GeoLogistics Corporation, one of the world's largest non-asset global logistics providers, chose the Middle East to launch its new automatic tariff-pricing solution Tariffs at the 8th GeoLogistics Arabian Partners Conference in Dubai in late February.

The Santa Ana, California (US)- based company described Tariffs as an industry-first server-based Intranet portal that offered instant pricing 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"Our constant self-evaluation identified a missing element in our service offering. In today's logistics industry real-time information is critical to any freight forwarding solution. As an industry we have partly met this challenge through on-line ordering and freight-tracking services, but failed to remedy the issue of speed of return on RFQs (request for quote)," said Steve Finch, CEO EMEA Region, GeoLogistics.

"In our industry geographic dispersion, different time zones and varying working-week structures, not to mention public holidays, severely reduces the window available for effective communication. With the launch of Tariffs, the time frame for the fulfilment of a RFQ has been reduced from, in some instances, close to a week's turn around to instantaneous responses."

More than 50 industry professionals from 18 countries attended Tariffs' launch. The new service offering underwent two years of research and development costing GeoLogistics in excess of $2 million. The product was developed completely in-house.

As a first phase, it was rolled out across the GeoLogistic' internal network comprising Europe, North America and Asia approximately 12 months ago.

The result was a 50 per cent increase in conversion of RFQs to business, which prompted the company to expand the network to incorporate its exclusive agents and blue-chip customers.

"We chose the Gulf as the first stage of our global agency roll-out due to our long and close relationship with our agents in the region and the resilience of the Middle East market in the current global economic environment."