Italian publishing giant Mondadori set very high standards in choosing its new carrier for deliveries to France: greater responsiveness and anticipation of difficulties, better feedback from the field, higher quality of service, etc. Geodis BM Italy took less than two months to prove it was up to the challenge.

In May, the French magazines published by Mondadori (Auto Plus, Télé Poche, Top Santé, etc.) began being delivered to France by Geodis BM lorries from Verona and Milan. Each year, 2000 semis will cross the border heading for the French press’s distribution hubs. Geodis BM committed itself to providing this service in spite of the contingencies inherent in press deliveries, such as monthly peaks in magazine activity, night-time and just-in-time deliveries, making up time for delays in production, etc.  "I am relying on an experienced service-provider who can overcome these difficulties, and counting on my customers seeing this as a competitive edge", stresses Mondadori Transport Manager Roberto Brughera.

"The carrier must keep us in direct contact with the market" 
Mondadori reopened competitive bidding for all its carriers right across Europe. At the same time the Italian group took back the management of its product flows, which its carriers had handled up to then. However, they continue to play one very important role: "They must be perfectly familiar with the press sector, the way the hubs operate, the difficulties to avoid and the classic pitfalls. They must inform us of problems at an early stage so we can react accordingly. In a word, they must keep us in direct contact with the market." Mondadori monitors each shipment via an EDI* connection.