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Month: September 2021

Felixstowe welcomes world’s largest container ship

Posted on by David Priestman

The Ever Ace, the world’s largest container ship, has made its maiden call at Port of Felixstowe. Operated by Taiwanese line Evergreen Marine, the 24,000TEU capacity vessel arrived at the UK’s largest container port from Hamburg, having commenced its voyage at Qingdao, China in July.

Commenting on the arrival, Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Ever Ace on its maiden call at the Port of Felixstowe. Our relationship with Evergreen dates back to 1979 when Evergreen launched its first Asia-Europe service. The scale of growth since then has been nothing short of staggering; those first ships had a capacity of just 1,200TEU, one-twentieth of the number the Ever Ace can carry.

“It is particularly fitting that the arrival coincides with the start of London International Shipping Week which promotes the best of the UK maritime sector. The Port of Felixstowe has long been the country’s No.1 container port and we are continuing to invest to secure that position long into the future.”

Work is due to commence in the autumn to increase the depth of the main approach channel into the port. Undertaken by Harwich Haven Authority and due for completion in 18 months, the £120m scheme will increase the depth of the channel from 14.5m to 16.0m below chart datum.

The channel deepening will give Felixstowe unrivalled access for the largest container ships and complements work completed in July to deepen Berth 7 at the port to 16.5m. Further work to deepen Berths 6, 8 & 9 is scheduled for 2022.

The Ever Ace is the first of 12 24,000-teu class container ships ordered by Evergreen. The A-type vessel is 400m in length and 61.5m wide, has a design draft of 14.5m and can cruise at speeds up to 22.6 knots. With a nominal carrying capacity of 23,992 TEU, Ever Ace is one of the largest container ships in the world.

Managing finance and payments within logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

Self-employment technology specialist, Wise, is working in partnership with over 250 delivery providers across the UK to try and improve their financial affairs through its software and in-house expertise.

The UK logistics industry is ever-evolving, with retailers, delivery providers and self-employed delivery drivers working harmoniously to get goods transported quickly and efficiently.

However, when it comes to handling finance, tax and compliance issues relating to this vital workforce, many firms are still struggling, spending vast amounts of admin time sorting these recurring issues.

Tom Hills, Chief Operating Officer at Wise, said: “With the impact of Brexit on workforces across the UK and a natural surge in demand from online retailers, it is a crucial time for logistics firms to recruit the right self-employed delivery drivers and importantly retain them.

“By using our platform, our clients are now able to take the stress out of this array of finance issues which need time and attention when you’re engaging a large self-employed workforce. For instance, we help a large number of our clients with payroll management saving them time and stress and providing completely transparent payments through to their subcontractors.”

Improving satisfaction and reducing friction between main contractors and their self-employed workforce will naturally improve retention and reduce driver turnover as the industry continues to recover following the pandemic.

Paul Rodney, Managing Director at PanAm Logistic Solutions, said: “Our business depends on working closely with a number of self-employed delivery drivers and traditionally sorting their onboarding, invoices and expenses has taken a lot of administrative time. However, through using the Wise platform we’re able to hand this over to specialists and through their mobile app our drivers are able to get complete transparency over their invoices, expenses and even automatically generate their tax returns.”

Managing finance and payments within logistics

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Self-employment technology specialist, Wise, is working in partnership with over 250 delivery providers across the UK to try and improve their financial affairs through its software and in-house expertise.

The UK logistics industry is ever-evolving, with retailers, delivery providers and self-employed delivery drivers working harmoniously to get goods transported quickly and efficiently.

However, when it comes to handling finance, tax and compliance issues relating to this vital workforce, many firms are still struggling, spending vast amounts of admin time sorting these recurring issues.

Tom Hills, Chief Operating Officer at Wise, said: “With the impact of Brexit on workforces across the UK and a natural surge in demand from online retailers, it is a crucial time for logistics firms to recruit the right self-employed delivery drivers and importantly retain them.

“By using our platform, our clients are now able to take the stress out of this array of finance issues which need time and attention when you’re engaging a large self-employed workforce. For instance, we help a large number of our clients with payroll management saving them time and stress and providing completely transparent payments through to their subcontractors.”

Improving satisfaction and reducing friction between main contractors and their self-employed workforce will naturally improve retention and reduce driver turnover as the industry continues to recover following the pandemic.

Paul Rodney, Managing Director at PanAm Logistic Solutions, said: “Our business depends on working closely with a number of self-employed delivery drivers and traditionally sorting their onboarding, invoices and expenses has taken a lot of administrative time. However, through using the Wise platform we’re able to hand this over to specialists and through their mobile app our drivers are able to get complete transparency over their invoices, expenses and even automatically generate their tax returns.”

STILL recognised as sustainability leader

Posted on by David Priestman

Acting responsibly towards the environment, partners, customers, and employees is firmly anchored in STILL‘s corporate philosophy. Therefore, the company has once again undergone a sustainability audit by the international assessment platform EcoVadis this year – with an outstanding result: STILL is awarded the gold sustainability certificate for their commitment regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR).

For 10 years now, STILL has been subject to evaluation by the renowned rating agency EcoVadis. It involves taking a close look at the four major sustainability fields ‘environment’, ‘labour practices and human rights’, ‘fair business practices’ and ‘sustainable procurement’. After achieving very good results in previous years, STILL was awarded the gold sustainability certificate for the first time in 2021.

This puts STILL among the best of the engineering companies examined worldwide by EcoVadis and sets a high standard for forward-thinking, globally active industrial companies. This applies especially to aspects of environmental protection. Here, STILL ranks among the top 1% of all companies assessed in this sector.

Taking responsibility, shaping the future

Operating economically in line with environmental and social standards is a top priority at STILL and forms the basis of all strategic decisions. This includes maximum transparency across the entire value chain, the responsible use of resources from production to disposal, and ensuring and promoting high social and safety standards among suppliers and partners. All these standards are anchored in the company’s philosophy and are practised across all divisions and hierarchies.

In order to make them as transparent as possible for business partners and customers, STILL has its  CSR standards audited by the independent rating agency EcoVadis.

“The gold sustainability certificate is a great acknowledgment of our values and our long-standing efforts,” says Frank Müller, Senior Vice President Brand Management / Sales & Service Steering STILL EMEA. “Especially in view of the current climate situation, there is no alternative to economic practices that focus on the long-term protection and conservation of our global resources.”

CSR – the sales argument of the future

And so certificates like the EcoVadis sustainability medal will become the future quality labels of the economy. Because sustainability and responsibility have never been more in the focus of corporate assessment and international competition than they are today. CSR is no longer a question of image. Rather, operating responsibly together with a value-oriented corporate philosophy have become relevant differentiation criteria and sales arguments in the global competition for customers, orders, and partnerships.

 

 

STILL recognised as sustainability leader

Posted on by David Priestman

Acting responsibly towards the environment, partners, customers, and employees is firmly anchored in STILL‘s corporate philosophy. Therefore, the company has once again undergone a sustainability audit by the international assessment platform EcoVadis this year – with an outstanding result: STILL is awarded the gold sustainability certificate for their commitment regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR).

For 10 years now, STILL has been subject to evaluation by the renowned rating agency EcoVadis. It involves taking a close look at the four major sustainability fields ‘environment’, ‘labour practices and human rights’, ‘fair business practices’ and ‘sustainable procurement’. After achieving very good results in previous years, STILL was awarded the gold sustainability certificate for the first time in 2021.

This puts STILL among the best of the engineering companies examined worldwide by EcoVadis and sets a high standard for forward-thinking, globally active industrial companies. This applies especially to aspects of environmental protection. Here, STILL ranks among the top 1% of all companies assessed in this sector.

Taking responsibility, shaping the future

Operating economically in line with environmental and social standards is a top priority at STILL and forms the basis of all strategic decisions. This includes maximum transparency across the entire value chain, the responsible use of resources from production to disposal, and ensuring and promoting high social and safety standards among suppliers and partners. All these standards are anchored in the company’s philosophy and are practised across all divisions and hierarchies.

In order to make them as transparent as possible for business partners and customers, STILL has its  CSR standards audited by the independent rating agency EcoVadis.

“The gold sustainability certificate is a great acknowledgment of our values and our long-standing efforts,” says Frank Müller, Senior Vice President Brand Management / Sales & Service Steering STILL EMEA. “Especially in view of the current climate situation, there is no alternative to economic practices that focus on the long-term protection and conservation of our global resources.”

CSR – the sales argument of the future

And so certificates like the EcoVadis sustainability medal will become the future quality labels of the economy. Because sustainability and responsibility have never been more in the focus of corporate assessment and international competition than they are today. CSR is no longer a question of image. Rather, operating responsibly together with a value-oriented corporate philosophy have become relevant differentiation criteria and sales arguments in the global competition for customers, orders, and partnerships.

 

 

Logistics Business Show – panel discussions now online

Posted on by David Priestman

With almost 4,000 visitors to The Logistics Business Show – which took place online from 20th-24th September 2021 – the second-ever staging of the event has been deemed a great success.

The most popular aspect proved to be the 10 industry round-table sessions, moderated by Logistics Business editor Paul Hamblin, which covered current challenges and future opportunities across the major sub-sectors of the transport and logistics industry.

All 10 of these sessions are now available to view free of charge, both here on the Logistics Business website, and also on our YouTube channel.

CLICK HERE to view all of the panel discussions.

Half of businesses are not transparent about sustainability

Posted on by Keith McKinley

UK businesses admit they are not being transparent enough with consumers and customers about the true sustainability of their supply chains, research by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) has found.

The survey of 318 UK supply chain managers found that nearly half (48%) do not believe their organisation is transparent enough with consumers, clients and regulators about sustainability, with 19% admitting they don’t even know how sustainable their products are themselves*. However, only 5% feel their marketing actively misleads clients or customers about sustainability.

What are the top barriers preventing businesses from building more sustainable supply chains?

  • The challenges of Covid-19 made it difficult to focus on sustainability – 43%
  • A lack of supply chain sustainability data – 27%
  • The business is unwilling to invest in sustainability – 27%
  • A lack of relevant skills – 22%
  • Senior executives do not see sustainability as a priority – 17%

The news comes as the CMA prepares for a new crackdown on misleading environmental claims made to consumers. The survey suggests that a surprising lack of procurement involvement in setting corporate sustainability strategy in the UK is at least partly to blame. Much of the UK’s carbon footprint is generated abroad, several tiers down the supply chain in the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing of products and transportation.

The procurement function has a crucial role in understanding, measuring and addressing the sustainability of this supply chain but 1 in 5 (19%) of UK supply chain managers said they were not involved at all in their organisation’s sustainability strategy, while 43% said they were only lightly involved. A further 18% said they were unaware of any corporate sustainability strategy at all.

Malcolm Harrison, Group CEO, Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), said:  “The choices UK businesses make ripple through their supply chains to impact everything from water security and carbon emissions, to waste management and deforestation in other countries. Much of an organisation’s environmental impact will be outside their internal boundaries, and it is important that organisations understand this complexity so they can begin to track, communicate, and address the sustainability of their own unique supply chain.

“Collaboration is critical to tackling climate change. This includes internal collaboration, between marketing teams and the supply chain managers, and external collaboration between suppliers across the supply chain. No one organisation can solve climate change on their own and there needs to be more initiatives encouraging competitors to collaborate together to improve the sustainability of common supply chains.

“Sustainability strategy must be led by the CEO but it requires input from across the business and procurement is perhaps the most crucial ingredient. Supply chain managers can take a more active role by improving their skills in this area and being more vocal internally about the importance of supply chains in addressing sustainability issues. We all have a role to play to help meet our climate change goals and the time to act is now.”

Businesses set to miss 2050 net zero target

In 2019 the UK set a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, a target with particular importance given the UK’s role as host of the COP26 climate conference at the end of the year. However, two years on from the commitment only 59% of supply chain managers believe they will be able to deliver against the target. Worryingly, 1 in 10 (11%) of UK supply chain managers said their business has done nothing since 2019 to improve the sustainability of their supply chains.

There have, however, been some positive signs of progress with 53% stating that since 2019 they have begun taking sustainability into account when choosing suppliers and 36% saying they have redesigned products to reduce waste, increased the use of recyclables or introduced more sustainable materials.

* Findings were drawn from a survey of 318 UK supply chain managers. The survey ran from 28th July to 10th August 2021.

 

 

Half of businesses are not transparent about sustainability

Posted on by David Priestman

UK businesses admit they are not being transparent enough with consumers and customers about the true sustainability of their supply chains, research by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) has found.

The survey of 318 UK supply chain managers found that nearly half (48%) do not believe their organisation is transparent enough with consumers, clients and regulators about sustainability, with 19% admitting they don’t even know how sustainable their products are themselves*. However, only 5% feel their marketing actively misleads clients or customers about sustainability.

What are the top barriers preventing businesses from building more sustainable supply chains?

  • The challenges of Covid-19 made it difficult to focus on sustainability – 43%
  • A lack of supply chain sustainability data – 27%
  • The business is unwilling to invest in sustainability – 27%
  • A lack of relevant skills – 22%
  • Senior executives do not see sustainability as a priority – 17%

The news comes as the CMA prepares for a new crackdown on misleading environmental claims made to consumers. The survey suggests that a surprising lack of procurement involvement in setting corporate sustainability strategy in the UK is at least partly to blame. Much of the UK’s carbon footprint is generated abroad, several tiers down the supply chain in the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing of products and transportation.

The procurement function has a crucial role in understanding, measuring and addressing the sustainability of this supply chain but 1 in 5 (19%) of UK supply chain managers said they were not involved at all in their organisation’s sustainability strategy, while 43% said they were only lightly involved. A further 18% said they were unaware of any corporate sustainability strategy at all.

Malcolm Harrison, Group CEO, Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), said:  “The choices UK businesses make ripple through their supply chains to impact everything from water security and carbon emissions, to waste management and deforestation in other countries. Much of an organisation’s environmental impact will be outside their internal boundaries, and it is important that organisations understand this complexity so they can begin to track, communicate, and address the sustainability of their own unique supply chain.

“Collaboration is critical to tackling climate change. This includes internal collaboration, between marketing teams and the supply chain managers, and external collaboration between suppliers across the supply chain. No one organisation can solve climate change on their own and there needs to be more initiatives encouraging competitors to collaborate together to improve the sustainability of common supply chains.

“Sustainability strategy must be led by the CEO but it requires input from across the business and procurement is perhaps the most crucial ingredient. Supply chain managers can take a more active role by improving their skills in this area and being more vocal internally about the importance of supply chains in addressing sustainability issues. We all have a role to play to help meet our climate change goals and the time to act is now.”

Businesses set to miss 2050 net zero target

In 2019 the UK set a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, a target with particular importance given the UK’s role as host of the COP26 climate conference at the end of the year. However, two years on from the commitment only 59% of supply chain managers believe they will be able to deliver against the target. Worryingly, 1 in 10 (11%) of UK supply chain managers said their business has done nothing since 2019 to improve the sustainability of their supply chains.

There have, however, been some positive signs of progress with 53% stating that since 2019 they have begun taking sustainability into account when choosing suppliers and 36% saying they have redesigned products to reduce waste, increased the use of recyclables or introduced more sustainable materials.

* Findings were drawn from a survey of 318 UK supply chain managers. The survey ran from 28th July to 10th August 2021.

 

 

FourKites grows relationship with Zebra

Posted on by David Priestman

FourKites, a leading real-time supply chain visibility platform, has announced that Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, will be reselling FourKites’ Dynamic Yard and real-time visibility platform as part of its suite of asset visibility solutions. Used by some of the largest logistics operators in the world, Zebra’s MotionWorks Yard solution will now combine Dynamic Yard with Zebra locationing hardware and professional services. MotionWorks Yard will continue to be sold directly by Zebra and through select PartnerConnect channel partners in North America and Europe.

Together, FourKites and Zebra are modernising the digital supply chain and helping to eliminate information silos to provide companies with end-to-end visibility of their freight — from the warehouse to the yard and across all transportation modes. Further expanding the companies’ joint solutions, the two teams will collaborate to increase the in-yard and over-the-road capabilities of their customers.

“Businesses want real-time visibility into their goods and assets throughout the journey — from the manufacturing facility to the final destination,” said Drew Ehlers, Global Futurist and Venture Innovator, Office of the CTO, Zebra Technologies. “Our relationship with FourKites adds a critical layer of visibility that helps companies improve asset visibility, streamline the shipping process and unlock new levels of performance and customer service.”

As an investor in and user of FourKites’ real-time visibility and Dynamic ETA for Air solutions, Zebra has reduced turn times on urgent product requests for fulfilling critical customer orders, while also eliminating nearly 75% of shipment tracking email inquiries to its global logistics team. By extending its relationship with FourKites, Zebra will continue to help businesses modernise warehouses and create supply chains that are completely transparent, connected and fully optimised.

“FourKites’ relationship with Zebra has grown over the years, as we work together on a joint mission to create a fully transparent supply chain and reduce time to delivery for customers,” said Mathew Elenjickal, founder and CEO of FourKites. “By combining Zebra’s expertise in delivering warehouse visibility with FourKites visibility outside of those four walls, we can provide better end-to-end predictability and forecasting of assets for our shared customers — all while dynamically accounting for the on-the-ground realities across the supply chain.”

FourKites grows relationship with Zebra

Posted on by David Priestman

FourKites, a leading real-time supply chain visibility platform, has announced that Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, will be reselling FourKites’ Dynamic Yard and real-time visibility platform as part of its suite of asset visibility solutions. Used by some of the largest logistics operators in the world, Zebra’s MotionWorks Yard solution will now combine Dynamic Yard with Zebra locationing hardware and professional services. MotionWorks Yard will continue to be sold directly by Zebra and through select PartnerConnect channel partners in North America and Europe.

Together, FourKites and Zebra are modernising the digital supply chain and helping to eliminate information silos to provide companies with end-to-end visibility of their freight — from the warehouse to the yard and across all transportation modes. Further expanding the companies’ joint solutions, the two teams will collaborate to increase the in-yard and over-the-road capabilities of their customers.

“Businesses want real-time visibility into their goods and assets throughout the journey — from the manufacturing facility to the final destination,” said Drew Ehlers, Global Futurist and Venture Innovator, Office of the CTO, Zebra Technologies. “Our relationship with FourKites adds a critical layer of visibility that helps companies improve asset visibility, streamline the shipping process and unlock new levels of performance and customer service.”

As an investor in and user of FourKites’ real-time visibility and Dynamic ETA for Air solutions, Zebra has reduced turn times on urgent product requests for fulfilling critical customer orders, while also eliminating nearly 75% of shipment tracking email inquiries to its global logistics team. By extending its relationship with FourKites, Zebra will continue to help businesses modernise warehouses and create supply chains that are completely transparent, connected and fully optimised.

“FourKites’ relationship with Zebra has grown over the years, as we work together on a joint mission to create a fully transparent supply chain and reduce time to delivery for customers,” said Mathew Elenjickal, founder and CEO of FourKites. “By combining Zebra’s expertise in delivering warehouse visibility with FourKites visibility outside of those four walls, we can provide better end-to-end predictability and forecasting of assets for our shared customers — all while dynamically accounting for the on-the-ground realities across the supply chain.”

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