DGL "Wow’s" Client with IES Technology

Sept. 28, 2009 - PRLog -- When Linda Snyder, President of freight forwarding company Diversified Global Logistics (DGL), purchased the Memphis branch of Forward Logistics Group in 2007, she quickly realized the challenges presented by a name change, "All our customers knew us as Forward Logistics Group. We had to let them know from their standpoint that was just a name change. Everyone was a little skittish at first, and we knew we had a few hurdles. The level of service we needed to provide really had to ‘wow’ them.”

“We knew we were up for a challenge,” adds Bernie Snyder, Vice President at DGL, “One of our foremost specialties is Aircraft on Ground (AOG) shipments.  Even with the name change, we still needed to ensure that we remained one of the premiere forwarders who could handle these complex, high-stake shipments. We needed to be more than just simply capable-- we needed to be the vendor of choice for AOG shipments.”

“I think it might be best to explain this as a narrative, just as we experienced  it. Our German agent had an MD10  aircraft grounded at Frankfurt needing major repairs to one of its Rolls-Royce engines,” narrates Bernie Snyder, “Aircraft on Ground shipments are always ‘hot’, but this shipment was ‘on fire’.  The engines could only be repaired at the Rolls-Royce RR-Tay facility outside of Dallas. Of course if a plane is not in the air, it’s not making money. However in this case, there was a larger issue and more at stake than just the potential for short-term loss.”

“Our customer was building a relationship with a new account and was concerned about of the potential loss of goodwill and trust. This type of loss is unquantifiable and intangible, but absolutely vital in the long-term. The grounded aircraft was literally ‘eating up’ more than just the revenue for the situation at hand. There was also the larger risk of losing future revenue, making this a make or break situation. The aircraft was losing millions of dollars in lost revenue when taking into consideration the cascading effect it had on the entire operation.”

“We orchestrate everything to ensure the process goes smoothly,” explains Customs Broker Ron Davis. Ron is a considered by many in the company to work ‘in the trenches’ on the front-line of day-to-day operations, “If you think about it, AOG by its nature is a ‘hiccup’ in the system where something is broken.  The trick is how to create order out of a situation which is inherently chaotic. We’re not the ones fixing the aircraft or installing the part, but we’re the ones who ensure that everything is on-hand and on-time. In a sense, we’re like a surgical team ensuring that the surgeon has all the tools on hand.  We anticipate questions like what if the shipment is too large to transport on a particular flatbed? What if they didn’t send an air-ride vehicle? What if you don’t have the permits you need. We choreograph the right vendors with the right equipment. There are a lot of details that have to mesh perfectly to ensure that the process runs smoothly.”

“In this case, right at wheels-up, we already had all the AMS information on hand,” switching back to Bernie Snyder, “IES’s integrated products allowed the freight to be pre-cleared well before arrival. Ron was already speaking to the flatbed dispatcher before the flight even landed. The Rolls Royce engine was shortly placed on the correct type of flatbed, and was quickly on its way to the RR-Tay3 repair facility outside of Dallas.”

Linda Snyder then comments from a higher-level perspective, “There are forwarders who can handle a hot shipment correctly some of the time. What makes a world class forwarder is repeated success and consistency. The Rolls Royce engine shipment is not the sort of situation where you want to try out a new forwarder. You head straight to your most trusted and skilled forwarder. In all honesty, we would not be able to compete at the level we are right now without IES technology.  When a client is in a mission-critical situation, more and more DGL has been the vendor of choice due to our accelerated technology. The client can see where the shipment is at every step along the way with the DGL tracking system.  This is the IES Web Tracking system, but the product is branded as DGL, putting our face on the product and bringing us up a notch in our level of service offerings.”

Linda Snyder says the company is now looking at expansions in Kansas City, Nashville or St. Louis. She explains, “We could not have reached this point without IES.  In the end,” Linda Snyder concludes, “the name change to DGL has shown that we are truly a new and stronger company. IES technology has helped DGL step up to the forefront as a trusted business partner, ensuring both DGL and our clients long term success.”

About Diversified Global Logistics Inc

Diversified Global Logistics (DGL), formerly Forward Logistics Group-Memphis, is an international and domestic freight forwarder and customs broker located in Memphis, Tennessee, providing tailor- made global services including domestic and worldwide air and ocean transportation, customs clearance, documentation preparation, 3rd party logistics services, supply chain management, warehousing, distribution and fulfillment solutions. The DGL Aircraft on Ground (AOG) team delivers proven solutions to each individual situation. The company provides globally integrated logistics solutions in an environment of trust and reliability. Please visit http://www.dglintl.com for more information or contact Bernie Snyder at +1.877.521.5390.

About IES, Ltd.

With offices in the US and Hong Kong, IES, Ltd. is one of the largest transportation software companies in North America. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the IES suite of import and export solutions serves freight forwarders, NVOCC’s, Customs brokers and other transportation intermediaries. IES’s product offerings adjust to the changes and complexities inherent when doing business in the global arena. As a result, the suite of IES solutions are among the most customizable and adaptable in the industry. Please visit http://www.iesltd.com for more information or contact Jason Kohler at sales@iesltd.com or +1-201-639-5000.

# # #

In operation for 20 years and with offices in the US and Hong Kong, IES is one of the largest software transportation companies in North America. IES software serves freight forwarders, NVOCCs, Customs house brokers and many more.