Today more than ever before, transparency and clarity is vital in the logistics world. To satisfy consumers and partners, a business must be able to clearly track and supply updates on materials and finished products at every point along the supply chain. Kuehne + Nagel is committed to achieving this supply chain connectivity with an evolving suite of cutting-edge solutions that are practical and grounded in real world logistics.
The start of a strong journey with KN FreightNet
In the business world, time is money. But speed is not the only factor involved in finding the right logistics partner: accuracy and dependability are also critically important. In 2014 Kuehne + Nagel launched KN FreightNet in select test cities in Germany and the United States—today the company has made KN FreightNet a global focus, aiming to raise the worldwide bar on what a logistics provider can do for its clients.
KN FreightNet is an online solution that allows clients to obtain quotes and book import and export shipments more efficiently and conveniently than ever before. Quotes include fuel and security surcharges up front, so there are never any cost surprises on the back end, making for smoother and more stress-free transactions. By entering just a few key shipment details, clients can receive accurate and binding quotes within seconds and then place orders directly through the program either immediately or up to 14 days later.
Through KN FreightNet, users can:
- Easily compare pricing and delivery dates between air, land, and sea freight options
- Calculate shipment date deadlines based on an input requested delivery date
- Find the closest Kuehne + Nagel station in both your arrival and departure countries for effective planning
- Use and save templates to save time when making similar reorders
- Keep quotes in one convenient place for comparisons and bookings later on.
The availability of templates and saved shipping data is especially vital in providing clients with a clearer supply chain, allowing them to easily look back over both confirmed shipments and quotes so that business decisions of the past can influence decisions in the future. This further simplifies the user experience for Kuehne + Nagel clients, while ensuring that clients can rely on receiving clear and up-to-date pricing on each return use.
“We are proud to be a first-mover in our industry and we are committed to making processes as easy as possible for our customers,” Tim Scharwath, Executive Vice President Air Logistics explained. “The launch of KN FreightNet not only reflects current market needs, but also the ever-increasing trend towards e-commerce solutions.”
Following the journey with KN Login
“Companies face increasing pressures and complexities within supply chains,” states Kuehne + Nagel. “With growing numbers of suppliers, customers and partners, end-to-end visibility has never been more critical in order to achieve sustainable success and competitive advantage.”
Kuehne + Nagel understands that the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” is never an option for a successful business. With the launch of supply chain management tool KN Login, Kuehne + Nagel grants clients full and individualized web access to important data allowing them to take full stock of their inventory and supply chain and to improve visibility within their supply chain from end to end. “This is a comprehensive supply chain management platform developed to give customers a bird’s eye view of their entire inventory in motion, allowing them to optimise critical logistics, procurement and customer service processes,” states the company.
By accessing their KN Login web account, users gain real time access to data ranging from order books and inventory to shipping documents and invoice numbers. Meanwhile an interactive delivery planner (IDP) enables clients to plan, book and even prioritize shipments. KN Login’s modular nature allows businesses to scale and tailor the program to each one’s individual needs across land, sea and air transport options, cutting out waste and speeding up the business’s ability to make quick decisions regarding inventory and budgets.
Providing a clear overview of your actions and movements, KN Login gives clients the power to identify issues and tighten their supply chains. Kuehne + Nagel has also partnered with SAP to offer SAP BusinessObjects™ fully integrated within KN Login, providing organized statistics and reports that can help businesses better understand their data on hand and make more informed decisions in their daily operations.
Bringing ASEAN closer together with KN Overland
While demand remains as strong as ever for sea freight and air freight solutions for clients throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a more interconnected world has created a growing demand for options in the field of road logistics. To meet these needs, Kuehne + Nagel is developing its KN Overland services in Singapore and beyond.
KN Overland’s truck fleet transport offers several advantages to give clients more flexibility and choice in shipping, including competitive transit time, an extensive fleet network for full coverage, point-to-point monitoring to ensure the shipments reach the destination safely and on time—businesses shipping within Singapore can look forward to same-day delivery, whereas transport to Malaysia or Thailand can be achieved in as little as 1-3 days.
For the more specialized needs of pharma and healthcare suppliers, Kuehne + Nagel also offers KN PharmaChain as a specialized network offshoot of its Overland service. Taking the sensitive nature of pharmaceuticals and healthcare equipment into consideration, this dedicated fleet is GXP compliant across all continents and offers such features as:
- 24 hour real-time tracking and tracing through integration with KN Login
- Wireless sensors to monitor temperatures while products are in transit from pickup to delivery
- The ability for clients to access temperature data in real time
- A dedicated CareTeam to ensure that shipments are cared for properly every step of the way.
“Kuehne + Nagel Overland in South Asia Pacific is established to provide our customers an integrated transportation solution and give our customers an alternate option in term of supply chain lead time and transportation cost,” states Kuehne + Nagel. “Our excellent Overland expertise in transport implementation, execution, and management provide the customers with flexibility, time-definite deliveries, and quick response to any business contingency.”
Working smarter in a complex world
While communication and technology has made the world seem smaller, supply chains have grown increasingly complex. Effectively managing so many moving parts can be overwhelming—but a dedicated partner can make all the difference in keeping that supply chain clear and simple to understand. With these latest developments in supply chain technology, Kuehne + Nagel can look forward to continuing to grow and develop alongside Singapore for decades to come.