CASE STUDY

PCO Group Netherlands strives for excellence and flexibility with Quicargo

“How would you summarize Quicargo in only two words?”

Michael Dekker:
Personal contact

Ramon Dekker:
Fast
response

About PCO Group

If you think of cinema, what kind of snacks come to mind? Exactly, Popcorn. Perhaps you were also thinking about nacho boxes or a large Coca Cola in a movie themed cup. Yet, have you ever wondered where it all comes from?

One of the key players behind the variety of snacks and goodies is PCO Group (established in 2006). This fast growing company operates all over Europe and the US and is constantly introducing new products.

What is the reason for this success and their substantial market share? They are putting extra effort in product development to stay innovative and to keep surprising their clients. PCO works hand in hand with their clients to identify their needs and to stay ahead of the game.

‘’“We are constantly developing more products and thinking about how we can bring new things to the market – and we are really good at it.”

Michael Dekker (Managing Director) and Ramon Dekker (Head of Operations) at PCO Group Netherlands, tell us more about their business, the value of innovation in logistics and their collaboration with Quicargo.

Impact of Covid-19 - flexibility is key

The goals of their organization are to sell more volume and to constantly innovate. Unfortunately, Covid-19 made the situation quite difficult. As cinemas were closed for two months and the current measures allow only a limited number of visitors, growth is slowing down. When the demand for a product is low, but the fixed costs keep running, quick adaptation is crucial.

In terms of customer needs, PCO Group has adapted by launching a new product line of hand sanitizers. In terms of transportation solutions, flexibility has never been more important. As our near future has become unpredictable and constantly changing measures are causing serious fluctuations in demand.

Distribution in the cinema industry - striving for excellence

PCO group values excellence in all their services, also in their distribution. However, the fact that most cinemas are located in the city and hence have very specific time requirements makes it a challenging process. If shipments do not arrive on time, PCO’s reputation can get hurt. Ramon clearly illustrated this with the following example.

‘’If a cinema runs out of popcorn, the customers will not be happy and they might consider going to another movie theater. To avoid such complications, the cinema will switch their distributor.
The ability to perform despite of very specific time frames and conditions is essential and this is why a reliable and professional transport partner is critical.”

Unfortunately, information flow is hindered by the fact that oftentimes, communication and processes are not digitized. Without services like track and trace, transparency is lacking and notifications about operational problems arrive too late, causing irreparable damages.

How PCO Group Netherlands & Quicargo strive for excellence and flexibility together

PCO started using the Quicargo platform in June 2020. Of course, switching transport partners is not a decision that can be taken overnight. For this reason, PCO Group started with a test period. Ramon did not want to think lightly about switching forwarder:

“We knew that our test shipment was very challenging and we were not sure if Quicargo could handle it. To our surprise, everything went well. So we started shipping with them.”

Since the start of the collaboration PCO Group Netherlands has already shipped more than 500 pallets using our digital platform. Yet, what exactly made him fall in love with Quicargo?

3 Reasons for choosing Quicargo

1. Reliability and Flexibility

It is the clear and direct communication channel that sets Quicargo apart. By using the digital platform, all information is accessible in one place, every shipment can be followed closely. Additionally, Quicargo proactively informs about operational problems, so issues can be solved quickly without causing further troubles.

In the cinema industry, Friday is the most important day. As most customers mainly visit during the weekends, distribution problems later in the day can cause a lack of snacks in the stock. So quick problem solving is crucial when the weekend is coming closer.

“An important factor is the customer service and the way issues are handled. I know, I can call Quicargo at 7 in the evening and my problem will be solved. The customer service of Quicargo is great.”

Especially in times of crises, flexibility is critical. Whether it is hypergrowth or a sudden decrease in volume, the Quicargo team works hard everyday to find the right solution. Shippers are seen as partners and in the end, it is only possible to survive a crisis by working together.

2. Saving costs

Popcorn, nachos, 3D glasses, drinking cups – all these goods are a crucial part of the cinema experience. Yet, they are not of high value. Their production is not expensive, which is why transport cannot be too costly because that would result in extremely low margins.

Price was therefore an important driver when making the decision to switch to Quicargo’s digital freight network. By smartly making use of empty capacity from hundreds of different carriers, Quicargo is able to provide PCO with cost savings.

3. Focus on the future: digitization and sustainability

“Choosing Quicargo is an easy change, which however largely contributes to a more sustainable and efficient company.”

Ramon Dekker
Head of Operations at PCO Group Netherlands

Being a frontrunner in product development in their market is of great importance for PCO. Their switch to a digital freight network signifies that innovation is not only present in their product development but also in the rest of the organization.

In the logistics industry many processes are still handled manually. By using Quicargo, PCO fully digitized and automated their shipping process. Except that is not the only thing Ramon was thinking of when he described Quicargo as forward thinking:

“Quicargo represents a new movement in the logistics industry. The company thinks ahead and is focused on the future. In logistics, there is not much room for change towards sustainability, CO2 reduction is often forgotten by bigger companies.”

Would you recommend Quicargo?

“Absolutely! I think especially because of the service. I mean fast delivery, good customer service, what is not to like? Struggles will be fixed within 1 hour, the account managers are dedicated. Also, you guys are really focusing on the future. You think ahead, think about the environment.”

PCO Group Netherlands B.V.

The distribution center was established in order to serve the Benelux countries better.

Function: distribution of cinema snacks

Location: Lelystad, The Netherlands

Partner since: June 2020

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