This week at Twill, we announced our launch into a host of new countries, from Germany and the UAE; to Vietnam and New Zealand. It represents our continued ambition to grow and our mission to remove the consuming logistical barriers to international trade for our customers. One of our latest additions is Australia, where I’m based.
I joined Twill in September because I saw what a great opportunity it provided. I am a millennial and we have grown up with technology all around us, constantly evolving and expanding. Getting the chance to join a team that is looking to bring that same technological, digital revolution to the shipping world was too enticing to turn down.
What also caught my attention about Twill was the ‘agile approach’ which allows us to be open to change and reflect the market. This is important not just for our internal work, but also for our customers; we can take on their feedback and take it forward into real change for our platform or our service. It means Twill is always evolving!
Making a difference in the Australian market
In our team here in Australia we have experience as well as ambition. One of my colleagues Jose, for example, started his career in the Philippines in both Sales and Operations and has a number of years’ experience in the logistics sector – and has been working in the Australian market for two and half years.
Most of the SMEs in Australia, like the rest of the world, are not actually experts in the logistics field – for the main reason that logistics is not their business. At Twill we look to bridge this gap, making shipping and logistics as simple as possible – and we can show our customers through the steps we take so they feel informed and understand each process.
I believe that Twill is really coming to the forefront of freight forwarding, and that it can have a positive impact on the Australian market for our customers. Twill allows the customer to see what is needed and where their shipment is heading – as well as allowing for customisations for their individual needs.
Overcoming barriers
Since Australia is an island, there are tighter controls in place than in some other countries. We have two government departments – Customs and Quarantine – in which rules can differ. Customs focuses on revenue collection (duty/tax etc.) whereas Quarantine focuses on the environment, protecting native flora and fauna and biosecurity.
The tighter controls are particularly true in the case of documentation, where Australia has some documentation and regulations that aren’t present elsewhere in the world. A packing declaration is one example of this – not having it can mean involuntary inspections of your cargo and it possibly being denied entry to the country entirely.
Twill is able to tackle these complexities comfortably through our documentation processes; as the supplier is able to upload their documents directly to the platform for all necessary parties to view and sign-off. This prevents the kinds of delays mentioned above, and with this feature brokers can then decide what documentation is needed when each invoice is uploaded.
Since the Twill platform is always getting better, the kinds of specific documentation needed for certain countries could be added to the mandatory required documents whenever the country in question is the destination.
At Twill we’re always growing and learning and it’s exciting to see the company continue to expand into new regions like ours, here in Australia and New Zealand, as we will also be able to serve our neighbours from our office in Melbourne.