach, as well as a user-friendly means to locate the most efficient and optimal routes for their activities. Users of SOHAR Navigate are able to plan routes from specific areas, via SOHAR, in an easy and convenient way.”

The platform takes into consideration the specified point of departure and the

desired final destination, to offer the user several different routes. Based on modality and expected transportation time, users can then choose whichever option works best for them. The platform also offers extensive analysis tools and dashboards with relevant user data.

Anacin Kum, CEO of Hutchison Ports SOHAR added, “SOHAR Navigate has been developed especially for companies seeking smarter ways to plan their container transports. The launch of the beta version of this tool is a good first step and we

are excited about its role in the global logistics market.

With the addition of more operational data, SOHAR Navigate will become an increasingly valuable resource to improve efficiency within the supply chain. It will also provide visible and convenient options for local importer and exporter groups, who generally rely on logistic providers.”

SOHAR Navigate comprises of a business directory and the option to get in touch with any specific organisation, while also providing insight into the carbon footprint of any container transport.

Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 11

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Regional News

Technology

Fero launches World’s 1st AI enabled VoiceAgent for Freight in UAE

Fero has formally launched their intelligent freight interface at the Ai Everything Exhibition- an event that brought together 300+ exhibitors, speakers and startups to showcase revolutionary technology that will encompass the UAE’s Ai Strategy for 2031.

For the very first time in the MENA Region, Fero has introduced an AI-enabled voice agent for the logistics industry- a technology that will replace repetitive human interaction and eradicate any room for human error.

Logistics & Supply-Chain Industry Leader, Carolin Neubauer, joined Fero’s Press Conference & Panel discussion as the official moderator where she shared 14 | Logistics News ME | June 2019

brief introductions on the minds behind the strategic engineering, development and creation of Fero- Arjun Bhasin, the technical expert, Abdulla Al Shaibani, the creative expert, and finally Abhinav Chaudhary, CEO of Fero who then welcomed the audience and kicked off the discussion with a short recap of the industry’s importance, and an insight of the technological innovations that we no longer need to anticipate.

“All stakeholders in the freight environment including airlines, shipping lines, vehicle fleet owners, freight forwarders, shippers have different IT software setups… I’m not saying that current technologies are

incorrect, but rather that they are incomplete when it comes to lateral scalability” said Abhinav Chaudhary in his keynote address.

A room filled with curious thoughts was then introduced to Fero’s flagship NLP Agent & Chief Guest of this conference – TiA (Transport Interactive Agent), a highly intelligent and perpetual employee for the logistics industry. “At Fero, we truly believe that TiA is the Logistician of Industry 4.0 and will revolutionize the future of freight.” said Arjun Bhasin, CTO, Fero.

The discussion carried forward as the audience listened to a series of answers to questions that have long surrounded

the implementation of artificial intelligence in such a significant mannerWhat were the ethical considerations taken into account for TiA? Will TiA’s implementation into the industry reduce employment and render jobs redundant?

Fero’s placement with respect to the UAE 2031 Ai Strategy?

“We are proud of our products, there is no doubt that the freight industry is ripe for the 2nd generation of digital transformation, but we also equally pride ourselves for being born in the UAE and placing the region on the global Ai Innovation Map. Let’s bring Silicon Valley here!” added Naseer Ahmed, Chief Strategy Officer, Fero. www.cbnme.com

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Emirates’ cargo division reported a revenue of AED 13.1 billion in 2018-19

Emirates SkyCargo continued to deliver a strong performance in a highly competitive market with dampening demand, contributing to 14% of the airline’s total transport revenue.

In an airfreight market facing unrelenting downward pressure on yields and slowing demand, Emirates’ cargo division reported a revenue of AED 13.1 billion (US$ 3.6 billion), an increase of 5% over last year, while tonnage carried slightly increased by 1% to reach 2.7 million tonnes.

Freight yield per Freight Tonne Kilometre (FTKM) for the 2nd consecutive year increased by a further 3%, demonstrating Emirates SkyCargo’s ability to retain and win customers on value despite fuel price increases, and a weakened demand in many markets.

Emirates’ SkyCargo’s total freighter fleet stood at 12 Boeing 777Fs. In addition to belly-hold capacity to Emirates’ new passenger destinations, Emirates SkyCargo launched a new freighter service to Bogota (Columbia), and resumed freighter services to Erbil (Iraq).

Emirates SkyCargo continued to develop innovative, bespoke products tailored to key industry sectors. In April, it launched Emirates AOG, a new airfreight product designed to transport aircraft parts quickly across the globe. This was followed in August by the launch of Emirates Pets and Emirates Pets Plus, which are new and enhanced air transportation products to ensure the safety and comfort of pets with services such as veterinary checks, document clearances, door-to-door transport, and the booking of return flights for pets.

Emirates’ hotels recorded revenue of AED 669 million (US$ 182 million), a decline of 10% over last year with competition further on the rise in the UAE market impacting average room rates and occupancy levels.

Logistics

DHL’s ‘Saloodo!’ hits the road in the Middle East

DHL, the leading global brand in the logistics industry has launched Saloodo! in the Middle East, to provide a digital platform that connects shippers and transport providers for road freight needs within the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Introduced for the first time outside of Europe, Tobias Maier, CEO of Saloodo! in the Middle East said, “Customer satisfaction is the driving force of every commercial decision that we make and digitalization underpins our approach to continually deliver on that. Saloodo! has enjoyed much success in Europe and we believe that it will plug the digital gap in logistics technology to accurately match shippers’ needs and transport providers’ offerings in the Middle East as well.”

Saloodo! simplifies road freight processes by matching

shippers to transport providers, introduces transparency with its tracking, quoting tools and straight-forward reporting system, and enhances efficiency by optimizing routes, cargo and time. With this, carriers can maximize their truck load for greater efficiency and look to reduce their carbon footprint – which is in support of DHL’s aim to reduce all logistics-related carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

“Even though the UAE is one of the largest logistics markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), there remain untapped opportunities with economic diversification and several road infrastructure investments underway. Equally, DHL’s deep expertise in the region and wide portfolio of service offerings will support the successful deployment of Saloodo! in the UAE, and ultimately in the Gulf region,” he added.

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Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 15

Regional News

Ports

P&O Ports appointed as operator of Port of Novi Sad, Serbia

P&O Ports has announced a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement to operate the port of Novi Sad, Serbia as part of a long-term investment plan to upgrade equipment and services and to support the Serbian government’s strategy to create an intermodal terminal and logistics centre with rail, road and inland waterways links to the rest of Europe.

The agreement shall grant a right to P&O Ports to operate Novi Sad for an initial 25 years with an option to renew by both parties for another 25 years on expiry. The SPA for obtaining the property rights on the capital and assets of the port operator of the Port of Novi Sad was signed today by Dragan Stevanovic, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and 16 | Logistics News ME | June 2019

P&O Ports Chief Executive Officer, Rado Antolovic following a Memorandum of Understanding signed last year by Deputy Prime Minister Mrs. Zorana Mihajlovic and Mr. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of P&O Ports.

The Port of Novi Sad is located on a 24-hectare site on the Danube river and it is operated by the last remaining port operator in the country owned and operated by the government with an estimated throughput of around 1 million tons a year. P&O Ports will retain exclusive rights to undertake all waterside operations, container handling, project cargo and fertilizer activities.

The current quay is 500m long and features include cargo handling, warehousing facilities, storage of bulk

cargo and general cargo connections to the national railway network.

The development plan will include construction of 189 meters of new vertical quay wall, new silo capacities, new handling equipment and refurbishment of existing machinery plus installation of a terminal operating system P&O Ports Chairman, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, said: “The Port of Novi Sad provides connections with DP World Constanza, Romania, with onward handling of bulk cargos in Jebel Ali Port, Dubai. It also has capacity to connect with our operations elsewhere adding value to customers and our partners in getting goods to local, regional and international markets.

There is also an opportunity to handle bulk commodities in the steel and construction

sectors, food and coal.

“This agreement is another example of our strategy to provide further services across the global supply chain, creating efficiencies of our customers and supporting the development of nations. By linking with our operations across Europe we can provide further added value through Novi Sad. We appreciate the commitment of the Serbian President Mr. Vucic and the Deputy Prime Minister Mrs. Zorana Mihajlovic to the development of the Serbian port system and their understanding of the great importance of the Danube as one of the key logistic hubs in Europe providing connectivity by road, rail and inland waterway transport through inland ports along the river.” www.cbnme.com

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Quote Capitalising on this technology, we have modified SOHAR Navigate to suit our regional and global stakeholders and provide them with outreach, as well as a user-friendly means to locate the most efficient & optimal routes.”

Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of SOHAR Port, on the launch of SOHAR Navigate

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Awards

Solar energy to power GAC Dubai’s warehouses

GAC Dubai is installing over 15,000 high-efficiency solar panels to generate electricity for two of its contract logistics facilities.

It has appointed Total Solar Middle East, a 100% owned Total subsidiary dedicated to solar activities, to fit the SunPower® P19-series solar panels. Approximately 3.42 megawatts of solar capacity will be fitted at GAC Logistics Park in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, covering 73% of its total electricity needs, while 2.65 megawatts of solar capacity at Dubai South will provide 93% of the electricity needs of GAC’s newest contract logistics facility there.

The company will also be looking into installing solar panels at its other warehouses in Jebel Ali. Total Solar Middle East’s Managing Director Marin de Montbel says: “It was very important for us to be a part of this renewable project.

GAC’s commitment to align with Dubai 2030 vision of having 25% of Dubai’s power generation sourced from renewable energy is at the core of Total Solar’s

strategy. These two combined projects of 6 MW will have an environmental impact of 112,800,000 kgs of CO2 emissions avoided which marks the beginning of our green journey with GAC.” The project is linked to Shams Dubai, the first smart initiative by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to connect solar energy to buildings. Households and businesses are encouraged to install photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, and connect them to the DEWA grid, with electricity generated used on-site and any surplus exported to the network.

“We are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021 National Agenda to create and maintain a sustainable environment and infrastructure,” says Neil McMaster, General Manager – Contract Logistics of GAC Dubai.

“This project demonstrates our commitment to solar energy as a vital part of our sustainability initiatives in partnership with Total Solar.”

Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 17

Regional News

Recruitment

Senior appointments at PTV Group MENA as the company plans for its expansion in Saudi Arabia & UAE

PTV Group, a market leader in software solutions for traffic and logistics, has appointed Michel Wakad as the Head of their Saudi and North Middle East operations. With over 15 years regional experience in the transport sector covering traffic engineering and parking, transport management studies, airports designs (airside and landside), highways and roads designs; Michel joins PTV Group MENA from WSP where he worked as Associate Director. He will be responsible for expanding PTV’s business in Saudi Arabia where the company 18 | Logistics News ME | June 2019

works with leading Ministries, Agencies and Engineering Houses in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

The company also appointed Matthew Fulcher as the Regional Finance Manger. He has more than 16 years experience in the Finance and Accounting domain at international level with software companies across MEA, APAC and UK. He will drive all financial activities for PTV Group MENA and support business growth in the region. He joins from Aveva Solutions in Dubai.

According to Andrea Petti,

managing director, PTV Group, Middle East, India and Africa,“Both Michel and Matthew join our team at a significant stage of our growth in this region. As connected autonomous vehicle strategy and traffic and logistics management solutions to address growing urban populations become a central focus for regional governments, we have seen an uptick in our business. Our technology makes mobility of people and goods more efficient, safer and better for the environment. Be it optimising routes, simulating virtual scenarios, modelling

city networks or predicting traffic flow, we can do it all.

With a strong team in place, we look forward to a great year ahead.“ The company improves transport and logistics – by using world-class software, data and scientific know-how gained from four decades of experience in planning and optimising the movement of people and goods. Recognised as global market player with German technology, PTV Group helps cities, companies and people save time and money, enhance road safety and minimise the impact on the environment. www.cbnme.com

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Energy

Bosch to cooperate in largescale production of fuel cells for trucks and cars Bosch is entering the market for mobile fuel cells and paving the way for the breakthrough of this technology in trucks and cars. One crucial component here is the stack. As the core of the fuel cell, it converts hydrogen into electrical energy. To further improve and manufacture these stacks, Bosch has now formed an alliance with Powercell Sweden AB, the Swedish manufacturer of fuel-cell stacks.

Under the agreement, the two partners will work jointly to make the polymerelectrolyte membrane

(PEM) fuel cell ready for production. Bosch will then manufacture this technology under license for the global automotive market.

The stack will complement the Bosch portfolio of fuel-cell components, and is to be launched in 2022 at the latest.

“In the fuel-cell domain, Bosch already has a strong hand, and the alliance with Powercell makes it even stronger. Commercializing technology is one of our strengths. We are now going to take on this task with determination and develop this market,” says Dr. Stefan Hartung, member of the

Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector.

Once they have become established in trucks, Bosch fuel-cell powertrains will then increasingly find their way into passenger cars. But for this to happen, the cost of fuel-cell systems needs to be progressively reduced.

The biggest cost item is the stack. It accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total cost of a fuel-cell system. “Through commercialization and widespread marketing of this technology, Bosch will achieve economies of scale and push down costs,” Hartung says.

Bosch has been working with the British specialist Ceres Power to further improve solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC) technology for applications such as distributed power supplies to factories and computing centers. The idea behind the technology is to have small power stations set up throughout cities, as well as in industrial areas. The aim is for one SOFC module to generate 10 kilowatts of electrical power. Where more electricity is needed, any number of modules with the same output can simply be interconnected.

Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 19

Interview

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MAGNET LOGISTICS NETWORK Sondoss Moheyeldin, PR and Marketing Manager of Magnet Logistics Network briefly talks to us about their network.

What is Magnet Logistics Network?

Magnet Logistics Network (MLN) is a neutral, tech-forward global freight and one-stop shop network.

When it was established?

Magnet Logistics Network was established in 2018 and we could gain the trust of reliable freight forwarders from all over the world.

Please share your managements’ vision and mission for establishing Magnet Logistics Network?

Our vision is to be the first freight Network with an impressing percentage in the global market share as a logistics alliance confronting the dominance of multinationals in the international arena.

MLN’s mission is to build multilateral trust among the group generating solid and strong relationships within the alliance by offering a

20 | Logistics News ME | June 2019

new networking model and partnership experiences. MLN also offers members a great combination of benefits; exclusivity, insurances, technology, marketing, conferences, and loyalty programs. Struggling to be the best place, where forwarders are satisfied and understood with high-quality of our offered services to fulfill their needs, is one of our goals.

What is your current coverage and your membership’s criteria?

MLN covers major countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Arab countries, Australia, Americas.

As for our selection criteria, we only choose high calibre forwarders who are known by activeness, liability, and professionalism depending on our 30year experienced Selection Panel in the field.

What are your members’ experiences in your network?

I am glad to share some reviews of mem-

bers as follows; Our member in Singapore, Mr. Garth, said “Nice to see everyone working together in this group. Hopefully, these are signs of good things to come out of this network. I look forward to meeting you all in Dubai!”

Also, one of the most impressive experiences is that our member in Pakistan, Mr. Mustafa, who recently joined us in last February 2019 renewed his membership till 2021.

Tell me more about your Network Meetings?

Our annual gathering is to be held at Hilton Al-Habtoor City in the heart of Dubai City near the famous Burj Khalifa. This conference is expected to have +100 attendees from +50 countries. Also, there will be 2 parties; one welcome and one for farewell. We hope that all our attendees enjoy our event boosting their businesses via 1 to 1 meeting.

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C o v e r Sto ry

Uber trucks Kasun Illankoon spoke with TruKKer’s CEO, Gaurav Biswas, on why TruKKer is the Uber of Trucks across GCC, Jordan, and Egypt TruKKer is the largest tech-based truck aggregator in the region by all counts of the number of transactions, revenue, geographic scale and size of the member fleet.

Leading this charge is Gaurav Biswas, CEO of TruKKer, whose vision is to ad-

22 | Logistics News ME | June 2019

dress some real pain points that exist in the road freight sector.

“Our vision is to be the primary freight exchange in the regions we operate and improve the lives of the millions of drivers through the use of technology, data analytics, and welfare

infrastructure. Soon, cargo owners and transporters will have a friction-free experience where they focus on their core businesses and TruKKer’s technology integrates for all their logistics planning, dispatching, fulfillment and reporting,” said Gaurav.

www.cbnme.com

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“My role as the founder is focused on our long term objectives, strategy, product development, customer experience, drive and protect the culture of the organization and identify future leaders and empower them to take TruKKer further. As CEO, I am responsible for the commercial and operational targets of the company hustling every day and hour. I help the team with decision-making and steer the truck when we are not sure of the way ahead. As the leader of an innovative and fast-growing young startup, you have to maintain our pulse on the business very closely like attending to a growing infant,” further explained Gaurav.

However, they are just getting started and there is a focus on driving continuous growth into additional clients and create a network in the region to ensure that TruKKer is capturing demand and supply across the various lanes.

“This is our focus for the next 12 months.

Within 18 months of our B2B business commencement, we service 170+ clients across the UAE and KSA. This is great but we will grow faster,” said Gaurav.

Uber Trucks The way the service works sounds remarkably similar to Uber and Careem and this is not a surprise to Gaurav. He praises the fact they would be considered in the same boat as Careem and Uber.

“We certainly find the brands of Uber and Careem help describe a technology-enabled truck aggregator. Our sales and marketing teams often use the phrase “Uber of trucks”

Gaurav Biswas, CEO of TruKKER

for TruKKer, but moving cargo and moving people have no operational similarity. The fundamentals of using technology and realtime data to connect demand and supply in the most efficient manner are the aspect that is similar to Uber’s cab aggregation. Uber has also ventured into this business in North America and that is a great validation for our business model,” explains Gaurav.

As a result, we asked Gaurav about the importance of last mile delivery in such a service.

“TruKKer’s last mile delivery is growing at a phenomenal rate in the UAE. We make 500 plus deliveries per day across the emirates and expect to double that volume shortly. TruKKer is focused on the delivery of only large and heavy products that require a truck. This also keeps us away from competing with multiple last mile parcel delivery companies.”

The benefits of TruKKer to industry and businesses are comparable to that Uber has

Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 23

C o v e r Sto ry

for individuals. TruKKer becomes a reliable transportation service provider, enabled with advanced technologies.

“We guarantee truck availability, we offer close to 100 percent track and trace compliance on all our fleet, we offer the most advanced customer interface in the industry for clients to request a truck, discover the most suitable price and monitor their shipments, we are the only transportation provider that has real-time status updates to the client’s dashboard without any human intervention,” said Gaurav.

TruKKer offers the cargo owner access to the large, opaque and unorganized trucking industry in a transparent manner through an

24 | Logistics News ME | June 2019

organized interface. Through the various techbased processes and tools, we mitigate multiple operational and systemic risks. TruKKer is creating data rapidly that will provide multiple advantages to the freight ecosystem in terms of access to advanced financial products, cargo security, environmental benefits, and multiparty integrations.

Transporter expectations TruKKer’s business model benefits the Transporter in multiple ways in exchange of two basic expectations; One - do a great job of driving and maintaining the truck as per top industry standards; and Second - comply to technology tools. TruKKer will do the rest including

marketing the services of the transportation company, finding the most suitable cargo with minimum downtime, ensuring fair and timely payment and managing client reporting and interfaces.

“The business model is based on the tech aggregator leveraging its technology and ability to engineer finances to improve asset utilization’s such that cargo owners get reliable supply at fair prices and transporters and drivers have continuous business and regular payments,” said Gaurav.

Software and Technology TruKKer will soon offer its technology to third-party transporters to manage their own

www.cbnme.com

J u n e 2 019

fleet and amalgamate their fleet with TruKKer and in turn, have access to loads when their assets are idle. It will be the first fleet management solution that will also offer jobs when fleets are idle.

“We have a proprietary system of hardware, software, and algorithms that allows us access to our member trucks in real time, including the ability to identify idle fleet, award them jobs, create a market place for price discovery, track shipment delivery milestones, and fulfillment.

For long haul trucking, we have been able to achieve hundred percent digitization of documentation and are actively educating the industry to move towards digital copies from the current norms of processing tons of paper,” said Gaurav.

Logistics is one of the traditional industries that will leapfrog to multiple technology-based advancements. In the next 5 to 10 years, technology will replace functions like demand planning, stock keeping, segregation, dispatching, delivery scheduling, route planning, fulfill-

ment, and reporting. Technology tools currently complement multiple of these functions but advances in software, hardware, and information processing technologies might replace the human interface faster than we expect. It is not necessarily a bad thing as humans will get promoted to critical tasks and troubleshooting any system anomalies and exceptions.

“The first wave of technology-driven growth has changed the way we do things every day. We are now at the gateway to the second wave that will be far more radical in impacting humans and their ways of life. I believe integrated IOT, artificial intelligence, high-speed wireless internet and drones will drive human development, communities, services and the way we interact with each other and with machines all around us.”

Plans for Expansion and Future Challenges Gaurav plans for TruKKer’s expansion is to go beyond the GCC region and to further establish themselves at their home base even further.

“The next few years will be all about strengthening our foundations in our home turfs of UAE and KSA, with aggressive expansion across the MENA region. By the end of 2019, we will be operating across three GCC countries and Egypt. Egypt will be the gateway to Africa for TruKKer. We are also closely evaluating opportunities in Iraq and Syria.

Our rapid growth and geographical scale will soon propel us into new business lines, related to trucking that will be born from our ability to manage and influence super large fleets and thousands of truck drivers.”

Gaurav highlighted a few challenges in the logistics industry that even took him by surprise.

Ability to finance is often the only value that some players bring to the table, which is not ideal and creates the fragmentation that is systemic in this industry. There are many brokers in the road freight industry whose businesses are restricted to the amount of working capital they can invest and not on their operational credibility. However, this has made end customers used to credit periods without realizing how much this is adding to their transaction costs as the cost of capital is high for small brokers and freight forwarders.

“There are plenty of challenges in the logistics and road freight industry and some of them surprised me since I entered this industry as an outsider. I was surprised how many players are in the industry that does not add any significant value. Financing transactions is one of the key challenges of the industry where end customers take credit from brokers and brokers take credit from multiple suppliers and those suppliers further pass the credit terms lower down the chain.”

“Documentation is the other challenge in this industry. A shipment from UAE to KSA typically requires more than 5 documents from various stakeholders, all to be processed in hard copy. I used to feel the construction sector was behind time with the amount of paper that is processed but road freight is primitive.

TruKKer is aggressively working towards digitization and we are exploring how new age technologies like block-chain can help make information processing between various stakeholders and regulators more seamless and secure,” said Gaurav.

“We are continuously investing in our technology to ensure trucking and the logistics industry does not continue to suffer from the traditional lag in technology adaptation,” concluded Gaurav.

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F e atu r e

Sea Transport Industry experts gave us their point of view when it comes to the technological, transport and container size changes that have occurred in sea transportation over the past few years.

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It is estimated that up to 90% of the world’s merchandise is carried by sea and the reason is that there are multiple benefits for foreign trade compared with air, rail or road transport.

In an ever-growing globalised economy, the necessity for shipping bigger volumes of cargo in the less time possible is increasing. This has led to the construction of the so-called mega vessels, with the capacity to carry huge amounts of goods into thousands of shipping containers at once. This dynamic benefits the economy of scale and foreign trade, import, and export of all kinds of merchandise and prelude raw materials. As such we asked industry experts to give us their point of view when it comes to the technological, transport and container

size changes that have occurred in sea transportation over the past few years.

Technological Changes in Sea Transport “As global trade increases, marine activities pick up pace and shipping routes become more crowded. Daily, more than 50,000 merchant ships alone cross the oceans with millions of cargo containers in tow, signaling the need for fast and efficient communications aboard vessels and between land and sea. According to the 5th edition of the NSR Maritime SATCOM Markets, more than 14,000 vessels are currently connected using a broadband VSAT connection, and this number is projected to rise to more than 37,000 vessels by 2026.

The underlying reasons for this growth are crew welfare, seafarers and passengers using their own devices on ships, and the insatiable appetite for operational data processing and analysis. With vessel owners/operators looking to leverage investment to maximise operational efficiency and ROI, VSAT technology will continue to dominate the satcom market.

The biggest reason for this is the financial predictability of flat monthly rates offered by VSAT as opposed to the traditional pay per use of MSS communication. Unlike MSS, VSAT services can enable modern applications on board bringing maritime connectivity on par with land solutions. This includes video conferencing, remote maintenance, tele-medicine, IoT and more. Satcom tech-

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F e atu r e

Mohamed Jaber, COO Agility Abu Dhabi PJSC and Regional Director, Project Logistics, MEA.

ber 2018 a Declaration of Intent to develop an open digital platform based on blockchain with several other shipping companies and with port operators.

The CMA CGM Group also spurs digitisation by investing in innovative technologies through its corporate venture structure, CMA CGM Ventures, which has already invested in over 15 startups worldwide. The Group also launched ZEBOX, an international incubator, an accelerator for innovative startups in the fields of transport and logistics, mobility and industry 4.0, which was inaugurated in Marseilles, France in September 2018.” - Stéphane Courquin, Regional Director of Dubai, Gulf, and the Middle East.

Susan Hunter, Managing Director, APM Terminals Bahrain

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nologies turn vessels into fully operational remote business units.

VSAT technology can fulfill the significant capacity requirements for crew and passenger communications. Based on reports by Euroconsult, the number of VSAT terminals is expected to grow at an average annual rate of approximately 13% over the next ten years to more than 40,000 active maritime VSAT terminals by 2023.

Demand for VSAT has variable requirements in different regions of the world: Asia Pacific customers focus more on price, whereas European customers, for example, are keen to pay for value-added services. Thus, service providers are moving toward digitalisation trying to develop fully integrated smart-ship solutions.” - Nabil Ben Soussia, Managing Director, IEC Telecom Middle East “Digitisation is a lever for growth, differentiation, and performance. Today, the Group’s ambition is also to become the leader in digital shipping. Complementary to developing its internal expertise, the Group has entered into partnerships with other leading companies; Rodolphe Saadé for instance signed in Novem-

Container Sizes “With the growing customer demands, our focus is also to be able to further develop our landside customers in line with our shipping customers with value-added services to help them optimise/reduce their supply chain costs and create value for all our stakeholders.

All this has been focused towards enhancing the planning and operational capabilities of the KBSP, which has led to immediate improvements in terminal productivity, customer service and contributed to an increase in port’s competitiveness, thereby enabling KBSP offer products and services aligned with the supply chain evolution including digitisation.

“We have seen a positive trend in container flows into the Kingdom with a 5% year-onyear growth in the domestic volume driven primarily by growth in projects, including the demand for increased imports. We’ve also witnessed more and more of mainline vessels coming to port. Keeping up with this, we will continue to invest in the modernisation of port operations and constant improvement of processes to ensure increased efficiency and safety at the port.” - Susan Hunter, Managing Direc-

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tor, APM Terminals Bahrain CMA CGM’s ambition is to be a leading force in the industry in environmental protection by being a pioneer in innovative and ecoresponsible technologies. Between 2005 and 2015, the Group has reduced its CO2 emissions per container transported by 50% and it has set up an ambitious plan to further reduce its CO2 emissions by 30% between 2015 and 2025. It is already on a good track to meet its 2025 target.

Ranking highly on the Group’s environmental protection agenda is the development of liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel. The CMA CGM Group announced in November 2017 its decision to equip its 9 future ships of 22,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit), delivered in 2020-2021, with engines using LNG. CMA CGM thus became the first shipping company in the world to equip giant containerships with this type of motorisation. Confirming its commitment for this source of energy, the Group signed in March 2019 an order for 5 further 15,000-TEU vessels (to be delivered from 2021) powered by LNG. In addition, through its subsidiary Containerships, the Group has taken delivery of its first two LNG-powered vessels, the 1,400-TEU CONTAINERSHIPS NORD and CONTAINERSHIPS POLAR, which will soon be joined by two sister ships.” - Stéphane Courquin, Regional Director of Dubai, Gulf, and the Middle East.

Transportation Changes “Recent technological developments indicate that the concept of an autonomous ship could be a reality in the future, and we are already seeing the development of requisite technology. Autonomous ships can help eliminate hu-

Nabil Ben Soussia, Managing Director, IEC Telecom Middle East

man error, reduce crew costs, and enable space efficiencies in ship design and use of fuel. A three-year research project by MUNIN (Maritime Unmanned Navigation through Intelligence in Networks) predicted saving of over $7m over a 25-year period per autonomous vessel in fuel consumption and operation supplies. The main topic of discussion here is how this concept will affect maritime law, including the transportation of goods at sea, chartering of vessels and more. Issues concerning liability will have to be considered and dealt with in a number of areas, including the concept of duty of care with respect to collisions, salvage operations, limitations of liability for maritime claims amongst others. Undoubtedly, this concept will continue gaining popularity, but the professional community will need to make sure that all these areas are covered and addressed.

IoT connectivity can generate large data Stéphane Courquin, Regional Director of Dubai, Gulf, and the Middle East

insights on operations and working environments, as well as a slew of new data-based revenue opportunities. IoT connectivity is also transforming day-to-day operations at sea, at the port and as part of a wider logistics network.” - Nabil Ben Soussia, Managing Director, IEC Telecom Middle East “Many of the projects in the region require modularisation. Modularisation provides efficiency and overall lower costs in many cases, especially on the offshore projects as well as lower risks during the project construction phase. Module transportation complicity depends on the size but requires bigger vessels equipped with bigger capacity cranes and higher safety standards. For bigger modules, modules must be transported by bigger vessels or barged either by towing the barges or loading the loaded barge over the submersible vessel.

This will depend on the trip length, weather conditions, and draft at both loading and destination ports The sea freight market will be impacted with more modularisation projects as the volumes of material to be transported increases per voyage but overall with fewer vessel trips compared to a similar project if it’s not modularised. Container vessels are on the rise and we are beginning to see super-sized vessels.

The number of crew and operation teams to manage these vessels remain the same or less like those of older vessels thanks to advanced technology-automation and digitalisation. The technological advancements have helped carriers to maintain business while carrying more freight and keeping costs optimised, that’s the balance the carriers are seeking. The challenges they face are how they can adapt fast to changes and enhance their productivity.” – Mohamed Jaber, COO Agility Abu Dhabi PJSC and Regional Director, Project Logistics, MEA.

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E-commerce

EZDubai

Kasun Illankoon spoke with Mohsen Ahmad, CEO of Logistics District, about EZDubai and how its integrated facilities can help boost productivity and efficiency in the e-commerce industry.

The creation of a dedicated aviation and logistics district in Dubai South is now paving the way for companies to work more efficiently and productively than ever before. Now a new e-commerce zone is set to create a good logistics plan for companies where each individual component of an e-commerce operation will be fine-tuned to one area.

“Things are changing in the logistics industry as demand from consumers is increasing, the size of the cargo is getting smaller, and predominantly that is because the things that are in the store is also changing. You need to be able to meet that demand as people’s taste changes frequently. Our vision is to make it more adaptable to these changes,” said Mohsen.

With the massive growth of e-commerce in the GCC and Egypt expected to soar from

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USD 7 billion to USD 24 billion by 2022, EZDubai seeks to add a strong value to the sector by providing an efficient supply chain focused on the structured regulatory framework, complete ecosystem, and the dual warehouse concept. This is not surprising considering that in the past ten years, the ecommerce trade has increased by 1,500 percent across the Middle East.

The new e-commerce hub has six dedicated areas providing a total in excess of 550,000 sqm of leasable area for e-commerce and similar businesses intended as Last Mile Centers, E-Fulfillment Centers, Repair & Return Centers, Supply Centers, Business Blocks (shared buildings), and Business Blocks for Regional Headquarters.

“Traditionally the e-commerce elements are

scattered around but we thought why not just bring them all closer together in one area. We have an airport and seaport nearby and also a great land transportation network. When you put all this together you create a more dynamic logistics hub. By having such a dedicated area to fulfill the different operational aspects of delivering products to the final customer EZDubai cuts down time wasted and increased productivity,” remarked Mohsen.

This free zone will further facilitate the growth of the sector in the region as global consumer demand continues to grow across all demographics, coupled with the increasing competitiveness of smart technology.

“We have a young population in this region. 70% of these e-commerce orders are below the age of 31 and that is because the

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technology penetration is increasing. In terms of market behavior, nearly 56% of consumers based in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt start their online shopping journey using search engines as opposed to going straight to retailer’s websites and 55% of shoppers in these countries prefer to use smartphones when they shop online.”

In the UAE, the country is expected to generate 50% of e-commerce sales in the region. It boasts a high level of regular purchasing with 60% of residents spending more than three times of single orders with an average amount of above $300, which is considerably higher than any other country.

As a unique industry, it impacts shopping habits, logistics, urban planning, and property development by providing conveniences to the

consumers, thereby driving the shift in consumer behavior.

Strength of EZDubai Commerce EZDubai has the support of a strong aviation linkage with leading international airlines serving Europe, India, and Africa. It has all the right elements to efficiently implement fastpaced transactions for today’s businesses.

It provides direct access to top-quality and leading last mile providers where fulfillment can take place in hours and not days. This serves the supply chain network with huge time lead and cost efficiency benefits.

These facilities also are equipped with world-class physical and digital infrastructure, business-friendly regulations and policies, and availability of global talents.

The free zone enjoys generous government support through streamlined customs and licensing processes. For instance, warehousing facilities are developed with the ‘Dual Licensed’ capabilities and hybrid warehouse facilities which enable companies to consolidate both onshore and offshore activities under once centralized location.

On the sustainability front, the facilities follow the Al Sa’fat Dubai Green Code – rated system featuring district cooling, solar PV, and Grade A international specifications.

On the regulatory front, Mohsen noted that UAE’s approach to being more probusiness and pro-trade is making it easier for businesses to set up.

As part of its efforts to increase engagement with startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) amid rising trends on the ‘gig economy’ worldwide, Dubai South, Dubai’s integrated city and flagship urban project, continues to build new initiatives that support businesses in Dubai to maintain its global attraction as a magnet for foreign investors. The emirate is strategically positioned in key sectors surrounding innovation and digital technology such as e-commerce, AI, blockchain and fintech, following 26 percent increase of foreign direct investments (FDI) during the first half of 2018, reaching AED 17.7 billion.

Dubai South’s Initiative “Dubai South’s ongoing initiatives are further boosting the business activities of its partners, which include startups, SMEs and multinational companies, and most recently, individual professionals in specialized professional sectors,” said Mohsen.

The latest developments reflect Dubai South’s commitment towards reinforcing Dubai’s progress as a leading global business hub that meets the modern needs and requirements of companies and their employees. Some of these initiatives include creating communication bridges between multinational companies and SMEs where both can benefit from meetings, engagement sessions, and periodic workshops.

In addition, the range of incentives provided to tenants within Dubai South has been effectively helping in easing the cost of doing business, with rent reduction from 5 percent up to 25 percent for existing and new tenants in line with the customer loyalty program. This has led to up to 85 percent of tenants retaining their premises. Another initiative provides an allotment of 10 percent of Dubai South’s annual procurement and projects to Dubai-based SMEs, including more than 25 percent reduction on the annual rent.

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Smart Logistics

Ta l k i n g P o i n t

Kasun Illankoon spoke with Joachim Gutierrez, Co-Founder of Pelier Smart Logistics, who explains why his company is providing the right services to assist the air-cargo industry

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Pelier expectations for 2019 Pelier Logistics aims to advance the air cargo industry by aligning it with the 21st century standards by offering a service that improves the communication and trade between Airline and Logistic companies through Blockchain and Smart Contracts.

“One of our main goals for this year is to connect with the right investors to get seed funding. To the day we’ve raised funding through incubation programs, which have led us to attain several investor meetups in the pipeline, and a pitch in front of Emirates NBD. We have also been approached to be part of the GBF Mentorship program – a brand-new initiative launched by the Dubai Chamber to connect startups with experienced mentors from Africa – which will allow us to build the right connections in yet another region,” said Joachim Gutierrez, Co-Founder of Pelier Smart Logistics.

“Not only that, but we have already started the year with a new addition to the team, our personal in-house coder. This will allow us to pivot faster and provide the best product/market fit, as we will be able to roll out our first prototype faster than anticipated.”

Solutions Provider Peliere will resolve the many challenges that today’s air-cargo industry struggles with. By introducing a digital platform for the entire aircargo charter supply chain, all the players in the industry will be able to operate with standardized templates.

“Our system will recognise duplicate requests and make sure airlines do not fall into the endless backlogs, as it happens to this day.

With the implementation of Blockchain, for streamlining documentation and adding a layer of increased security for payments, as well as Smart Contracts that will allow for automated transactions, this will ensure that only the involved stakeholders have editorial authority on contracts,” said Joachim.

Furthermore, payments will be funneled through a third-party escrow account and distributed between the business partners once the shipment is completed.

To enforce transparency and ease of access to information, each airline will host nodes which will contribute to the computing power of the Peliere platform.

Built on agility, transparency, intuitive UX and efficiency, Peliere’s vision is to ease the process of how global trade is done by reducing barriers and hurdles currently faced in our supply-chains on a day-to-day basis; building a platform that works as one-stop-shop where all stakeholders in the industry.

The target audience is all the players in the air-cargo charter market. Airlines such as Emirates, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, etc. will become our clients.

“On the other side of our platform, there will be brokers, logistics companies, freight forwarders and companies in general that deal with daily communications with airlines.

Numerous examples of what the lack of standardization of communication in the air cargo charter market can cause; to name a few.

• Miscommunication can result in a longer time to resolve issues, which can lead to high expenses from stakeholders as communications happen through diverse mediums; • Order duplicates are frequent occurrences. Not only is fixing these issues time consuming, but an astounding 20% of the industry’s expenses are in fact due to the presence of physical paper, an unnecessary issue with the existing technologies.

• Payments are slow due to the use of traditional international bank transfers, and little-to-no digitization causes important technologies (e.g. live-tracking) challenging to implement,” explained Joachim.

Digitisation and Technology The logistics industry has for a long time been reluctant to change and continues operating in very traditional manners, but this is about to change in the upcoming years.

“Digitisation is finally making some steps in the logistics industry, and as it takes more

and more, we are excited to become a key part of this movement. Important enabling technologies such as AI, Blockchain, facial recognition, robotics, and autonomous driving – to name a few – will make every aspect of logistics more efficient, cost-saving whilst making sure the industry does not fall behind, especially so in the fast-evolving world we are living in,” said Joachim.

Challenges for the future Peliere’s software, though complex, is not complicated to mimic. Nonetheless, as this industry has tough entry barriers, due to traditional networking and maintenance of client basis, Pelier have developed a strategy to overcome this setback.

“With an early adopter program, we will make sure that signing airlines will get an advantageous discounted price for a 2-year commitment. This will make sure we have enough time to establish a solid customer base as they gain trust in the platform.”

“We want to empower both airlines and logistics companies, making sure to create value for both parties involved. By getting feedback and with the implementation of new features that both users desire to improve and enhance their processes, we will make sure that we build trust within the industry. Fortunately, a member of our team already has experience both in the family business operating as an airline, which later became a charter broker; this will ensure we have direct contact with some of the industry’s leaders and experts,” concluded Joachim.

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Interview

DISTRIBUTING QUALITY Kasun Illankoon spoke with Khamid Ismatullaev, the founder and CEO of Worldwide Distribution Centre (WDC), about how their structured distribution network allows global companies the opportunity to launch products in new and untapped markets.

Give us a brief history and rise of Worldwide Distribution Centre Worldwide Distribution Center is one of the largest FMCG retail and wholesale distribution companies in the Middle East, specialising in supplying hair and body care products, perfumeries, soap, and baby care items. WDC distributes products for multinationals such as L’Oréal, Henkel and Colgate, across the Middle East, Africa, East Asia, and CIS. It is also the leading distribution house for multicultural products in the Middle East and Africa.

I am the founder and CEO and have been managing multiple business units in my homeland of Uzbekistan since 1998. I identified an opportunity to expand the business in the Middle East, so relocated to Dubai and launched the company in the UAE with a new name to reflect my global vision for the business – Worldwide Distribution Center.

From humble beginnings in the early 2000s with just three staff, the company now operates from a state-of-the-art office in the heart of Dubai’s business district – Business Bay – a 20,000 sq. ft. warehouse facility and logistics support office in Jebel Ali Free Zone, an operations office in Deira, and has a team of more than 50 employees. There are additional offices in India (New Delhi) and Uzbekistan (Tashkent), allowing the company to respond quickly and efficiently to changing business requirements.

Vision for Worldwide Distribution Centre In the next 5-10 years, we will expand WDC into more new markets and ultimately, we

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the Beautyworld Middle East exhibition last month in Dubai, which we participated in for the eighth year. We had a lot of new customers and a lot of new people with who we exchanged ideas with.

Overview of the Middle East Market Over the past 10 years, we have seen a change in what consumers in the region are looking for from hair and body care products. Consumers here are very well-educated about the industry (in part due to social media) so the demands here reflect global trends. Natural ingredients are very popular and in the last year or so, a demand for more eco-friendly and sustainable packaging.

We are also finding that customers in the region are demanding more innovative products that contain high-quality ingredients, which are effective, time-saving and affordable. Customers want to have easy access to globally-recognised brands and also smaller, niche manufacturers.

want to become the largest FMCG retail and wholesale distribution company globally. We already have offices in the UAE, India, and Uzbekistan to ensure that we can efficiently supply across the Middle East, Africa, East Asia, and CIS. Uniqueness of Worldwide Distribution From day one, I set out to build a company that had a positive and ethical culture at its core. I prioritise providing an efficient yet personal and professional service to manufacturers and multinationals, whilst ensuring my workforce enjoys the working environment of the company.

Challenges and plans for expansion in the Middle East Starting a new business is always challenging, and it’s challenging because you can fear the future as it is unknown. I believe that you need to overcome this and believe in yourself and just go for it. This, I think, is the main challenge for anyone starting out in a new business. Believe in yourself and you are halfway there.

The beauty and personal care industry in the Middle East and Africa was valued at around US$32.4 billion in 2018 and analysts Euromonitor International (EMI), are projecting the sector to grow to US$34.9 billion in 2019. It’s a growing market and we saw this at

Supply Chain and Technology Over the years, we have established a secure and accurate system that helps us deliver the products smoothly and on time. We have an efficient transport system managed by a trusted shipping company. While we prepare the documentation in house, the shipping company assists us with booking containers to ensure we are always on time with deliveries. We also own a fleet of trucks in the UAE to facilitate with the local distribution.

In order to ensure a smooth workflow, our operations team in our Jebel Ali Free Zone warehouse uses the most advanced software available. This means we can easily integrate the flow of information between sales, marketing, distribution, and logistics, improving flexibility and balance between product demand and inventory levels. This also helps us to optimize our warehouse management and maximize distribution efficiently.

Our sales team works hard to ensure the best results for our clients. They continuously do market research so that we have the most up to date and relevant information about products and our customer’s needs. Our team has a thorough understanding of the buying and selling journey and what is needed to forge long-term relationships. We understand the market and we work hard on being different from our competitors, bringing something new and innovative to the table.

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Major investments in the UAE’s logistics sector set to boost future development: JLL reports

The UAE’s industrial and logistics space is increasingly attracting global investor interest, with the recent sale-and-leaseback of Transworld Group’s logistics facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, showcasing positive investor sentiment and signalling future growth in the sector, says JLL. The rise in e-commerce and subsequent digitisation of the supply chain industry are major factors fuelling growth and investor interest for high quality assets in the industrial logistics space. A recent major transaction, advised by JLL, was the sale-and-leaseback of Transworld Group’s facility, a high quality warehouse and office property spanning over 19,000 square meters that will continue to be occupied by the prominent 3PL operator.

“In the long run increased capital invest-

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ments of this scale will drive future development of quality space, fulfilling demand for warehouse facilities across the UAE. The logis-

tics sector is attracting significant interest from institutional investors, asset managers, REITs and private family offices seeking long term returns that are backed by quality tenants while retaining little or no management responsibility for the real estate,” said Abdul Kader Monla, Director, Capital Markets in MENA, JLL. JLL is currently advising a number of firms considering asset light strategies, allowing greater returns through reinvesting the sale proceeds into their core business. When compared to traditional debt, alternative funding structures can allow for higher capital release while minimising cash outflow.

“We expect to see an increasing number of future trades given the unique value proposition and attractive attributes of the sector, particularly in today’s tight market conditions,’ he continued.

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D i g i ta l

4G and 5G Revolution Kasun Illankoon spoke to Jochen Apel, Head of Transportation Segment Sales, Transportation Energy and Public Sector (TEPS), Nokia, about how Nokia’s end-to-end LTE and 5G technologies support logistics companies worldwide with their digitalisation vision Digital data availability, processes automation, value chain interconnection, and customercentric interfaces are driving digital transformation in businesses and redefining industries.

Further, digital transformation enables many Web-native companies to cross over into large enterprise markets and upend the status quo.

Enterprises that implement successful digital transformation efforts will be at a competitive advantage while laggards will be fighting for their survival. Jochen Apel tells Logistics News ME about the latest technology, such as 4G and 5G, being introduced by Nokia and how they are benefiting businesses in the region.

Jochen has always had an interest in the digital transformation of companies and how they embrace waves of technologies to address their business challenges.

Benefits of the latest technology introduced by Nokia As the world moves towards Industry 4.0, more devices would require seamless connectivity. Enterprises are banking on a robust, reliable and resilient network infrastructure to give wings to robotics, automation and IoT dreams through their digitalization journey. To address this crucial ask, Nokia has developed 4G and 5G technology solutions.

Logistics is an integral part of our businesses as well as day-to-day life. Demand for the highest quality customer service experience as well as severe cost pressure has challenged the logistics industry. The industry has responded with resounding innovations in their supply chains (including warehouses).

Many logistics companies employ Auto-

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mated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to improve efficiency and reduce cost. Warehouses presently use complex wired network infrastructure to connect many of their stations and cameras.

This arrangement is expensive and not flexible for future scale-up. Finally, to monitor global supply chain activities effectively, logistics companies also employ many types of sensors.

All these sensors require connectivity to transmit data.

Nokia’s LTE and 5G networks would enable all these scenarios and support logistics companies with their digitalization vision. We have seen land, sea, air and contract logistics

companies all following this journey. As an example, Nokia has deployed many innovations at its two factories: in Chennai (India) and Oulu (Finland). These innovations include a private LTE/5G campus network, high accuracy indoor positioning to track performance KPIs, video scene analytics on the shop floor and more.

Changes from past versions Although we see there are several industrial use cases in the logistics industry that can be addressed with the existing networking technology, we recommend our customers to em-

bark on their digital journey with LTE/5G to support additional innovative uses keeping them future-proof.

Whilst saying that 5G is most definitely superior to the current LTE/4G technology. 5G networks offer the following benefits: • Higher bandwidth capacity (such as VR/ AR live-streaming) • Ultra low-latency for real-time applications • A higher number of connected devices (more devices in a given cell) Most importantly, 5G is built keeping industries in mind and hence is adoptable across various industries.

Industries have responded enthusiastically to LTE technology and we have already deployed this to many key players in the Middle East and Africa market as well as across the globe.

Many of our customers across various industries have also shown interest in private 5G networks for their infrastructure, controlled by themselves. This gives them more autonomy in designing the network to match their needs.

We see customers in logistics, railways, aviation, highways, maritime and manufacturing, showing keenness in our technology in their journey towards better connected, highly reliable and secure services.

To increase focus and address the growing demand from industries for networking solutions for critical communications, Nokia unveiled a dedicated business group called Nokia Enterprise at the beginning of this year.

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D i g i ta l

Positive effects on the rail, aviation, and road and maritime segments As mentioned earlier, different industries can adapt the private wireless networks based on their business pain points and needs.

Railways have relied on tried and trusted GSMR (2G) for their mission-critical communication requirements. For their future needs, they have begun planning for migration to FRMCS (5G for Railways). Beyond mission-critical communication needs, the network would also support use cases towards logistics companies and passengers.

LTE networks can support applications at airports which see some of the highest density of devices/equipment of both passengers and airport authorities. For applications and services that require ultra-low latency and higher band-

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width, the 5G network would help immensely.

Ports are a tough outdoor environment with a lot of metallic interference. 5G based private mobile networks would be needed for Straddle Carriers/Crane automation, transmitting job information to crew devices, etc. Port authorities are also interested in creating a digital twin of their ports for remote operations - something private 5G networks can help with.

Highway authorities would want to adapt their roadside infrastructure to support C-V2X. With the concept of automated cars generating a lot of interest, reliable networks would be needed along the highways.

Performance in the UAE and the Middle East Nokia Enterprise has had a strong presence

in the UAE and the Middle East. Beyond the transportation sector, we are working with many customers in the energy and public sectors including Nedaa, Dubai government security networks operator, for which Nokia delivers next-generation network for mission-critical and smart city services.

Nokia Enterprise has a big team in the Middle East with our regional headquarters located in Dubai, UAE. We are expanding our team further as well as shaping different go-to-market business models to engage with customers.

The UAE and the Middle East continue to have some of the strongest digitalization visions in the world and Nokia is determined to support them in this journey.

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P r o du ct r e v i e w

Tyres of Excellence Kasun Illankoon spoke with Juan Uruburu, Head of Sales Middle East, about their Middle East strategy, Conti 360 degree fleet services, and their new ContiPressureCheck System.

Continental was founded in Hanover in 1871 as the stock corporation “Continental-Caoutchouc- und Gutta-Percha Compagnie”. Manufacturing at the main factory in Hanover included soft rubber products, rubberized fabrics, and solid tires for carriages and bicycles.

In 1951 Continental commenced production of steel cord conveyor belts. In 1955, they were the first company to develop air springs for trucks and buses. Series production of belted tires began in 1960. Around 30 years later we brought the first environmentally friendly tires for passenger cars onto the market.

In 1995 the Automotive Systems division was established to intensify the systems business with the automotive industry. We present-

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ed the key technology for hybrid drive systems back in 1997.

Today, Continental ranks among the top 5 automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems, and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication.

All this, in a nutshell, shows why Continental continuous to innovate and remain unique in this world. 11 years ago Continental opened its office in Dubai but it was only in 2014 when

they first established a legal entity in the region in order to bring their full focus of operations in the region.

“Our mission is to deliver to the market a package of performing products designed in Germany, made in Europe, customized for the Middle East and comprehensive package of services, and digital solutions for lowest overall driving cost. This offering will be delivered to the markets in ME through qualified teams and strong well established local partners, our goal is to be the leader in the market and to be viewed as a solution provider for companies working in the transportation industry,” said Juan Uruburu, Head of Sales Middle East, Continental.

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also with a comprehensive service solution package that lowers the overall driving costs.

Conti 360 degree is a service concept established by Continental aiming at covering all the services that our customers might from the day the customer receive the tyre till the tyre is out of service. These services include fitment services, fleet check, and tryes inspection, fleet reporting and breakdown services.”

Middle East Strategy The decision to bring their full focus of operations in the region was an easy one for Continental considering the market potential of the region.

“The Middle East Region region can be viewed as a challenging region, yet we see plenty of opportunities that exceeds any other region in the world. The Middle East and especially the UAE show many positive signs that reflect the huge opportunities and a positive future, with a young and increasing population, The region is also the centre of fast-growing trade flows between, India and China in one side and Africa and Europe from the other side, the rapid urbanisation process and infrastruc-

ture projects, all these factors makes the region a very promising for business,” said Juan.

“Our strategy to the Middle East is to introduce top performing products, designed with German technology, made in our plants in Europe, but specifically designed for the Middle East.”

Conti 360 degree fleet services Continental strategy in providing a 360 degree fleet services is based on one of the three pillars that they follow which includes producing the best product, the right customer service, and providing digital solutions.

Juan on Continental’s 360 degree fleet services said, “We would like to provide our customers not only with a performing product but

Conti Press Check System First-Of-Its-Kind tyre pressure and temperature monitoring system for buses and trucks. It is redefining the tyre market with this new innovative technology, and highlighting Continental’s commitment to providing tyre solutions, and to reduce overall fleet costs and improve road safety by ensuring the proper usage and maintenance of tyres.

“There is nothing closer to the road than a tyre and in many cases this fact is underestimated; Today within Digitalisation, many transport companies use sophisticated Fleet Management Systems (Telematics) which is able to monitor the fatigue of the driver by installing cameras in the cabin,” remarked Juan.

“The ContiPressureCheckTM system is designed to take the daily hassle of monitoring truck and bus tyre pressure and temperature away from drivers, so that they can focus on safe driving. The regional roll-out of the system comes in line with recent regulations issued by the GCC authorities to achieve maximum safety, preserve the lives of road users and reduce injuries from vehicle accidents, especially trucks.

The new ContiPressureCheck system continuously measures the pressure and temperature of all tyres on vehicles - even when driving. This helps to save fuel and increase mileage. It also significantly reduces the risk of tyre failure, whilst maintaining the value of the casing, and thus the re-treadability,” Juan further elaborated.

R&D Focus Continental through its R&D department invested lots of time exploring the Middle East market by defining its key specifications, roads, weather conditions, loads, and driving behaviour.

“As such we are able to introduce a new special product range of commercial and passenger vehicle tyres perfectly matching the Middle East conditions and from commercial vehicle tyres side we have different product categories matching main requirements in the market goods transportation, people, construction, offroad, and material handling,” concluded Juan.

Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 43

Maritime

global maritime data Kasun Illankoon spoke with Juan Uruburu, Head of Sales Middle East, about their Middle East strategy, Conti 360 degree fleet services, and their new ContiPressureCheck System.

Today’s globally focused shipping and maritime industries require increasingly agile, secure, high-speed/high-volume data connections which are easily accessible from all regions of the world. Maintaining this reliable, high-capacity, ubiquitous data connectivity not only promotes operational efficiency, but also a critical component of keeping passengers and crew connected to friends, family and associates across the globe. Today’s operations re-

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quire fast, reliable, user-friendly & dependable Internet access to handle a full suite of ship monitoring and management functions.

Managing this surging demand of data requires agile and sophisticated solutions to keep pace with expanding user requirements. At Aanarr Consulting Ltd., our experienced team examined this problem extensively from all angles and developed a full suite of advanced, flexible and cost-effective solutions. Our high-

volume global data connectivity packages managed by a tailored life cycle control panel function for large vessels/container ships with Monthly bundled global packages for crews and corporate communications, Pre-Paid data SIM bundles for passengers of cruises, yachts and crews help solve the maritime data requirements for today’s vessels, cruises, yachts and crew’s internet requirement.

Addressing today’s rapidly expanding de-

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operations of crews and passengers on cruise ships, cargo freighters, leisure craft, offshore oil rigs and other vessels. In terms of primary motivators though, crew welfare is now one of the main drivers for increased data availability in modern shipping operations. Crews who possess data connectivity not only more readily maintain connections to friends and family, but also feel less isolated from the outside world.

Meeting this need for crew-focused, high-speed 3G/4G data and Wi-Fi connectivity presents an ongoing challenge for the global maritime industry due to the lack of cost-effective, userfriendly options on the market.

mand for flexible data connectivity need in terms of High speed, large/low data volume with long term / short term commitment period along with the ability to support modern vessel operations, ship monitoring & management along with crew internet connectivity needs requires innovative solutions. Globally focused maritime and shipping industries require agile, cost-effective and customized roaming data connections to maintain real-time, worldwide data

access and communications.

Modern shipping companies also face extensive crew turnover due, in part, to a lack of sufficient connectivity solutions at shore allowing them to reach family and friends. Many companies allocate extensive resources to address this problem, but fail to obtain a viable solution.

The data connectivity required to fuel these essential modern functions now plays an instrumental role in the day-to-day lives and

Experience Leading-Edge Solutions from Aanarr Consulting Ltd.: At Aanarr Consulting Ltd. we extensively analyzed the historical and emerging requirements for secure, flexible and reliable Maritime data connectivity and developed innovative solutions to address this critical need. By leveraging our vast industry experience, strategic global partnerships with mobile network operators across 200+ countries and 600+ networks we were instrumental in introducing high-speed data connectivity solutions to the maritime industry which allow onboard crew and passengers to connect multiple devices to the Internet through a full suite of cost-effective, customized connectivity solutions. These solutions deliver expanded coverage areas while decreasing connection costs to end users.

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Maritime

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Through our full range of customizable online SIM Management platform, we specialize in delivering High speed large/low volume data connectivity solution for crew Internet, ship monitoring for vessels and other essential features required by maritime and shipping companies. Backed by LTE/4G/3G networks, the sims are compatible to use on any kind of devices like smartphones, Portable Mi -Fi Devices , Routers, dongles where captain of the ship and crews unlock access to high-speed, secure data connectivity for crew internet and corporate communication.

In addition to delivering rapid, secure and globally-focused data for crew Internet and calling, our focus is on Machine to Machine (M2M) and IoT too. We provide gamechanging reliable connection with coverage and speed to support today’s modern maritime industry across over 600+ networks globally.

These innovative solutions allow businesses to meet the rigorous operational requirements of entire fleets of vessels while enjoying a full suite of tailored, robust connectivity solutions customized to your needs.

By delivering highly secure, affordable, highspeed LTE/4G/3G data connectivity, we enable a vessel’s crew and passengers to connect multiple devices to the Internet through a single SIM card. This Globe Trotter SIM card’s global data connectivity solution places optimized and reliable data connectivity in the palm of your hands and addresses the full spectrum of today’s modern maritime data environment.

Aanarr Consulting Ltd. enhances shipborne operations, communications and crew welfare through specific products uniquely tailored to the maritime industry including: • Large volume data SIMs: This solution is best suited for larger vessels seeking the benefits of high-volume, reliable crew Internet access, ship monitoring capabilities from over 600+ global networks. From a single-SIM card solution, yachts, cruise ships and other large vessels can obtain real-time data activation/deactivation functions, usage information, alerts and more.

• Pre-paid short and long-term, Global Trotter SIMs: These disposable SIM card solutions offer regional access for specific geographic operating areas including the EU, Americas, the Middle East and more, and they deliver high volume data (1GB24GB) with 30 day to two-year validity.

• Small volume data M2M/IoT SIMs: Ideal for global access across over 600+ mobile networks, our small volume IoT/M2M SIMs deliver data connectivity uniquely

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suited for ship tracking, asset management and a wide range of additional operational functions with secure, real time portal for SIM/Device life cycle management.

Sophisticated Account Management Features: We offer a real-time control panel which hosts a wide array of sophisticated account management features uniquely tailored to support the rigorous wireless data connectivity requirements of today’s globally focused shipping industry including: Working hand-in-hand with the Aanarr Consulting team unlocks a myriad of benefits for globally-focused maritime and shipping businesses including: • Between 20% to 40% cost savings over regular Maritime Data connectivity SIM card solutions • Agile global coverage across 600+

network connections • Full-scope portal management functions deliver a 25+% increase in operational efficiency • Multiple simultaneous data connections tailored to the capacity required • Easily-accessible, user-friendly enterprise or individual account management functions Meeting current and future requirements for globally accessible, agile, and cost-effective data roaming Maritime data connectivity requires an experienced and reliable team in your corner. At Aanarr Consulting Ltd., our team delivers game-changing service for our clients due to our extensive industry experience, tailored mobile Internet and IoT connectivity solutions, flexible industry-specific approaches, strategic partnerships with global mobile network operators and more.

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Keep Your Business Running On Time, Every Time.

Envision a truck that could do more with ever y minute, hour and day. A truck so reliable, you’ll spend more time on the road thanks to longer ser vicing inter vals.

A truck with a cab designed to of fer more comfor t and driveabilit y, as well as on-board fuel coaching systems. A truck with the power to move fur ther, and the ef ficienc y to keep your business running like clockwork. With the all new Croner, we’ve turned that vision into a cut ting- edge realit y.

Event preview

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Automechanika Dubai Preview Middle East and African automotive aftermarket valued at US$61 billion in 2018, with more growth anticipated The Middle East and Africa’s auto aftermarket was worth a combined US$61 billion in 2018, while a projected rise in car sales, and more manufacturing bases will steer the wider region toward six percent annual growth over the next six years, a newly published report said.

This is estimated to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.8 percent over the next six years, valuing US$39.6 billion in 2024, while in Africa, demand for aftermarket spare parts and services, valued at US$33.17 billion in 2018, is tipped to increase at a CAGR of 6.25 percent over the same period, valuing US$47.73 billion.

TechSci’s Middle East and Africa Automotive Aftermarket report was prepared exclusively ahead of Automechanika Dubai 2019, the wider region’s largest international trade fair for the auto services industry, which takes place next month from 10-12 June at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“In the coming years, demand for both passenger and commercial vehicles will rise across the Middle East and Africa, driven by recovering economic conditions, government incentives to boost regional production plants, increasing per capita income, and ongoing construction activities,” said Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, Show Director of Automechanika Dubai.

“This in turn impacts the aftermarket and Automechanika Dubai, with its transregional reach, is the ideal platform to meet and interact with key players and buyers in this market. With the biggest names in the business present this year, the exhibition is a great place for buyers, industry professionals, distributors and government representatives to get a feel of market trends, developments and the way ahead.”

Country-wide, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the biggest Middle East markets for vehicle parc according to Techsci’s report, with Saudi contributing 7.49 million (5.11 million PVs, and 2.38 million CVs) to the region’s fleet, and the UAE 2.57 million (1.96 million PVs, 610,000 CVs).

The second hand auto spare parts market in the Middle East has also developed into a fullfledged multi-million dollar industry, boasting

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more than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises spread across the region. The UAE is the major supplier of automotive spare parts within the Gulf region as well as for Iran, the CIS, Indian sub-continent and Africa.

Organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, Automechanika Dubai covers the six product sections of Parts & Components; Electronics & Systems; Accessories & Customizing; Repair & Maintenance; Car Wash, Care & Reconditioning; and Tyres & Batteries. The 2019 edition will feature four new sub-sections of Agricultural Parts & Equip-

ment; Body & Paint; Motorcycle Parts & Components; and Oils & Lubricants.

A key returning highlight is the Innovation Zone, a dedicated area at the centre of the show floor featuring presentations and product showcases that are steering the course for the regional and global automotive aftermarket.

Other features include the Truck Competence initiative, where more than 1,000 exhibitors will showcase their products dedicated to the entire value chain in the truck sector, from truck parts and accessories, to workshop equipment, body repairs and care.

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STRONG ON BUSINESS

RENAULT TRUCKS C ROAD Robust, reliable, ready for the long haul, trust the Renault Trucks C Road to deliver in even the toughest terrain. Backed by the quality service support of our professional dealer network, you can count on us to keep your truck operating to the highest standards throughout its working life. www.renault-trucks.com/uae

Su p p l i e r N e w s

Supplier News

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U p dat i n g yo u o n t h e r e g i o n ’ s s u p p l i e r s

ALS and KNAPP secure high-tech project in Saudi Arabian Healthcare Business KNAPP AG, headquartered in Hart bei Graz in Austria, and its Regional partner ALS Logistic Solutions, headquartered in Dubai, have been awarded by the Saudi Arabian pharmacy and drugstore chain AL-DAWAA to provide a turnkey automation solution with shuttle and central belt technology, as well as the SAP® EWM warehouse management system. The new distribution centre will be erected in the Sudair Industrial City in Riyadh and will be a technological trailblazer for healthcare distribution in the region.

AL-DAWAA Medical Services Company supplies around 800 of its own pharmacies and also acts as a wholesaler for drugstore and medical goods. In order to supply its growing network of retailers faster and more frequently, AL-DAWAA decided to fully automate its processes. With the latest technology, the most cutting-edge distribution centre for pharmaceutical and drugstore products in the Middle East will be built jointly by ALS and KNAPP expertise.

SAP eWM will serve as the warehouse management and warehouse control system to ensure smooth warehouse operations. Orders from the highly automated warehouse and manual area will be consolidated with ease using the eWM package.

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With the help of the most cutting-edge shuttle system in the world, the OSR Shuttle Evo, the most important warehouse processes such as space-effective storage, replenishment management, picking and dispatch can all be covered within a single system. Picking will take place at ergonomic Pick-itEasy work stations. Fastmover autopickers will be on hand to pick fast-moving articles automatically. When it comes to manual picking, RF technology is designed to support the personnel and make error-free working a reality. Dispatch preparation and container supply for dispatch will be automated.

Finally, SAP eWM by KNAPP will ensure

that all processes in the warehouse will run smoothly.

A Vision Central Belt solution will be used to automatically record lot and serial numbers at the autopickers. As a result, ALDAWAA can accommodate the plans of the Saudi Food & Drug Authority, who requires all domestic and foreign medicines to be traced from production or import to delivery to the patient. The SAP transport management system guarantees transparency along the supply chain.

KNAPP is implementing the project in Saudi Arabia in cooperation with local partner ALS Logistic Solutions.

“KNAPP technology is pioneering in healthcare

distribution on the one hand, and on the other, KNAPP has many years of experience and IT skills. This combination makes us the leading provider not only in Saudi Arabia but in the entire region,” explains Walid Khoury, Managing Director at ALS Logistic Solutions, who believes in the KNAPP cooperation.

Mahmoud Mousa, CIO DBS, adds, “AL-DAWAA Pharmacies is running SAP ERP, so it was important for us to select a solution provider with excellent warehouse automation as well as implementing SAP eWM as WMS and WCS in the new warehouse.”

The new distribution centre is planned to go into operation in mid 2020. www.cbnme.com

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Trukkin raises $3.5 million becoming the leading truck aggregator in the GCC

As “on demand” services expand into more industries and market places, Trukkin is leading the way in digital logistics solutions for long-haul trucking. Launched in 2017, Trukkin is a techno-logistics firm based in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates operating throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and beyond. The company works to innovate and simplify logistics and land transportation.

Trukkin has raised over $3.5 million in the recent funding round, which included marquee investors from the AL-Namlah Family Group, the Al-Madi Family Group, and the Abanumay Family Group. Batic Investments and Logistics, a publicly listed company on Tadawul, remains as one of the key investors in the start-up.

“Trukkin’s vision, operational efficiency, capital utilization, and sound business model drove us to partner with them in the region over other competitors. Trukkin knows the pulse on the ground.” said Mohamed Al-

Namlah, Managing Director of Amnest Group.

By adding the new capital to the company, Trukkin will be able to significantly scale their services across the GCC region. The company has shipped to over 200 locations in the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia alone, Trukkin has completed over 10,000 long-haul, business-to-business truck movements. That is a significant accomplishment given that the country represents nearly 50% of the overall GCC market opportunity.

Investor Al-Madi explained that they had been following the sector for months and were impressed with what Trukkin has been able to achieve. “Their team is very focused on the ground and has shown their operational prowess. We believe we can further add significant capabilities to Trukkin with our investment,” Al-Madi said.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Janardan Dalmia explained how

their model works. “Trukkin operates on an ‘asset-light’ model, meaning it doesn’t own the trucks. Our focus on overall service lets us improve both the customer and transporter experience and also increase asset utilization and reduce inefficiencies.”

CEO Dalmia says the company’s aggressive growth strategy fully supports the vision. “Trukkin is building up its marketplace to connect thousands of mostly independent truckers. The long-haul land transport market is highly fragmented and disorganized, and our aim is to institutionalize and professionalize this business,” Dalmia explained.

Trukkin is one of several startups gaining global recognition in the new industry. In 2018, a Wall Street Journal headline noted that China’s Truck Alliance, a truck hailing company, was on course for a $10 billion valuation. Blackbuck, India’s largest trucking platform, was named CNBC’s 2018 Startup of the Year reaching unicorn status in 2019.

Logistics News ME | June 2019 | 51

Unsung Heroes

June 2019

Rakhi Yadav

We talked to Raki Yadav, Head – Key Accounts, Planning & Strategy at Premier Logistics, about her role and how she is helping contribute to Premier Logistics success Goals and Objectives We are dedicated to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit. Our team is relevant and purpose-driven which reflect the company’s response to the challenges of the day. In a world of fierce competition, we believe we must rely only on ourselves, take pride in what we do and excel in the same. We believe we can sell ourselves better than anyone else.

We Inspire each other to do great things and achieve higher level of standards and greater customer satisfaction. We wish to stand out from the rest by delivering excellence, Inspiring, appealing and engaging people to commit to the cause.

Positioning Premier Logistics as a Market Leader It is important that we recognize our niche group of target customers that our company is attempting to appeal to and attract. The services we deliver are, containers handling and clearing, materials handling, packaging, inventory, transportation and warehousing. We manage the supply chain that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward, and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customer’s requirements.

We wish to initially target the regional market as we establish and position ourselves.

In doing so we wish to remain cost effective by optimizing our resources and control the same efficiently. Delivering excellence does not come by chance and is a result of constant and persistent hard work whilst remaining focused on our goals and remaining relevant to our customers at the same time.

We will deliver the most cost effective and efficient service to our customers, under one umbrella.

Importance of Team Work Teamwork is important for the success of all businesses; Teams don’t work well without teamwork.

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Businesses need new, fresh ideas to succeed in the competitive world. Businesses thrive when they have a diverse team of people who can contribute individual ideas.

Collaboration within a group can help solve difficult problems. Brainstorming is a good opportunity for the team to exchange ideas and come up with creative ways of doing things. By working together, teams can find the solutions that work best.

Teamwork creates a system to ensure that

deadlines are met and that there’s high quality work. When one team member falls behind, there’s another to pick up the pieces.

Confidence and trust are built within the team. Each team member has something special to offer. By working together, members of a team feel a strong sense of belonging and deep commitment to each other and the common goal.

A team that works well together can succeed together and produce great results.

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10 – 12 June 2019 www.automechanikaDubai.com

Network. Source. Trade. Succeed.

Now in its 17th edition, Automechanika Dubai – MEA’s largest international automotive aftermarket trade show – is geared towards business success.

Meet, source and trade with the world’s leading aftermarket brands and suppliers, check live product demos and new innovations and gain insights from the industry’s key decision makers, all under one roof.

1,801

Exhibitors from

61

Countries

23

Country Pavilions

31,971

Trade Buyers

* 2018 show figures

Register your visit today at www.automechanikaDubai.com/BNC

Save the date

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The key exhibitions, conferences, and seminars coming up this month

Automechanika Dubai

June

10-12

June

10-12

Dubai, UAE Automechanika Dubai is the leading international trade show for the automotive aftermarket and service industry targeting trade visitors from the wider Middle East and African regions. The product like Parts & Components, Electronics & Systems, Repair & Maintenance, Tyres & Batteries, Car Wash, Care and Customizing and Accessories & Customizing.

Hardware+Tools Middle East Dubai, U.A.E Representing a broad spectrum of segments within this ever-growing industry, the show presented manufacturers and suppliers with a platform to network, evaluate market trends and source products and solutions across cost ranges from a variety of international brands.

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June

12-14

June

18-20

Future of Maritime Singapore Future of Maritime will examine emerging technologies and the future needs of shipowners and managers, address the trends in crewing and how the crew will interact with the technologies. It will also look at what changes will be needed in training and education, and how providers and training courses are evolving to meet the needs of the shipping industry.

Technology, Systems and Ships Washington DC, USA The ASNE Technology, Systems and Ships will focus on shipbuilding in addition to the Naval Engineering disciplines and the key topics to be discussed include Additive Manufacturing, Combat Systems, Cyber Security, Directed Energy, Energy Storage, Technologies, Flexible Ships, Future Programs, Novel Developments in Ship Structures and Materials, Shipbuilding Technology, Unmanned and Autonomous Systems, etc. www.cbnme.com

Grow with our Business Complete plans.

• Unlimited high-speed internet • Free business devices • Fixed Voice line with unlimited national calls For more information, call 800 188 or visit du.ae/businesscomplete