"Together Talks" feature # 22: HCL Technologies presented by KLS, freight company
Some Background on HCL Technologies
Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS was joined by Tiffany MacKinnon, Head of Global Supply Chain Services of HCL Technologies. HCLTech is a global technology company, home to 222,000+ people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering and cloud, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Technology and Services, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending December 2022 totaled $12.3 billion.
Reach
HCL Technologies are represented in over 60 countries worldwide creating their global presence. The company provides services and support in a wide range of industries. Recently the company went through a rebranding from HCL to HCLTech. One of itsbig moves to further enhance their brand is a partnership with the New York Giants and New York Jets. Last year marked the first year of their partnership as one of the four premier sponsors for home games at the stadium. Tiffany told us that was a big deal securing that and showing their continued presence and growth.
We asked Tiffany what separates HCL Technologies from competitors and she told us it is their exceptional service and relationships with their clients. "Our service has expanded to where our reach subsidiaries across the verticals. Often times we are working with the parent company and a subsidary or sister company enlists us because of our ability." Confidently she informed us that the service and solutions to customers make it not just about price. The service and commitment to detail is what makes HCL Tech such a unique provider.
Culture
We were curious the greatest strength of the company and Tiffany didn't hesitate answering, "the people". KLS asked how hard it is to get such a large workforce, across the world to essentially act as one...She said, "Being a serivce based company people are our most valuable asset. We provide so many different services, but we are only as strong as the people we employ." And she told us their culture is incredibly strong.
The company utilizes a top down-bottom up approach that is highlighted by very strong leadership. She told us it trickles through the eco-system which is why everyone is on board. Even with such a large company, the senior leadership steers the growth and the people execute the vision. Collectively it has produced tremendous results for the company, specifically over the last 5 years. A notable timeframe was during the pandemic.
Prior to the rebrand, HCL was strictly service-based, but they saw the demand to increase their reach and service which is a reason HCL Tech was devised. However, incorporating assets brought on a new set of challenges. Tiffany told us the company faced the same challenges as everyone else with the supply chain during the pandemic. "We were in the same boat, the disruptions caused us to look internally on how we could improve. During this time the dedication from our team, the support structure, and leadership, allowed us to come out of this even stronger. And we credit employees who just strived to deliver, true over-achievers." The company took the opportunity to strengthen their bonds with customers, build their framework and organizational structure, and lean out procedures.
Partner with KLS
KLS offers LTL and FTL for both dry and reefer transportation.
Our nationwide coverage provides companies a reliable, consistent, and dependable logistics partner to handle your trucking needs.
For more information on how we can help call our office today 708-980-0920 or reach us via our email quote request here!
Diversity and Inclusion
The company takes pride in their ability to be inclusive worldwide with all cultures. Tiffany echoed this during our chat about the importance of having everyone on board, comfortable, and included. Being in so many different countries creates a challenge, but the company excels at their inclusion. As proof they were awarded the Global Gender-Equality Index of 2022 by Bloomberg. Their second straight year being honored.
The company was also awarded as a Global Top Employer Certification of 2023 and Certified™ by Great Place to Work®.
Other awards include being named Corporate Citizen of the Year in 2021 by the Economic Times. Also, awarded the National CSR by Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
Recognition
The company didn't stop raking in the awards there either. Shiv Nadar, Founder and Chairman Emeritus was honored with the Global Leadership Award of 2021 by the US India Business Council. Roshni Nadar Malhorta, Chairperson, was ranked # 52 on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women of 2021 list. And Tiffany, for the second straight year, was highlighted as one of the Top 100 Women in Supply Chain, by Supply Chain Digital Magazine.
Tiffany thanked Supply Chain Digital Magazine here on her LinkedIn Page for being honored again for back-to-back years!
We asked Tiffany what it meant to be honored again, she said, "It was a complete shock! It is a real honor to be listed along so many incredible women." Tiffany mentioned that her almost seven years with the company, the last few have been incredibly rewarding. From the time she started with the company to where it is today is night and day. In that amount of time they have not only created a logistics department but also a full-fledged supply chain. Being one of the leaders overseeing the development of both creations has made her extremely proud. As Tiffany told us, "for the last few years our entire team has been working so hard and grinding to get to where we are now. I'd say I wasn't really focused on personal growth, just being a part of our team to reach our goals. So to be mentioned again for the second straight year meant a lot, and it is a true honor."
Interested in being featured with "Together Talks"?
KLS is booking our upcoming schedule now!
Contact us as we would love to learn your story and share it amongst our audience.
Weekly we provide 2 companies our platform to expand their reach courtesy of our campaign. Let's collaborate!!!
In Closing
KLS wants to thank Tiffany for her time and contributions to this week's "Together Talks" feature on HCL Technologies. The company can be found on various social media handles, check them out below!
Klimson Logistics Solutions - HCL Technologies with Tiffany MacKinnon feature # 22 of Together Talks
*Klimson Logistics Solutions is an Industry Leading Customer Service 3PL. Our focus and commitment to our clients has us striving to be the BEST customer service 3PL for LTL, FTL, Reefer, and Drayage in the country. KLS, freight company, is a 3PL providing nationwide logistics solutions. KLS shipping services include: LTL freight, FTL freight, Reefer LTL freight, Reefer FTL freight, and Drayage. Klimson Logistics Solutions thanks you for viewing our marketing campaign "Together Talks" if you have any interest in being featured or questions regarding your freight operations please contact us today!
Why KLS?
Our precise and reliable effort.
We handle every shipment with the exact same process. It does not matter if you move one shipment a year or ten per day, you will receive the same level of customer service from us. When we started this company, we had one goal in mind, treat every shipment like it was our own. With our vast knowledge of the industry, we understood what a customer would want from a communication standpoint. We applied that process to be the standard here at KLS. Our reliability and being able to depend on our consistency is why we have such long-standing relationships with our clients.
Our Process?
Every shipment in our industry starts with a quote. We are firm believers that time is money, thus we strive to have quotes back in a 5-10 minute reply time for LTL and FTL, any FCL quotes are at the mercy of the carriers getting back to us. For LTL we have the flexibility to quote both off of NMFC and also Density depending on the carrier. Utilizing our services, you’re allowing us to use our expertise to class your freight accordingly to ensure we are providing the best rate we possibly can.
Once a quote has been submitted and a client chooses to proceed with KLS handling the arrangement of the shipment our full process begins. We create the BOL that will be used for the shipment. If it is a new location for our system, we will obtain all the important/special details (reference numbers, contact details, shipping hours, closed for lunch, dock/doors, etc.). We meticulously build every detail into our software for all future shipments involving that location. After we have both locations built and necessary reference numbers have been applied we will tender the shipment to the carrier. We use this method because it provides us a real time pickup number from the carrier to obtain updates prior to pickup. Our staff will either email the BOL directly to you or to the shipper (at your request) the minute after the tender has been accepted by the carrier. LTL carriers require a 2 hour window prior to close time in order to schedule it for a same-day pickup attempt.
The following morning you’ll receive an email from us. It will either provide the reason the pickup was missed (driver’s trailer filled up, driver missed the close time, truck broke down, shipper said no freight, etc.) or if the pickup was successful you will receive the PRO (tracking) number from us, along with the eta for delivery. Our staff will track it throughout the duration of transit and advise if anything happens that will alter the estimated delivery date. The day the shipment delivers we will email you with confirmation and the POD (Proof of Delivery), should you require it.
Your shipment has been quoted, scheduled, picked up, and delivered. The next step is waiting for the carrier to invoice us and make sure the rate matches up. If it does, we close out the invoice from the carrier in our system and automatically your invoice is created and sent to the requested party at your company. In the event the carrier has an additional charge on their invoice “Variance”, we will never send you an invoice with an additional charge without first identifying you of the charge.
Let us repeat, NEVER WILL WE JUST BILL OUT AN EXTRA CHARGE WITHOUT YOU BEING NOTIFIED.
You are our customer, we represent you. Should the carrier provide an extra charge on an invoice, “Lift gate, additional weight, reclass, detention, etc.) We notify you of the charge via email first. Second, within that email we identify what is required should you choose to dispute the charge. Again our goal is to honor your request, if you want to dispute, we will dispute. During a dispute we will provide you updates every step along the way. Once a dispute is closed out, whether it is approved or rejected, then we will invoice you as the invoice has been resolved.
For reference, our company only had 6.2% of all shipments go to dispute in 2022 and we successfully won 91% of those disputes on behalf of our customers.
This is our process for every single shipment you move with us. We don’t cut corners, we don’t hide from difficult situations. We believe in being available, honest, and transparent. We don’t ever want to tell you that a shipment is lost, damaged, misrouted, but it is our duty to notify you the second we find out something has gone wrong. We hate to present bad news, but it is part of the job. What you can guarantee is that we will work a shipment all the way through and turn over every stone until we get a resolution for our clients.
Services offered?
Our core business is LTL and FTL. Within these options we have options for both dry and refrigerated/frozen. We also offer FCL/Drayage options. Our company as a 3PL has nationwide options and services clients across the US.
Let’s breakdown our services more in-depth
LTL:
Standard and Guaranteed
CFS (Imports & Exports)
Tradeshows
Hazmat
Anything that is on a pallet can be moved LTL. Typically LTL is up to 10 pallets, but the sweet spot for a carrier is 6-8 pallets at most for an individual shipment. LTL quotes are good between 5-30 days depending on the carrier. LTL can be quoted either via NMFC or density to determine the class (we do this for you).
Volume:
Anything over 10-12’ of space in the truck is the technical rule for a volume shipment. When we run a quote for you we will determine if it qualifies for volume and provide you a rate if available. Volume moves allow you to get a reduced rate for larger shipments. The caveat to volume shipments it the quotes are only valid for 3-7 days and they move on capacity between terminals. If a terminal is backed up they will move their LTL freight first before the volume freight, which can lead to longer transit times for volume moves.
FTL/Dedicated/Expedited: 53’ Dry and Reefer 26’ Box trucks with lift gate Sprinter Van The main difference for FTL vs LTL is space and transit time. For standard pallets you can fit either 26 or 30 pallets in a 53’ dry van. The other main difference is transit time, for FTL each day counts in the transit time, whereas LTL does not count the day of pickup, weekends, or holidays in their transit time.
Reefer/Frozen:
LTL and FTL
We specialize working in the CPG space with food manufacturers. We regularly deliver to
the following locations:
Kehe
UNFI
Core Mark
DPI
Wegmans
Cugini
H.T. Hackney
Netrition
HEB
ALDI
Chambers and Owens
EBY Brown
Nassau Candy
Harris Teeter
Wakefern
NU INC
Long Distribution
What makes KLS different?
There are thousands for freight brokers and 3PL in our industry. Barrier to entry is rather easy and agents or owners will often hire sales people without any intention of properly training them. It results in high turnover for many freight companies and a forgettable experience for the client. We choose to operate differently through our consistency. We truly care about doing right by our clients and prospects too. While we would love to help provide our services to every company we speak with, that just isn’t realistic. We won’t always be the right fit for every company that moves freight and that is ok. Our authenticity as a shipping company sets us apart from the competition and that is backed up by our testimonials. We also run a marketing campaign bi-weekly called “Together Talks”. We interview, highlight, and promote two businesses every week. Our goal is to grow our network, make new connections, and learn something new with each collaboration. Check it out on our website and if you’re interested in being featured reach out.
Our company also runs a year long charity promotion. Book your first shipment through KLS and we donate to the charity of your choice in your name. Our way of thanking you for giving us an opportunity to show you the KLS way and what makes us one of a kind. This entire package is what we offer to every prospect and every client. Our goal is to help provide answers that customers may have when it comes to shipping. We want to always be available as a resource and will always offer a lending hand whenever we can.
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