Expert coordination and seamless execution of this urgent air freight solution ensured 2 million PPE protective masks were delivered safely from Shanghai to Frankfurt in one day.
The Customer
The customer is a reputable European retailer with a global presence. What distinguishes our customer from its competitors is its competitive pricing strategy without reducing the quality of its products. Today, a significant portion of its products are sourced from Asia. This enables it to take advantage of economies of scale and source products more cost effectively.
The Challenge
The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to normal life in all corners of the globe in 2020. As public health measures were put in place to combat the spread of the virus, the demand for PPE (personal protective equipment) surged exponentially, putting extreme pressure on both production and transportation. COVID-19 has also disrupted supply chains; as airlines announced flight cancellations and ocean carriers increased blank sailings, the ripple effects were felt across each aspect of the transportation industry. When our customer had an emergency shipment of several million masks in 800 cartons that needed to get from Shanghai to Frankfurt the next morning, they needed a logistics partner who was well-connected and could respond quickly to meet their urgent needs.
The Solution
The call was received in the morning. Recognising the extreme importance of getting the customer’s shipment of PPE equipment where it was needed in the shortest time possible, an air freight solution was quickly designed, and the shipment given the highest level of urgency among internal response teams. Maersk demonstrated seamless coordination across factories, partners and intermediaries to ensure timely arrival of the shipment at Shanghai airport that same day, which was successfully loaded and ready for take-off in record time. The team was extremely proud to be helping this customer protect what matters safely, during COVID-19.
The Result
The shipment arrived safely in Frankfurt the next day, on time without issues. This was their first air shipment with Maersk, but any reservations were quickly put to rest by the expert handling and operational excellence demonstrated by teams on the ground. The flawless execution of this extremely urgent shipment has earned our customer’s trust and in Maersk, they have found the right partner with the right values for a long-term relationship to take the business to new heights. Keen to continue this success, our customer and Maersk are now exploring how to expand the horizons of their collaboration in new territories, as well as managing trucking, Customs House Brokerage and other new areas of supply chain and logistics in the coming years.
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