40% growth in one year and still only one shipping point!

Once a small local company has now grown into an international exporter of goods. You can find Arras CF products from 15 different European countries. In addition to outgoing goods the incoming raw material quantities have grown rapidly. Just a few years ago we were able to produce 1 million details in one month, today the number is a bit over 3 million. It means the amount of raw material has increased three times! Also the amount of the goods coming in from Europe, China and Taiwan have grown abruptly. This year there will be over 60 incoming containers.

• But what has not changed in recent years? Location and the number of loading points!

Arras’ Freight forwarder Krsti Voorel comments, that the increase of volumes have been possible thanks to very detailed planning and great cooperation with our transport partners. Thanks to loading windows we are able to send out 7 full truck loads from only one loading point. It is worthwhile to note that we do not have a loading bridge, which would make loading for ca 230 pallets much easier. Our main transportation partners DSV, Laki Logistics, DB Schenker, Split Logistic and Arco Transport understand our needs very well and are flexible in providing us the best possible service. Kristi specifies flexibility also means that our warehouse collects the goods in two different shifts and because of our limited space where to store goods, the information regarding the deliveries for transportation companies are delivered constantly.

• Where to develop next?

Voorel is planning to move forward with implementing a booking system. It is a necessary step for growth and development. The production companies mentality is efficiency, pace and accuracy! Thanks to the booking system it is possible to determine possible loading windows and a transportation company can choose the most suitable time for them. It will make the process much shorter and analyzable – among other things it gives us a chance to gather information, which pick up went out at the right time, how much time the loading took, how many loadings were done in different shifts and so on.  This system has to be reconcyled with our scanner system and our production software, Voorel is convinced. It is important for being able to show from big screens in warehouse, production and office when the trucks are coming to load and when there is a need to unload raw material, purchased goods and production related products.

Arras’s Warehouse and Sales Service Manager Mairit Madissoo adds one more important development. We need to make transportation orders automatic and directly from the scanners. Thereby we will win time, reduce the human error rate and free valuable time for more value added activities. There is a lot to do for Arras CF, but thanks to Estonian IT capabilities and knowledge there is definitely a possibility to make such developments, Madissoo is sure!