Operational Management at Farm Trans: “We are committed to providing high-quality services.”

In this third article in a series on Connected Services, we explain more about the role of Operational Management at Farm Trans. In the three previous articles, we discussed the role of IT, Operational Management and Carrier Management.

Aïsha Koolhoven is the longest-serving member of the Operational Management team at Farm Trans: “I have acquired a great deal of knowledge about the various branches of Connected Services, and this enables me to provide solid support to my colleagues.” “No two days are the same. Aïsha may be meeting with the whole team to discuss the carrier reports at one moment and answering customer questions the next.

Regions & Quality

The customers’ assignments can vary. To complete these efficiently and according to their wishes, the team works with different regions. One example is the United Kingdom: “This is a unique region because extra customs documents are required. We mostly compile these automatically. These forms are then sent to our partners in a timely fashion and are returned to us fully completed.”

Each region has its own particular tasks and quality controls, and this also applies to specific products groups such as “potato flakes”. These potato flakes require special handling and care. Koolhoven: “Other requirements apply to the transport of this product. Flakes are transported in a special trailer: several certificates are required for this and additional cleaning requirements apply.”

Proactive approach

Having a hands-on mentality is vital in Operational Management. Scheduled routes and orders are continuously being monitored to ensure that the team can quickly respond to potential problems. “The first thing I do when I come to work is check my mailbox to find out if there are any questions or complaints. We then check our systems to determine whether all the routes have been loaded, the expected arrival times have been completed and if there are any possible delays. We spend the rest of the day responding to all kinds of mails and calls about orders, resolving problems and answering questions. We follow up on all of these issues throughout the day, always within the established deadlines.”

Competitive edge

Farm Trans provides quick, high-quality services. Koolhoven: We have a competitive edge when it comes to area of IT. A great deal of useful information is processed through our systems. This is a better and more expedient way than having to double-check everything all the time. It makes it easier to keep our customers up to date with the correct information.

A practical example of this is how Farm Trans employs time windows. Customers often want a shipment to be delivered at a certain time. Koolhoven explains how this works: “In case of an exact delivery time, we will closely monitor this route via our systems. If we notice a delay or problem on the route, we immediately contact the transporter. We try to find out what is happening and take a proactive approach.”

Invoicing with a smile

Pricing and invoicing are also included in the quality of the services and experience of the customer. “It can happen that a transporter sends an invoice with different figures. In these cases, we examine the differences to figure out how this has happened. We always double-check with the transporter to ensure that we pass on the correct information to our customers.”

Growth

Connected Services is always focused on growth and improvement. The entire team is dedicated to this and each individual member can provide input based on his or her speciality. Koolhoven explains: “IT has configured a new system that enables me and other colleagues to work in a more streamlined fashion. This frees up time which we can utilise to recruit new customers.”
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 Operational Management is part of Connected Services – your entire logistics process, managed smartly. Discover more >