Sprinting to the goal for Under Armour

"DSV processes the inbound flow of goods within 24 hours, fully in line with our requirements", says Frank van Overbeek, who is in charge of operations for Under Armour in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Van Overbeek is also impressed by the very short lead times that DSV achieves for Under Armour’s three different order flows – to wholesalers, to distributors and via e-commerce. "Inbound throughput time is a key performance indicator (KPI) we discuss every month at our regular meetings with DSV", he adds.

Under Armour has been producing high- quality branded sports apparel and footwear since 1996, with the mission ‘to make all athletes better’. "This includes recreational athletes too, just like myself," explains Van Overbeek. Under Armour, which was founded by ex-American footballer Kevin Plank from the University of Maryland, first got to know DSV Solutions in 2010. "We met with DSV in our search for a new partner. They offered the best price/quality ratio and we had a good feeling about the company and the people."

Short lead times

It was a feeling that proved to be right, because within a very short space of time – just three or four months – DSV had moved all Under Armour’s inventory to its logistics centre in Venlo and also had the pick-pack operation up and running. What’s more, DSV’s IT team supported Under Armour’s IT department in Baltimore with the installation of their Manhattan warehouse management system, and was even able to suggest areas for improvement.

DSV proved to us that they are willing and able to provide manpower for our needs in such a way – which is something vitally important for us. They also respond flexibly when it comes to the unusually rapid growth of our business.

Frank van Overbeek, Under Armour

Confidence

"At DSV Solutions, they have a clear understanding of what Under Armour needs in terms of service. Both our companies have similar corporate cultures which makes for very smooth collaboration," concludes Frank van Overbeek.