Hemimex produces and ships non ferrous metals such as bronze and copper, tailored to each customer’s exact specifications. This means packages can vary significantly in size, weight and format, making shipping a complex, time consuming task.
To keep up with demand and reduce manual work, Hemimex sought a way to automate delivery processing and eliminate repetitive data entry.
We buy our products from abroad and store it in our warehouses. These products meet high-quality requirements and there is a lot of variation. Our customers themselves do not stock these products, so it is very important that everything is always in stock with us. Another advantage of doing business with us is that we always provide customized products based on our customers’ wishes.
Nick van Rossum
Interim Consultant, Hemimex
Challenge
Hemimex ships up to 90 orders a day. Each order has unique dimensions that must be entered correctly for each carrier. Small inconsistencies in length or thickness could result in incorrect pricing, wrong routing or delays.
The fact that we deliver everything to measure means our packages vary enormously in length, thickness and in weight. As a result, we have to work with five different carriers to process the 80 or so orders we have a day. Selecting the right carrier each time and putting these special packages on transport properly is a very time-consuming task.
Nick van Rossum
Interim Consultant, Hemimex
Each carrier expected data in a different format, so Hemimex staff repeatedly retyped shipment details by hand - facing errors, slowing their process and producing inconsistent communication.
The company needed automation that could accommodate their complex product variations and unify communication for customers.
Solution
Hemimex considered two possible solutions for automating their delivery management process. One was a web-based solution that would save the company 1 hour (out of a total of 4 hours) a day. The other, slightly more expensive, solution involved an integration of nShift with the company’s ERP package, M-Soft, which would save 3 hours (out of 4) every day. Hemimx opted for the latter option and the new system went live.
During implementation, the Hemimex team appreciated the level of support provided.
The test environment that nShift offers is really a hit. It was excellent for simulating and testing the interaction with our customers, most of whom are in the background during this process.
Nick van Rossum
Interim Consultant, Hemimex
nShift ensured that label formats, routing rules and carrier requirements were automatically matched, eliminating the need for employees to manage these variations manually.
Results
Once live, the new system immediately reduced daily delivery processing from four hours to one. Track and trace emails are now unified, and customers receive consistent communication for every order.
The environment is very nice and completely personalized. An example of this is the track and trace emails. Previously all carriers communicated with their own system to our customers, but now all communication to the customers is uniform.
Nick van Rossum
Interim Consultant, Hemimex
The automated workflow also reduced errors linked to manual entry, made onboarding easier for warehouse staff and allowed employees to spend more time on higher value tasks.
Customer and employee reaction was overwhelmingly positive:
It was great to see how employees and customers reacted to the new system. Everyone was very enthusiastic! And the promises are being kept – we are achieving the expected savings!
Nick van Rossum
Interim Consultant, Hemimex
