Time for reflection

26 July 2023

Summer is the off-season? Not at all! This is a great time to take a good look at your organisation from a different perspective. Team Ritra is happy to take the lead on this one. What have we faced in the past year? Where are we now? And what is our course in terms of ICT? A good time, then, to use this ‘silly season’ as a valuable period of reflection.

Responding quickly to the situation

COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, the nitrogen crisis, declining purchasing power. These are all issues that also directly affect the logistics industry. Issues we all have to learn to deal with. Recent years have proven that the future cannot be predicted. Certainly not in logistics. What can be done is to respond quickly to trends and events.

The overall picture in the logistics industry changes almost daily. The same is true in different parts of the market. Where last year, we experienced sleepless nights because there was no container to be had, this year we can lean back a little in that regard.

At Ritra Cargo we know a lot, if not everything, about developments in our industry because of our network that is both broad and narrow. We certainly benefit from the knowledge of our agents and contacts in this regard.

Looking for opportunities together

Precisely because we have our feelers out in the entire market, we can often do more for our clients than they (and we) initially think. In the existing situation of the client, we then discover new possibilities together. For example, we may recommend switching to a different transport modality. Because of the current reduced transportation rates, this can be very profitable. Helping to find another transport option, for a machine part that should be in stock at the warehouse a little faster, is one such example.

In order to serve you as a customer better and faster, we may then recommend (temporarily) switching from sea freight to air freight, for example. This may seem more expensive at first glance, but it is precisely by paying a little more for transportation that an end customer with, let’s say a stalled machine, can get back to work sooner. In the end, this prevents having to shut down production, which of course helps the yield. In other words, we review all possibilities. This is what has driven us for nearly 35 years.

ICT and people form the core of Ritra together

We already briefly mentioned ICT, a key factor in our company, as are our specialists. This is why Ritra continuously invests in these two elements. Ritra’s online platform TRACOS unburdens your supply chain in terms of data exchange by EDI and online PO management. It allows you to track your import, export or truck shipment from the loading point to the final delivery at destination, anytime, anywhere. This way, you know where you stand at any time of the day.

In recent months, we have added new, useful features. For example, indicative sailing schedules are visible to all TRACOS users upon request in Booking Approval and Approval by PO. Also, you can now upload your Excel documents (previously limited to PDF) in Active Shipments. It is also possible to receive a (daily) report of your transport schedule by email. You can easily configure this independently, which can come in handy during the holiday season. This will ensure that your colleagues are quickly informed of any schedule changes during your holiday.

By the way, did you know that TRACOS allows you to see the carbon emissions your shipment causes at a glance? A great functionality for like-minded organisations who are committed to doing sustainable business. Team TRACOS is not sitting still in the coming months either. Much has been developed in the past year, but there are still several new functionalities on the wish list. Curious? Daisy and Lindsey are happy to update you!

This allows the rest of our team time to give you the personal attention you deserve. Whatever logistics challenge you bring in when you knock on our door, together with you, we are committed to finding the most favourable solution for your transportation needs. Not just transportation from A to B, but especially with the personal touch you have come to expect from us.