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Month: December 2020

35 Years of Plastic Innovation

Posted on by David Priestman

2020 was a big anniversary year for a big name in the transport and logistics packaging sector, writes Paul Hamblin.

The bekuplast group of companies is one of the leading manufacturers of reusable plastic transport packaging in Europe. This year the company celebrates its 35th anniversary. The administration building at the company headquarters in Ringe, Germany catches the eye even from a distance. The green façade elements are reminiscent of containers stacked on top of each other. The resemblance is appropriate because competence in reusable containers is the USP of this family-run company. The green concept has a long tradition at bekuplast: the first plastic containers the company produced in 1985 were intended for transporting plants. Today the bekuplast group of companies develops, produces and sells reusable solutions worldwide, which are used in all industries.

The plastic containers, trays and pallets are produced at two locations, in Germany and Poland. At the German head office alone about 20 million products are manufactured annually. On a production area of 12.1 hectares, production is carried out with energy-efficient, high-performance injection moulding machines and modern robot technology. In addition to production, the development of innovative reusable solutions for special logistical requirements is one of the core competences.

Driving logistics forward with sustainable solutions is not only the goal, but also the motivation of the company, which developed the first such solutions back in the early 1990s. Hinged containers have revolutionised logistics, and in many sectors, such as fresh produce logistics, it is impossible to imagine life without these volume reduction containers today. Empty collapsible containers from bekuplast can be simply folded up after use, reducing volume by up to 80%.

The innovative strength of the company is also evident in many other areas. As a partner of leading system suppliers bekuplast knows the requirements of intralogistics precisely and so brought
the ‘contecline’ onto the market at the beginning of 2020. The contecline container series is specially designed for use in miniload and shuttle systems and is convincing with its extremely quiet, safe and trouble-free operation in conveyor technology. Solutions such as the company’s award-winning universal tray also demonstrate this innovative strength. Even in economically
turbulent times bekuplast is looking ahead positively. The company is well positioned for the future with new challenges and great opportunities.

Auto Parts Packaging Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

An automated packaging system has the versatility to deal with fragile and heavy automotive parts of many shapes and sizes, reports Paul Hamblin.

Founded in 2001 as an eBay shop for auto parts, kfzteile24 is now Germany’s leading multi-channel supplier for vehicle parts and accessories. The company operates leading online shops in five countries as well as a total of three specialist car markets with associated master workshops. An efficient call centre rounds off the comprehensive service available to the customer. More than
one million customers per year, from professional mechanics to workshops and end users, trust kfzteile24.

The range of more than one million items is sent from the Berlin logistics centres, which employ over 500 people. In 2012, when the daily order volume was around 2000, kfzeile24 decided that, due to continued growth, a major investment project in its logistics was required. The first step was the construction of a distribution centre to replace several small warehouses. Initially order picking operations remained manual, then an automation project was launched in 2018 to prepare the company for continued strong growth.

Automated packaging

kfzteile24 first met B+ Equipment at an exhibition in 2012. The aim was to get to know the available solutions and to evaluate their compatibility with car parts. B+ Equipment began by carrying
out a formal study showing that the multiple methods used by the auto parts supplier for its manual processes could be advantageously replaced with just two formats, plus a packaging solution offering height reduction. B+ Equipment recommended its I-Pack solution, which consists of forming a tray, placing products inside, and finally reducing and closing the box. For the entire project, including the ramp-up, kfzteile24 called upon the expertise of consultants Vialog.

With a high rate of multiple orders, kfzteile24 considered that the I-Pack solution offered a guarantee of reliability for numerous heterogeneous orders with unstable products. “We decided to choose the machines from B+ because we had to increase shipping performance thanks to good business development,” explains Marco Hermann, Head of Logistics at kfzteile24. “It was also important for us to optimize visual presentation of the delivered packages to our customers and to reduce physical strain on our employees.”

The packaging specialist’s pedigree was another factor. “B+ offers decades of experience in the field of automated packaging,” Marco Hermann goes on. “We were impressed by the solid
technology and simple functional logic of the systems. In particular, the height reduction via folding has a big impact on the stability of the package. A simple technical & IT interface was also important for kfzteile24. B+ offers here a very smart and easy solution,” he sums up.

Packaging system and product protection

In 2019, B+ supplied two tray erectors and two I-Pack machines that are integrated into an automated packing line from which the boxes are directly transported to the user. The Packing Lines are integrated in the Order Consolidation Areas. This setup enables high performance and fast dispatch of customer orders. As car parts can be fragile and/or very dense, and also come in many
shapes, not to mention being expensive and highly valued by the customer, most boxes require reliable product cushioning. kfzteile24 has opted for a creased paper cushioning system that operators place by hand at the same time as the products in the gaps. Here too, the I-Pack solution is perfectly compatible with this cushioning solution.

The automated system has been in operation since March 2020 and is sending about 13,000 parcels a day, up to 80% of all company orders, via its transport service partners. Marco Hermann is very pleased with the results. “Working with B+, we have experienced professional and reliable sales teams, goal-oriented project management and customer-oriented solutions. For us these factors are elementary components for a good partnership.”

Gemba Process Innovation Can Drive Wave in Europe

Posted on by Keith McKinley

With businesses across Europe facing a perfect storm of changing buying behaviours and digital disruption, the time is right for the next wave of business innovation. Hiroyuki Nishiuma, the new managing director at Panasonic System Communications Company Europe (PSCEU), suggests lessons learned from a similarly maturing society such as Japan could help. He predicts the next wave of business innovation will come from ‘Gemba Process Innovation’.

The external pressures shaping business across Europe have never been greater or more varied. As society continues to mature, it brings a host of new challenges and opportunities for industry – forcing them to adapt to thrive. Examples of issues driving this change include those such as changing consumer buying habits, rising environmental and ethical awareness and societal issues such as an ageing population reducing the size of the available labour pool.

In combination, innovation in technology continues to rewrite the possibilities for business. This brings with it both threats and opportunity as disruptors rip-up the traditional rules of commerce, changing the way that manufacturing, supply chains and retail interact. As organisations explore ways to adapt, looking at the experiences of others can be useful. In Japan, Gemba Process Innovation is being used to radically review, redesign and reinvent operations using technology to increase efficiencies and free-up creative potential.

Much-like the business philosophy of Kaizen that came before it, Gemba Process Innovation presents an opportunity to benefit European businesses. But rather than small, incremental continuous improvements that were inspired by Kaizen, Gemba Process Innovation takes a more transformative approach. It combines an in-depth understanding of the organisation and of the latest available technologies to deliver new methods of working.

The gemba is the physical site where value is created. This Japanese word literally translates to “the actual place”. For example, in the supply chain the gemba is where things are made, moved, or sold; the site where value is generated and problems must be confronted: the factory floor, the warehouse, or points-of-sale; these are referred to as the gemba. Each has their own unique processes and goals, but also their own particular challenges. However, the question on the minds of managers of all these operational fronts is the same:

How to innovate and optimise in the face of rapidly changing conditions and customer needs?

In Europe, Gemba Process Innovation is most obviously suited to manufacturing, logistics and retail industries but it has applications across many industries. In manufacturing, Gemba Process Innovation can accelerate automation with the use of technologies such as robotics. In logistics, it can provide the ability to sort, schedule, track and monitor the condition of goods using Deep Learning and sensor technologies connected via the Internet of Things. In the retail sector, it can be used to adopt AI and camera technology to drive personalised digital marketing, as well as automated stock re-ordering to optimise product availability on the shelves.

It all begins with deep business understanding

Of course, technology alone cannot solve these challenges. The first step in successful Gemba Process Innovation is a deep understanding of the existing business process; what works and what doesn’t. This is achieved through consultation, a close observation of the business and industry understanding. However, the workforce itself also has a vital role to play. Employee knowledge about a business’ critical processes is probably one of its greatest assets. Gemba Process Innovation taps into this knowledge.

Often people worry that new technology-driven solutions will automatically mean the loss of jobs, but in my experience, this is not necessarily the case. It is more likely to result in a change of labour requirement. In reality, many of the repetitive and physically intensive job roles are removed and new opportunities are created for the workforce to be engaged in alternative and often more rewarding roles.

Next follows solution design, testing and optimisation

After observation and understanding follows the design of a new solution using technology and processes to deliver new levels of efficiency and productivity. Testing and optimising the solution then becomes the focus to ensure as much value as possible can be delivered from the innovation. Gemba Process Innovation requires a combination of hardware, software engineering and system integration to provide the total solution. In Japan, Panasonic has more than 100 years of business experience to draw upon and has been an innovator in Gemba Process Innovation. It first used the approach to continually evolve its own business and then expanded by offering the service to its customers.

The time is now right to introduce Gemba Process Innovation in Europe. As the European market need grows, Panasonic will continue to strengthen and expand its solutions capabilities here. The process has already begun with the acquisition of European-based company Zetes, a specialist advisor in solutions using innovative technology in the supply chain. Globally, more recently, Panasonic has also invested in a 20% stake in Blue Yonder, a leading end-to-end supply chain software provider; further strengthening its knowledge base and capabilities for the future.

The first business results of Gemba Process Innovation are also already being seen in European businesses. Examples include the deployment of Panasonic’s Visual Sort Assist System (VSA). VSA combines scanning technology, goods detection technology and projection to speed up the process of sorting items on a conveyer belt, through the semi-automation of item checking and routing. The system is designed to be used in sites where the workers pick, relocate, or remove items such as in production & retail warehouses, and sorting and distribution centres.

In logistics

With online sales growing rapidly across Europe and a 69% increase in European parcel deliveries forecast by 2021, Gemba Process Innovation is already benefitting the logistics industry in delivering a quality service under increasing pressure. When one of Europe’s leading parcel delivery companies wanted to offer customers improved real-time tracking of their deliveries, from sorting centers to delivery address they turned to Panasonic. After studying the requirements, Panasonic recommended a combined software and hardware solution for the business. Field trials were conducted using new Panasonic rugged handhelds and Zetes Chronos delivery software to test performance. The electronic proof-of-delivery software helps control and improve collection, delivery and related management processes. It connects drivers, back-office workers and logistics management to provide real-time visibility on goods, vehicles and returnable assets. This ensures perfect delivery, every time, and offers customers visibility on the status of their shipments.

In conclusion, as European businesses position themselves globally to take advantage of the next wave of technological innovation, Panasonic plans to assist them in achieving their goals by becoming a full service provider focusing on these types of industry solutions that transform the gemba – the place where value is created.

New Zero Targets Drive RTP Demand

Posted on by David Priestman

RTP is in increasing demand, driven by brands and retailers needing to meet Net Zero carbon targets, reports Paul Hamblin.

Schoeller Allibert says it has seen an upsurge in demand for its returnable transit packaging (RTP) as brands and retailers face increasing pressure to meet Net Zero carbon targets and drive sustainability within their markets and supply chains. As efforts to become carbon neutral accelerate, those in the FMCG sector are scrutinising every aspect of their operations and processes, from product innovation to logistics, to reduce their environmental impact while maintaining efficiency and security of supply.

Schoeller Allibert is a European market leader in the production of recyclable, reusable and returnable transit packaging. It has used this upward momentum to shape its product range, including the recently launched Maxinest E-tail and Maxinest Evo family of products, which includes new and upgraded versions of its pioneering Maxinest container for the grocery and supermarket retail sector. The new range of products includes the addition of features to enhance performance in automated warehouses, Click & Collect and home delivery environments.

Jon Walkington, Retail and Systems Integrator Sales Director at Schoeller Allibert UK, comments: “As part of the UK’s commitment to reducing the impact of climate change and making British industry carbon neutral, the Net Zero drive is shaping how day to day operations are carried out. With ‘Net Zero’ Targets Drive RTP Demand the current target to achieve Net Zero being 2050, and many calling for action sooner, it is likely to be a key industry driver for some time to come.

“Very early on, brands, packaging and retailers understood that reaching carbon neutrality couldn’t be done purely by changing products, ingredients and components – global supply chains are too complex for that. Instead, we look further up the process to find additional sustainability gains in terms of efficiency and reduction of waste.

“We have seen the drive first-hand from our position as the leading RTP supplier in Europe. When sustainability needs to be demonstrated at every single level of the manufacturing and supply process, brands look to tighten how they move, handle and store goods and ingredients. Naturally, plastic RTP is perhaps the RTP is in increasing demand, driven by brands and retailers needing to meet Net Zero carbon targets. most robust way of reducing waste through handling, which I believe is why we are seeing such a strong upturn in use.”

Guided by the needs of the market, Schoeller Allibert has strengthened its core range of RTP solutions to equip customers with the tools they need to create sustainability and efficiency at each stage of the manufacturing and supply process. Walkington concludes: “It’s clear that as brands prepare to adopt and implement Net Zero principles, supply chains will continue to see major
operational shifts. After a challenging few months, sustainability is very much back in focus. It’s now a question of finding new areas for efficiency, and for many businesses, the answer lies in efficient goods handling and streamlined logistics.

“What will prove absolutely crucial is momentum – how we can continue to create change in increasingly complex global supply chains. Plastic RTP is one of the ways that this is being accomplished, but we expect to see continued innovation to further support these changes.”

Healthy Staff, Healthy Business

Posted on by David Priestman

Software can help keep transport and logistics operators healthy during the pandemic. John Bradshaw of Honeywell explains.

Lockdowns, social distancing and remote working have changed the shape of daily lives across the country. Long established patterns of behaviour have been upended as a result, which has left many businesses struggling to keep up with the pace of change – none more so than the transport and logistics (T&L) sector. Supply chain continuity is essential during the current upheaval, especially as we approach the busy end-of-year period. To ensure this happens, safely and successfully, will require a range of co-ordinated enhancements; T&L operators of all sizes will need
to ensure that their operations are smarter, more flexible and more resilient than ever before. And that’s a tough ask.

The good news – a rare commodity during the global health crisis – is that there are the tools and methodologies available to make this happen. For example, next regeneration telematics and vehicle routing systems not only provide valuable real-time insights into fleet availability and deployment, they can also help ensure driver safety by minimising unnecessary social interactions. Deployed in combination with practical routines, such as social distancing and equipment sanitising, Healthy Staff, Healthy Business this can bring down contact points, helping keep drivers and warehouse staff protected. It is also essential to have a clear view of items as they pass along the supply chain; intelligence that is available from sensors on shipments, products and vehicles.

Connectivity is central to making this come together into a single, seamless solution. A cloud-based platform that delivers operational intelligence sits at the heart of the answer, helping keep mobile-equipped employees productive, while reinforcing their observance of local health and safety requirements. Having a holistic overview of operations, in combination with live, detailed insights, will ensure that managers can maintain the overall efficiency of their operations and have the detailed knowledge needed to identify issues before they become problems.

However, the single most important factor in increasing the resilience of a business is ensuring that its workforce remains healthy. In response to this this clear and continuing need, Honeywell has developed a remote asset management platform that helps T&L providers keep their mobile-equipped employees safe, compliant and productive. Called Honeywell Operational Intelligence, it provides vital knowledge about the use of IT and handheld devices deployed around a business. For example, it can:
■ Assign unique devices or assets to a specific user, creating a clear-cut chain of custody
■ Configure cleaning protocols for each device, ensuring optimum sanitation
■ Provide remote troubleshooting and user assistance, enabling contactless IT support
■ Check for proximity between devices and logs alerts if user gets too close, reducing the frequency of contact or touch

For staff predominantly out on the road, the requirements are more complex. The carriers must balance the requirements of safety and social distancing with the needs of carriage. In order to avoid contact during drop-offs/pick-ups, last mile drivers need to be equipped with the right mobility solutions – devices that deliver real-time route planning, to ensure punctuality, reliable communication and contactless proof of deliver/collection.

In an increasingly complex world of ecommerce, light freight and an ongoing health crisis it is essential that T&L operators can respond in meaningful, practical and productive ways to ensure business resilience and staff safety. There is no sign that the existing situation will revert to previous work routines – the current disruption will permanently transform transport and logistics. To be successful in the ‘new normal’ companies will need to form partnerships with trusted technology providers with a proven track record of delivering the systems and know-how needed to keep your business on the move. Honeywell understands the challenges T&L companies are facing and has developed solutions to help its customers during the current health crisis, and beyond.

Trends 2021: Warehouse Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

By Mark Wheeler, Director, Supply Chain Solutions, Zebra Technologies.

Warehouse automation acceleration.
1. How has the pandemic impacted warehousing and logistics operations in 2020, 2021 and beyond?

With the pandemic, warehouse operators are dealing with challenges such as changing customer demand patterns which are strongly impacting the supply chain. Manufacturing interruptions, lack of components, and labor shortages create an ongoing supply chain disruption.

Warehouse operators need to develop and quickly scale their capabilities to adapt to these demand dynamics, considering resources and workforce management. In this new age, enterprises must comply with social distancing rules while dealing with a constrained labor market due to COVID-19. As a result, many favor physical automation to maintain efficient fulfillment operations and productivity. Robotics and intelligent automation are gaining traction and will be accelerating in the next few years.

Warehouse automation acceleration – spanning the entire supply chain from warehousing operations to distribution centers – has been driven by the need to deliver directly to consumers in increasingly shorter timeframes. Carriers such as FedEx, DHL and SF Express in China are shipping at peak volumes daily. This acceleration will continue in 2021 and beyond.

2. What is warehouse automation and its benefits for customers?

Warehouse automation is the combination of mobility, physical automation along with technologies such as RFID and temperature sensing. Combining these technologies with the growth of robotics, including cobots that interface and collaboratively work with humans can help fulfillment centers improve e-commerce operations. For example, integrating temperature-sensing solutions such as Zebra Temptime can indicate if vaccines, medications, biologics, blood, food and more have been exposed to potentially hazardous conditions that could impact their efficacy or safety.

Physical automation
This is the capacity to improve how products are physically moved in the warehouse with robots or cobots. These solutions help to remove repetitive manual processes and unnecessary walking time, improving worker productivity and efficiency.

Warehouse operations are impacted by low-value worker travel in the picking processes. Zebra’s warehouse vision study states that typically 50% of ecommerce warehouse employees are picking orders and that 40-70% of their time is spent moving between picking locations. Technology such as wearable devices, collaboration solutions, Android™ mobile computers and robots/cobots (collaborative robots) all help manage and enhance labor utilization and reduce costs.

Today, a typical warehouse operator can walk many miles a day moving goods from different warehouse locations to the dock to have them shipped. Using an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) significantly reduces this as the goods are brought to the operator within a specific workflow, increasing worker picking time and overall efficiency.

Warehouse operators and fulfilment centers face today need to automate their operational workflows to respond to continued increasing demand.

RFID technology and machine vision
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and machine vision integrated with computer vision provides the visibility needed without relying on an under resourced workforce. Having solutions that enable a “visible warehouse” is a key part of warehouse automation.

We’ve seen a growing interest and demand in RFID, machine vision and computer vision systems. The ability to plan more effectively has become critical for warehouse operators, and this will continue in the future. The need for greater visibility and effective intelligent planning is also becoming increasingly critical. Data is an invaluable asset and its power is only unlocked if it is actioned at the right time to the right person to drive an improved outcome.

Using machine vision and computer vision system solutions can help optimize resources, maintaining operations, saving costs and increasing productivity. You can think of machine vision as being the “eye” while computer vision is the “brain” of a system. These are interdependent technologies. Machine vision technology transforms images into actionable information using image analysis for inspection, quality checking, or anomaly detection against a known specification or comparison. These technologies provide greater visibility in what we call the “visible warehouse.” Warehouse operators are looking to increase shipping and picking visibility accuracy which is why they need the right technology to be able to achieve this.

In the new normal global economy, it is critical for warehouse operators to adapt their processes, workflows and operational models to increase overall efficiencies and productivity by adopting new technologies.

3. What is the technologies’ impact on warehousing and supply chain, and what are the top technologies for successful warehouse automation?

Several dynamics and trends are impacting the warehousing and supply chain landscape. The sharp rise in e-commerce sales is putting pressure on retailers to implement omnichannel strategies for online order fulfilment. This has shifted goods from retail shelves to warehouse racks. Retailers, logistic service providers (LSP) or third-party logistics (3PL) providers are challenged by consumer demands for faster and cheaper delivery, while at the same time managing with less workers in their warehouses.

The ongoing peak activity due to the pandemic means that warehouse automation technology is key for enterprises to maintain operations and manage their critical workflows. To increase productivity, it is key to have visibility of people, assets, materials along with integrating warehouse processes with intelligent physical automation. Speed matters more than ever, and this needs to start at the edge.

RFID technology and prescriptive analytics solutions gives enhanced visibility into warehouse workflows through devices held or worn by workers. Warehouse operators need to get the right workflow execution software and prescriptive guidance tools to optimize worker efficiencies. They need to equip their workers with hands-free mobile devices so they can quickly access the right information at the right time. With the growing use of robots including cobots that interface and collaboratively work with people, this can help fulfillment centers improve e-commerce operations. Integrating intelligent temperature sensor solutions such as Zebra Temptime can indicate if food, vaccines, medications and more have been exposed to potentially hazardous conditions that could impact their efficacy or safety. Legacy providers will have to adapt to meet this growing online customer demand to stay competitive, or risk being left behind.

4. How can technology help warehouse operations be more efficient?

Agility matters more than ever and is one of the key challenges for warehouse operators today as they need to understand how every fulfillment center is operating in real time to be effective and efficient.

Today and tomorrow, warehouses must explore new ways to maintain operations, improve productivity and increase profitability. Understanding their end-user data to help them achieve this is critical. We see an increasing need for mobility and visibility across warehouse operations as well as data analytics planning, predictive modelling solutions and automation. Many customers today are starting to integrate intelligent automation solutions into their warehouse and supply chain environments. Systems with computer and machine vision and robots and cobots will continue to drive automation into 2021 and beyond.

While cost savings are a major factor for automation, some enterprises have seen their early embrace of this as a competitive differentiator, enabling them to increase throughput, fulfill orders quicker, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Solutions for Food and Beverage Logistics

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Thousands of installed drive systems are making NORD Drivesystems one of the world’s leading suppliers of drive solutions across all branches of the food and beverage industry. Based on their extensive knowledge of applications and the versatile modular system, NORD drive experts are providing complete drive solutions for all branches of the industry from a single source.

Reliable drive solutions are an essential requirement for the entire value creation chain throughout the food and beverage industry. From storing, conveying and processing of raw materials to process engineering and filling right up to packaging and logistics – drive systems tailored to the specific application are required. They need to balance hygiene requirements, technological requirements and energy efficiency with product protection and demanding environmental conditions such as heat, cold or moisture in an economical way. In order to meet these requirements, NORD Drivesystems designs reliable and high-quality complete systems consisting of geared motors, frequency inverters and intelligent software.

Gentle and powerful pumping

Amongst others, NORD supplies pump drives with special functions tailored to the pumping medium such as high starting torques or soft start. Wall or motor-mounted frequency inverters facilitate decentralised automation concepts and mobile pumps with intelligent control concepts. In combination with the nsd tupH surface treatment, smooth surface motors and two-stage bevel gear unit based drives are created that combine light weight and high efficiency in a large number of variants with corrosion protection and hygienic smooth surfaces that are easy to clean. Even without a fan, they are achieving a considerably better heat dissipation than stainless steel drives while still featuring a similar corrosion protection. These properties are also required for drives in machines and systems for cutting and dosing as well as in CIP and SIP areas. Whether it comes to heating, cooling or freezing – NORD drive solutions are at home in all temperature zones and can be designed for extreme application conditions in cooking and baking lines or deep-freeze systems.

Agitating in all sizes

For processing steps such as agitating, mixing or kneading, NORD is building high-performance gear motors in all sizes with especially resilient output shaft bearings for high loads. For this application area, MAXXDRIVE® industrial gear units with output torques from 15 to 282 kNm are especially suitable. They can now also be equipped with the new SAFOMI adapter: a flange with an integrated oil expansion tank, increasing operational reliability and requiring fewer wearing parts. NORD offers application-specific equipment options that combine high performance and efficiency, specifically designed for pumps, agitators and mixers with high process-related radial and axial bearing loads.

Perfect conveying, filling and packaging

Synchronous motors with frequency inverter and encoder feedback via absolute or incremental encoders enable highly economic and precise positioning applications and dynamic movement of small and large packaging units. NORD implements versatile solutions for horizontal, vertical and inclined conveyors as well as palletising systems, as well as customised drives for filling systems. With the intelligent NORD frequency inverters, soft start, braking ramp, braking and STO functions can be implemented. Multi-encoder operation, during which a frequency inverter can control up to four motors with encoders, is also possible. For intralogistic systems, NORD also offers the LogiDrive concept: a modular system for individual, economical drive concepts that achieve an optimal balance between energy efficiency and reduction of variants.

Gateway Cuxhaven is ready for Brexit

Posted on by Keith McKinley

On 31 December, the Brexit transition period ends and with that, customs formalities between the European Union and United Kingdom will enter into force. For many months, disruptions of the high-frequency, escorted trailer truck transits along the English Channel are expected due to the newly required customs clearance. But the German port of Cuxhaven is ready for Brexit: port businesses, customs officials and shipping companies have been working in high gear for the last 24 months so that from the first minute of the implementation of Brexit and onward, customers will be offered fluid and unimpacted customs and cargo handling processes.

At the port of Cuxhaven, roughly 70 percent of the cargo handled is generated by transits to Great Britain. Because of the importance of this UK trade, port businesses, customs authorities and shipping companies started preparing early for the impacts and changes required by Brexit. When Great Britain exits the EU internal market and the customs union at the end of the year, customs notices, export terms and tax rules between the EU and the United Kingdom will decisively change – irrespective of whether there is a trade agreement in place or if, upon the occurrence of a “hard Brexit”, the World Trade Organization minimum standards will automatically enter into force.

For this reason, the terminal operators and shipping companies in Cuxhaven involved in trades to/from England renewed their AEO status as certified economic participants so that they can speed along customs processing for third party countries, such as for the United Kingdom after Brexit. Also, members of the Cuxhaven Port Association (HWG), including Cuxport and the Danish shipping company DFDS A/S, implemented the required electronic interfaces with the customs-operated ATLAS (Automated Tariff and Local Customs Processing System) IT system and they have trained their personnel accordingly. Additionally, all companies involved in transportation in the port of Cuxhaven can rely on their years of experience with customs processes.

“Cuxhaven is ready for Brexit. From the first minute of Brexit, we are offering customs processing without traffic jams or interruptions – also because we can ship the trailers without their drivers. Import consignments with incorrect or missing customs documents can be separated out on an expanded area until they have been put through customs and picked up, and do not hinder or delay any other shipments,” explains Peter Zint, chairman of the Cuxhaven Port Association and managing director of Cuxport GmbH. “In this sense, Cuxhaven is a good alternative to the accompanied trailer transports via the ports along the English Channel, which are likely to experience traffic jams and delays after 1 January.”

The advantage of unaccompanied trailer transits is that if there are any delays in the customs process, this does not cause any delays and waiting times with corresponding added costs for drivers and trucks and for other consignments. For trailer trucks with the right customs papers, Cuxhaven guarantees delay-free processing and a punctual departure of the vessel. If there are problems, terminal workers on site will, as required, assist with post-processing and import trailers, containers and new vehicles have sufficient parking opportunities until such time as customs processing is complete. The overall transport chain becomes more reliable and calculable. Drivers and trucks do not need to wait for vehicles in front of them before continuing their journeys, they can directly leave the port to pursue other tasking. In addition to this, customs bonded storage is available for such imported goods as must remain in port for longer than 90 days. Berth 4 and adjacent handling area was opened in 2018 which created appropriate cargo handling and storage space early on.

Ortolf Barth, route manager of DFDS, a HWG member, explained: “DFDS has an expert Brexit team that supports customers of individual routes in handling customs documents. With this, for departures from Cuxhaven, even after the transition period, we are offering a frictionless ferry service to the United Kingdom, like always.”

Warehouse Management System into Operation

Posted on by David Priestman

After the commissioning of PSI Polska Sp. z o.o. in January 2019 with the implementation of the Warehouse Management System PSIwms in the new logistics center, ASMET Sp. z o.o. Sp.k. has been successfully put the system into operation.

PSIwms controls the flow of goods in the logistics center in Moszna-Parcela near Warsaw on the basis of optimized storage algorithms. In combination with the automated warehouse, this makes the logistics processes more efficient. One of the greatest challenges of the project was the processing of orders on the basis of cross-product units of measurement, which result from the specificity of the metal industry and the customer-oriented strategy of ASMET.

The material flow control module from PSI is used to control the shuttle warehouse. This communicates with the forklifts and conveyor belts in order to control the automatic storage and transport processes. Since the start and migration of the entire logistics center, the system has been continuously updated according to customer requirements. The order processing of KANBAN, the integration into the Unifaun shipping system and the automatic control of Crown forklifts will be used shortly.

PSIwms will facilitate the implementation of new work routines in the future and also increase acceptance among employees. Due to the current corona lockdown, the implementation was carried out via remote control. ASMET offers a comprehensive supply of fasteners for machines and systems in the construction, energy, petrochemical, agricultural and automotive industries.

On the basis of its own software products, the PSI Group develops and integrates complete solutions for optimizing the flow of energy and material at suppliers (energy networks, energy trading, public passenger transport) and industry (raw material extraction, metal production, automotive, mechanical engineering, logistics). PSI was founded in 1969 and employs 2,000 persons worldwide.

Flexible Workforce Management

Posted on by David Priestman

While most logistics employers have been moving towards adopting more modern workforce management tools, none had expected to make so many profound changes quite so quickly. Eric Paulsson, Logistics and Warehousing Specialist at Quinyx, explores the lessons learned.

The effects of the pandemic across the industry have been varied. Aberdeen Standard Investments talks about a two-speed market, where industrial estates, trade parks and ‘big box’ assets supplying retail stores are vulnerable to weaker consumption, particularly in the event of a more severe and prolonged consumer recession. It commented: “The most resilient subsectors are fringe-city and urban logistics, which are closely tied to the phenomenal surge in demand for online retail. Some estimates suggest that online retail sales volumes have been catapulted five
years into the future in the space of just a few months.”

And that’s just retail. The impact on connected businesses such as freight has also been significant and unexpected, as the movement of goods has shifted between methods of transport depending on demand and the dictates of individual regions and countries on what is permissible. Despite a few high profile missteps, the logistics industry has been a leader in the adoption of safety and hygiene measures for staff and suppliers. It is also embracing the benefits of workforce management solutions that aim to provide both employers and staff with the capabilities they have been seeking for some years, now accelerated by the pandemic.

Flexible Scheduling

The keywords for the future will seem contradictory but they are ‘flexibility’ and ‘predictability’; employers want to know that they have the right people and resources for the tasks at hand, but at the same time, know they can respond to demand fluctuations that have been so common over the last six months and which look set to continue. For instance, as the source of orders has changed, some warehouses have moved to create dual pick faces for retail and ecommerce; they want to retain the flexibility to ramp up and down depending on how demand changes by channel in the future.

Already this has seen some warehouse staff having to move between roles and tasks more often. This has put pressure on conventional staff scheduling tools that not only lack flexibility for employers but are also unable to provide schedule choices for staff who have needed to incorporate unusual requirements. These include having to work around elderly and vulnerable family members or needing to take on greater workloads to compensate for family members who may be on furlough or have even lost their jobs. Scheduling tools now need to be able to optimise
scheduling, forecast shifts to improve productivity, and control costs as well ensure compliance with regulations on hygiene and social distancing. Read the whole article here.

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