14 February, 2020

Industry View: 10 Tips to Select the Right Fulfilment Partner

Posted on 14 February, 202031 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Third party logistics (3PL) provider, Yantra Fulfilment, has published its top 10 tips on what to look out for when selecting a fulfilment partner.
The Midlands-based firm has highlighted the 10 key areas that companies should be focussing on when considering how to provide an ‘Amazon-style’ fulfilment service.
Commercial director for Yantra, Steve Smith (above), said: “Effective fulfilment must be fast, accurate and flexible enough to meet evolving customer demands.
“In short, goods need to be in the right place at the right time and it is only by having a trusted 3PL partner that this can be consistently achieved.”

Yantra’s Top Tips for selecting a fulfilment partner:
1. Range of capabilities – Look for a partner that can serve all the channels you wish to serve – there is no point in picking a provider that does e-commerce really well but cannot serve your B2B customers with the same level of service.

2. Technology – Find out everything you can about the systems the 3PL uses. What is the uptime and do they have disaster recovery planning within their business, are questions that need to be explored.

3. Integration – Ensure that the 3PL can link seamlessly with your own systems and the major e-commerce platforms so that you have visibility of your orders and stock levels at all times.

4. Scalability – You are likely looking for a 3PL partner as your business is growing fast and the logistics element is taking up too much of your time. Look for a 3PL partner that has the ability to scale with you and offers distinct advantages in location(s) that suit your business that will ultimately cut your delivery costs.

5. Despatch and delivery insight – When it comes to customer satisfaction, this is one of the most crucial measures of all. Whether your 3PL partner does the final mile delivery themselves, or uses chosen couriers/hauliers, ensure that they have the ability to provide you and your customers updates on deliveries. Research shows that the vast majority of customers want to be kept informed and updated of their delivery.

6. Continuous Improvement – Is your 3PL partner innovative, or happy to just continue with current processes etc? Your 3PL partner should always be looking for improvements, be that through automation or robotics or general process improvements and should be able to inform you of their plans in this area.

7. Visibility of stock availability – A single view of stock is vital for most retailers today. Knowing exactly where stock is and in what numbers is vital for speedy, successful fulfilment of orders and ensuring customer satisfaction. Ensure that your 3PL partner can give you this information at all times.

8. Flexibility – Customer-focussed companies need a 3PL partner that can adapt to an evolving market place. Flexibility is a staple requirement to meet changing customer needs as well as trading peaks and troughs. Your 3PL partner should be able to flex its operations to meet your business needs, whether that flex is up or down.

9. Product accuracy – Many companies still accept low level order accuracy of around 90 percent but this is simply not good enough in today’s market. A 3PL partner that is using a good WMS and scanning process should be able to provide a figure much closer to 100 percent.

10. Value for money – Maintaining healthy margins can make a huge difference to the bottom line, which is why companies should only ever pay for what they actually use. The 3PL market is no different and charges should be based on actual monthly storage and activities rather than a non-specific fee.

Time-Critical Specialist Carousel Logistics Names CFO

Posted on 14 February, 202031 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Service-logistics provider Carousel Logistics has named Nigel Ward as its CFO, in a newly created role.

He joins the organisation from business services provider, Kindertons and takes on the responsibility for Carousel’s financial reporting and strategic investment relationships across Europe. As a member of Carousel’s Executive Board, he will also take a lead role in expanding the company, and its European proposition, through both organic growth and acquisition opportunities.

Ward has more than 20 years’ experience in senior financial positions at a range of both private equity-backed and Blue-Chip organisations such as, GE Capital and TDG Plc.

Chief Executive Officer at Carousel, Graham Martin, said: “Nigel is a highly-experienced CFO whose credentials are ideally suited to Carousel. His strong track-record in fast-growth, PE-backed organisations, combined with his tenacity for adding real value, makes him the perfect candidate.”

Carousel is a UK-founded European service-logistics specialist that uses its own technology to deliver total aftermarket solutions in high-performance industries. It is pursuing a strong trans-European growth strategy.

Davanti’s CORAX Now in Ferrymasters Warehousing Ops

Posted on 14 February, 202029 July, 2025 by David Priestman

CORAX is an innovative WMS developed by Davanti Warehousing. The WMS enables control over internal warehousing and CORAX is SaaS (Software as a Service) which means that it’s an online, scalable product requiring no server or IT infrastructure.

When the operation grows, CORAX keeps the same pace. It’s updated every 2 weeks, developed in Microsoft Azure and the data are safely stored in the cloud. It has a Web and an App version for easy control over inbound, storage, outbound, returns, BDD, etc. in food, 3PL, retail and ecommerce.

In-House Warehousing
Until recently, storage was rented from partners. P&O Ferrymasters is now broadening its base and will create more value for the company in this way. The first of two warehouses to have recently come on board is in Rotterdam Europoort and the second is in the United Kingdom, close to London. Both are already largely filled with goods from various customers.

P&O Ferrymasters stores around 600,000 units on an annual basis. The objective of the Port Centric strategy is to achieve a growth of 5 to 10% per year by widening the activities.

To gain real-time insight into the warehouses, P&O Ferrymasters started looking for a Warehouse Management System. They were looking for an accessible WMS that can be implemented quickly and that can keep pace with their own growth. Since CORAX is a SaaS product, it can easily be scaled up and down. As the company grows, CORAX grows with it.

Fast implementation
The implementation period in the Dutch warehouse took two months, from blueprint to go-live. The CORAX consultants have made a blueprint of the warehouse, comprising an inventory of how to organise the logistics flows in CORAX. Then a proposal for implementation was made and the consultants started working in close collaboration with the client.
The second customer was configured on site, during the ‘go-live’ outbound of the warehouse in the Netherlands. In the UK, P&O Ferrymasters’ own team has handled most of the preparations; in the meantime, they were so well integrated that they largely implemented CORAX themselves, in consultation with the Davanti consultant. CORAX is characterised by a high degree of user-friendliness and is easily operated with both the web version and the App.

“The CORAX App is very user-friendly; you can work with both your smart phone and a logistics scanner. This makes starting up very easy.” Says Niels van der Putten, General Manager Operations, Contract Logistics, P&O Ferrymasters.

Multiple Locations and Multiple Owners
CORAX WMS supports the management and storage of goods from multiple stock owners in a warehouse. This can be different entities within one company or multiple customers of a logistics service provider. At an administrative level, the stocks remain separate, but the administrative users and RF users can work for one or more inventory owner at the same time, if authorised.

The WMS also supports inventory management and goods flows across multiple separate storage locations within one and the same installation. Depending on the authorisation, a user has access to one or more warehouses or work areas. The stock levels per warehouse and across all warehouses are always accessible in real time.

Every user of the WMS can choose his own language, which is essential in an international environment.

JCB Cuts Production in Face of Chinese Supplier Shortages

Posted on 14 February, 202025 July, 2025 by David Priestman

JCB is set to reduce production levels at UK factories due to anticipated component shortages from Chinese suppliers impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, the company announced today.

The move will mean a shorter working week for around 4,000 JCB and agency shop floor employees from Monday (February 17th). This follows an immediate suspension of all overtime.

The measures have been discussed with the GMB union and will see the introduction of a 34-hour week for UK production employees until further notice. JCB employees will be paid for a 39-hour week and will bank the hours, working them back later in the year.

JCB Chief Operating Officer Mark Turner said: “The disruption to the component supply chain in the UK comes at a time when demand for JCB products is very strong, so while this course of action is very unfortunate, it is absolutely necessary to protect the business and our skill base.

“Production in the UK has so far been unaffected by the situation in China. However, more than 25 per cent of JCB’s suppliers in China remain closed and those that have reopened are working at reduced capacity and are struggling to make shipments. It is therefore clear that the inbound supply of certain components from Chinese partners will be disrupted in the coming weeks as they seek to replenish their stocks. This inevitably means we will not have the required amount of parts needed to build our forecast number of machines in the short term.”

Mr Turner added: “These measures will ensure that, while we will produce machines in lower than anticipated numbers, we will do so with the same number of employees, whose skills we will need to fulfil customers’ orders when the situation returns to normal. We are keeping the situation under review and we anticipate a surge in production levels once this period of supply disruption has passed.”

IVECO Driver-Focused S-WAY to be Launched at CV Show

Posted on 14 February, 2020 by Keith McKinley

IVECO will use the 2020 Commercial Vehicle show in Birmingham as the venue for the launch of its S-WAY truck, the first vehicle in the new IVECO WAY heavy range, developed to deliver a complete package of features and services focused on the driver, on sustainability and on an advanced level of connectivity-enabling new customised services.

The new IVECO WAY heavy range sees the brand mark a strong shift towards providing customers with an integrated transport solution, that is both economically and environmentally sustainable, in which the services around the product become more important than the product itself.

Being exhibited for the first time will be two 6×2 examples of the IVECO S-WAY range, both vehicles featuring the AS sleeper cab. Showcasing IVECO’s industry leading sustainable credentials, and taking centre stage in a striking blue, will be a Cursor 13, 12.9 litre natural power engine which delivers 460 hp and 2000 Nm of torque. Also taking centre stage will be a Euro 6d diesel version, delivering 570 hp and 2500 Nm of torque, this model is finished in a distinctive launch red colour.

ShipChain and KeepTruckin Announce New Partnership to Increase Data Visibility

Posted on 14 February, 2020 by Keith McKinley

ShipChain, a blockchain-based logistics solutions provider, today announced a new partnership with KeepTruckin, a fleet management software specialist, that will “give customers greater insight into their product inventories and enhance visibility across the global supply chain.”

As part of the collaboration, ShipChain will integrate KeepTruckin’s telematics data into the ShipChain ecosystem through KeepTruckin’s electronic logging device (ELD) solution.

“At KeepTruckin, our core mission is to help our customers drive their business forward,” said John Verdon, KeepTruckin Head of Partnerships. “This integration with ShipChain will help fleets and drivers deliver goods on time and at capacity, increasing their efficiency and business capabilities.”

“Visibility is crucial, and the ability to gain more visibility integrations and partnerships with companies like KeepTruckin, is necessary to provide our customers trust and insight,” said John Monarch, ShipChain CEO. “We are thrilled to be able to connect with KeepTruckin’s logging devices, which span a huge number of registered drivers and trucks.”

KeepTruckin aims to increase efficiency and safety in the trucking industry with its user-friendly and easily accessible interface. The company equips its customers with a diverse set of innovative solutions, including a fully compliant ELD. KeepTruckin’s proprietary ELD comes with a comprehensive suite of features, including GPS tracking, IFTA reporting, idle time tracking, and vehicle diagnostics.

Drivers currently using a KeepTruckin ELD will be able to automatically import route and shipment data into their ShipChain account and share the shipment data across the supply chain. Tracking data from more than 1,000,000 registered drivers, 250,000 trucks, and 50,000 for-hire carriers can now be pulled into the ShipChain ecosystem and connected to shipments and supply chain movements that span the globe.

“Unlocking the potential of blockchain for all of these users is a critical step forward in global blockchain adoption. We are confident that the use of the ShipChain sidechain will follow,” Monarch added.

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