I have worked with FCL for several years with my most recent involvement revolved around the setting up of the UK’s largest ambient consolidation operation in the foodservice sector, where FCL were responsible for all outbound and a large percentage of the inbound transport operations. In this role FCL had to work and develop relationships with a number of key stakeholders, namely:
- Norbert Dentressangle (our 3rd Party ambient warehouse service provider)
- Yearsley Group (our 3rd Party frozen warehouse and national trunking service provider)
- Brakes RDC management an operational teams (across 34 sites)
- Brakes Central Supply Chain team;
- c.200 external Brakes food suppliers.
These relationships were over and above the normal business relationships FCL had to maintain with their wider sub-contractor fleet. At all times these relationships were managed in a professional and proactive manner and the fact that an element of the operation, relating to the use of rail freight, was short-listed as a finalist in the 2011/12 IGD Award for Sustainable Distribution is testament to the open-minded and focused approach taken by the team. Finally, from a customer service and operational performance point-of-view I would have to say that in my long time within the logistics industry that the overall service which we received day-in-day-out would definitely rank in the TOP 1% of all 3PL’s that I have worked with. Obviously with it being a transport only related relationship operations were subject to external influences from warehouse performance to traffic related issues, however at all times FCL maintained a high degree of control and most importantly communication was exceptional, allowing all parties to plan the right level of contingency and maintain operational standards. Based on all of the above factors I would therefore have absolutely no qualms whatsoever in recommending FCL to prospective clients and would willingly undertake further discussions if required.
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