Whether you like it or not, logistics is key to any successful overseas industrial project
Because we live and work in underdeveloped country which happens to be land-locked in one of the world’s biggest continents, logistics forms a big part of our daily working life in almost everything aspect of what we love doing or get involved in. With these synergies we advise you as our valued client as to the most efficient mode of transport to meet your requirements, on the best local companies to utilize dependant on their needs, including costs or possible pitfalls to avoid.
Recently BAC was called upon to solve a logistics problem an overseas client was having moving containers between Senegal to Mali. They were struggling to get their regular container traffic to Bamako on time. The port of entry was Dakar and forwarded by trucks to Bamako Mali, a journey that should normally take 15 days.
However, containers were regularly taking 20 to 30 days affecting their own deadlines in the worst possible way. Despite many meetings with their contracted local freight forwarder, their answers and particularly the reasons why the delays were taking place, were never made clear resulting in the client being more confused than ever. In desperation, they were about to send someone from their own HQ over 5000 miles away with resultant cost and inherent risks that this represents to investigate the problem.
At the same time, they approached BAC asking for urgent assistance. BAC was well placed to assist because we too had also been affected by the same issues in the past, and also understand the local realities & limitations, so we were then able to provide our client with a clear time-line spreadsheet detailing each stage of the road and Customs entry posts on the road between Dakar to Bamako, and how long each stage should take.
We were also able to explain including the reasons why certain sectors were/are slower than others. Armed with a clearer understanding from us, the client was able to identify and streamline certain points of the journey, thus reducing the transit time substantially of their containers plus resultant costs savings, We were able to achieve this and other remedial results through our extensive logistics experience; first in airfreight, then multimodal transport for the last ten years or so.
BAC loves logistics because every day is a new challenge for us, especially being in Africa. So let BAC be your local partner, as in turn, our local partners are often invaluable even before and during any bidding & procurement processes, BAC will if required, even assist you in the publication of Scopes of Works/Requirements (if required) that are tailored to the local market and climate. BAC will furnish you with the right local or regional onground intelligence, often very quickly, so that you can write your tender based on the indispensable local knowledge and experience.
Your Scope of Works (SOW/SOR) documentation is based on actual local fact and resources available, giving a true and accurate account forecast of the project to be undertaken in terms of cost, manpower, local/regional legal planning, land search, labour requirements that are normally otherwise unobtainable. Medical issues? BAC will arrange with local clinics & hospitals in assisting expatriate or contract personnel in medical care. In this important not-to-be-forgotten aspect of any ongoing project.
BAC will happily assist you setting up of any necessary in-country vaccinations that may be needed (other than required for legal entry into Mali e.g. YellowFever) Please contact us for more details on requirements or advisory health notifications.