Flexport > Case Studies > Streamlining Logistics and Enhancing Transparency: DOTLUX's Success Story with Flexport

Streamlining Logistics and Enhancing Transparency: DOTLUX's Success Story with Flexport

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Sensors - Optical Sensors

Applicable Industries

Retail
Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Last Mile Delivery
Transportation Simulation

About The Customer

DOTLUX is a German LED manufacturer that has been a key player in the LED lighting technology market since 2004. The company operates in an extremely dynamic market environment and offers a wide range of products, from simple LED lamps to professional lighting systems. Most of the DOTLUX production is manufactured in close collaboration with production partners in China. The company has experienced rapid growth, which has led to an increased focus on the handling of logistics processes. DOTLUX supplies wholesalers with just about everything the lighting retail sector requires, and its logistics operations primarily involve forwarding freight from the Far East.

The Challenge

DOTLUX, a German LED manufacturer, was facing challenges in managing its logistics processes due to rapid company growth and a complex import process. The company was operating in a highly dynamic market environment and had a wide range of products, which were mostly manufactured in collaboration with production partners in China. This meant that a majority of the company’s logistics operations involved forwarding freight from the Far East. The logistics had to run separately for each product area, with product managers coordinating with external production partners in China, the internal DOTLUX sales team and warehouse departments, and the German and international customers. This resulted in a lack of an overarching view of freight transports and deliveries, and a significant amount of time was being invested in managing the supply chain, which was not in line with the company’s rapid growth goals.

The Solution

To address its logistics challenges, DOTLUX decided to set up a central hub and partnered with Flexport, a digital platform for freight forwarding. The platform provided DOTLUX with real-time access to information and greater flexibility in setting up their freight bookings. Within a month of using the platform, the majority of DOTLUX shipments were processed through Flexport. The platform also offered a tool called the buyers’ console, which allowed DOTLUX to see whether partial shipments could be consolidated, even after they had been booked. The console also made it easy to complete customs procedures, with customs information and tariffs easily stored digitally in the platform. This solution provided DOTLUX with price transparency down to the finest details, giving them full control over all their delivery dates and precise costs and terms involved in each freight decision.

Operational Impact

The partnership with Flexport has significantly optimized DOTLUX's logistics processes, leading to improved relationships with its customers. The company now proactively informs its wholesale customers about the status of their shipments, and even in crisis situations, they have a firm grip on the latest information. The digital platform has also provided DOTLUX with the ability to manage the supply chain from anywhere in the world, whether in the office, on the go or in the home office. The transparency of the supply chain, made possible by Flexport, has freed up resources that DOTLUX is once again able to devote to its core business—developing and manufacturing innovative LED lighting systems.

Quantitative Benefit