La Spezia System continues its efficiencies supported by continuous improvement in process changes and other initiatives targeted at ensuring the ability to make available import containers for delivery to the final end user in the shortest possible time.
During 2013, the final touches to enable imports containers to be pre-cleared prior to physical ship arrival were put in place by both national and local competent authorities, also supported with a number of trials. Prior to this, the process of clearing imports could only commence after the container was physically discharged from a ship, even if import clearance representatives were in possession of the necessary information and documentation. Go live with “Pre-clearing” commenced in 2014 creating a positive contribution to the on-going reduction in import dwell times.
H1 2015 has witnessed a doubling of volume share of import containers using pre-clearing, facilitating the free on-ward movement of cargo to the end user, and confirming La Spezia System’s contribution in being an efficient gateway for Italian cargo – KPIs support this. The “fast moving” share of imports is growing and the processing of same is not exclusively depending on the La Spezia System, which remains available to support the process by various means to grow even further. The target therefore is to increase further, those imports who are not yet taking advantage, both existing business and potential new business via La Spezia System.
Michele Giromini – LSCT managing director – enthuses: ”The numbers are self-explanatory.The La Spezia System has:
- always focused on ensuring value and efficiency in the supply chain
- progressively reduced import dwell times have the last 10 years thanks to the commitment of local partners – less cost
- continuously evolved to enable growth , efficiently
- remained focused on providing an end to end competitiveness sea – land bridge
But – Giromini explains further– pre-clearing alone does not deliver value. The true benefits are a combination of the faster processing with – in our case one of our strongest assets – the immediate availability of a “system” allowing cargo to continue its journey to the end customers. The “system” includes the local community, customs, forwarders as well the extensive common user rail network, involving a major presence of Contship Group contribution in providing both rail traction, domestic and international rail services as well as truck.
Our mission is to provide efficiency to the whole of the logistics supply chain, and we do our part in providing the means through which the container can be immediately transferred. This is the true added value we nurture for all.”
