01
Challenge
A building materials distributor in Sorong receives cement and steel from Surabaya. Vessels to Sorong sail only once a week.
One missed sailing meant two weeks without stock, and the contractors it supplies would switch to another supplier.
- One vessel a weekNo back-up departure to fall back on.
- Heavy cargoCement and steel quickly reach the container weight limit.
- Unloading queuesSorong port gets congested at the end of each month.
02
Solution
-
1
Space booked two sailings ahead
Vessel space for 6 FCLs a month is booked two departures in advance.
-
2
Buffer stock in Surabaya
One sailing's worth of cargo waits at a Surabaya depot to cover factory delays.
-
3
Weight planning per container
Cement and steel are combined so every FCL is full without exceeding the weight limit.
-
4
Unloading coordination in Sorong
A local team arranges unloading slots and trucks to the distributor's warehouse.
03
Results
- days out of stock in 9 months
- 0
- FCLs shipped from Surabaya to Sorong
- 54
- sailings booked ahead at all times
- 2
Sailing records, container numbers and unloading dates are available for review if your procurement team needs them.
Project photos
-
Unloading at Sorong port. -
PHOTO: cement bags stuffed into a 20 ft container at a Surabaya depot
Stuffing at the Surabaya depot. -
PHOTO: steel bars lashed inside a container
Weight planning per container. -
PHOTO: truck delivering cement to the Sorong distributor
Delivery to the distributor's warehouse.
“For nine months we never once had to tell a contractor we were out of stock. That is what kept our customers with us.”