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Month: October 2019

Key C-Suite Hires for Indigo Software Include First CTO

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Indigo Software has enhanced its executive management team with a series of appointments at C-X level.

Mike Hill, formerly CEO for Indigo Asia Pacific has been appointed Chief Sales Officer (CSO) with responsibility for global sales and customer relationship management at Indigo. He leads a sales and marketing management team consisting of: Mark Leavy – Director of New Business Sales, EMEA and Americas; Colin Hough – Director of Client Sales, EMEA and Americas; Tan Tai Foong – Director of New Business Sales, Asia Pacific; Gregg Shenton – Lead Generation and Marketing Manager; and Eric Carter – Solutions Architect.

He has worked in the software development industry for over 37 years, with 27 years spent in the Asia Pacific region.

Carl Green (above) has been appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and will lead the technology vision, product evolution, and evangelism of Indigo’s Warehouse Management System (WMS) solutions. He was previously the Head of Development at Vianet and Lead Solution Architect at ATOS, responsible for designing Net and Java based systems for cloud, desktop and mobile platforms including high volume transactional systems running on IBM Websphere MQ and Oracle.

Paul Smith, formerly Support Manager at Indigo has been promoted to Chief Operations Officer (COO) and is responsible for managing Indigo’s support operations and its highly experienced team of consultants.

Darren Baxter, Group CEO at Indigo Software said, “I am delighted to have the support of such a talented senior leadership team and confident that together, Indigo WMS and the other exciting new products we are planning, will continue to gain market share. Since the management buyout in 2016, Indigo has gone from strength to strength, which demonstrates that our business model, combining proven technology with expert supply chain consulting and world beating customer support, is what customers expect and want from their warehouse management software provider.”

Fives AMR Boosts High-Speed Sorting Options

Posted on by David Priestman

Fives, an international partner for automated intralogistics solutions, introduced a major innovation at Post-Expo last week.

The autonomous mobile robot (AMR), called GENI-Ant, can transport and sort both standard and extremely small, unstable items, while allowing high speed and capacity.

“We are the best in class for cross belt sorters and singulation solutions. With the GENI-Ant we accompany the evolution of the market and propose the first AMR able to be loaded automatically “on the fly” giving more efficiency to intralogistics operations, said Fabio SACCHI, New Application Director at Fives Intralogistics SpA

The parcels can be loaded onto the GENI-Ant manually by an operator or automatically with an automated induction line. GENI-Ant is free to move in the operational area according to a navigation map and optimized travel paths. It can adjust speed according to different needs like for unstable parcels or when it is approaching the parcel loading/unloading area.

The battery is recharged while vehicles run their operations thanks to an extremely innovative recharging system. This allows to work without spare robots to keep up operations when any recharge is needed.
Single or double cell

GENI-Ant can be equipped with one sorting cell (cross belt) or with two stand-alone cells to enable sorting of multiple items.

New Sales Hire for Plastic Pallets Specialist

Posted on by David Priestman

GoPlasticPallets has hired Esther Bussell in the new role of Key Account Sales Manager, a 13-year veteran in the industry. She said: “I’m delighted to join the team during a period of tremendous growth throughout the business. There are many reasons why I knew GoPlasticPallets was right for me, one being the extensive range and quality of the products, allowing me to recommend the best plastic pallets for the client’s application! When I met the team, everyone was so welcoming and I could sense they had a friendly and professional company culture. The recycling scheme is incredibly important and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

 

Esther will work closely with the Directors and the sales team to showcase the latest range of products, all of which can be found in the newly updated brochure.

Safety System Scoops Up Second UK Award

Posted on by David Priestman

Safety and assistance systems developer and supplier ELOKON has picked up another industry accolade for its ELOprotect product, winning the Industrial Vehicles & Ancillary category at this year’s BITA (British Industrial Truck Association) Design4Safety Awards. ELOprotect beat a strong line of contenders for first place, underlining the increasing success of this system in the UK as well as in other global markets.

Along with all other ELOKON products, ELOprotect is designed to ensure the highest levels of accident prevention in the warehouse when industrial vehicles such as forklifts are working in proximity to the human workforce. It is a laser-based VNA vehicle-pedestrian safety system which monitors danger zones around forklifts and is automatically activated when a truck enters the narrow aisle. If it detects persons, other forklifts or obstacles it emits visual and acoustic warnings to pedestrians and drivers and automatically brings the vehicle to a standstill. The system is available with various modules such as anti-collision protection to enable the simultaneous operation of multiple VNA trucks in one aisle, ensuring not only maximum safety but also high levels of productivity.

 

Online Fashion Retail Sortation Project Completed by Leicester Firm

Posted on by David Priestman

Leicester-based materials handling specialist BS Handling Systems, has completed a sortation project for online fashion retailer, PrettyLittleThing.

Due to rapid growth, the online retailer has relocated its logistics operation to a new 600,000 sq ft warehouse in Sheffield. In addition to needing extra storage capacity, PrettyLittleThing also required a sortation solution to sort parcels by both carrier and service type.

The project has seen BS Handling Systems install in a bespoke pink colour:
• 60 metre powered belt conveyor with two 180 degree bends
• 6 x 22 metre long conveyor feeder chutes in-between packing benches

The conveyor chutes allow workers to place completed parcels onto the conveyor next to their packing bench. The chutes then feed parcels onto the main carousel line.

The far side of the carousel features sortation bins which enables workers to sort parcels by both carrier and service type ready for worldwide despatch.

Ben Hulme, Head of Operations, PrettyLittleThing concludes: “The conveyor system is tailored to our sortation needs and enables us to handle our peak volumes without any issues. BS Handling Systems were very flexible with the project and met our strict installation deadline.”

Key benefits:
• 60 m long carousel conveyor – 2 x 180° bends
• 6 feeder lanes – 22 m powered belt conveyors
• Handles peak worldwide volumes without issues
• Sortation by carrier and service type
• 600,000 sq ft site in Sheffield

UniCarriers and Talent in Logistics Enjoy Skilful Forklift Operator Challenge

Posted on by David Priestman

UniCarriers has put a focus on the most important asset in logistics at this year’s International Materials Handling Exhibition (IMHX) – on talented and motivated employees. Together with Talent in Logistics, the globally active developer and manufacturer of industrial trucks hosted the first ever Forklift Operator Challenge at the trade fair in Birmingham. Forklift drivers were able to prove their skill while operating UniCarriers’ award winning electric counterbalance truck TX3.

UniCarriers is looking back at four successful days at IMHX in Birmingham. A highlight at the triennial trade fair was the first ever Forklift Operator Challenge hosted by UniCarriers with its partner organisation Talent in Logistics – where numerous enthusiastic entrants demonstrated their high levels of skill and accuracy.

UniCarriers UK Sales Director Chris Bates is happy with the outcome: ‘The challenge is a perfect way to show how important it is to value skill and motivation in the logistics sector. Despite all technological finesses, each truck needs a reliable driver to operate it.’ Ruth Edwards, Business Manager at Talent in Logistics, comments: ‘I was absolutely thrilled to be working with UniCarriers once again at IMHX this year. It seemed only right to partner with an organisation that is passionate about recognising the people that operate this great machinery. It was fantastic to be bringing this live challenge to the 2019 event giving anyone with a valid counterbalance qualification the opportunity to get involved.’

Intriguing challenge with the award winning TX3
For the challenge, UniCarriers geared up the participants by providing them with a truck featuring all ergonomic and technical refinements: The TX3 has won the renowned IFOY Award this year as well as a Red Dot Design Award in 2018. Its all-round visibility and well thought-out ergonomic design render the electric counterbalance truck the perfect vehicle for safe and efficient working.

Next year, UniCarriers will (again) be sponsoring the Forklift Operator of the Year competition by Talent in Logistics. Entrants will then have to prove their skills with UniCarriers’ newest model, a highly efficient low level order picker. Thanks to many technological refinements the manufacturer’s new O-range of order pickers meets the ever-increasing demand for efficiency and productivity within the sector – together with a well-trained and talented staff.

Wide-Load Bagging Machines “Promise Better Packaging Flexibility”

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Growing e-commerce businesses can now benefit from increased flexibility of mail order packaging following the launch of a range of wide-load bagging machines, it is claimed.

With e-commerce continuing to grow year on year, along with ever-changing customer requirements, Automated Packaging Systems has launched the the Autobag® 600™ and Autobag® 650™, designed to offer large bag packaging, providing mail order customers with a packaging solution, regardless of product size.

The Autobag® 600™ offers speeds of up to 65 bags per minute and can efficiently pack and seal polythene bags up to 400mm wide by 680mm long. Pack sizes can also be changed in less than two minutes using Autobag pre-opened bags-on-a-roll.

Specifically aimed at the mail order market, the Autobag® 650™ features a fully-integrated next-bag-out printer, which is particularly useful when printing labels with frequently changing data such as carrier labels. This eliminates the need for a separate labelling operation, simultaneously preventing product queues, reducing waste and also making the bag 100% recyclable.

 

Chinese Tank Container Specialist in IMT Link-Up

Posted on by David Priestman

China’s NTtank has established a cooperation relationship with Dutch telematic specialist IMT by choosing IMT’s so-called ‘Pre-Kit’ to install on all their tank containers, and at no extra cost for new-builds. In addition, NTtank will become the exclusive sales agent in China (excluding tank con-tainer manufacturers) of the complete telematics solution of IMT.

The IMT Pre-Kit includes a digital thermometer (Type WT17-Ex) and a bracket for the easy installation of the Communication and Location Terminal (CLT). Installing the Pre-Kit is actually the preparation to change tank containers into smart tanks within 5 minutes, at any given moment. With the installed Pre-Kit including the digital thermometer, the temperature can be checked in ºC and ºF on the tank container with an accuracy of 0.3°C and no calibration is ever needed. IMT holds a patent on this non-calibration technology.

At the same time, a customer can upgrade its tank container at any time into a ‘Smart’ tank container in less than 5 minutes by installing the Communication and Location Terminal (CLT17-Ex) on the CLT-bracket and paying an activation fee for the WT17-Ex digital ther-mometer. Dethmer Drenth, Managing Director and founder of IMT, explains that installation of the CLT is very straightforward to do, by screwing it with two bolts onto the CLT bracket which will be pre-installed by NTtank on every new tank container.

 

 

Combilift Wins Design4Safety Award

Posted on by David Priestman

Combilift added yet another award to its ever growing tally when it won the Industrial Vehicles Category of this year’s BITA (British Industrial Truck Association) Design4Safety Awards. The company’s reputation for designing innovative products and features to enhance safety in the materials handling sector was underlined once again with the success of its patented multi-position tiller arm, which is a feature common to all its pedestrian models.

Martin McVicar, Combilift’s CEO and co-founder, accepted the trophy from BITA Secretary James Clark during this year’s Logistics awards which took place on 26th September. “We are very proud to be the winners of such an important award as safety is a crucial issue in our industry. Following the FLTA Safety award we received for the Combi-PPT earlier in the year, this highlights the fact that our product range is designed with the utmost safety in mind – not just for operators but for all employees who work with or in the vicinity of forklifts and industrial vehicles.”

Combilift’s unique multi-position tiller enables push button rotation of the rear wheel parallel to the chassis and back, allowing the operator to remain in the safest possible position when placing and picking in narrow aisles; at the side of the unit rather than behind it. This reduces the risk of the operator being crushed or trapped between the truck and racking and the excellent visibility reduces the risks of accidents involving other personnel.

Originally designed for the Combi-WR reach stacker, the tiller arm is now incorporated on Combilift’s ever growing range of pedestrian models such as the multidirectional Combi-WR4, the Combi-CS counterbalance stacker and the Combi-PPT powered pallet truck.

Online Boutique Farfetch Partners with Sorted on Delivery Software

Posted on by David Priestman

Manchester-based software specialist Sorted, which describes itself as a ‘global delivery experience platform’, has announced that it is partnering with Farfetch to help connect Farfetch’s network of luxury boutiques and partners across the world.

The partnership will see Sorted enhance Farfetch’s current ship-from-partner delivery proposition and be integrated into its fulfilment centres to help scale its delivery management capabilities globally. As part of the partnership, Sorted has worked closely with Farfetch to develop the ideal integration with their existing ecommerce fulfilment technology that enables Farfetch to use different services and carriers for each part of the online order process.

More specifically, Farfetch is using SortedPRO to increase the efficiency across Farfetch’s logistics, carrier and delivery operations. This will allow single-integration of carrier and shipping software to streamline the management of Farfetch’s global collection and deliveries and enable the swift onboarding of new carrier services and shipping locations.

Sorted’s secure, globally scalable software as a service (SaaS) platform, with API-first technology, aims to provide Farfetch with a system to improve the customer experience.

In addition to connecting over 2,000 shipping locations worldwide, Sorted will also be integrated into Farfetch’s fulfilment centre network, and its Fulfilment by Farfetch (FxFF) network, Sorted will integrate the additional fulfilment centres in order to support Farfetch as continues to provide a global offering.

David Grimes, Founder and CEO, at Sorted, said: “It’s important that companies like Farfetch are actively embracing software innovations like this and investing in the post purchase stage in order to keep pace and continue rewriting the rules when it comes to delivery in the competitive world of retail.”

Sorted says its Delivery Experience Platform is designed to provide retailers with the easiest, most effective, cheapest and lowest risk way of responding to the expectations that consumers set. Sorted claims it is already helping other global retailers like ASOS, Missguided and Lush increase conversion rates, reduce abandoned baskets and increase customer satisfaction levels.

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