One national partner for all express deliveries
SBB schedules are strictly timed. The rolling stock is in operation almost continuously and must meet the highest safety criteria. Preventive maintenance, checks and regular inspections of the rolling stock are planned in advance – however, certain spare parts must be delivered as quickly as possible from the workshop to the point of use. For such express deliveries, SBB has come to rely on swissconnect ag, the fastest and most sustainable courier service in Switzerland.
Safety is the top priority
SBB offers its approximately 1.25 million passengers a day the highest level of safety - and maintenance of the individual vehicles is therefore scheduled down to the minutest detail. Availability of locomotives, multiple units and passenger coaches is ensured by highly qualified staff. The technicians at several locations throughout Switzerland are working hard to make sure the trains run safely and are not parked on the sidings. And this is why – downtime prevention is of utmost importance, every minute is priceless. Spare parts for scheduled maintenance work are delivered at regular intervals and in larger quantities. Emergency repairs, on the other hand, are time-critical. If a train breaks down or a mechanic has to wait for a component, high costs are incurred. Under these circumstances, work must be done at the speed of lightning.
The costs of stationary rolling stock and waiting technicians certainly justify the additional costs of express deliveries compared with slower standard transport.
SBB Transport Manager
Sending spare parts throughout Switzerland
To save time, SBB orders a courier directly via SAP, its ERP program. An interface to swissconnect's logistics software enables express delivery to be scheduled immediately and the right means of transport to be deployed at the right time and in the right place. This is made possible by the close-knit swissconnect network of around 80 courier companies located throughout Switzerland. For spare parts weighing up to 30 kg, delivery with the unique swissconnect transport system is usually the fastest solution. Local bike or car couriers pick up or deliver the parts on the last mile. The parts travel over longer distances by railway, avoiding traffic jams and practically emission-free. Heavy and large parts are delivered directly in the appropriate vehicles.
From small spare parts to heavy bogies - we need a national contact partner for all our express deliveries,
Head of Transport Management Office at SBB Cargo AG
Outsourcing courier services
Setting up an internal courier service to provide appropriate means of transport throughout Switzerland would be very costly and resource-intensive. Provision of courier services is not part of SBB's core business, which is why for years it has been managed by swissconnect ag. Each individual parcel is handled using swissconnect specially developed logistics software. This enables SBB to report accurately on everything from order placement and parcel progress to invoice assignment to the correct cost centre. Local couriers are not only familiar with the location, but also geographically close to the sender or recipient. As a result, swissconnect response times are short. A combination of different means of transport makes swissconnect not only the fastest but also the most sustainable courier service in Switzerland. In urban areas, the deliveries are handled by a bike courier, in remote areas, it is a car courier, and for long distances, the railway is used. This saves massive amounts of the CO2 harmful greenhouse gas and the environmental footprint of an express delivery is considerably lower than a direct journey by a car courier.
Are you looking for an express logistics partner for spare parts throughout Switzerland?
Whether on the telephone, via e-mail or a visit in person – we’re here for you.