Delivery Management Platform Chosen for Planning and Route Optimisation

Unimasters has chosen eLogii, a Delivery Management and Route Optimisation solution to replace static with fully dynamic delivery tour planning. The result will be in significantly reduced tour numbers in their first and last mile operations and greatly enhanced efficiency.

Unimasters is an advanced supply chain management company with regional infrastructure and global reach through first-class partners in 178 countries. The company provides managed transportation and logistics-as-a-service to a wide range of multinational and local customers. Unimasters had trialled a number of solutions with the aim of moving to fully dynamic planning, improving delivery accuracy, saving processing time and driving improved customer service and had struggled to find a solution with the combination of flexibility, configurability and scalability that it needed.

With eLogii’s powerful SaaS solution, Unimasters is now able to have complete, dynamic control over pickup and delivery operations, including automated planning (taking into account all relevant operational parameters) and route optimisation of first and last mile, while providing total visibility for both their operations teams and their customers.

According to Nikolai Bozhilov, Executive Chairman of Unimasters Logistics Plc, “We have been extremely impressed with the capabilities of the eLogii solution, as well as the value for money that the solution provides. The solution is enterprise-grade, but our teams find it as easy to use as consumer software. We forecast significant savings, as well as a materially enhanced customer experience which is why we are looking forward to a strong multi-year partnership together.”

“Enterprise-grade logistics software doesn’t have to be so difficult to use or overpriced – we have the most user friendly, cost-effective solution in the market, which we will build into the market standard when it comes to Delivery Management” says Andrew Mukerjee, Founder and CEO of eLogii/Brisqq. “Unimasters is an extremely forward-thinking business which always puts the customer first, and we are looking forward to supporting their growth by enabling a phenomenal customer experience for years to come”.

Delivery Management Platform Chosen for Planning and Route Optimisation

Unimasters has chosen eLogii, a Delivery Management and Route Optimisation solution to replace static with fully dynamic delivery tour planning. The result will be in significantly reduced tour numbers in their first and last mile operations and greatly enhanced efficiency.

Unimasters is an advanced supply chain management company with regional infrastructure and global reach through first-class partners in 178 countries. The company provides managed transportation and logistics-as-a-service to a wide range of multinational and local customers. Unimasters had trialled a number of solutions with the aim of moving to fully dynamic planning, improving delivery accuracy, saving processing time and driving improved customer service and had struggled to find a solution with the combination of flexibility, configurability and scalability that it needed.

With eLogii’s powerful SaaS solution, Unimasters is now able to have complete, dynamic control over pickup and delivery operations, including automated planning (taking into account all relevant operational parameters) and route optimisation of first and last mile, while providing total visibility for both their operations teams and their customers.

According to Nikolai Bozhilov, Executive Chairman of Unimasters Logistics Plc, “We have been extremely impressed with the capabilities of the eLogii solution, as well as the value for money that the solution provides. The solution is enterprise-grade, but our teams find it as easy to use as consumer software. We forecast significant savings, as well as a materially enhanced customer experience which is why we are looking forward to a strong multi-year partnership together.”

“Enterprise-grade logistics software doesn’t have to be so difficult to use or overpriced – we have the most user friendly, cost-effective solution in the market, which we will build into the market standard when it comes to Delivery Management” says Andrew Mukerjee, Founder and CEO of eLogii/Brisqq. “Unimasters is an extremely forward-thinking business which always puts the customer first, and we are looking forward to supporting their growth by enabling a phenomenal customer experience for years to come”.

Supply Chain Network for the Manufacturing Industry

SupplyOn, a global collaboration platform for the manufacturing industry, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Starting in 2000 as a joint vision of the automotive suppliers Bosch, Continental, Schaeffler and ZF, SupplyOn is now a leading industry solution for cross-company collaboration in the core sectors of automotive, aerospace, railway and manufacturing. More than 100,000 companies in over 70 countries are now using the industry solution.

SupplyOn provides a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that covers all business processes at the interface between a company and its business partners such as suppliers, service providers and freight forwarders. This enables complex global supply chains to be managed efficiently, transparently and in a crisis-resistant manner. 20 years ago, SupplyOn was one of the first providers of cloud solutions for industrial applications and thus pioneered the networking of global corporations with their business partners. The comprehensive portfolio of solutions and the worldwide network was expanded in 2017 with the acquisition of Newtron and in 2018 with the acquisition of Eurolog.

“We live today in a world that is subject to permanent change, in which everything and everyone is networked and in which the economic, political and social challenges are so vast that they can only be solved jointly in an industrial initiative,” says Markus Quicken, CEO of SupplyOn AG. “To achieve this, companies must collaborate more intensively than ever before and need a platform that networks all relevant players along their supply chains simply and efficiently. This is exactly what SupplyOn has created and continuously expanded over the past 20 years, both on a functional level and in terms of global use.”

A key success factor of SupplyOn is that the solutions were developed in close cooperation with the customers from the very beginning: In councils and expert groups, the processes to be implemented are defined based on the requirements of the industry in order to create industry standards. “The introduction of new technologies such as Big Data combined with Machine Learning has made our solutions smarter,” says Dr. Stefan Brandner, CEO of SupplyOn AG. “This not only enables our customers today to have more transparency in the global supply chain, but also and above all to recognize delivery risks early on and react in a timely manner”.

SupplyOn’s outstanding performance has been confirmed by Gartner by positioning the company twice in a row – in 2018 and 2020 – as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Multi Enterprise Supply Chain Business Networks. SupplyOn also received the 2019 Product Leadership Award in the “Digital Supply Network for Discrete Manufacturing” category from Frost & Sullivan. SupplyOn thanks its customers who believed in the vision of a global supply chain collaboration platform and thus played a key role in the company’s success. These thanks also go to the approximately 400 employees who, with their extraordinary commitment and strong focus on customer satisfaction, are continuously expanding and developing both the global corporate network and the comprehensive portfolio of solutions.

Supply Chain Network for the Manufacturing Industry

SupplyOn, a global collaboration platform for the manufacturing industry, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Starting in 2000 as a joint vision of the automotive suppliers Bosch, Continental, Schaeffler and ZF, SupplyOn is now a leading industry solution for cross-company collaboration in the core sectors of automotive, aerospace, railway and manufacturing. More than 100,000 companies in over 70 countries are now using the industry solution.

SupplyOn provides a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that covers all business processes at the interface between a company and its business partners such as suppliers, service providers and freight forwarders. This enables complex global supply chains to be managed efficiently, transparently and in a crisis-resistant manner. 20 years ago, SupplyOn was one of the first providers of cloud solutions for industrial applications and thus pioneered the networking of global corporations with their business partners. The comprehensive portfolio of solutions and the worldwide network was expanded in 2017 with the acquisition of Newtron and in 2018 with the acquisition of Eurolog.

“We live today in a world that is subject to permanent change, in which everything and everyone is networked and in which the economic, political and social challenges are so vast that they can only be solved jointly in an industrial initiative,” says Markus Quicken, CEO of SupplyOn AG. “To achieve this, companies must collaborate more intensively than ever before and need a platform that networks all relevant players along their supply chains simply and efficiently. This is exactly what SupplyOn has created and continuously expanded over the past 20 years, both on a functional level and in terms of global use.”

A key success factor of SupplyOn is that the solutions were developed in close cooperation with the customers from the very beginning: In councils and expert groups, the processes to be implemented are defined based on the requirements of the industry in order to create industry standards. “The introduction of new technologies such as Big Data combined with Machine Learning has made our solutions smarter,” says Dr. Stefan Brandner, CEO of SupplyOn AG. “This not only enables our customers today to have more transparency in the global supply chain, but also and above all to recognize delivery risks early on and react in a timely manner”.

SupplyOn’s outstanding performance has been confirmed by Gartner by positioning the company twice in a row – in 2018 and 2020 – as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Multi Enterprise Supply Chain Business Networks. SupplyOn also received the 2019 Product Leadership Award in the “Digital Supply Network for Discrete Manufacturing” category from Frost & Sullivan. SupplyOn thanks its customers who believed in the vision of a global supply chain collaboration platform and thus played a key role in the company’s success. These thanks also go to the approximately 400 employees who, with their extraordinary commitment and strong focus on customer satisfaction, are continuously expanding and developing both the global corporate network and the comprehensive portfolio of solutions.

New Low-lifting Pallet Trucks Safe and Comfortable

UniCarriers introduces three new low lifting pallet truck models with a special focus on ergonomics and a multitude of customisation options. The global manufacturer of industrial trucks now offers the PLF, PLR and PLS models in three distinct lengths and with two different load capacities. The trucks were designed to assist loading and unloading, cross-docking, internal transports and order picking processes. Thanks to the TDS concept, for which a patent is already pending, the models also achieve high performance in sub-zero temperatures and other challenging conditions. Long service intervals result in low total costs of operation and maximum uptime.

Where goods are loaded, picked and transported, safety and efficiency are often two competing factors. The new UniCarriers low lift pallet trucks are designed to ensure fast and safe working at the same time. This is where the PLF model’s Side Protection Bars and the driver protected platform from the PLR and PLS help to guarantee safety even when driving at maximum operational speeds. The new pallet truck models reach maximum speeds of 10 to 12.5 km/h, depending on the chosen steering type. The models are available with a load capacity between 2,000 and 2,500 kg and in “Mini”, “Junior” or “Senior” chassis lengths. Users can choose between lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries. Furthermore, as an alternative to the standard lift-out batteries, battery rollers can be selected as an option to speed up battery change in multi-shift operations.

The many repetitive movements when operating a pallet truck can impact upon operators with regard to repetitive strain over prolonged periods of use. UniCarriers prevents this with a variety of ergonomic features such as a low vehicle entry and ergonomically shaped tiller heads. They allow employees to operate the vehicle safely with easily accessible controls. In addition, the folding platform of the PLF model and the driver protection platforms with side and rear entrances of the PLS and PLR offer a high degree of damping, which can also be electronically adjusted for better comfort while driving.

TDS concept guarantees high performance without safety risk

The aim of UniCarriers’ patent-pending TDS concept is maximum traction, damping and stability. Even on wet and uneven surfaces, the braking distance remains short and high driving speeds are possible without the wheels spinning, no matter how heavily the pallet truck is loaded. Specially developed castor wheels combined with the damping effect of the traction wheel minimise impact vibrations. The asymmetrical positioning of the castor wheels extends the damping, as not all wheels are hit simultaneously in the event of an impact. At the same time, the design of the castor wheels combines damping with good side stability. Therefore, even fully loaded pallet trucks can be driven around corners without loss of performance. Thanks to easily accessible maintenance parts and long service intervals, the new models ensure maximum uptime and low total costs of operation.

New Low-lifting Pallet Trucks Safe and Comfortable

UniCarriers introduces three new low lifting pallet truck models with a special focus on ergonomics and a multitude of customisation options. The global manufacturer of industrial trucks now offers the PLF, PLR and PLS models in three distinct lengths and with two different load capacities. The trucks were designed to assist loading and unloading, cross-docking, internal transports and order picking processes. Thanks to the TDS concept, for which a patent is already pending, the models also achieve high performance in sub-zero temperatures and other challenging conditions. Long service intervals result in low total costs of operation and maximum uptime.

Where goods are loaded, picked and transported, safety and efficiency are often two competing factors. The new UniCarriers low lift pallet trucks are designed to ensure fast and safe working at the same time. This is where the PLF model’s Side Protection Bars and the driver protected platform from the PLR and PLS help to guarantee safety even when driving at maximum operational speeds. The new pallet truck models reach maximum speeds of 10 to 12.5 km/h, depending on the chosen steering type. The models are available with a load capacity between 2,000 and 2,500 kg and in “Mini”, “Junior” or “Senior” chassis lengths. Users can choose between lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries. Furthermore, as an alternative to the standard lift-out batteries, battery rollers can be selected as an option to speed up battery change in multi-shift operations.

The many repetitive movements when operating a pallet truck can impact upon operators with regard to repetitive strain over prolonged periods of use. UniCarriers prevents this with a variety of ergonomic features such as a low vehicle entry and ergonomically shaped tiller heads. They allow employees to operate the vehicle safely with easily accessible controls. In addition, the folding platform of the PLF model and the driver protection platforms with side and rear entrances of the PLS and PLR offer a high degree of damping, which can also be electronically adjusted for better comfort while driving.

TDS concept guarantees high performance without safety risk

The aim of UniCarriers’ patent-pending TDS concept is maximum traction, damping and stability. Even on wet and uneven surfaces, the braking distance remains short and high driving speeds are possible without the wheels spinning, no matter how heavily the pallet truck is loaded. Specially developed castor wheels combined with the damping effect of the traction wheel minimise impact vibrations. The asymmetrical positioning of the castor wheels extends the damping, as not all wheels are hit simultaneously in the event of an impact. At the same time, the design of the castor wheels combines damping with good side stability. Therefore, even fully loaded pallet trucks can be driven around corners without loss of performance. Thanks to easily accessible maintenance parts and long service intervals, the new models ensure maximum uptime and low total costs of operation.

What does the Logistics World of the Future look like?

Let a futurist explain, reports Paul Hamblin. Transport management and visibility specialist Transporeon recently staged an online conference which very neatly replicated the format of the real-world version with a quirky navigation that allowed attendees to enter different rooms in a faithfully reproduced virtual ‘venue’.

Top of the bill was Richard van Hooijdonk, a trend watcher and futurist (“trend watchers explain, futurists predict” he reveals) from the Netherlands, with a 100kph patter and an undeniably hypnotic watchability. Richard grabbed attendees from the off by revealing he has had an RFID chip inserted into his wrist and hopes to have another in his brain in due course. (“They’re like tattoos – once you have one, you want another,” he announces). You’ll never need your wallet again, he promises. I’m not convinced. Not yet, anyway.

He began his presentation on the future of transport, logistics and supply chains by listing the dramatic changes wrought by COVID, such as shorter supply chains and the increasing reliance on digital innovation. If a digital product is good and can answer a need, it will grow fast, he said, giving the example of Zoom, which had 10 million users in 2019, but can boast over 300 million at the time of going to press.

The Dutchman’s key point is that all repetitive, predictable tasks will be taken over by machines and that transport will be at the heart of this revolution. Now that autonomous systems can be trained to replicate human movements, they can carry them out, essentially without the downside. The downside being that we humans are emotional and make decisions, which leads to car accidents. Van Hooijdonk confidently predicts a world in which autonomous vehicles – cars, lorries, buses – will interweave painlessly on highways powered by induction-charging from the road
itself. Smart containers will be able to switch between lorries without manual support, while self-sailing ships – he shows the example of an existing Rolls- Royce design – will in future operate
in a world without harbours as smaller autonomous vessels and drones pick up directly from those huge ships well away from ports. The same concept will apply in Distribution Centres on land.

The future of logistics transport is underground, he promises, showing delegates a vision of city-to-city hyperloop tunnels. You don’t have to look too far to find cynics concerning the actual
opportunity provided by blockchain technology, but van Hooijdonk is not among them, pointing out how Wal-Mart and IBM have trialled the complete supply chain transparency of mango fruit using blockchain technology. Every successful transport company will become a technology company, he promises. Data is the oil of technology, it joins up the dots.

Shorter supply chains are here to stay, he believes, as manufacturing migrates to the warehouse itself with the tech provided by Additive Manufacturing. In evidence he cites BMW and Mercedes already using 3D printing to produce car parts, while he offers images from the US of concrete-framed houses already built in under 24 hours and with ambitions to cut that time to six hours.
Business as usual is a thing of the past, he tells us. Change is the only constant factor and established processes prevent change. So why are businesses not more willing to change? Three reasons, he says.

First, uncertainty, which no-one likes, proven in spades by the past six months. Second, faith in existing business models because the numbers are still good. After all, he points out wryly, Kodak’s numbers were great in 2010. Five years later they were gone forever. We like expected behaviour, he argues, and that keeps us stuck in the past. “Only the paranoid survive,” said Andy Grove, founder of Intel. That means you’ve got to be able to unlearn, as Amazon shows how an entire sector can be disrupted. The answer, according to the futurist? Every company will have to part of an ecosystem. You can’t do it alone. Read the whole article here.

What does the Logistics World of the Future look like?

Let a futurist explain, reports Paul Hamblin. Transport management and visibility specialist Transporeon recently staged an online conference which very neatly replicated the format of the real-world version with a quirky navigation that allowed attendees to enter different rooms in a faithfully reproduced virtual ‘venue’.

Top of the bill was Richard van Hooijdonk, a trend watcher and futurist (“trend watchers explain, futurists predict” he reveals) from the Netherlands, with a 100kph patter and an undeniably hypnotic watchability. Richard grabbed attendees from the off by revealing he has had an RFID chip inserted into his wrist and hopes to have another in his brain in due course. (“They’re like tattoos – once you have one, you want another,” he announces). You’ll never need your wallet again, he promises. I’m not convinced. Not yet, anyway.

He began his presentation on the future of transport, logistics and supply chains by listing the dramatic changes wrought by COVID, such as shorter supply chains and the increasing reliance on digital innovation. If a digital product is good and can answer a need, it will grow fast, he said, giving the example of Zoom, which had 10 million users in 2019, but can boast over 300 million at the time of going to press.

The Dutchman’s key point is that all repetitive, predictable tasks will be taken over by machines and that transport will be at the heart of this revolution. Now that autonomous systems can be trained to replicate human movements, they can carry them out, essentially without the downside. The downside being that we humans are emotional and make decisions, which leads to car accidents. Van Hooijdonk confidently predicts a world in which autonomous vehicles – cars, lorries, buses – will interweave painlessly on highways powered by induction-charging from the road
itself. Smart containers will be able to switch between lorries without manual support, while self-sailing ships – he shows the example of an existing Rolls- Royce design – will in future operate
in a world without harbours as smaller autonomous vessels and drones pick up directly from those huge ships well away from ports. The same concept will apply in Distribution Centres on land.

The future of logistics transport is underground, he promises, showing delegates a vision of city-to-city hyperloop tunnels. You don’t have to look too far to find cynics concerning the actual
opportunity provided by blockchain technology, but van Hooijdonk is not among them, pointing out how Wal-Mart and IBM have trialled the complete supply chain transparency of mango fruit using blockchain technology. Every successful transport company will become a technology company, he promises. Data is the oil of technology, it joins up the dots.

Shorter supply chains are here to stay, he believes, as manufacturing migrates to the warehouse itself with the tech provided by Additive Manufacturing. In evidence he cites BMW and Mercedes already using 3D printing to produce car parts, while he offers images from the US of concrete-framed houses already built in under 24 hours and with ambitions to cut that time to six hours.
Business as usual is a thing of the past, he tells us. Change is the only constant factor and established processes prevent change. So why are businesses not more willing to change? Three reasons, he says.

First, uncertainty, which no-one likes, proven in spades by the past six months. Second, faith in existing business models because the numbers are still good. After all, he points out wryly, Kodak’s numbers were great in 2010. Five years later they were gone forever. We like expected behaviour, he argues, and that keeps us stuck in the past. “Only the paranoid survive,” said Andy Grove, founder of Intel. That means you’ve got to be able to unlearn, as Amazon shows how an entire sector can be disrupted. The answer, according to the futurist? Every company will have to part of an ecosystem. You can’t do it alone. Read the whole article here.

Vaccine Logistics System with storage in container design

Once an effective COVID19 vaccine is available in the required quantities and is to be delivered to the vaccination centres, a specific logistical task also needs to be addressed: Some vaccines must be transported at a temperature of at least -70C to -80C and stored on site at the vaccination centre. L&R Kältetechnik has developed a safe, flexible and economical concept for this demanding type of deep-freeze storage: a deep-freeze storage system that is installed in an industrial container.

L&R has extensive experience with the deep-freeze storage of sensitive pharmaceutical active ingredients and products. Vaccine serums, blood plasma, stem cells, bone marrow and biomedical materials are among the stored goods that are kept in the walk-in L&R deep-freeze storages at temperatures down to -110°C. Such storage is in use at many pharmaceutical manufacturers – among other reasons also because they are more reliable, efficient and energy-saving than laboratory freezers.

Based on this experience, L&R has now developed a solution with which millions of vaccine doses can be stored at -80C. The basic idea: a storage cell (pictured) -80°C, with a pre-cooling room at -20°C, is installed in an industrial container with corresponding redundant, multi-stage refrigeration technology in order to guarantee a storage option that is suitable for pharmaceuticals.

Two highly efficient refrigeration systems are installed in 20′ or 40′ containers, each of which ensures a permanent temperature level below -70C. The systems are air-cooled, so only one mains connection is required for operation. They have a redundant design so that if one refrigerating circuit fails, the second circuit can automatically take over the cooling. An optional emergency power supply or nitrogen emergency cooling offers an even higher level of safety.

The interior equipment of the cryogenic storage is adapted to user requirements. Pallet storage spaces are possible as well as shelves and/or drawers for different product sizes. Optionally, the interior can be manufactured with a stainless steel floor according to cleanroom standards. The highly effective insulation ensures a low heat transfer coefficient. This increases the temperature holding time and reduces the energy requirement. The deep-freeze containers are optionally supplied with FDA approval for materials in contact with the product. Via the touch panel of the Siemens PLC, the user can control the system comfortably, and visualize the process. Remote maintenance is possible as well as GPS positioning of the container.

In the construction of this deep-freeze storage system, attention was not only paid to maximum safety and high energy efficiency: the worldwide availability of the components also played a role. Burkhard Rüßmann, general manager of L&R Kältetechnik, told us: “When the vaccine production starts, the logistics must be available all the way up to the vaccination centres – not only in Germany. That’s why we have made sure that our production is scalable over a wide range.”

The container design is the basis for the high-quality systems to be set up with very little effort exactly where the vaccination is carried out. And it offers another advantage: Over the rest of their lifetime, the mobile deep-freeze stores can afterwards be used at other locations and for other tasks.

Vaccine Logistics System with storage in container design

Once an effective COVID19 vaccine is available in the required quantities and is to be delivered to the vaccination centres, a specific logistical task also needs to be addressed: Some vaccines must be transported at a temperature of at least -70C to -80C and stored on site at the vaccination centre. L&R Kältetechnik has developed a safe, flexible and economical concept for this demanding type of deep-freeze storage: a deep-freeze storage system that is installed in an industrial container.

L&R has extensive experience with the deep-freeze storage of sensitive pharmaceutical active ingredients and products. Vaccine serums, blood plasma, stem cells, bone marrow and biomedical materials are among the stored goods that are kept in the walk-in L&R deep-freeze storages at temperatures down to -110°C. Such storage is in use at many pharmaceutical manufacturers – among other reasons also because they are more reliable, efficient and energy-saving than laboratory freezers.

Based on this experience, L&R has now developed a solution with which millions of vaccine doses can be stored at -80C. The basic idea: a storage cell (pictured) -80°C, with a pre-cooling room at -20°C, is installed in an industrial container with corresponding redundant, multi-stage refrigeration technology in order to guarantee a storage option that is suitable for pharmaceuticals.

Two highly efficient refrigeration systems are installed in 20′ or 40′ containers, each of which ensures a permanent temperature level below -70C. The systems are air-cooled, so only one mains connection is required for operation. They have a redundant design so that if one refrigerating circuit fails, the second circuit can automatically take over the cooling. An optional emergency power supply or nitrogen emergency cooling offers an even higher level of safety.

The interior equipment of the cryogenic storage is adapted to user requirements. Pallet storage spaces are possible as well as shelves and/or drawers for different product sizes. Optionally, the interior can be manufactured with a stainless steel floor according to cleanroom standards. The highly effective insulation ensures a low heat transfer coefficient. This increases the temperature holding time and reduces the energy requirement. The deep-freeze containers are optionally supplied with FDA approval for materials in contact with the product. Via the touch panel of the Siemens PLC, the user can control the system comfortably, and visualize the process. Remote maintenance is possible as well as GPS positioning of the container.

In the construction of this deep-freeze storage system, attention was not only paid to maximum safety and high energy efficiency: the worldwide availability of the components also played a role. Burkhard Rüßmann, general manager of L&R Kältetechnik, told us: “When the vaccine production starts, the logistics must be available all the way up to the vaccination centres – not only in Germany. That’s why we have made sure that our production is scalable over a wide range.”

The container design is the basis for the high-quality systems to be set up with very little effort exactly where the vaccination is carried out. And it offers another advantage: Over the rest of their lifetime, the mobile deep-freeze stores can afterwards be used at other locations and for other tasks.

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