Shaping up to ship out

As extremely active importers and exporters of goods to boost and grow the economy, South African businesses require high-calibre inspection and expediting services. Dekra Industrial SA has recently launched a division dedicated to meet this growing requirement.

With decades of experience in non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection services, the company brings a wealth of inspection-related expertise to a broad range of clients in industry sectors such as power generation, petrochemicals, steel, fabrication and mining.

JP Muller, the Business Line Manager spearheading Dekra Industrial’s vendor inspection and expediting services locally explains: “In addition to meeting the requirements of the country’s import and export sectors, we saw an opportunity to expand the services provided by DEKRA Industrial in South Africa.

The fact that as a country, we export and import creates a multi-billion rand industry, and a great need for supply chain inspection. Companies want to know the correct quantities of their goods coming in and going out of the country – and that they are also receiving the correct product as per their original order.”

Seamless collaboration and support

Globally, Dekra already provides inspection and expediting services in more than 60 countries, with over 2000 inspectors worldwide.

“It therefore made sense that we would also launch this much-needed service locally, as we can leverage our extensive global network, collaborating seamlessly on a daily basis – particularly in key markets such as India and China, with which we work closely,” says Johan Gerber, DEKRA Industrial SA Managing Director.

“The decision to provide vendor inspection and expediting services to our South African and pan-African clients also aligns with our commitment to delivering quality inspection and testing services worldwide,” Gerber says.

“We also recognise the importance of agility and adaptability in today’s fast-paced business environment, and our goal is to empower South African businesses with the tools and resources they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive global market.”

Quality inspections

Internationally, Dekra’s inspectors are highly trained, and adept at providing accurate and dependable product verification. Collaborations with global transport and logistics stalwarts such as DHL further enhance the vendor inspection and expediting service offering.

To this end, Dekra Industrial South Africa will engage only the best inspectors locally with sector-relevant experience, providing quality, dependability and consistency, as well as fast inspection report turnaround times.

These inspectors – from such diverse backgrounds as engineering and agriculture – will undergo rigorous selection processes to meet the company’s high standards.

“For complex contracts requiring specialised vendor inspections expertise, we will tap into our global network of experienced inspectors, underscoring our commitment to excellence,” highlights Gerber.

In addition to its core vendor inspection services, Dekra Industrial will also provide value-added services such assisting clients with supply chain optimisation and regulatory compliance. By offering a holistic approach to inspection and expediting, the company aims to position itself as a trusted partner for businesses across a wide range of sectors.

Time is money

Although each project has its own dynamics, Muller points out that the company’s standard turn-around time on vendor inspections is 24 hours.

“Time is money as the saying goes in business. If we perform an inspection for the client quickly and efficiently, we know they will come back. The quicker we can perform their inspection and reporting, the quicker our clients can export – or sell – their products,” he enthuses.

Strategic asset and ally

“Our commitment to excellence extends beyond the confines of traditional inspection services,” notes Muller.

“We aim to be a strategic asset – and ally – to our clients, providing them with the insights and support they require to achieve their import and export-related business objectives. This service will enable us to offer more value to our clients: not only by saving them money, but by safeguarding their integrity, credibility and reputation which – in the business of import and export – is very dependent on the verification of quality and of accurate product quantities.

“What sets us apart is our expertise, global footprint and comprehensive vendor inspection and expediting solutions, which can also be tailored as required.

The honesty and integrity with which we operate is also appreciated by our clients. This service is very dependent on the trust which clients have in inspections service provider, and its perceived credibility and integrity. Performing competent and reliable product verifications has built Dekra’s credibility globally as an experienced vendor inspection company with high professional standards – and we aim to offer our local clients the same dependable service,” Muller concludes.