After 14 years working in our facilities in carrer Ramon Berenguer Primer, the time has come for us to expand our headquarters to improve processes and provide better customer service.
For this reason, in the coming months we will move to a new building in the CIM Vallès, very close to our current location.
To explain the reasons for the change, we spoke with Eduard Prades, director of BDtrans, who explained how this move is being managed at a time as complicated as the one we are living in, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
What is the reason for this change of location?
From an operational point of view, the headquarters where we are currently located is too small for us. We cannot grow, which means that day-to-day life is not as comfortable as it should be, due to a lack of space, which implies a loss of efficiency. We have been looking for new facilities for 3 long years. And now the opportunity has arisen to rent this new warehouse and we have jumped at the chance.
What are the main problems you have in the current facilities you are still in?
The warehouse has become too small. However, it is not so much a problem of the square footage of the warehouse, but of how it is designed. Our warehouse is not designed for transport companies, because it only has loading docks on one of the facades. This is a major handicap because all the goods we move must first enter through these docks and then exit through the same doors through which they had previously entered. The new hall, on the other hand, is designed for carriers, so we will have loading and unloading docks on opposite sides of the hall. Thanks to this, the goods enter through one door, are checked and processed, and then loaded through the dock on the opposite wall. By operating in this way, a very high percentage of the cargo does not reach the warehouse floor, since as it is unloaded it is reloaded onto a new truck that will leave in the direction of its final destination.
Have you estimated how much time you will gain by loading and unloading in this way?
We do not have exact figures, but we estimate that, at the very least, we will gain almost two hours a day. What we do know for sure is that we will optimize our internal processes in the new hall by 15% to 20%. By not having to handle the cargo twice, we will also get great benefits, which we cannot quantify until we are there.
For what reasons has the current building, in which you have been operating for 14 years, become too small?
Basically due to the company’s continued and sustained growth.
The new headquarters is located at CIM Vallès
Is the new ship too far away from the current headquarters?
We have not strayed far from our area of influence. There will be a distance of 3 kilometers from the current ship. Carriers arriving on the highway will not notice any changes, because they will take the next exit, which will also be less congested than the current one. We will still be at the same distance from the main communications hub. In fact, one of the premises was not to move too far away from our area, since we were very well located so far. And the best thing is that we will be located in the CIM Vallés, a specific industrial park for logistics and transport companies.
This detail is important, isn’t it, Eduard?
That’s right. It should be noted that this industrial park was designed following the indications of logistics and distribution experts. As it was urbanized and built with only carriers in mind, all of its equipment and facilities are optimized for this type of work. Just the opposite of what happens with other multi-sector industrial parks, which are usually designed by architects or engineers under different premises and objectives.
What other important advantage do you gain from this move?
I would like to make it clear that the ship we currently operate in is great. The problem is that it is not optimized for our business. In fact, any company from different sectors would get much more out of it than we would, since its design is very intelligent. To give you an idea, while we now have 10 loading docks, in the new ship we will have more than 30. And you know that the more loading docks, the greater the operational capacity. In terms of surface area, the difference is not much, since the new building is 500 square meters larger. But the loading docks are multiplied by a factor of three. Thanks to this, our operational capacity is almost doubled: since it is not necessary for the cargo to reach storage, what we need are many doors and loading docks, which allow us to increase the flow of loading, unloading and re-dispatching.
What is the main advantage of this move for ADR customers?
Our customers will especially benefit from this change because the level of incidents will be further reduced. Although this is an issue that, fortunately, is already very low. Even so, incidences will decrease significantly.
The impact of the coronavirus on BDtrans’ business
Have you noticed at BDtrans a drop in business volume as a result of the coronavirus crisis?
Fortunately for us, 95% of the customers we work with are in the chemical sector. And the chemical sector is considered to be of prime necessity in any of its aspects. In addition, the transport of goods of certain products for disinfection and cleaning is moving more than ever, due to the high demand for this type of substances. For this reason, our company is not being affected as much by this crisis as other carriers that have seen their activity come to an almost complete halt.
What does the future of logistics look like in the current uncertain environment?
There is no doubt that things are going to change, and it is important to adapt quickly to this new reality. For this, it is necessary to modify the attitude based on fear of change, so that this transition is less painful. The good thing is that BDtrans is one of the most adaptable companies in the transport sector. In large part due to the industrial philosophy by which we are governed. The synergies with Grup Barcelonesa have implemented in BDtrans an operations management system inspired by the knowledge of the industrial sector. We work with many indicators and are always on the lookout for errors, incidents or inefficiencies in the processes. We are constantly analyzing this information and taking measures to correct these possible failures.
If you would like more information about BDtrans, please do not hesitate to contact us by filling out this contact form.
