How does an international freight forwarder acclaimed as the best supplier work? Synergy, attention, and dedicated follow-up: a formula that led us to be recognized as “best carrier” by our client ZKW.

The pandemic years were extremely challenging for the Automotive Industry. Plants were closures due to lock-downs, production lines shutdown due to lack of semiconductors and other inputs…

At Europartners Group, we worked safely, continuously and our teams were dedicated to supporting our customers to keep their supply chains running seamlessly.

For our vertical epAutoMobility, specialized in the Automotive Industry, it was of the utmost importance to offer exemplary attention to ZKW, one of the world leaders in the sector.

Specialists in premium lighting and electronic systems, the ZKW Group  is dedicated to the future of light for the automotive industry.

What was ZKW’s logistical challenge?

In its years of leadership in its sector in the automotive industry, ZKW optimized its logistics chain by dividing projects into two basic needs:

. Transportation in series: Slow transit logistics, using consolidations, seeking economic costs, aiming for optimal transportation that will not affect their products prices.

. Spot services: Their priority is to deliver on time. Although they are looking for competitive costs, the ideal is to deliver the materials on time, following the precise guidelines of each project and each internal and external client.

ZKW is looking for a cargo carrier with a keen willingness to work with the group. “Our processes are quite robust. So, we look for suppliers that can adapt to our needs,” says Kyana Castro, ZKW’s traffic and customs manager.

Kyana also highlights the importance of finding a reliable cargo carrier, capable of offering real-time tracking – from the time the departure and the arrival times are decided, to the positioning of cargo in transit.

All of the above, without neglecting competitiveness and adaptability. “ZKW is growing at a very fast pace. We avoid the rotation of suppliers, so we look for those with a high level of flexibility and quality, who can promote their continuous improvement and adapt to our requirements,” says Kyana.

What was our solution?

The first move of our team dedicated to ZKW was listening to them. Knowing in depth their most specific logistics needs.

Creating synergy with ZKW, based on three pillars:

The three pillars for Europartners being recognized as best cargo carrier for ZKW are flexibility, dedicated follow-up and competitiveness

The great differentiators of Europartners Group are:

  • Specialization in time-sensitive, programmed, or urgent cargo.
  • Always offering more than one option.
  • Generating trust to our customers with the speed and assertiveness of the alternatives offered and communication channels always open.
  • Thinking outside of the box but thinking about the customer.
Recognition as Best Cargo Carrier

ZKW’s logistics team understands that a high turnover of suppliers is a negative point for the dynamics of the group.

ZKW’s intention is having few suppliers, but excellent ones. Keeping a very limited number of them each year and changing those who have not offered a good service at the end of this period.

To recognize and motivate the selected logistics providers for another year of work with the group, they created the Best Carriers award. “The message to our suppliers is: ‘ZKW values your effort and commitment in providing solutions to our needs. This recognition is our way of saying thank you for the excellent service,'” explains Kyana Castro.

“Europartners is a company that has maintained quality service since even before it joined as a supplier. The follow-up of the commercial executive was very good during the recruitment,” says Victor García, advanced transportation planner at ZKW.

Victor also highlighted some values in the relationship with Europartners Group:

The values that led Europartners being recognized as best cargo carrier for ZKW are Following instructions to the very detail, Communicating schedules, Providing all the documents necessary for each shipment, Checking our needs constantly – and that they were satisfied, Feeling the executive is always there to give us information whenever we have an inquire “Landing” very well the answers to our operations team

“It has always been a supplier that we have had a lot of confidence in, doing operations as we expect,” explains Victor.

“ZKW executives are confident that we can count on Europartners for time critical shipments. In the operations they have handled, we have noticed constant improvements in follow-up. Those are some of the reasons why we have decided to give Europartners this award”, concludes Victor.

Europartners is already #1 in the ranking of spot companies working with ZKW, logistics providers specialized in time-sensitive solutions, even with time critical cargo services to avoid line stoppages.

The main routes Europartners handles as cargo Carrier for ZKW are Europe, China and United States. The main services provided are air Expedited, ocean freight consolidations and hand carry.

ZKW Group. Bright minds, bright lights.

Europartners Group. Connecting minds to move the world.

Together, we are connecting bright minds to a move a brighter world.

At Europartners Group, we work to be more than just a cargo carrier. Do you also need a trusted strategic partner in your time-sensitive supply chain? Connect with us too.