Many UK importers or exporters have pretty flat organisational structures, and very few have the luxury a full-time logistics manager or supply chain manager to call upon.
Of course, most companies manage, but over time, they lose control of their freight costs, their service levels slip and they just don't have the time to manage this area proactively. This lack of control can waste money, affect their own customers and expose them to Customs compliance risk.
What we’ve learned over the past 12 years is that in many companies, logistics and compliance responsibility is usually passed to finance, administrative or purchasing staff, who do their best, but in truth, they don’t have the necessary expertise in this specialised area, nor do they have the time, and this leads to several common problems:
This is why it's so important that this area of your business is managed professionally, and what we’ve found is that over 90% of customers who engage us for a Freight Review, having worked with us for the first year then transition to our Freight Management service, and indeed our very first customer from 2010 is still on board today.
These customers sit within our freight portfolio which means their freight costs are being closely managed, any service issues are nipped in the bud, and they have direct access to an unbiased and expert opinion on anything from the direction of freight rates to changes in Customs procedures (for example, the new Customs Declaration Service system or CDS).
Most customers also ask us to manage their import Customs compliance which means that we check every single Customs entry for accuracy in key areas such as value, commodity code and duty rate, and any errors are then identified before HMRC spot them and issue warnings or fines. If HMRC do announce that they wish to carry out a compliance inspection, they have complete peace of mind, as they can demonstrate robust compliance, complete and accurate record-keeping and solid verification procedures.
"It is a pleasure to work with Andy who is professional, driven and easy to get on with” Paul Critchlow, Managing Director, Distinctive Medical Products, Runcorn
“We did not know we had a problem with our import shipping until Andy Cliff came to visit and offered us an overview of all of our overseas transport requirements” Richard Brown, Managing Director, Abbey England, Knutsford
“I am writing to thank you for all the work you have done for my company since we started working together in 2017. You have made our incoming freight more “straightforward” and we now know that we get the most favourable prices” Paul Hornby, Managing Director, Foilco, Warrington
“A high recommendation goes out to Andy and SCL from a very satisfied customer Middleby UK” Mark Daintith, Purchasing Manager, Middleby UK, Warrington
“I would certainly recommend Andy to any company looking to improve cost and service in the logistics area, especially in these uncertain times” Rob Laird, Finance Director, Uren Food Group, Neston
“Not everyone has time to scrutinise invoices to check the costs are correct, especially when the freight forwarders try to bamboozle you with trade jargon” Neil Barlow, Director, New World Air Brake, Warrington
“What really surprised us was that as well as achieving savings of almost 50% on our freight costs, we also saw marked improvements in the service levels” Steve Goldstraw, Managing Director, Staffordshire Hydraulic Services, Stoke-on-Trent
“From the very first meeting, it became apparent that Andy Cliff was professional, committed, tenacious and enthusiastic and very much customer-led in his thinking” Jim Hickey, Head of Procurement, Luxfer MEL Technologies, Manchester
