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Day: 2 November 2020

Coupa Software Acquires LLamasoft

Posted on by David Priestman

Coupa Software, a leader in Business Spend Management (BSM), announced today that it has acquired LLamasoft, a leader in AI-powered supply chain design and planning for a purchase price of approximately $1.5 billion. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., LLamasoft’s technology is used by hundreds of enterprise customers, including brands such as Boeing, Danone S.A., Home Depot, and Nestle. The acquisition will strengthen Coupa’s supply chain capabilities, enabling businesses to drive greater value through Business Spend Management.

The events of this year continue to demonstrate the importance of supply chain agility, as companies work to more rapidly adapt to changing consumer preferences, economic conditions, and the political landscape. With demand uncertainty on one hand, and supply volatility on the other, companies are in need of supply chain technology that can help them assess alternatives and balance trade-offs to achieve desired business results. LLamasoft provides these capabilities with an AI-powered cloud platform that empowers companies to make smarter supply chain decisions, faster.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented shift in what businesses are demanding to effectively manage their supply chains. They need instant visibility, agile planning capabilities, and timely risk mitigation support,” said Rob Bernshteyn, chairman and CEO at Coupa. “LLamasoft’s deep supply chain expertise and sophisticated data science and modeling capabilities, combined with the roughly $2 trillion of cumulative transactional spend data we have in Coupa, will empower businesses with the intelligence needed to pivot on a dime. Together, we will deliver a more powerful Business Spend Management platform to help organizations everywhere maximize the value of every dollar they spend in a smarter, simpler, and safer way.”

Launched in January 2020, LLamasoft’s newest product llama.ai, delivers AI-powered decision making across the supply chain to support an almost unlimited number of use cases. With llama.ai, organizations can create purpose-built applications that leverage an end-to-end decision data model and employ a library of proven supply chain algorithms. These applications can run what-if scenarios and surface valuable insights before organizations make key business decisions.

“We are very excited about joining forces with Coupa,” said Razat Gaurav, CEO at LLamasoft. “Combining Coupa’s market-leading spend management execution core and broad market reach with LLamasoft’s AI-powered supply chain analytics provides a unique opportunity to bring together digital transformation solutions that drive decision making and operational efficiency across the enterprise. I am equally excited for employees of both organizations who share a culture that prioritizes delivering innovation and exceptional customer value.”

Most recently, LLamasoft was named to Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies for the fifth consecutive year, the 2020 Detroit Free Press Top Workplace, and Supply & Demand Chain Executive Green Supply Chain Award 2019.

“This very timely acquisition comes as supply chains are undergoing tremendous disruption that is best navigated using AI-enabled decision processes surrounding a digital twin of the end-to-end supply chain,” said Mickey North Rizza, program vice president of enterprise applications and digital commerce at IDC. “Incorporating supply chain planning capabilities as part of a comprehensive BSM strategy will give companies more visibility and control across their direct and indirect spend.”

Read more software news here https://www.logisticsbusiness.com/it-in-logistics/software-wms-tms-scm/ or learn more about Coupa

Coupa Software Acquires LLamasoft

Posted on by David Priestman

Coupa Software, a leader in Business Spend Management (BSM), announced today that it has acquired LLamasoft, a leader in AI-powered supply chain design and planning for a purchase price of approximately $1.5 billion. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., LLamasoft’s technology is used by hundreds of enterprise customers, including brands such as Boeing, Danone S.A., Home Depot, and Nestle. The acquisition will strengthen Coupa’s supply chain capabilities, enabling businesses to drive greater value through Business Spend Management.

The events of this year continue to demonstrate the importance of supply chain agility, as companies work to more rapidly adapt to changing consumer preferences, economic conditions, and the political landscape. With demand uncertainty on one hand, and supply volatility on the other, companies are in need of supply chain technology that can help them assess alternatives and balance trade-offs to achieve desired business results. LLamasoft provides these capabilities with an AI-powered cloud platform that empowers companies to make smarter supply chain decisions, faster.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented shift in what businesses are demanding to effectively manage their supply chains. They need instant visibility, agile planning capabilities, and timely risk mitigation support,” said Rob Bernshteyn, chairman and CEO at Coupa. “LLamasoft’s deep supply chain expertise and sophisticated data science and modeling capabilities, combined with the roughly $2 trillion of cumulative transactional spend data we have in Coupa, will empower businesses with the intelligence needed to pivot on a dime. Together, we will deliver a more powerful Business Spend Management platform to help organizations everywhere maximize the value of every dollar they spend in a smarter, simpler, and safer way.”

Launched in January 2020, LLamasoft’s newest product llama.ai, delivers AI-powered decision making across the supply chain to support an almost unlimited number of use cases. With llama.ai, organizations can create purpose-built applications that leverage an end-to-end decision data model and employ a library of proven supply chain algorithms. These applications can run what-if scenarios and surface valuable insights before organizations make key business decisions.

“We are very excited about joining forces with Coupa,” said Razat Gaurav, CEO at LLamasoft. “Combining Coupa’s market-leading spend management execution core and broad market reach with LLamasoft’s AI-powered supply chain analytics provides a unique opportunity to bring together digital transformation solutions that drive decision making and operational efficiency across the enterprise. I am equally excited for employees of both organizations who share a culture that prioritizes delivering innovation and exceptional customer value.”

Most recently, LLamasoft was named to Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies for the fifth consecutive year, the 2020 Detroit Free Press Top Workplace, and Supply & Demand Chain Executive Green Supply Chain Award 2019.

“This very timely acquisition comes as supply chains are undergoing tremendous disruption that is best navigated using AI-enabled decision processes surrounding a digital twin of the end-to-end supply chain,” said Mickey North Rizza, program vice president of enterprise applications and digital commerce at IDC. “Incorporating supply chain planning capabilities as part of a comprehensive BSM strategy will give companies more visibility and control across their direct and indirect spend.”

Read more software news here https://www.logisticsbusiness.com/it-in-logistics/software-wms-tms-scm/ or learn more about Coupa

New Hire at Interroll

Posted on by David Priestman

Interroll, a leading global provider of material handling solutions, is delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Wilkinson to the UK subsidiary with immediate effect. He joins the business, located in Kettering, Northants, as a Business Development Manager specialising in Pallet Handling Solutions.

With over 15 years’ experience in business development, commercial contracts, marketing, design and innovation within automation and robotic solutions for packing, case loading and palletising systems, Wilkinson brings with him a wealth of expertise in many sectors and markets including food and beverage, recycled products, chemicals, plastics and industrial products. He Predominately works with end users, in addition to strategic partners to integrate other types of technology including but not limited to robots, coding systems, checkweighers, metal detectors and stretch wrappers.

Interroll Ltd.’s Managing Director, serving the UK and Ireland, Hilton Campbell, is delighted with this new acquisition, he comments “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Paul to our hard-working and accomplished team in the UK. As a thought leader and enabler in the field of material handling, Interroll will continue to expand its innovative Pallet Handling solutions and Paul brings to the table in-depth knowledge of the industry and a strong background in product launches. I’m looking forward to working closely with him on some very exciting projects we have in the pipeline”.
Commenting on his new role, Wilkinson said “I am thrilled to be joining the Interroll team and look forward to applying my knowledge of automation and working with end users, integrators and system builders on their projects”. Read more about the company here

New Hire at Interroll

Posted on by David Priestman

Interroll, a leading global provider of material handling solutions, is delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Wilkinson to the UK subsidiary with immediate effect. He joins the business, located in Kettering, Northants, as a Business Development Manager specialising in Pallet Handling Solutions.

With over 15 years’ experience in business development, commercial contracts, marketing, design and innovation within automation and robotic solutions for packing, case loading and palletising systems, Wilkinson brings with him a wealth of expertise in many sectors and markets including food and beverage, recycled products, chemicals, plastics and industrial products. He Predominately works with end users, in addition to strategic partners to integrate other types of technology including but not limited to robots, coding systems, checkweighers, metal detectors and stretch wrappers.

Interroll Ltd.’s Managing Director, serving the UK and Ireland, Hilton Campbell, is delighted with this new acquisition, he comments “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Paul to our hard-working and accomplished team in the UK. As a thought leader and enabler in the field of material handling, Interroll will continue to expand its innovative Pallet Handling solutions and Paul brings to the table in-depth knowledge of the industry and a strong background in product launches. I’m looking forward to working closely with him on some very exciting projects we have in the pipeline”.
Commenting on his new role, Wilkinson said “I am thrilled to be joining the Interroll team and look forward to applying my knowledge of automation and working with end users, integrators and system builders on their projects”. Read more about the company here

Guide for Social Distancing Identification

Posted on by David Priestman

COVID-19 has changed our lives in many ways – from shelter-in-place orders and face mask requirements, to businesses temporarily shutting their doors to halt the spread of the virus, we’ve all been affected by this pandemic. As you prepare to reopen your business after weeks – or months – of shutdown due to COVID-19, we know that providing a safe environment for your customers and employees is your top priority.

In this new era of social distancing, you need visual identification for each part of your business to ensure the health and safety of all your employees and customers. Although every business environment is unique, Brady has put together some examples of key products to use in specific areas to ensure proper social distancing regulations are observed.

Where to mark for social distancing:
When deciding what signage to use and where to put it, keep in mind the following considerations and address these key areas in your business. Be sure to be cognizant of language barriers or other special factors that may affect your specific business.

See Brady’s Social Distancing solutions for:

• Entry/Exit
• Manufacturing
• Warehouse/Distribution Center
• Pick-up/Drop-off spots
• Checkout
• Communal space
• Lobby/Waiting areas
• Aisles and passageways
• Restrooms

Brady’s quality floor marking products are made tough so you can focus on reopening your business instead of continually reapplying. Our family of floor tapes offer solutions for a variety of surfaces that make it easy to apply and remove, yet it lasts where other floor tapes simply don’t.

Discover & Shop for Brady’s social distancing safety tools

Brady’s Guide for Social Distancing Identification
We created this guide to provide you with the social distancing identification tools you need to keep your customers and employees safe. In the guide:

• Steps to safely identify your store or building
• Tips to optimize traffic flow
• The importance of color, visuals and branding in identification
• Wall and floor signage tactics to encourage social distancing

Download the guide now!

Guide for Social Distancing Identification

Posted on by Keith McKinley

COVID-19 has changed our lives in many ways – from shelter-in-place orders and face mask requirements, to businesses temporarily shutting their doors to halt the spread of the virus, we’ve all been affected by this pandemic. As you prepare to reopen your business after weeks – or months – of shutdown due to COVID-19, we know that providing a safe environment for your customers and employees is your top priority.

In this new era of social distancing, you need visual identification for each part of your business to ensure the health and safety of all your employees and customers. Although every business environment is unique, Brady has put together some examples of key products to use in specific areas to ensure proper social distancing regulations are observed.

Where to mark for social distancing:
When deciding what signage to use and where to put it, keep in mind the following considerations and address these key areas in your business. Be sure to be cognizant of language barriers or other special factors that may affect your specific business.

See Brady’s Social Distancing solutions for:

• Entry/Exit
• Manufacturing
• Warehouse/Distribution Center
• Pick-up/Drop-off spots
• Checkout
• Communal space
• Lobby/Waiting areas
• Aisles and passageways
• Restrooms

Brady’s quality floor marking products are made tough so you can focus on reopening your business instead of continually reapplying. Our family of floor tapes offer solutions for a variety of surfaces that make it easy to apply and remove, yet it lasts where other floor tapes simply don’t.

Discover & Shop for Brady’s social distancing safety tools

Brady’s Guide for Social Distancing Identification
We created this guide to provide you with the social distancing identification tools you need to keep your customers and employees safe. In the guide:

• Steps to safely identify your store or building
• Tips to optimize traffic flow
• The importance of color, visuals and branding in identification
• Wall and floor signage tactics to encourage social distancing

Download the guide now!

Coop Denmark Awards Multi-Million Euro Service Contract

Posted on by David Priestman

Denmark’s largest retailer Coop has awarded a new service contract to Dematic. The work is to provide ongoing onsite support for warehouse automation systems at the retailer’s main distribution centre in Odense, Denmark.

The Coop service contract now covers not just Dematic’s own Multishuttle tote storage system at the 65,000 m2 distribution centre, but also the high-bay storage system and AutoStore installation. Dematic will provide all on-site support services. 26 employees are now based full-time at the Coop facility. The team is to carry out predictive, planned and reactive maintenance as well as gather data. They work closely with Coop’s own teams in order to continuously improve the facility’s automated systems to ensure maximum uptime and throughput.

Morten Boye, Process and Technical Manager at Coop Denmark, said: “The automation systems at our Odense facility are the engine room of our entire supply chain operation. Without it we couldn’t keep our 1,000 national retail outlets stocked or fulfil our growing volume of online orders. And as with engines, the systems need to be maintained well so it can work at maximum efficiency.

A logical choice

“A service contract for Coop cannot be a transactional relationship,” Morten added. “We need a partner who’s always-on and who is constantly looking for ways to make things better. Our idea partner makes incremental improvements to the technology itself. We want to work with someone to carry out predictive maintenance or gather new data sets to inform our fulfilment strategy in future. As that’s what we’ve had from Dematic since the takeover in 2013, it’s made extending our contract with them to cover our facility the logical choice.”

Andy Blandford, Managing Director of Dematic Northern Europe commented: “Our team at the Odense site has always been treated as a vital part of the Coop team. Our ideas are heard and often have led to significant improvements. It’s a real partnership that we’re very proud of. We are therefore thrilled to extend this new contract.”

Coop is Denmark’s largest retailer and is one of the country’s best known grocery brands. In 2010, the cooperative consolidated its slow-moving dry-food goods from several warehouses with around 100,000 m2 to a newly constructed  65,000 m2 facility at Odense.

Building on an existing automated 32,000 pallet high bay store, Dematic created a goods-to-person automated picking system. The system is capable of both handling slow-moving products and assembling store orders in totes for dispatch. The upgraded system occupies only 6,500 m2 of the facility while processing 50% of the volume.

A 16-person Dematic team has been working on-site at the Odense facility since January 2013. This has now expanded to 26 with the new contract.

 

Coop Denmark Awards Multi-Million Euro Service Contract

Posted on by David Priestman

Denmark’s largest retailer Coop has awarded a new service contract to Dematic. The work is to provide ongoing onsite support for warehouse automation systems at the retailer’s main distribution centre in Odense, Denmark.

The Coop service contract now covers not just Dematic’s own Multishuttle tote storage system at the 65,000 m2 distribution centre, but also the high-bay storage system and AutoStore installation. Dematic will provide all on-site support services. 26 employees are now based full-time at the Coop facility. The team is to carry out predictive, planned and reactive maintenance as well as gather data. They work closely with Coop’s own teams in order to continuously improve the facility’s automated systems to ensure maximum uptime and throughput.

Morten Boye, Process and Technical Manager at Coop Denmark, said: “The automation systems at our Odense facility are the engine room of our entire supply chain operation. Without it we couldn’t keep our 1,000 national retail outlets stocked or fulfil our growing volume of online orders. And as with engines, the systems need to be maintained well so it can work at maximum efficiency.

A logical choice

“A service contract for Coop cannot be a transactional relationship,” Morten added. “We need a partner who’s always-on and who is constantly looking for ways to make things better. Our idea partner makes incremental improvements to the technology itself. We want to work with someone to carry out predictive maintenance or gather new data sets to inform our fulfilment strategy in future. As that’s what we’ve had from Dematic since the takeover in 2013, it’s made extending our contract with them to cover our facility the logical choice.”

Andy Blandford, Managing Director of Dematic Northern Europe commented: “Our team at the Odense site has always been treated as a vital part of the Coop team. Our ideas are heard and often have led to significant improvements. It’s a real partnership that we’re very proud of. We are therefore thrilled to extend this new contract.”

Coop is Denmark’s largest retailer and is one of the country’s best known grocery brands. In 2010, the cooperative consolidated its slow-moving dry-food goods from several warehouses with around 100,000 m2 to a newly constructed  65,000 m2 facility at Odense.

Building on an existing automated 32,000 pallet high bay store, Dematic created a goods-to-person automated picking system. The system is capable of both handling slow-moving products and assembling store orders in totes for dispatch. The upgraded system occupies only 6,500 m2 of the facility while processing 50% of the volume.

A 16-person Dematic team has been working on-site at the Odense facility since January 2013. This has now expanded to 26 with the new contract.

 

Highlighting High Standards in Product Safety

Posted on by David Priestman

Magnus Renman, Head of R&D, DS Smith talks about high standards in product safety across their global sites.

Product safety and good manufacturing practice standards are set high in the paper industry. Regulatory requirements set by the European authorities must be met and our paper customers need assurance that we not only meet these requirements but exemplify them. Establishing a clear commitment to product safety and developing a thriving product safety culture across our global network is key to continued success.

With speedy expansion of the company through acquisitions, doubling in size over five years, the challenge was to ensure standardization of manufacturing aligned to the established company practice. Led by the Research and Development division a Product Safety Network was put in place to drive consistency in paper production, knowledge and communications.

This internal company network monitors and drives high standards in paper manufacturing across our paper mills and ensures third party tests and certificates across the full range of paper grades. Working with thousands of people across Europe and the US, the network provides full and concise knowledge of guidelines and practices, shared in thorough communications, workshops and online training systems.

From small local businesses to large global corporations, all are supported with certification and any queries on paper performance, certificates and safety compliance are answered swiftly and efficiently. Certificates for paper are produced from tests using industry-leading experts and accredited laboratories. As an active member of the European Paper & Board Industry associations, customers are assured we continue to lead in the development and adoption of industry best practices.

The network hub also collates information from the markets, with hundreds of people contributing, placing DS Smith in a strong position to understand the needs from our Pan-EU and Global customers.

Marcello Pezzi, Product Safety Manager, Paper Packaging Europe, who manages this network represents DS Smith at F.F.C.O. & C.E.P.I. in the food contact groups. He is actively involved in Food contact guidelines developed with key industry groups and distributed to all paper producers.

Product safety in paper and packaging is a fundamental part of our process at mills and plants across Europe and in the US and has been highlighted further by the Covid-19 pandemic. DS Smith was swift in response to ensure stringent safety measures were in place to protect the workforce, complying with local and national government regulations.

The mills use the latest in cleaning and screening technologies to turn Paper for Recycling (PfR) into a pulp suitable to produce recycled food grade papers. Near Infrared technology, moisture detection sensors and fibre separation innovations have ensured the paper entering the pulping process is of the purest and highest standards. Furthermore, a statement was distributed to customers on the safety of paper, card and board citing government and industry bodies.

As an integrated business, from recycling and paper making through to packaging design and production, we play a key role by providing products and services that supply essential goods, such as food and pharmaceuticals, into shops and homes. With consumer habits changing, online shopping and delivery of food items will be an integrated part of how we now live. Safety in packaging for food products will continue to be front and centre of an ever-changing world.

 

Highlighting High Standards in Product Safety

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Magnus Renman, Head of R&D, DS Smith talks about high standards in product safety across their global sites.

Product safety and good manufacturing practice standards are set high in the paper industry. Regulatory requirements set by the European authorities must be met and our paper customers need assurance that we not only meet these requirements but exemplify them. Establishing a clear commitment to product safety and developing a thriving product safety culture across our global network is key to continued success.

With speedy expansion of the company through acquisitions, doubling in size over five years, the challenge was to ensure standardization of manufacturing aligned to the established company practice. Led by the Research and Development division a Product Safety Network was put in place to drive consistency in paper production, knowledge and communications.

This internal company network monitors and drives high standards in paper manufacturing across our paper mills and ensures third party tests and certificates across the full range of paper grades. Working with thousands of people across Europe and the US, the network provides full and concise knowledge of guidelines and practices, shared in thorough communications, workshops and online training systems.

From small local businesses to large global corporations, all are supported with certification and any queries on paper performance, certificates and safety compliance are answered swiftly and efficiently. Certificates for paper are produced from tests using industry-leading experts and accredited laboratories. As an active member of the European Paper & Board Industry associations, customers are assured we continue to lead in the development and adoption of industry best practices.

The network hub also collates information from the markets, with hundreds of people contributing, placing DS Smith in a strong position to understand the needs from our Pan-EU and Global customers.

Marcello Pezzi, Product Safety Manager, Paper Packaging Europe, who manages this network represents DS Smith at F.F.C.O. & C.E.P.I. in the food contact groups. He is actively involved in Food contact guidelines developed with key industry groups and distributed to all paper producers.

Product safety in paper and packaging is a fundamental part of our process at mills and plants across Europe and in the US and has been highlighted further by the Covid-19 pandemic. DS Smith was swift in response to ensure stringent safety measures were in place to protect the workforce, complying with local and national government regulations.

The mills use the latest in cleaning and screening technologies to turn Paper for Recycling (PfR) into a pulp suitable to produce recycled food grade papers. Near Infrared technology, moisture detection sensors and fibre separation innovations have ensured the paper entering the pulping process is of the purest and highest standards. Furthermore, a statement was distributed to customers on the safety of paper, card and board citing government and industry bodies.

As an integrated business, from recycling and paper making through to packaging design and production, we play a key role by providing products and services that supply essential goods, such as food and pharmaceuticals, into shops and homes. With consumer habits changing, online shopping and delivery of food items will be an integrated part of how we now live. Safety in packaging for food products will continue to be front and centre of an ever-changing world.

 

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