Rohm and Haas Company, one of the world's largest manufacturers of specialty chemicals operates nearly 140 research and manufacturing locations in 27 countries. Its products-technologically sophisticated materials used by a variety of industries to produce high quality products and goods-can be found in everything from paints and coatings, electronics, household products and detergents and personal care to water treatment, adhesives, plastics, and salt. When it comes to the safe, secure and timely transportation of its materials, the need for superior logistics services is a top priority.

Terry Kelso, Export Manager, located in the company's Philadelphia based main offices, oversees the management and coordination of the customer service and transportation functions for Rohm and Haas exports. For Kelso's operations, the customer is not only the end customer but also Rohm & Haas subsidiaries in each of the company's four regions: North America, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Working with a small core group of strategic alliance partners, the Rohm and Haas Interregional Group ensures that all the operational and contractual activities associated with shipments run smoothly. And that calls for high-end logistics management and customer service.

What began as a freight forwarding contracting process relationship between Rohm and Haas and BDP International many years ago has evolved into a strategic partnership. Included are BDP customer service functions for nearly all of the chemical manufacturer's U.S. exports from its Philadelphia (its central hub), Houston and Chicago locations, plus project logistics services for Rohm and Haas specialized equipment shipments, and more recently its air cargo out of the U.S.

One of the key elements of the Rohm and Haas export operations is an on-site BDP customer service representative (CSR) team, comprised of logistics coordinators under the direction of Matt Hawksley, Supervisor. The two CSR teams (from Rohm and Haas and BDP) work hand-in-hand. "Each quarter, the Operation Management Team, made up of our managers and supervisors from both companies, discuss operational issues, review how things are going and roll up the last three months' metrics," says Kelso. "Then, every six months, we meet with an executive team representing both companies. It's a well structured process with touch points at all levels, which allows us to not only review what we have done but also where we have moved the relationship to since the last meeting."

According to Hawksley, BDP's transportation expertise, including trucking issues and knowledge of restrictions and regulations in and out of any country makes a big difference. "Being on-site, we offer a wealth of knowledge and can handle these types of shipments quickly," he says.

Staff from both companies' CSR teams are involved in each other's training activities. "I am very pleased with BDP's service-they are a great partner," adds Kelso. "It is very much a 'we' business relationship. Both parties have worked to make it a success-it's all about good communications"

Says Kelso's manager, Ron Reynolds, Rohm and Haas Interregional Supply Manager, "We now have better visibility and understanding of our customer requirements, which should yield improved on-time delivery and customer satisfaction. The in-house service provides one-stop shopping for our CSRs in our global regions, resulting in quicker resolution of issues and identification of opportunities."

According to Kelso, "We expect BDP to contribute to our supply chain management process," she points out. "BDP staff is turning around data in our SAP system at the same time they are working with their own system."

Another dimension to BDP's customer service is its website portal, BDPSmart.com. The portal provides convenient, one-stop access to global tracking and status, document delivery and data warehouse capabilities through one website.

With heightened security, BDP's expertise in handling hazardous chemicals is also a big plus for Rohm and Haas. On a regular basis, BDP receives requests from Rohm and Haas for unusual shipments. Adds Kelso, "We rely on BDP to handle those requests. We trust that when we give them, for example, a hazardous chemical of any class that they will handle it and as we are the legal shipper of record, it means we have a tremendous amount of trust in BDP to move our shipments without any problems."

Until recently, BDP was not the chemical manufacturer's air carrier. Previously with one of the large national carriers, Rohm and Haas frequently was challenged to keep air shipments moving efficiently. The hazardous nature of many of those shipments and the heightened security climate further complicated the process. "Interestingly, we hadn't thought of BDP as an air carrier," Kelso says, "but they stepped in immediately and proved they are capable of handling shipments from our manufacturing sites across the U.S. to our other global locations."