If you were to walk into any bar and ask the barman (or woman) his best drink, you are bound to get a tasty cocktail. The bartender will do his stinking best to put together different flavours, some sour, sweet and bitters and then blow you away with the result. If you are lucky, it will not be a cocktail, but the barman will have a bottle of "Macallan Valerio Adami" whiskey on hand.
Ingredients and logistics service providers
To make the ideal cocktail, you need knowledge of all the ingredients that can potentially be used. The right mix and quality of ingredients will ensure the perfect taste of the cocktail. There is a similarity with transport. In fact, there are many different types of logistics providers operating, and they all have their own expertise; groupage, LTL, FTL, regional or country specialists, etc. The right mix will result in your shipments being shipped with the desired quality and at the lowest possible cost. For cocktails, the basic rule "less = more" applies. This is also relevant for transport, namely when using too many logistics partners, the savings in transport costs will be negated by the increase in operational and management costs. On the other hand, with only one logistics partner/ingredient, you can't call it a cocktail, and you miss all the benefits of "mixing" well!
Mixing the cocktail & tendering
If you were to ask the bartender for a pure vodka, you would probably get it within seconds. This while a cocktail takes much more time. This is because the bartender needs time to find all the ingredients together, and mix the drink. Tendering for transport, especially finding the right partners and comparing offers, also takes a lot of time. In addition, buyers need good software to translate quotes into costs using a relevant shipment profile. Mixing a good cocktail is something you prefer to leave to a good bartender. Why not leave transport procurement to a professional with the right tools, knowledge of the process and logistics service providers?
Taste & Quality
The reason why most people order a cocktail instead of a pure vodka is logical. A cocktail just tastes much better! Besides, the cocktail can be modified as you like. A pure vodka will always remain a pure vodka. Finding the right logistics partners with complementary specialities will not only lead to lower costs, but also to better service/quality. After all, specialists have more sailings, short transit times, better service, etc.
Sometimes you find your ideal partner in a single logistics provider. With that, you then have your own "Macallan Valerio Adami whiskey" to hand. But before you take a sip, I would still ask for the bottle!
