'Forwarder's friend' can now service drug industry's logistics needs
Joy Orlek
NOT A single case of pilferage in its first year of operation is the enviable reputation at Guardforce International, which has just added a refrigerated option to its high security facility at Johannesburg International Airport.
Already attracting top names in the electronic industry, Guardforce can now cater for the equally vulnerable pharmaceutical industry.
Marketing itself as the freight forwarder's friend, it provides the benefit of a maximum security facility to the importer or exporter on an outsourced basis.
And according to vice president Fred Zenna, several forwarders have cottoned on to the concept and are enjoying the benefits of peace of mind without the headaches that go along with owning and operating the asset yourself.
It's all part of supply chain management which recognises the supreme benefits of outsourcing those links in the logistics chain which can be done better by specialists.
The customer wants to make one contact and to know that his goods will be delivered on time in the same condition in which they were shipped.
The outgrowth of that concept became a new marketplace for us and we now provide, in conjunction with the freight forwarder, a complete outsourcing operation, from arrival in the country, to pick and pack, to final delivery to the end customer. Zenna believes that no-one can provide the leak-proof security that Guardforce has perfected, which is why the freight forwarder has everything to gain by outsourcing.
A major cellular operator, for example, uses Guardforce for its entire base operation. We've gone into a day and night shift, they no longer need to take the risk of doing this in their own facility, and the airport location is ideal for them.
The labour-savings are dramatic, the insurance savings are dramatic, plus they get a superior service.
With its new refrigeration unit, this is the service which Guardforce can now offer to the drug industry.
Why pick and pack somewhere else if our facility gives them the opportunity to reduce cost and have it all under one roof? is the question Zenna asks.
Alliances have to be formed with one end concept in mind - providing the service that the customer who is shipping vulnerable goods demands. And that customer always remains the freight forwarder's customer.
Convincing the freight forwarder that Guardforce is there to enhance his service and not to encroach on his territory has been a difficult process, but Zenna says that many of the most progressive companies have come on board already.
We are not and will never be a freight forwarder. We have however installed the Compu-Clearing system to make the forwarder's job easier.
In addition to its services for the airfreight industry, Guardforce recently extended its portfolio to include seafreight shipments in Durban and Cape Town.
This includes examination of container seals after customs inspection, inspection of ontainers while they are awaiting documentation and clearance, and monitoring of containers in and around Durban and Cape Town to final delivery.
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