Consigning customs clearance and vanning of over 3000 containers for export per year! Creating high-quality transport services that result in repeat customers.
Be Forward Co., Ltd. operates a cross-border e-commerce site for selling used cars in Japan overseas, and it offers a full range of services from sales to transport.
The company consigns all customs clearance and vanning operations of more than 3000 containers for export per year to Sync Logistics. According to Be Forward, Sync Logistics’ high-quality shipping and transport services have improved its own company’s credibility.
We asked Mr. Tanaka, Director and General Manager of the Logistics Department*, about the benefits and results of consigning to Sync Logistics, and prospects for future business.
(*affiliation and company position at the time of this interview)
Developing a Cross-border E-commerce Business for Used Cars
Company profile and the Logistics Department’s operations
Be Forward is engaged in the export of used cars and cross-border e-commerce. We source used cars from online auctions and at auctions sites all over Japan, and sell and export them through our own e-commerce site.
Our track record includes transactions with more than 200 countries and regions, transporting to newly developing countries in Africa, Asia and others. We export about 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles a month, about 130,000 per year in combined container and RORO transport.
E-commerce site:https://www.beforward.jp/
I’m in charge of the Logistics Department, which is responsible for arranging and managing the transport of vehicles bought by customers to destinations overseas. It is divided into two groups: the Booking Group and the Shipping Group.
The Booking Group’s responsibilities include arranging overland transport of vehicles sourced from auction sites to their respective yards, arranging for the photography and repair of vehicles after they enter their yards, negotiating with shipping companies, and booking freight space.
The Shipping Group mostly handles arrangements for sending bills of landing (BL) to local customers (consignees), and the choosing of and contracting with new partners who will establish new logistics in each country. Our company has also established our own transport network from South African ports to inland countries, and the Shipping Group is also responsible for arranging local transport using this network.
Customs Clearance and Vanning of Over 3000 Containers for Export Per Year are All Consigned to Sync Logistics
Consignment and partnership details
We mainly consign our container transport operations. Specifically, we entrust to Sync Logistics overall practicalities such as the management and photography of sourced vehicles from the time they enter the yard until they are shipped, vehicle repairs, customs clearance, and vanning.
We take care of securing ship space, so we ask them to do things like “We have space for 60 vehicles on this ship, so please bring them to the port and prepare them for shipping,” and “Please proceed with customs clearance for export.”
We manage all tasks and share information using our company’s core system and Google Spreadsheets, with all those involved able to see our progress in real-time. We check yard entry/exit statuses and inventory using Sync Logistics’ logistics management system “La-Plus.”
Challenges before working with Sync Logistics and the reasons for working with them
Before working with Sync Logistics, we were mainly engaged in transport services to East Africa using RORO vessels, and we rarely offered container transport services. However, there are many ports and countries that can only handle container transport, so we decided to enhance our container transport system in order to increase the number of countries we export to.
I was looking for a company that offered vanning services and export arrangements throughout Japan, and my boss happened to see a fax from Sync Logistics which was just established in Fukuoka. I immediately flew to Fukuoka to meet Mr. Ichiki, and confirm their operations at Hakata Yard.
We saw that Sync Logistics was reliable and trustworthy, and we began consigning the vanning of vehicles bought from auction sites in the Kyushu Area.
Because Sync Logistics has yards all over Japan, we now consign to them the shipping of more than 3000 containers per year.
The Appeal of Sync Logistics Lie in their Flexibility, High-Quality Vanning, and their Digitalization of Operations
Sync Logistics’ characteristics: 1. Flexibility
Working with Sync Logistics for the past 8 years, we feel that it especially excels in three areas.
The first is their flexibility and sincerity in handling requests and problems as they arise.
Even if it’s a difficult request, they don’t respond with either a yes or a no – rather, they say they will give it a try. For example, during the time when they were based in Hakata, we asked if they could also handle container transport in Osaka. They immediately moved to establish a new yard. Their characteristic high level of responsiveness is very appealing..
Sometimes cargo in containers collapse while being transported at sea due to the weather or other reasons. We appreciate how Sync Logistics takes care of problems, and how they always deal with issues appropriately. Whenever possible, they also take measures to prevent recurrences, and we are grateful for their sincere and positive attitude.
Moreover, they have a local office in Mongolia, and they provide meticulous support including personal attendance during devanning, and investigating problems.
Sync Logistics’ characteristics: 2. High-quality vanning
The second is the high quality of their planning and work during vanning.
Because vehicles come in various shapes and sizes, the vanning plan is important in determining what kind and how many vehicles are loaded in a container.
And because they have the know-how, we just tell them the number and type vehicles to be exported, and they will immediately come up with an optimized plan for us. Typically, a vanning request would be something like “please load these 4 vehicles in a container,” but with Sync Logistics, all we have to do is give them the data of 100 vehicles and they will create a plan for us.
The quality of their vanning is also high, so there is minimal damage to vehicles when they arrive at their destinations.
Sync Logistics’ characteristics: 3. Digitalization of operations
The third is the proactive digitalization of their operations.
There are still many analog companies in the logistics industry, but Sync Logistics has established its own logistics management system, and has been systemizing workflows early on. They also utilize data from our company’s core system well, and we are able to smoothly coordinate operations with minimal lead time.
Careful and Speedy Work Improves Our Company’s Credibility, and Results in Repeat Customers
Benefits and results of doing business with Sync Logistics
Thanks to Sync Logistics’ careful and speedy work, we can deliver products to our customers in the shortest possible time and in good condition. This results in our company’s increased credibility, and we have many repeat customers.
Those who mainly buy by the container are local used car dealers. Because they regularly buy in bulk, their business runs more smoothly the more vehicles you send to them. In this regard, Sync Logistics has a high turnover inventory rate because of their efficient yard operations, which then helps boost our customers’ sales.
We were able able to simplify our internal operations structure by consigning shipping and customs clearance to Sync Logistics. While the scale of our business is expanding every year and the number of our employees is rising, we feel that our productivity is increasing.
We Want to Build New Overseas Logistics Services with Sync Logistics
Prospects for future business
We are now developing a new service that sells our logistics functions to used car dealers in Japan. Just like our integrated transport service to inland countries in East Africa which is our forte, our new service will handle overseas transport of cars sold by other companies.
Sync Logistics has supported us in this new service since its conception, and we want to work with them as a partner company in creating an overseas logistics service, and consigning to them the yard operations and customs clearance of vehicles, including vehicles of other companies.
High-quality container transport is necessary in enhancing our overseas transport services, and in this regard, Sync Logistics is indispensable in the expansion of our business. We will be happy if we can grow each other’s business in the future while we continue to maintain and strengthen our strong relationship.
Company Profile
Company Name: Be Forward Co., Ltd.
Description of Business: Sales and import/export of used automobiles, sales and import/export of automotive parts, e-commerce site operation, etc.
Number of employees: 217 in Japan (as of June 2020)
