DHL Global | Express | Small Business Solutions | Supporting Your Business | Trimble Navigation Case Study
Trimble Navigation: Close Collaboration and Shipping Flexibility Inspire Confidence
Open communication, flexibility and a close working relationship throughout the shipping process have made the Trimble/ DHL partnership a real success.
Trimble Navigation is a designer and manufacturer of technology such as GPS devices that makes field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Having previously used freight forwarders to send finished products and parts from Mexico to the U.S., early 2007 saw them expand their partnership with DHL to better serve their transportation needs from Mexico.
Quick fulfillment within cycle times as short as 24 hours is critical for Trimble to meet the needs of its customers in agriculture, mining, construction, and other industries. “Positioning, wireless and information technologies are changing the way industry does business,” says Brigitte Smith, Logistics Analyst for Trimble Navigation. “Any delay in product distribution can have a serious impact on a customer’s overall productivity and efficiency.”
Quick fulfillment within cycle times as short as 24 hours is critical for Trimble to meet the needs of its customers in agriculture, mining, construction, and other industries. “Positioning, wireless and information technologies are changing the way industry does business,” says Brigitte Smith, Logistics Analyst for Trimble Navigation. “Any delay in product distribution can have a serious impact on a customer’s overall productivity and efficiency.”
Maximizing Productivity to Move Technology
When DHL started serving Trimble along the Mexico-U.S. trade lane in February 2007, Trimble needed maximum flexibility for dramatic day-to-day fluctuations in shipment orders. To ensure DHL was responsive to these variations, the DHL teams in Mexico and the U.S. coordinated closely to arrange appropriate aircraft capacity. Together, DHL and Trimble began a forecasting process involving balancing and preparing air capacity every few days with frequent adjustments.
“The key to the successful collaboration is the excellent processes that DHL has in place for customs compliance and the close communications that our teams have established,” says Smith. Trimble’s manufacturing and parts program in Mexico involves 85,000 parts. That means that DHL’s customs experts must carefully monitor and review documentation and advise daily on updated and optimal tariff classifications.
“The key to the successful collaboration is the excellent processes that DHL has in place for customs compliance and the close communications that our teams have established,” says Smith. Trimble’s manufacturing and parts program in Mexico involves 85,000 parts. That means that DHL’s customs experts must carefully monitor and review documentation and advise daily on updated and optimal tariff classifications.
A Harmonious Outcome
Trimble ships an average of 8-10 pallets per day with aggregate volume of 100kg to 250kg – a mixture of small packages and heavyweight shipments for both domestic and global distribution. The key to this relationship is the close collaboration between the customer and DHL. Trimble even includes DHL representatives in their supply chain planning meetings. This way, both parties share responsibility for creating an effective program and achieving best practice standards.
