A STAR is born...

In my role as Chief Operating Officer I spend a lot of time following digital trends and researching the market for what might be the next game changer for both our customers and our people. Imagine my absolute delight when I found that such a new digital tool was already being passionately and purposely developed from within one of our local Damco offices.

Last year, by listening to our customers and evaluating their needs, our team based in Schiphol identified a business case for a reporting system that was able to track the shipping process and update our customers about their shipments in real time.

The team along with Mileviewer.com (our partner on this project) have since created a platform that can provide clear, active and immediate communications for our customers, which we have named the STAR project internally (Shipment Tracking And Reporting)

What makes STAR so special?

The beautiful thing about STAR is that it has been designed by freight forwarders who know every step of the process regarding delivery of cargo. Too often, we try to design our processes to fit around our systems, but with STAR we have designed a system to fit around our processes. This means that no step in our process is missed, and that both our customers and staff can clearly see where each shipment is at each stage of its journey.

To help us with this, STAR TV’s are now being rolled out across our offices globally, playing the vital role of visualizing pending shipments as they move towards their destinations. This visualization has allowed our people to better plan and prioritize their work, as well as react faster in case intervention is needed somewhere along the way.

 The benefits that STAR brings to our customers are immense. HEMA, a large department store based in The Netherlands describes the value that STAR brings to them:

“The information that comes from STAR is clear and to the point, allowing us to manage our international freight streams, and forecast, more efficiently. The personalized and direct communication, letting Damco know our prioritization and internal planning, is a very valuable asset”

Where do we go from here?

Shortly before writing this post, we were proud to learn that STAR project had been nominated for the 2019 Supply Chain Project of The Year Award. This only confirms to me that we are on the right way, and I’m super proud of the team for achieving this honour. So please keep an eye out for STAR in your local Damco office, we aim to have it rolled out to all our offices by 2020.