London-based supply chain consultancy Tokema is venturing into the digital world with the launch of Tokema Digital, a digital marketing agency for the logistics industry.
Tokema was co-founded five years ago by Pierre Liguori and Dominique Bartoli. The firm operates with a small core team of highly experienced supply chain consultants and a network of freelance consultants to bring the right expertise depending on the project requirements.
From its London base, the firm provides consultancy and hands-on implementation services to both sides of the supply chain and logistics industry: manufacturers and retailers on one hand; transport and logistics service providers on the other. “We help companies to optimise their operations and have successfully implemented several complex transformation projects,” says Pierre Liguori, who is also Managing Director.
Such efforts have included a Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) project for a renowned global e-retailer and a series of successful warehousing and distribution projects. Tokema is currently designing an optimised supply chain process for a global manufacturer with seven plants, while completely rebooting the client’s supply chain footprint.
Demonstrating the advisory firm’s full-spectrum expertise, Tokema also boasts deep experience in Third-party logistics (3PLs), helping firms take their operations processes, performance, and productivity to the next level. “Our ultimate goal”, says Liguori, “is to boost our clients’ bottom line profitability”.
Building on its track record, the consultancy has a growth plan, of which expansion into digital is a key pillar. Liguori: “We have an aggressive 3-year plan to boost our services in the digital field.” This plan is based on a clear market gap for digital expertise. “While most logistics service providers – especially small and medium-sized businesses – understand the need for a consistent digital marketing strategy, they however often don’t know how to approach this subject.”
Launching Tokema Digital
Tokema’s digital arm offers clients the full menu of services, from digital marketing to website design and development, visual identity and marketing collaterals design, social selling, community management, email campaigns and marketing events organisation.
From a client perspective, the key takeaway is that they can boost their online visibility courtesy of Tokema’s targeted range of high-impact digital strategies, while simultaneously leveraging Tokema’s world-class logistics expertise.
For a logistics services provider Tokema’s integrated offering has tremendous benefits. “Non-specialised digital marketing agencies don’t fully understand the needs and challenges faced by the logistics sector”, notes Liguori. “Tokema Digital has over 40 years of logistics expertise and combines it with an in-depth knowledge of digital marketing. We even act as the external marketing department for most of our clients.”
The benefits are especially profound for medium-sized 3PLs and transport companies who can save time, money and energy through a consulting partnership which combines in-depth industry experience with marketing savvy and digital expertise.
Opening a fully-fledged digital operation has been a transformative experience not just for existing clients in the logistics sphere, but for Tokema itself. Though at the beginning the firm’s logistics expertise was the main draw, Tokema is now winning clients who come to them initially for help with digitisation, but then are deeply impressed by Tokema’s pedigree in logistics and supply chain optimisation.
“Clients are looking for experts who both can execute daily operations and work on continuous improvement initiatives as part of their overall supply chain performance”, says Liguori, “but this is not project based work but an ongoing activity that also involves investment in digital technology platforms to support such programs: TMS, control tower, connected devices and AI, among others”.
This last point is important. Liguori, Bartoli and the entire Tokema team are keenly aware that logistics and supply chain optimisation will be even more interconnected with the emergence of Industry 4.0. What Liguori describes as the “supply chain revolution” will see Tokema leverage its logistics and digital expertise to help clients navigate a brave new world of smart contracts, lean transport and blockchain technology. The firm will have to evolve as quickly as the technology its harnesses. Fortunately, “Tokema is ready for the challenge”.
Sourced from ConsultancyUK