Hellmann Time Critical Solutions - 24/7 at Your Service

29 September 2020

Focus

When has Hellmann Hungary started to handle Time Critical shipments?

We realized a few years ago that there is a business potential where we can create something unique in case of an Aircraft on ground (AOG) situation. AOG means, that a plane can´t fly for technical reasons and that consequently an urgent action – including emergency logistics - is required to make sure the aircraft can be back into service. After various negotiations with airlines and market analysts at the end of 2017 we started to operate the Time Critical (TC) product within the Hellmann Hungary Business Portfolio.

How does a day look like in the Time Critical Department?

Once we get a request, our team has 30 minutes to respond and send an offer to the customer. We do then monitor all the shipments closely and send regular status updates about each and every step on the way until the shipment has been delivered and our job is completed.

How many people work in the Time Critical team?

Within the Airfreight team we have four people dedicated and appointed to handle time critical requests. All colleagues have special equipment available (TC phone and laptop) and we are working in “shifts”. All shipments, calls and emails we receive after working hours are urgent and there is a person in charge to respond immediately – also during the weekends. In other words: Our service is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Additionally, we do Import and Export customs clearance - as well 24/7 - and we provide dedicated Roadfreight collections and deliveries.

What type of Freight can be handled as Time Critical shipment?

Next flight out service (Commercial Carrier’s Express Solutions)
Handcarry (On Board Courier)
Charter (Full & Part Charter availability)

We started our service at the end of 2017. In 2018 we successfully handled more than 700 shipments (that was a mix of NFO = Next Flight Out, OBC = On Board Courier and Charter services). In 2019 we increased the number of shipments by 20%. The pandemic hit us in 2020 as well as all other sectors and the number of shipments have decreased. However, despite all these challenges, we were able to increase our revenue.

Which countries can you support with your TC solutions?

We have the Control Tower in Hungary, but we can cover Austria and Romania as well as the Eastern part of Europe. It is our plan to extend our service to many other countries. We work on requests from Poland and Czech Republic as well. Moreover, our Hellmann Mexico team also operates a Time Critical team since 2020. We are open to support other Hellmann countries with our expertise, if they are interested to implement such a service in their business portfolio.

Can you give a concrete example of how you work with customers?

We work mainly with Automotive customers (95%). In this sector processes are always time critical, production can be stopped or a line is close to shutdown. All these challenges require our dedication. This type of service can be provided with passion only. When it comes to time critical logistics, all our customers get top priority. We cannot make any mistake.

To what extend has COVID influenced the need for emergency services?

The number of the handcarry shipments has decreased because of travel restrictions. At the same time we see an increased demand for premium cargo options and charters. The hard work has not changed, we have to be really creative, fast and customer focused. We are really proud that Hellmann Hungary has managed to deliver 15 full charters for the Hungarian Government between March – July 2020 from China, moving 1,500 breathing machines and masks to support the COVID prevention in this critical times in Hungary. We used Emirates 777 which was a great experience. This shipment really highlighted our strength: Deliver value, support our customers in critical situations and feel our service is key to overcome the COVID crisis. That’s an amazing feeling. That’s why we look forward to further expanding our time critical logistics services.

We all see the world is changing, we have to deal with new technologies and solutions on a daily basis. How do you see the future?

Out immediate focus could be on setting up a professional time critical team with a focus on Automotive customers. In the future we would like to also focus on the Healthcare sector and handle temperature controlled shipments as well as other pharmaceutical cargo. We have high hopes and also the motivation to extend the service within Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and to play a key role in this important business segment.