5 May, 2021

Webinar: How to remotely implement your WMS

Posted on 5 May, 2021 by Keith McKinley

First Line Software is hosting a free English-language webinar on Wednesday 12th May aimed at warehouse managers, owners and operators looking to optimise their existing systems and distribution centre operations.

Entitled How to remotely implement your Warehouse Management Solution, the webinar sets out to explore and resolve the complexities of warehouse intralogistics, including:

optimisation
integration
automation
management of material and information flow

First Line Software is a premier provider of software engineering, software enablement, and digital transformation advisory services to clients across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It partners with viastore to offer viadat warehouse management solutions (WMS). Together, they provide integration, automation, and management of materials and information flow to optimise the warehouse environment.

This knowledge is an essential requirement when:

Building new warehouse facilities
Planning WMS implementation
Upgrading your current warehouse system
You require transparency in your intralogistics

Who should attend the webinar? viadat pays off for your company when you have:

5 or more full-time warehouse employees
1000 or more delivery items per day
300 orders per day
3,000+ pallet locations

Efficiencies you can achieve:

Process up to 20% more orders
Increase your delivery capacity by 25% or more
Reduce your processing time from weeks to hours
Increase equipment efficiency by up to 25%

Date & Time:

Wednesday 12th May 2021
15:00 CET (14:00 BST)

Where:

Online

Registration:

Please click this link: REGISTER NOW

Panasonic acquires Blue Yonder

Posted on 5 May, 202129 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Panasonic Corporation has agreed to acquire Blue Yonder, a leading end-to-end, digital fulfilment platform provider. Panasonic will purchase the remaining 80% of shares (for USD5.6 billion) of Blue Yonder, adding to the 20% which Panasonic acquired in July 2020.

Including repayment of outstanding debt, the additional investment totals USD7.1 billion, valuing Blue Yonder at USD8.5 billion. An agreement to purchase the remaining shares of Blue Yonder has been reached between Panasonic and the existing shareholders New Mountain Capital and funds managed by Blackstone.

The need for more intelligent, autonomous and edge-aware supply chains has been dramatically heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of ecommerce and the proliferation of data. This acquisition strengthens Panasonic’s portfolio and accelerates the companies’ shared Autonomous Supply Chain mission, empowering customers to optimise their supply chains using the combined power of AI/ML and IoT and edge devices.

By unifying supply, demand and commerce solutions with IoT and edge technologies, companies can better utilise predictive business insights to pivot their operations in real-time.

Combining Panasonic’s strength in industrial engineering, IoT and edge technologies with Blue Yonder’s AI/ML-driven supply chain and commerce solutions greatly intensifies the customer value of Blue Yonder’s leading digital fulfilment platform. Together, Panasonic and Blue Yonder will deliver a unique competitive advantage for customers to drive more automation and actionable, real-time business insights that reduce waste and improve operations, while creating a more sustainable world.

Blue Yonder is a supply chain industry leader, providing an end-to-end platform driven by AI/ML that serves as a “system of intelligence” for its global retail, manufacturing and logistics customers. Its cloud-based Luminate platform seamlessly manages all nodes of the supply chain across planning, execution and commerce on one unified platform.

The company counts more than 3,000 global customers including 65 of the top 100 retailers, 48 of the top manufacturers, and 9 of the top 10 global third-party logistics companies. Blue Yonder’s global customers include many of the world’s leading brands including Albertsons, Best Buy, BP, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, DHL, Diageo, Lowes, Marks & Spencer, Mercedes Benz, PepsiCo, Procter ＆ Gamble, Starbucks, Unilever and Walmart.

With over 100 years of knowledge and expertise gained from the manufacturing industry, Panasonic aims to solve vital societal issues caused by extreme fluctuations in demand and the logistics issues brought on by dynamics such as COVID-19, changing shopping trends, and labour shortages. With Blue Yonder, Panasonic will be better equipped to empower customers to optimize their supply chains using the combined power of AI/ML and IoT and edge devices.

Panasonic CEO Yuki Kusumi stated: “I’m extremely happy to welcome Blue Yonder and its associates to the Panasonic Group. Both companies have the same mission to support customers’ frontline operations and we have a high affinity in our corporate cultures. By merging the two companies, we would like to realise a world where waste is autonomously eliminated from all supply chain operations and the cycle of sustainable improvement continues.

“There are still many such losses and stagnation in supply chain operations, so through the drastic reduction of wasted labour and resources, we would like to provide better ways of working, and contribute to customers’ management reform and also to the realisation of a sustainable society by carefully using limited global resources. I am confident that by combining the power of Blue Yonder and Panasonic, we can create innovation in global supply chains.”

Girish Rishi, CEO of Blue Yonder stated: “This association came about as a result of three years of working together, first with Panasonic as a Blue Yonder customer and thereafter as joint venture partner. We have developed mutual trust and have a shared vision for an Autonomous Supply Chain that delivers a better life and a better world. As the essential platform for essential times, we are relentlessly focused in fulfilling our customers’ potential.”

Transaid scores training success in Uganda

Posted on 5 May, 20217 August, 2025 by David Priestman

An independent assessment of international development organisation Transaid ’s Professional Driver Training Programme in Uganda has found that 100% of trainees felt the knowledge and experience acquired during the training equipped them with the necessary skills needed to enter the job market.

Of 194 drivers surveyed for the end of project evaluation report, conducted by an external evaluator, 90% also reported feeling safer on the road as a result of the training and 99% felt the training either met or exceeded their expectations.

The four-year project began in 2016 to improve the standards of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and public service vehicle (PSV) driver training and to expand training capacity throughout the country.

The objective has been to improve road safety in a country which suffers one of Africa’s worst road traffic incident rates, claiming an estimated 12,000 lives each year and to ensure Ugandan drivers can meet the needs of the private sector as demand for qualified drivers grows.

To date, the project has delivered specialist HGV & PSV training to 17 Ugandan trainers, representing 7 different training schools, and responsible for training 642 drivers overall – all to the standards of the East African Community (EAC) curriculum for large commercial vehicle drivers, developed by Transaid to harmonise road safety standards in the region.

A core component of the programme has been to train trainers and subsequently drivers of commercial vehicles, building local skills that will enable communities to continue the important road safety work in a sustainable manner, without requiring external support in the long term.

Reflecting on the work of the programme, Caroline Barber, CEO of Transaid, said: “We are incredibly proud of what this project has achieved over the last four years.

“The programme has driven up training standards and made training far more accessible to Ugandan drivers, upskilling the workforce. This will have a lasting impact on the transport and logistics sector in Uganda, and road safety more generally.

“Prior to the programme starting in 2016, driver training expertise was commonly imported from outside the country, whereas now we are seeing the transport sector utilising Uganda’s highly-qualified trainers – who are considered to be amongst the best in the region – a testament to the scheme’s success.

“As ever, none of this would have been possible without the phenomenal support from the UK transport and logistics industry, which has been pivotal to this programme’s success in providing staff and equipment for training and sharing industry best practice and knowledge with the local teams on the ground.”

Transaid’s involvement in this phase of the programme came to an end in November 2020, but the important work continues under the stewardship of its project partner Safe Way Right Way, at the specialist HGV & PSV training school in Mukono. Transaid is currently exploring options for a second phase to the programme to widen the impact and bring in a strong focus on women’s empowerment in the sector.

The programme has been undertaken in partnership with the German development cooperation’s Employment and Skills for Eastern Africa initiative, local non-governmental organisation Safe Way Right Way and the Ugandan government and local private sector.

The Professional Driver Training Programme in Uganda (PDTU) is an initiative of the GIZ Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) programme which is funded by the German and Norwegian governments. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with Transaid and Safe Way Right Way on behalf of GIZ E4D.

Hörmann dock leveller offers flexibility and safety

Posted on 5 May, 202129 July, 2025 by David Priestman

With the most recent ONS retail sales survey showing a 32% growth in on-line sales during 2020, retail distributors and operators are looking for even greater flexibility and speed when loading and unloading of all types of fleet vehicle. The innovative HTLV-3 dock leveller from Hörmann provides the safe solution, with a unique 3-part telescopic lip making it suitable for standard trailer sizes including euro-trailers, right down to smaller vans.

The installation of a HTLV-3 dock leveller is a cost effective and space-saving solution, reducing the need for separate loading bays for lorries and vans. It been specifically designed and developed to operate either across the full telescopic lip as a conventional dock leveller or with the extension of just the middle section to accommodate smaller vehicles and vans.

For the loading and unloading of vans the HTLV-3 has been manufactured with an intelligent and patented hydraulic system. Fitted with two hydraulic cylinders, which allow the dock leveller to follow the movement of the loading surface of the van during loading, the HTLV-3 reduces the transference of weight from the leveller onto the back of the van. This combined with the positive positioning of the leveller at every point of the loading operation, results in a safer working environment for loading operatives and protects the vehicle from harsh loading forces.

For lorries, the HTLV-3 is operated across its whole telescopic width without any compromise in performance and safety standards when compared to a standard dock leveller. Fully extended the HTLV-3 provides an impressive maximum rated load of 60kN, whilst a maximum load of 20kN applies when the leveller is operating with just the middle section extended.

Paul Tulley, Key Account Manager at Hörmann UK, comments: “The HTLV-3 dock leveller is just one of the innovative loading bay solutions on offer from Hörmann. Whilst there are other products available on the market that facilitate the loading and unloading of different sized vehicles, Hörmann is the only manufacturer to offer a solution that has been designed specifically for this requirement.

“Not only does the HTLV-3 offer flexibility, but it also ensures that operators can maximise their loading capacity in terms of performance, whilst not compromising safety considerations.”

Loadsmart appoints former OneSpan CFO

Posted on 5 May, 202131 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Loadsmart, a leading digital freight technology company, has appointed Mark Hoyt as chief financial officer (CFO). Hoyt will lead Loadsmart’s financial strategy and oversee the company’s accounting, finance, treasury and tax functions, championing financial and operational excellence to drive value creation.

“Mark’s impressive and broad-based background working primarily with technology firms at varying levels of maturity – from startup to multinational – make him an invaluable addition to Loadsmart’s executive bench,” stated Felipe Capella, president, COO and co-founder of Loadsmart. “Joining us on the heels of our $90 million Series C funding round, Mark will play a pivotal role in stewarding our financial strategy, allowing for continued capital-efficient, sustainable growth.”

Hoyt brings to Loadsmart global experience and a track record of successful leadership focused on high-growth SaaS solutions, mergers and acquisitions, platform development and change management. Over more than 25 years, he has held management and executive roles across finance, operations, systems, business intelligence and accounting. Most recently, he served as CFO for digital identity and anti-fraud firm, OneSpan, and previously held roles in the U.S. and internationally at Groupon, CareerBuilder, Motorola and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“Following an extensive six-month search, Mark clearly stood out among the candidates we considered,” noted Ricardo Salgado, co-founder and CEO of Loadsmart. “His credentials, breadth and depth of experience, and a shared enthusiasm for our vision make him a welcome addition to the Loadsmart executive team.”

In Q4 2020, Loadsmart reported 208% year-on-year revenue growth, while improving service quality, increasing gross margins and maintaining operational expenses at prior year levels. The substantial revenue increase – 85% of which is recurring automated revenue with no human intervention – was driven by continued product innovation, strategic partnerships, and a record number of direct integrations with large shippers.

“Loadsmart is positioned to make a lasting impact, automating how freight is priced, booked and shipped, leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning and strategic partnerships,” stated Hoyt. “I’m thrilled to join the company and enthusiastic about providing financial leadership to drive and support the company’s commitment to the future of freight. By doubling down on the technology, delivering outstanding operational performance, as well as expanding an unparalleled suite of value-added services, including mode optimisation and data insights, Loadsmart is poised for continued accelerated growth.”

Hoyt is a certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in accountancy from Miami University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He will join Loadsmart in the coming weeks and be based at the company’s headquarters in Chicago.

Xpediator integrates and rebrands UK logistics division

Posted on 5 May, 202131 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Xpediator, a leading provider of freight management services across the UK and Central and Eastern Europe, is to integrate and rebrand its UK logistics division, which currently operates under three different brands, to Delamode International Logistics Limited.

The new division will have over 230 employees and brings together the operating businesses of Delamode Plc (Logistics Division – Braintree, Essex), EMT Logistics (Beckton, E. London) and Import Services Limited (Southampton).

Each business will remain in the same location with the same warehouse and logistics capabilities but will operate under the new Delamode International Logistics brand and critically, will now share centralised resources, including finance, legal, human resource and administration services. Combining under one brand and centralising support services is expected to create significant economies of scale and a much more simplified business model.

As a result of becoming a single business in the UK and centralising a number of key functions, the new company will have additional resource to strengthen key areas, specifically logistics operations and facilities, alongside customer services and account management.

Also, with the Group’s focus on port-centric warehousing and logistics in the UK, the completion of the new purpose-built facility at Southampton’s Container Port (pictured), expected this summer, will increase Delamode International Logistics’ UK warehousing capability by 200,000 sq ft.

The integration and rebranding of the UK logistics division is part of wider integration and re-branding project across the UK freight forwarding division. Already, Anglia Forwarding Limited has become Delamode Anglia Limited and other parts of the UK freight forwarding division will incorporate the Delamode brand in the coming months. Similarly, the freight forwarding division is also centralising functions such as finance and customer services to gain the same advantages.

Robert Ross, CEO of Xpediator, said: “We share the same values and aspirations across the Group and so it makes sense to operate under a single brand, so that our clients easily recognise us and can see the breadth of the services we offer. Unlike many integration and simplification plans this is not about reducing employee numbers instead it is about growth and creating a new simplified structure removing complexity and providing sustainable solutions to our clients.”

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