GAUTENG-BASED logistics company Birkart Globistics now controls its entire operation through an international electronic data interchange (EDI) network, according to Chris Venter, information technology (IT) manager.
“This,” he said, “has all the necessary fail-safe mechanisms to offer us guaranteed results, and controls and streamlines our entire operating procedure.”
The company’s Procars system gives the global chain of offices full pre-advice of shipments from the source countries, while allowing clients the freedom to send EDI messages to the overseas hub for the delivery of the goods required.
Track-and-trace
Supplementing this is BOTS (Birkart order tracking system) which gives a full track-and-trace facility to both the company and its clients. BOTS is linked directly to Procars which provides the necessary shipment status information.
Another addition is that Birkart is EDI-linked to customs at Johannesburg International Airport, and the benefit of this, according to Venter, is that airfreight consignments are now cleared within minutes compared to the day-long wait of the old manual system of customs clearance.
All these systems are applied to the company’s logistics speciality in the SA motor industry - where Birkart provides stock directly to the production line.
“This means that goods are moved from their overseas sources to our warehousing, controlled by barcoded management, and remain there duty-free while we keep track for customs all the way through to the final JIT (just in time) production line delivery,” said Venter.
“This can’t be allowed to fail, as it could stop the production line, and have repercussions right down the line.”
The Gauteng operation also has a special customs licence for its container unpack depot.
This,” said Venter, “allows containers to be addressed directly to us instead of sitting waiting at City Deep.
“We then immediately unpack all the consignments in the less than container load (LCL) shipment and inform the cargo owner to collect.”
