ECONOMYNEXT – Danish shipping line Maersk plans to offer its new ‘store-to-door’ service in Sri Lanka, under a global strategy to become an integrated transport and logistics company, controlling freight movements from beginning to end.
It will simplify the supply chain for clients and enables them to focus on their core business, Mearsk Lines Managing Director for South Asia Steve Felder said.
The new ‘store-to-door’ delivery service, under which Maersk group’s shipping line, terminal, and logistics businesses work together, is about to be launched in the island, he told a news conference.
"Traditionally, container shipping has been from port to port," the Mumbai-based Felder explained.
"We are now offering an end-to-end product – not just port-to-port."
Maersk Lines customers indicated the present system was too complicated as they had to deal with many actors in the supply chain like clearing agents, trucking and rail companies, customs, other handling operators like central freight stations and inland container depots, Felder said.
The new approach by Maersk, the world’s biggest container shipper, takes care of almost all parts of a customer’s supply chain, including taking control over inland freight movements.
"For example," Felder said, "for a container being exported from Kandy to Rotterdam – we can collect the cargo at the factory gate, we manage the movement to port, take care of clearance and export to the final destination, and provide services there too."
The new product has been "gaining momentum" in other markets, Felder said.
Maersk has said its new strategy means it would result in the firm being involved in services such as distribution from ports to consumer markets, storage, and container stuffing and consolidation.
(COLOMBO, July 7, 2018)