C&D Foods strengthens supply chain - despite longer lead times

When the supply chain is challenged

What do you do when the supply chain cannot meet new demands? C&D Foods faced this challenge when their need for deliveries to customers in the UK increased. At the same time, they needed their shipments to be transported in a container that could stabilise the goods.

C&D Foods has partnered with Blue Water for many years on various routes and services. In fact, no one even remembers when our partnership began. Therefore, it made sense for C&D Foods to approach us with their challenge. 

"Since we switched to Blue Water, we have seen a significant improvement in the flow of our supply chain to customers in the UK. We no longer have any doubts about when our goods will arrive," Mette Emborg, Customer Service & Logistics Supervisor at C&D Foods.

Our solution was to ship the goods via a short sea solution. Not only does this work smoothly in C&D Foods' supply chain, but it is also a more environmentally conscious alternative to road or air freight, for example. Everything is packed in a 45-foot high cube pallet-wide container, where the solid sides ensure that the goods are more stable. At the same time, this type of container often has a higher payload - the number of kilograms that can be loaded - than a standard trailer.

C&D Foods also keeps a stock of five containers at their warehouse, giving them the flexibility to load at their convenience. Whenever a container is collected, it is swapped for an empty one. The journey from pickup in Esbjerg, Denmark, to the supermarket shelves throughout the UK takes around seven days.

While the solution may extend delivery times slightly, Mette highlights the importance of reliability.

"We have organised our daily routine to account for the slightly longer delivery time. But then we can also rely on our agreement," Mette Emborg adds.

Trust and good colleagues

In addition to efficient solutions that support the supply chain, a successful and long-standing collaboration also requires a reliable contact and well-functioning communication. The partnership between C&D Foods and Blue Water is built on strong relationships: "It is almost as if our contacts at Blue Water are our colleagues – they have become an extended arm," says Mette Emborg. She adds that trust also characterises the successful partnership.

 "What we are promised is what we get. And we are not promised more than Blue Water can deliver," Mette Emborg.