VISA Global Logistics (VGL) - Australia

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Interview with

Charlotte Cox and Steve Larsen
VGL Australia, Project Cargo Division

First of all, please tell us about the history of VISA Global. Where is your company headquartered and who are the owners?

VISA Global Logistics (VGL) began its journey in 1982 in Sydney, Australia. This remains our global head office. VGL provides a complete, end-to-end, supply chain and logistics service that entails global freight forwarding, customs brokerage, 3PL warehousing, and transport and distribution. For the past 38 years, we have grown to provide the most comprehensive service coverage in Australia whilst also expanding to operate our own offices in Belgium, China, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, South East Asia, Spain, Turkey, and the USA. To-date, we have 67 offices globally.

Our mission at VGL is to be the one-stop-shop for our clients for all their logistics needs, backed by outstanding customer service. In line with this, VGL offers several customer-centric, value-adding services such as 24/7 support, real time shipment tracking, and an unparalleled level of supply chain reporting.

We operate well in our space where we have found a gap between the service provided by large multinational competitors and smaller operators. We are large enough to deliver global coverage but also small enough to be flexible, nimble, and responsive to client needs as they change in real time. Our team takes pride in knowing that our clients never feel like they are just a number when they work with us.

Do you have experience in handling project and oversized cargoes? Could you provide our readers with a few examples?

VGL has a dedicated Project Cargo Division that has completed a multitude of projects across the government, infrastructure, defence, machinery, industrial, and renewable energy sectors to mention a few. These include shipments that are usually break bulk, out of gauge, heavy lift or require chartered vessels.

Some completed projects include: The 6-month project management and transportation of a complete asphalt plant ex-Italy which involved multiple flat racks, break bulk shipments requiring crane and under hook handling and delivery.

Another example is the 9-month project management and transportation for the Spencer Sewerage Project ex-UAE and Germany to Melbourne, Australia. This involved the procurement and transportation of pipes which were used for the biggest sewerage upgrade in Melbourne’s central business district.

Queens Wharf Sewer, Spencer Sewerage Project ex-UAE and Germany to Melbourne, Australia — Queens Wharf Sewer, Procurement of pipes ex Germany to Brisbane, Australia, 4-month project

What’s unique about VGL’s Project Cargo services is that we provide 24/7 visibility and monitoring of project cargo shipments through our proprietary freight management system, OneTrack. OneTrack is integrated with Ocean Insights which provides automated real-time updates on vessel departures and arrivals around the world. This capability plays a crucial role in our team’s ability to respond to supply chain delays as they happen, so we can adjust the transport plan, ensuring set arrival dates are always met. Our team understands that every hour and every day of delay can translate to millions of dollars to our clients and their projects. VGL’s systems, processes and software technology have been built and set up to ensure timely deliveries.

VGL - Industrial Dryer Project Shipment — Project cargo transport of an industrial dryer ex China to North India. Completed by VGL’s India Team, 2-month project

Another unique aspect of our Project Cargo operations is that in Australia and New Zealand, we own and operate exclusive trucks and trailers built to transport heavy cargo. VGL has the licences and accreditations as well as long-term partnerships with local authorities to attain special permits to cater to all requirements.

Our team also offers local expertise at origin and destination, a strong global network, and great relationships with leading air and sea operators, enabling our access to multiple weekly services.

Aside from our Project Cargo expertise, VGL also has logistics solutions across the following sectors: food & beverage, building materials, automotive & parts, fashion & accessories, furniture & homewares, machinery & parts, electronics & appliances, and valuable cargo.

VGL’s Super B Quad Quad – designed and built for heavy cargo

There are a lot of freight forwarders out there. How do you ensure that you stand out in the crowd, and what is. in your view. the hidden secret behind your success?

Our team’s relentless commitment to our company mission of being the one-stop-shop for our clients for all their logistics needs has propelled our success for the past 38 years.

Guided by our company mission, we developed our own proprietary freight management software, OneTrack, to provide complete supply chain transparency to our clients through real time tracking of their shipments as well as comprehensive KPI reporting. OneTrack tracks and records our performance, the client’s supplier’s performance, their supply chain savings, their shipment volumes, and the total percentage of container utilisation to mention a few features. OneTrack offers hundreds of reports to empower our clients to make sound business decisions daily relating to their supply chain.

OneTrack can also track carbon emissions in supply chains – ideal for companies that need to report on this for sustainability requirements. This feature was built to support the evolving needs and expectations of our clients.

Another exclusive feature of our OneTrack system is its Detention Management capability. OneTrack monitors the allocated free time of every container and sends automated reminders to our clients and our team to prioritise containers that are due for detention. This has saved our clients thousands of dollars every year.

VGL operates a paperless business through OneTrack – every step of the process from origin to destination is automated and digitalised. We have helped our clients automate their supply chain and position their business for growth.

Competitors usually charge a subscription fee for the use of their freight management system, but at VGL, we provide free access and use of OneTrack to all our clients.

In 2019, OneTrack received 4 industry awards in innovation and customer service. These awards were added to VGL’s industry accolades that currently number 20. The most recent include: 2019 APAC Business Awards: Best International Freight Forwarding Company; 2019 APAC Business Awards: Excellence Award in Technology & Innovation; 2019 Australasian Fleet Safety Awards: Safe Vehicles; 2019 Freight Industry Awards: Best Application of Technology; AFR Australia’s Top 500 Private Companies; 2019 Supply Chain Experts of the Year; 2019 Most Outstanding in Customer Service.