How Can a Strategic Transport Management Transform Your Supply Chain Management?

Strategic Transport Management is more than just cost control, it’s about optimizing service levels, reducing emissions, and ensuring resilience in an ever-changing market. Many companies struggle with fragmented carrier networks, inefficient route planning, and limited digitalization. By implementing a strategic and data-driven approach, businesses can unlock significant operational and financial benefits.

We support leading companies streamline transport management, optimize their networks, and gain control over their logistics operations. Below are project case studies of companies that have successfully transformed their transport strategies with our expertise.

Case Study 1: A Global FMCG Company Reduces Costs and Improves Delivery Performance

A leading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company faced rising transportation costs and service disruptions across its European network. The company relied on multiple local carriers with different contract structures, leading to high fragmentation, low transparency, and limited economies of scale.

Key challenges included:

• High freight costs
  due to inefficient load planning and suboptimal route execution
  
  
• Low service levels,
  with frequent delivery delays impacting customer satisfaction
  
  
• Lack of digital integration,
  leading to limited visibility on carrier performance and transport costs
  
  
• A complex mix of 3PL and in-house transport operations,
  causing inefficiencies

Miebach worked closely with the company to develop and implement a strategic transport management model that aligned with business objectives:

• Carrier Consolidation & Strategic Procurement
  Optimized the carrier landscape by reducing the number of providers and negotiating long-term agreements with high-performing partners
  
  
• Network Optimization
  Implemented dynamic route planning and load consolidation, reducing the number of shipments while maximizing truck utilization
  
  
• Digitalization & Visibility Enhancement
  Integrated a Transport Management System (TMS) to track shipments, automate freight invoicing, and enable real-time decision-making
  
  
• Sustainability Improvements
  Shifted part of the transportation volume to lower-emission transport modes, reducing carbon footprint

• 12% reduction in overall transport costs
  through better carrier management and route optimization
  
  
• 20% improvement in on-time delivery performance,
  increasing customer satisfaction and reducing penalties
  
  
• 30% reduction in administrative workload,
  freeing up resources for strategic logistics initiatives
  
  
• 15% decrease in transport-related CO₂ emissions,
  supporting the company’s sustainability goals

Case Study 2: A Retailer Achieves Transport Cost Savings While Increasing Resilience

A large European retailer faced severe transport bottlenecks and rising logistics costs due to increasing e-commerce demand and supply chain disruptions. The company’s inflexible transport network relied on static planning and legacy procurement strategies, making it difficult to respond to demand fluctuations.

Key issues included:

• Limited flexibility in transport planning,
  leading to excess capacity in low-demand periods and shortages during peak times
  
  
• Fragmented contract structures
  with no incentive alignment between carriers and the retailer
  
  
• Lack of visibility into transport costs and service levels,
  making cost control and performance tracking difficult
  
  
• Unoptimized last-mile deliveries,
  increasing costs and delaying deliveries

Miebach developed a customized transport strategy, integrating flexibility, cost efficiency, and resilience:

• Agile Carrier Strategy
  Shifted from a static procurement model to a hybrid setup, balancing contract stability with dynamic spot market engagement

• Demand-Responsive Transport Planning
  Designed an adaptive transport model that aligned transport capacity with seasonal fluctuations and order volumes
  
  
• Integrated Last-Mile Optimization
  Applied smart route algorithms and load consolidation to reduce miles driven and improve efficiency
  
  
• Real-Time Transport Performance Monitoring
  Enhanced visibility through KPI dashboards and predictive analytics, allowing for proactive decision-making

• 15% transport cost reduction
  through optimized capacity utilization and carrier rate negotiations
  
  
• 25% increase in transport resilience,
  allowing faster response to demand fluctuations and disruptions
  
  
• Improved last-mile efficiency, 
  reducing delivery lead times by 18%
  
  
• Greater transparency,
  with real-time monitoring of transport KPIs, leading to better decision-making

Case Study 3: Digitalization Transforms Transport Management for a FMCG Company

A global industrial manufacturing company operated a complex, multi-country transport network but lacked the digital tools to optimize transport planning and execution. The company struggled with:

Key issues included:

• High manual effort
  in transport execution and freight invoicing
  
  
• Lack of real-time visibility
  on transport performance, leading to inefficiencies
  
  
• Carrier overreliance,
  with limited negotiation leverage
  
  
• Siloed transport management,
  resulting in inconsistent processes across different markets

Miebach led a digital transformation project, leveraging automation and data-driven decision-making to enhance transport efficiency:

• TMS Implementation
  Introduced a modern Transport Management System, automating shipment planning, cost tracking, and freight auditing

• Data-Driven Decision-Making
  Developed AI-based predictive analytics for transport demand forecasting
  
  
• Standardized Carrier Contracts
  Implemented contract optimization frameworks, improving cost control and performance monitoring
  
  
• End-to-End Visibility
  Integrated real-time tracking and reporting dashboards, allowing better control over shipments and costs

• 40% reduction in manual transport management workload,
  enabling staff to focus on value-added activities
  
  
• 10% cost savings
  through better carrier negotiations and automated cost tracking
  
  
• Full visibility on transport operations,
  reducing disruptions and improving customer service
  
  
• Faster invoice processing,
  with cutting billing errors by 35%

Key Takeaways: Why Strategic Transport Management Matters

These cases highlight how companies can achieve significant financial, operational, and sustainability improvements through a structured transport management approach. The key to success lies in:

• Aligning transport strategy with corporate goals
  
  
• Leveraging technology for efficiency and transparency
  
  
• Optimizing carrier selection and contract structures
  
  
• Building flexibility and resilience into transport planning
  
  
• Focusing on cost savings without compromising service quality

We support your businesses navigate these challenges with tailored transport strategies that deliver measurable impact. Whether it’s reducing costs, increasing service levels, or enabling a digital transport transformation, we provide the expertise to make it happen.

Ready to transform your transport management? Contact Miebach today and unleash your full supply chain potential.