Case Studies

A Study on the Logistics Services Needs and Practices among European Commodity Traders and Shippers

The main objective of this study was to help one of the world’s top five containerised shipping organisations to prioritise customer follow-up actions in support of budget objectives. Research focused on logistics services needs and identifying future business opportunities for the client and its cargo solutions division. The company wanted their account management teams to be closely involved in the exercise. Therefore Andrew Lester & Associates designed an interview program, trained the account managers in interviewing techniques in five countries, conducted additional interviews by telephone for comparative purposes, analysed the results and delivered the findings to senior management.

The 200 companies interviewed were commodity traders, exporters, forwarding agents etc, handling between 200 and 50,000 TEUs per annum, and either current or lapsed customers. Apart from improving the client’s understanding of their customers’ current and future needs, the survey provided input into product development, additional sales opportunities and generally enhanced customer relations.