DB Schenker - Siemens Alliance: Customers Big Winners

(Sydney, December 3, 2008) Schenker Australia Pty Ltd has been providing import and export services for Siemens medical products for more than eight years. From now on, this will extend to all Siemens Australia and New Zealand international and domestic import and export activities and domestic freight, providing a consolidated, streamlined service that ultimately benefits the customer.

According to Ron Koehler, CEO of Schenker Australia Pty Ltd, the contract extension is the result of significant improvements in the company's supply chain across its businesses during the last two years, and a responsive approach to reducing the environmental impact of its freight services. “We are proud to have been awarded the Siemens contract for import and export services across Australia and New Zealand, and will transfer solutions originally developed to meet the demands in the Healthcare business, to strengthen and develop Siemens supply chain in other sectors,” said Mr Koehler.

“We have also considered ways of reducing the environmental impact of our international and domestic freight services. By providing an optimised combination of transport modes and reducing paper in freight documentation and invoicing, Schenker Australia Pty Ltd reduce environmental impacts in the supply chain, which is in line with Siemens principles of environmentally responsible practice.”

Jeff Connolly, Siemens Ltd Chief Financial Officer, said that of the tenders received, Schenker Australia Pty Ltd was best placed to deliver a consolidated, time and cost effective international and domestic import and export service for Siemens customers.
“Having provided freight forwarding, warehousing and distribution services for Siemens medical products and for large projects since the late 90’s, Siemens is pleased to extend our relationship with Schenker Australia Pty Ltd to include freight forwarding services for import and export activities across Australia and New Zealand, including transport and distribution services throughout both countries,” said Mr Connolly.

“DB Schenker provides the optimal solution for Siemens freight services, with the ability to deliver some very challenging cargo, from an extremely large power generation turbine, to delicate medical devices within very tight timeframes and cost effectively. Priority medical products have always been deliverable from Europe within just two days, but now this exceptional turnaround rate can be provided to customers for all priority products across Siemens three sectors – Industry, Energy and Healthcare. The delivery time for goods other than priority medical products was previously nine days.”
Mr Connolly said DB Schenker also offered Siemens customers complete visibility throughout the entire journey, with ready access to the online track and trace system, and improved order and invoicing processes. “As Schenker Australia Pty Ltd is now the single preferred provider of international and domestic import and export services for Siemens customers in Australia and New Zealand, customers will be able to check online where a product is at any time throughout its journey. This streamlined, all encompassing freight service is another example of how Siemens is working proactively to improve business outcomes for our customers.”

The development of the electronic interface between DB Schenker and Siemens also means a vast reduction in paperwork, and timely receipt and issuing of invoicing, with all related documents to now be processed electronically.