LONDON: Global shipping consultancy, Drewry and Freightender are pleased to announce they have entered a value-add partnership, combining Drewry’s industry leading ocean freight cost benchmarking and procurement support services with Freightender’s cloud-based, next generation procurement technology platform.

With technology playing an increasingly important role in the management of complex, data heavy procurement events, both companies recognise the value to global shippers of digitally enabling programmes that help them enhance productivity and deliver commercial outcomes that balance cost containment with improved service performance.

The Drewry-Freightender partnership will enable medium and larger sized shippers to gain access to a single-source, best-in-class solution covering cutting-edge, affordable technology, market insight and best practices applied to bid planning, contract capacity clauses, carrier management and related areas. The new service, which will be marketed under Drewry’s existing e-Sourcing Ocean Freight Solution (eSOFS™) brand, provides shippers with a more effective, broader and scalable approach to managing complex sourcing events.

“The Drewry-Freightender partnership is a powerful combination to enable shippers to plan and manage increasingly difficult ocean tenders, while addressing the need to secure capacity and mitigate unavoidable cost increases,” said Philip Damas, head of Drewry’s logistics practice.

“Like Drewry, Freightender is an agile, expert company which can move fast and provide specialist support for time-sensitive ocean bids.”

“Shippers are in need of an agile and flexible procurement solution that allows them to react faster to market changes and unforeseen challenges,” said Pieter Kinds, Freightender CEO. “By joining forces, we are able to deliver a total procurement solution that combines cutting edge technology with real-time intelligence and best practice expertise from a trusted partner, Drewry.”

Drewry and Freightender believe their partnership will make bid technology and bid best practices accessible to medium-sized shippers, much like the cost benchmarking services already used by larger organisations.