TIMOCOM is a mid-sized IT and data specialist, with more than 500 employees from more than 30 countries, and representative offices in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. As the provider of Europe’s first Smart Logistics System, the company is expanding the logistics industry using smart, safe and simple solutions to meet the daily challenges faced by our customers.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
TIMOCOM: We offer Europe’s first Smart Logistics System, which connects road hauliers, freight forwarders and manufacturing and trade companies in a neutral network encompassing more than 43,000 verified companies. This neutrality is an important advantage, as the transactions can be concluded directly between the contract partners. The TIMOCOM system application hosts up to 750,000 international freight and vehicle offers daily, and is used to track more than 150,000 vehicles, as well as plan and calculate countless routes and transportation costs. Standardised interfaces allow the TIMOCOM system to integrate with our customers’ existing processes.
E.E: What’s the news for 2020 about new products?
TIMOCOM: We are constantly adapting our services and applications, and this will continue in 2020. Here as some adjustments from last year, for instance: We have introduced new features for various applications. This included, among other things, a change for the transport order and transport requests. Now users can assign several shipments directly with different order lines. A GPS transmitter, an execution status and truck license plate can be specified per shipment. As a result, the tracking of an order is significantly expanded and improved. In addition, users can include other documents to the order, e.g. delivery documents. This, in turn, can speed up payments.
In 2019, we have also revised our system homepage for our customers. We have placed a special focus on a clear-cut display of products and services in order to help our customers do their daily work even faster. Logistics thrives on efficiency and speed, so every aspect that contributes to this is an absolute added value for our customers.
E.E: What are the ranges of traded products?
TIMOCOM: One of our flagship applications is our freight exchange. Up to 750,000 freight and vehicle offers are published on the Smart Logistics System’s freight exchange daily, by more than 130,000 users from across Europe. With more than 20 years of experience, the freight exchange from TIMOCOM supports its users by providing a virtual marketplace for road freight loads and vehicle space capacity which leads to optimised capacity utilization and the avoidance of empty runs. In addition to its size, a decisive advantage of the freight exchange is its neutrality since TIMOCOM is not involved in pricing. Users also benefit from decades of experience, which is reflected in numerous security features including technical performance, server availability of 99 percent, data security and compliance with data protection guidelines.
Furthermore, we offer our customers numerous applications and services that support them on a day to day basis. Thus, we spare them the expenses for various expensive systems or services since they have a variety of applications and services available all in one system. For example, our Smart App transport orders helps our customers to manage their transport orders digitally: from directly communicating in your business partners language via automatic translation, personalized transport documents, statistics up to binding contract documents. Our Smart App company profiles on the other hand assists you in finding suitable contacts in our network, with 43,000 verified companies one of Europe’s largest logistic networks. Networking with the right business partner is essential for logistics. Our customers can, for instance, create a detailed company profile to draw attention of potential business partners within our system. In turn, customers can view company profiles and expand their own business opportunities by contacting potential partners.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
TIMOCOM: The Romanian market is still on the upswing, although it is no longer operating at a growth rate of 10-15% as it did in 2016 and 2017 – but the potential is still high.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
TIMOCOM: In Romania, there is great interest from small companies with predominantly small fleets (1-5 vehicles) in using TIMOCOM. There is also growing interest in express freight, as well as companies with less than 3.5 t of freight(?) to work of this less regulated market. More and more small Romanian carriers are also trying to find more orders and new business partners with the help of TIMOCOM. There is also a growing interest from some internationally active companies in Romania who are trying to find the most suitable carrier partner.
Most customers in Romania are looking for orders with regard to freights or vehicles from Romania to Germany and back as well as freights form Romania to Italy and back.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
TIMOCOM: In general, our Smart Logistics System, being the first of its kind in Europe, is an innovative product. All applications and services included in the system support our customers in digitizing their logistics processes and making them more efficient.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2020?
TIMOCOM: Digitisation will play an increasing role in the Romanian market as well. So far, a significant number of small and mid-sized logistics companies do not use software programs to facilitate their daily work. There are still a lot of excel spreadsheets in use. More and more small and mid-sized companies will open up to digitalisation in order to make their own processes more efficient. TIMOCOM can be a great help to accompany these companies in their digital transformation and help them in their change processes. Since we offer our customers numerous applications and services that support them on a day to day basis. Thus, we spare them the expenses for various expensive systems or services since they have a variety of applications and services available all in one system.
One development that will keep us busy for a long time is the Corona pandemic, which is currently having a strong impact on international transport and the economy. We as TIMOCOM want to support the logistics industry and have therefore introduced various measures:
Our customers can immediately switch their IP-bound licence to one independent of location, and, after verification, carry out their transport and logistics business from their home office. In addition, TIMOCOM is opening their network of more than 43,000 companies to all those who do not currently have access to a resilient network of transport and logistics partners, so that they can continue to supply their customers with sorely needed goods. Anyone who registers as a new user can use the TIMOCOM system for the entirety of the next quarter, without fees or contractual obligations. Particularly in the event of short-term delivery bottlenecks or disruptions, or a need for storage space, companies can find replacements in the existing customer network.
Find out more at https://www.timocom.ro/we-trust-in-logistics