International logistics company Kuehne & Nagel, one of the largest such companies in SA, has significantly improved the management of documentation at its Johannesburg branch with the implementation of the tracking and filing solution Metrofiler from business records handling specialist Metrofile.
The logistics company relies heavily on documentation throughout all of its branches internationally. With every shipment a file is opened, and once the shipment is complete the file is stored and later archived off-site.
Currently, the Johannesburg office opens 3 000 new files every month, 600 of which are opened in the sea freight department alone.
"A single file contains all information about the customer and the goods being transported, the destination of the goods, notes about customs clearance, the account status, problems and changes in schedule," says Gordon Wyatt, imports manager at Kuehne & Nagel`s Johannesburg branch.
"Every file contains everything we need to know about that shipment, and if for any reason we need to refer back to that file while it is still active, stored, or in archive, we must have immediate access to it."
Prior to the Metrofiler implementation, Kuehne & Nagel was experiencing problems locating files and monitoring the movement of each file throughout the office. Files were frequently misplaced or misfiled and without the files the company was open to liability issues, customs problems, customer dissatisfaction and financial losses.
Using Metrofiler, the logistics company can now effectively manage the opening of each file, track the movement of every file from desk to desk, improve management of the filing areas, and optimise the use of filing space.
"As well as implementing Metrofiler, Kuehne & Nagel has completely outsourced the management of this solution to us," says Brad Dallas, sales manager at Metrofile. "Two Metrofile employees are based full-time on the Kuehne & Nagel premises, ensuring that each file is captured correctly and is available at any given moment. With this solution, the company can track files immediately, regardless of whose desk they are on. The movement of the file through the company is also managed, ensuring that a file doesn`t stay in one place for more time than is necessary."
Running on SQL Server, each file that is opened is captured into the Metrofiler solution using a random barcode-driven filing system. This allows Kuehne & Nagel to save filing space while being able to quickly locate the file on the shelf, track it once it has been booked out of the file room, and log when it has been booked back in. The barcode scanner also removes human errors from the company`s document management processes.
The benefits of Metrofiler include saving space through the use of random filing methods; removing the need to re-organise the filing area and thereby saving cost; removing the need to physically check racks for files, thus saving time; and preventing misfiling of files into racks. In addition, files are kept on-site no longer than necessary.
Kuehne & Nagel requested that the tracking functionality of the solution follow the clusters in the organisation, as every file moves through a line of clusters where different tasks are performed on that file. It was imperative for the company that there be hand-over accountability for each cluster.
"Being able to locate a file anywhere in the organisation quickly and easily saves us a great deal of frustration and reduces the risk of financial loss and liability," Wyatt says. "If there is a freight of perishable goods waiting to be shipped out of Durban harbour and Customs requests to see the associated file and we cannot produce that file immediately, the delay could result in the loss of that cargo due to expiry of the contents, and the customer could expect us to pay for that loss. Or a customer could phone to enquire what is holding up a delivery and we might not be able to find a file that says Customs has put a weeklong hold on that shipment, and we would not be able to provide the customer with a satisfactory explanation. With Metrofiler, these are no longer issues of concern to us."
At present, the Metrofiler solution has only been implemented at Kuehne & Nagel`s Johannesburg office. In time, the company plans to roll-out the solution to its other branches throughout the country.
With its headquarters in Switzerland, Kuehne & Nagel has 20 000 employees in 600 locations in 96 countries around the world. The company is skilled in every aspect of worldwide transport trade at sea, in the air and overland. In SA, Kuehne & Nagel has branches in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban.
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