Transcontinental ties, global productions and supplier relationships as well as dealers and customers around the world - the components of the economy have never before been so interconnected. All processes must work together in order to make everyone happy in the end. Contract logistics is the interface between manufacturer, supplier and end user. And this interface has to work smoothly. Therefore, as an international freight forwarding company we design efficient processes and support you in optimizing your value added chain. All this has one goal: to increase the overall performance of your logistics processes and reduce costs. We are your specialized logistics service provider in contract logistics: with 40 warehouses and more than 150 branches on all continents.
Our contract logistics services at a glance:
- Worldwide logistics services
- Global network of currently more than 40 full service 3PL facilities with a total of 265,000 sqm
- Worldwide management of our Röhlig warehouses
- State-of-the art digital solutions including barcode processing, EDI, Web Portal, WMS
- Bonded & non-bonded warehousing
- Managed transport services
- Value-added services
- P.O./ Vendor Management
- Process optimization
Contract logistics - how to reduce costs through efficient processes
The more international and complex your flow of goods, the more important efficient logistics is for your business. That is exactly what we focus on. So that you can concentrate on your core competencies, we offer customized logistics and storage solutions for contract logistics.
What does that mean? In contract logistics, we take care of the classic logistical services relating to the transport of goods. In addition, we combine them with value added services such as assembly and assembly activities, returns handling, quality assurance or IT services. In particular, the area of IT services is becoming increasingly important. Read how Röhlig combines contract logistics and IT services.
"Contract logistics offers the possibility of optimizing and/or outsourcing sections or the entire transport chain. Your advantage: you can concentrate on your core competences."
Sebastian Simon, Site Manager, Röhlig Contract Logistics
We can analyze and optimize logistics processes
By analyzing your existing or yet to be developed logistics processes from the outside with our expert knowledge, we release error issues and identify areas for optimization potential. In doing so, we focus on well thought-out warehouse logistics as well as logistical processes and tailor-made IT connectivity. As an international freight forwarding company, we maintain long-standing cooperation agreements with all major carriers in air freight and in sea freight - thus you benefit from reliable deliveries and optimal freight rates.
How we create added value with additional services
Value added services are additional services that add value within your supply chain. Depending on your needs we pack, mount, label, assemble or test your goods. By outsourcing these product-related services, you avoid longer waiting or delivery times because you do not have to take additional stages into account. You save time and money by having these intermediate steps done right in the supply chain. In addition, we also take over the quality control and the return acceptance of your goods.
Glasses and candles from the Far East: An example of contract logistics at Röhlig
A classic practical example for intelligent contract logistics: A Germany-based company from the "Home & Garden" segment purchases decorative glasses for the garden from the Far East. The 15 European branches order their glasses as needed in the German headquarters. From there, all orders are collected and sent to China. After production, the supplier sends the goods to the head office. In order to provide the end user with an additional benefit, the decorative glasses are equipped with LED candles.
This requires further production steps: Each individual glass must be unpacked, provided with an insert, repackaged and sent to the respective branch. This is a cost and labor intensive process that is prone to sources of error.
Intelligent contract logistics - from the first order to delivery, our customers can benefit in many ways today
As an international logistics service provider, we act like an outsourced customer logistics service. Our customized IT connections make it possible for all orders of the 15 branches to enter the IT system with just a few clicks. Thus, flows of goods are bundled and presented clearly. We take over the storage, the installation of the LED candles and the packaging of the individual units. This enables fast processing and on-demand delivery to the respective branch - which then receives the final product directly.
The result:
- No waiting times as the goods are in stock in Röhlig's own warehouses
- No in-house storage costs
- Trained Röhlig employees take over the picking and packaging
- Reduction of administrative costs (processing, customs clearance, etc.)
Global procurement: We source the goods you need for your production worldwide
Considering that a single car consists of more than 10,000 parts, it quickly becomes clear that it takes experts to make sure each part is in place at the right time. To achieve this goal, we as a logistics service provider ask the following questions:
- Where are the production facilities located?
- How does the supplier control the procurement materials?
- What are the Incoterms for the contracts?
- In which lots are produced?
- How many containers can be loaded and at which intervals?
From these answers we then design an intelligent procurement concept together with you - independent of the sector and up to the article level.
Distribution: How your goods reach their destination directly
The on-time distribution of your goods to the end customer is a matter of course for us, as logistics are in our DNA. Both in sea freight [link to LP sea freight] and in air freight [link to LP air freight] we maintain a long-standing cooperation with all the major carriers in the world. This enables us to master the entire supply chain - right up to your customer.
One customer has China produce regionalized merchandise and promotional products for European cities and towns. Seven different manufacturers produce cups, umbrellas, jute bags and other items, each bearing the coat of arms, lettering or a logo.
Our warehouse is the place where all articles meet. Due to the direct connection to the customer's system, the orders flow in real time into the Röhlig warehouse. 150 umbrellas, 200 cups and 500 lanyards - all individualized with the matching logo - leave the warehouse in China. The destination: a tourist town on the Rhine. At the same time, 700 personalized jute bags go to a community in Denmark and 12,000 pens with the respective coat of arms to Brussels. The customer is informed about the deliveries by data transfer and can track the distribution if necessary via our IT tool Röhlig Real Time.
An example from the automotive branch with 90 suppliers
A US automaker produces both in Mexico and in the US. He sources the raw materials from Europe. 90 different suppliers are involved in the supply chain. At the Röhlig warehouse in Hamburg, we keep track of stocks via our warehouse system, control the incoming goods, sort and collect the goods, and accept orders from the USA and Mexico. Of course, we also take over the distribution of goods.
Our warehouses: We have our own warehouses at all global hotspots
Outsourcing goods has a clear advantage: you save the cost of your in-house warehouse, reduce the economic risk in the event of economic changes, and do not have to keep trained personnel. With 40 Röhlig warehouses across all continents we ensure maximum reliability.
Our worldwide warehouse team consists of warehouse staff and logistics experts. With a total area of 265,000 square meters, we can react flexibly to fluctuations in acceptance.
The role of IT in contract logistics
No company is ever the same as another. Special customer requirements, individualized products, different know-how and many other factors make a company unique. The IT is usually individually adapted to the company's own requirements as well and is becoming increasingly important. If you add an external partner who handles contract logistics, you need intelligent solutions to work together efficiently. Logistics without or with insufficient IT is unthinkable today. Because information, data and communication between all parties involved must flow smoothly and in real time, we have specialized in tailor-made IT solutions with Röhlig blue-net.
How we develop individual IT solutions for our customers
We combine the expertise of our IT developers and programmers with the expertise of our logisticians. This results in individual web solutions that are tailored exactly to the needs and processes of our customers.
Our cloud-based software looks different for each client, but the different models have one thing in common: the software maps all logistical processes, collects data, provides relevant information, and controls communication efficiently. In this way, we can avoid mistakes and simplify logistics processes and present them clearly to all involved.
For a seamless data connection, we program direct integrations and develop interfaces to the existing ERP systems of our customers, suppliers and other providers. With our IT solutions, we form the data hub of all information. And because corporate processes live off changes, we can always make adjustments and extensions.