Cereal giant Kellogg Company and logistics provider DSC Logistics both know the importance of strong business relationships…and they have one. So, when Kellogg wanted to strengthen their relationship with food service customer Sysco they invited company representatives to visit the Atlanta Logistics Center operated by DSC.

Kellogg sought to involve their customer in understanding the business of how the product reaches them, and they also wanted feedback from Sysco as to how to improve service. The facility tour gave Sysco a better understanding of what goes into each order. They saw how the building is set up and how orders are built, and they met the staff who make it all happen.

The environment—almost 100 percent case pick—is challenging in terms of accuracy and quality. The amount of handling involved in having to touch each case offers ample opportunity for overs, shorts and damage. But, even before the visit, Sysco was impressed by the service they were getting from DSC—order fill, timeliness, damage control were among the positives cited.

And, the visit has resulted in even better service. Now Sysco knows who to talk to if issues arise in the future. The increase in direct communication between Sysco and DSC gives us immediate feedback so we can react quickly to issues as they come up. For example, the improved communication has led to more efficiency in load configuration and cost savings. Sysco sends a trailer to pick up Kellogg product, with DSC as the first stop so we’re in the nose of the trailer. Based on Sysco’s communication, we configure the load so subsequent pickups can be added to the rear of the trailer without being reconfigured between the DSC Logistics Center and the Sysco distribution center.

The collaborative relationship of Kellogg, Sysco and DSC is even stronger, and customer service is even better.