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Month: May 2021

Woolworths plans innovative fulfilment centre

Posted on by David Priestman

Woolworths has announced plans to construct a new automated fulfilment centre in Auburn, New South Wales, Australia to better serve the online grocery needs of customers in Western Sydney. Subject to planning approval, the 22,000 sq m Auburn fulfilment centre will support up to 250 full-time equivalent roles and around 440 jobs during construction, which is expected to commence in 2021 with go-live planned for 2024.

Woolworths has chosen automation technology company KNAPP as its partner for the realisation of the project. Innovative technologies will help Woolworths’ personal shoppers pick and dispatch more than 50,000 orders a week, with customers having their orders conveniently delivered to their door.

The plans come as Woolworths reported e-commerce sales growth of 92% from July-December 2020. E-commerce sales now account for around 8% of total sales at Woolworths.

“We’ve seen an extraordinary acceleration in online grocery shopping over the past year,” said WooliesX Managing Director, Amanda Bardwell. “As we look ahead, we see more and more of our customers turning to the ease and convenience of home delivery to reclaim time in their busy lives. To keep pace with the demand, we need to innovate with new technology to boost capacity and ensure we’re continuing to offer the best possible online grocery experience.

“This fulfilment centre will deliver a step change in our online offer for our Western Sydney customers. With KNAPP’s world-class automation, our team of personal shoppers will be able to pick many more orders – offering our customers faster delivery options and extra windows to choose from.”

Rudolf Hansl, Vice President Food Retail Solutions at KNAPP, commented: “In collaboration with Woolworths, we’ve developed a highly automated and economical concept for online grocery. Our proven technologies enable fast and efficient customer order fulfilment. We’re very pleased to partner with Woolworths and look forward to working together for years to come.”

Auburn is the next stage of e-commerce investment following strong growth and increased scale. It builds on recent investments with Takeoff’s micro-fulfilment solution (using KNAPP technology) – already live at Carrum Downs, Victoria; Moorhouse, Christchurch; and Penrose, Auckland. A further site is under construction at Maroochydore, Queensland.

Auburn will use the same underlying KNAPP technology at a much larger scale and is expected to deliver efficiency benefits as Woolworths unlocks new capacity for growth. Woolworths stores remain a key part of the e-commerce network, with investment to continue in pick-up (including Direct-to-Boot), in-store fulfilment and on-demand delivery.

Amanda Bardwell concluded: “Auburn and our other fulfilment centres play important roles, complementing the work of our store teams. They help us better serve the most densely populated areas with the strongest demand for online groceries. But even as we invest in new fulfilment centres, local stores remain the heart of our online operation. By making the most of our unrivalled national store network, we can stay close to our customers for faster same-day and on-demand delivery options, as well as convenient pick-up solutions.”

Woolworths plans innovative fulfilment centre

Posted on by David Priestman

Woolworths has announced plans to construct a new automated fulfilment centre in Auburn, New South Wales, Australia to better serve the online grocery needs of customers in Western Sydney. Subject to planning approval, the 22,000 sq m Auburn fulfilment centre will support up to 250 full-time equivalent roles and around 440 jobs during construction, which is expected to commence in 2021 with go-live planned for 2024.

Woolworths has chosen automation technology company KNAPP as its partner for the realisation of the project. Innovative technologies will help Woolworths’ personal shoppers pick and dispatch more than 50,000 orders a week, with customers having their orders conveniently delivered to their door.

The plans come as Woolworths reported e-commerce sales growth of 92% from July-December 2020. E-commerce sales now account for around 8% of total sales at Woolworths.

“We’ve seen an extraordinary acceleration in online grocery shopping over the past year,” said WooliesX Managing Director, Amanda Bardwell. “As we look ahead, we see more and more of our customers turning to the ease and convenience of home delivery to reclaim time in their busy lives. To keep pace with the demand, we need to innovate with new technology to boost capacity and ensure we’re continuing to offer the best possible online grocery experience.

“This fulfilment centre will deliver a step change in our online offer for our Western Sydney customers. With KNAPP’s world-class automation, our team of personal shoppers will be able to pick many more orders – offering our customers faster delivery options and extra windows to choose from.”

Rudolf Hansl, Vice President Food Retail Solutions at KNAPP, commented: “In collaboration with Woolworths, we’ve developed a highly automated and economical concept for online grocery. Our proven technologies enable fast and efficient customer order fulfilment. We’re very pleased to partner with Woolworths and look forward to working together for years to come.”

Auburn is the next stage of e-commerce investment following strong growth and increased scale. It builds on recent investments with Takeoff’s micro-fulfilment solution (using KNAPP technology) – already live at Carrum Downs, Victoria; Moorhouse, Christchurch; and Penrose, Auckland. A further site is under construction at Maroochydore, Queensland.

Auburn will use the same underlying KNAPP technology at a much larger scale and is expected to deliver efficiency benefits as Woolworths unlocks new capacity for growth. Woolworths stores remain a key part of the e-commerce network, with investment to continue in pick-up (including Direct-to-Boot), in-store fulfilment and on-demand delivery.

Amanda Bardwell concluded: “Auburn and our other fulfilment centres play important roles, complementing the work of our store teams. They help us better serve the most densely populated areas with the strongest demand for online groceries. But even as we invest in new fulfilment centres, local stores remain the heart of our online operation. By making the most of our unrivalled national store network, we can stay close to our customers for faster same-day and on-demand delivery options, as well as convenient pick-up solutions.”

RTITB confirms Irish post-Brexit status

Posted on by David Priestman

Following Brexit, RTITB confirms that it remains a recognised accrediting body for lift truck operator and instructor training in the Republic of Ireland.

RTITB’s recognition as an accrediting body in Ireland is derived from the HSA (Health and Safety Authority) Code of Practice Rider-operated lift trucks: operator training and Supplementary Guidance. The HSA has confirmed that the document, which names RTITB as an accreditation scheme provider in the Appendix, is still valid following the UK’s departure from the EU. Therefore, RTITB Accreditation for employers and training providers delivering lift truck operator and instructor training is recognised in the Republic of Ireland.

“For RTITB, it has been very much ‘business as usual’ since Brexit,” says Laura Nelson, Managing Director for RTITB, the leading workplace transport training accrediting body for the UK and Ireland. “Brexit shouldn’t mean that forklift training standards slip, so we remain committed to working with organisations in Ireland to help improve safety in lift truck and workplace transport operations.

“To remove any uncertainty and help minimise business disruption, we also aim to keep all our customers in Ireland up-to-date throughout this time of change, and our team continues to provide the same high level of support,” she continues.

RTITB also confirms that trainees’ data can continue to be shared by trainers in the Republic of Ireland, with RTITB as an Accrediting body in the UK in line with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This is possible due to a temporary framework that permits the free flow of personal data between the EU and UK – a ‘third country’ – for business and law enforcement purposes. This arrangement, established by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, is currently valid until 30th June 2021.

Indications from the EC suggest that following this deadline, the UK’s existing data protection regime will be deemed adequate for this transfer process to continue legally. However, this will be subject to further reviews by the EU Data Protection Authorities and European Data Protection Board before a decision is formally made or adopted by EU member states.

RTITB confirms Irish post-Brexit status

Posted on by David Priestman

Following Brexit, RTITB confirms that it remains a recognised accrediting body for lift truck operator and instructor training in the Republic of Ireland.

RTITB’s recognition as an accrediting body in Ireland is derived from the HSA (Health and Safety Authority) Code of Practice Rider-operated lift trucks: operator training and Supplementary Guidance. The HSA has confirmed that the document, which names RTITB as an accreditation scheme provider in the Appendix, is still valid following the UK’s departure from the EU. Therefore, RTITB Accreditation for employers and training providers delivering lift truck operator and instructor training is recognised in the Republic of Ireland.

“For RTITB, it has been very much ‘business as usual’ since Brexit,” says Laura Nelson, Managing Director for RTITB, the leading workplace transport training accrediting body for the UK and Ireland. “Brexit shouldn’t mean that forklift training standards slip, so we remain committed to working with organisations in Ireland to help improve safety in lift truck and workplace transport operations.

“To remove any uncertainty and help minimise business disruption, we also aim to keep all our customers in Ireland up-to-date throughout this time of change, and our team continues to provide the same high level of support,” she continues.

RTITB also confirms that trainees’ data can continue to be shared by trainers in the Republic of Ireland, with RTITB as an Accrediting body in the UK in line with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This is possible due to a temporary framework that permits the free flow of personal data between the EU and UK – a ‘third country’ – for business and law enforcement purposes. This arrangement, established by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, is currently valid until 30th June 2021.

Indications from the EC suggest that following this deadline, the UK’s existing data protection regime will be deemed adequate for this transfer process to continue legally. However, this will be subject to further reviews by the EU Data Protection Authorities and European Data Protection Board before a decision is formally made or adopted by EU member states.

Webinar: How to remotely implement your WMS

Posted on 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

 

 

Webinar: How to remotely implement your WMS

Posted on by David Priestman

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 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 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.

Transaid scores training success in Uganda

Posted on 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 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.”

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