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Day: 18 October 2021

WOF Expo 2021 enjoys successful staging

Posted on by Keith McKinley

On 6th-8th October 2021, an international trade fair and conference in the field of logistics and the entire supply chain WOF (World of Freight) Expo took place in Bratislava. The event was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic and the auspices of the Bratislava self-governing region.

WOF EXPO introduced 120 top speakers in 43 expert panel discussions from the world of transport, logistics and E-commerce. If you did not have the opportunity to participate in person, the hybrid event offered flexibility in the form of live streaming. The archive of selected panel discussions from the conference is currently AVAILABLE HERE.

Over the course of three days, the event welcomed visitors from more than 30 countries. The fair brought together supply chain solution providers to increase efficiency in logistics and improve transparency and systematization of processes. Companies such as Cargomind, CEVA Logistics, Packeta Group, GLS Slovakia, FEDEX, LOT Polish Airlines, Turkish Cargo, Budapest Airport, and many others presented themselves at the exhibition.

The importance and uniqueness of the WOF Expo stem not only from the current hot topics in the field of transport and economics but also from the fact that the conference brought international important players together. During the conference, more than 120 experts shared their views on the digitisation of transport, pioneering innovations, as well as the impact of the pandemic situation on industry and the economy.

Attention was also paid to intelligent technologies and current issues of cyber security in the field of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Other important debates were about the transition to the climate-neutral economy or EU policy topics and Brexit was on the table too. The conclusions and outputs of the conference brought new ideas to address the strategic challenges of the supply chain and transport.

What makes WOF Expo innovative and outstanding?

Networking is a cornerstone of doing business, hence why the WOF Expo programme itself focused on networking and bringing as many business opportunities as possible. Even beforehand the event, participants were able to schedule personal meetings thanks to a digital networking tool. Personal meetings then took place throughout the event in an undisturbed and pleasant environment in a reserved area.

Evening programme

During the first day of the conference, VIP participants had the opportunity to join the gala evening program – WOF Connect & Awards, where the most innovative companies in logistics and supply chain were awarded in nine categories. Congratulations to the winners.

  • PORT OF THE FUTURE – PORT OF GDANSK
  • SHIPPING LINE EFFICIENCY – MAERSK
  • SPEEDY FLOW AIRPORT – BUDAPEST AIRPORT
  • AIR CARGO EXCELLENCE – TURKISH CARGO
  • LAST MILE EXPERT – GLS
  • INNOVATION OF THE YEAR – PEOPLE
  • GREEN IMPACT – PEOPLE
  • REGIONAL SMART FREIGHT FORWARDER – LANGOWSKI LOGISTICS
  • MULTINATIONAL SMART FREIGHT FORWARDER – KUEHNE + NAGEL

The WOF Connect & Awards evening was not only about celebrating, entertainment and networking. It was also about giving. A large number of charitable events did not take place this year due to the pandemic situation. WOF Expo joined forces with the League Against Cancer to make an important gesture for cancer patients on the 6th of October – an auction of diamond brooch took place. And WOF was not the only one willing to make a difference. GLS Slovakia donated €12,000 to support League against cancer projects for cancer patients.

Where will WOF EXPO 2022 be held?

WOF Expo will relocate across the countries of the CEE region yearly. The second year of the expo will take place in Vienna in the form of a congress and also in Prague in the form of a trade fair. In 2023, Bucharest will be waiting for the WOF Expo.

We are looking forward to another successful B2B event and of course, WOF Expo invites you.

 

Jenkins future-proofs business with WMS

Posted on by David Priestman

In February 2021, logistics service provider Jenkins upgraded its warehouse management system (WMS) to ensure its business is future-proofed and continues to be at the leading edge of logistics solutions. Its requirements: fit for purpose, well-integrated to its other systems, and fully tailored to the needs of logistics service providers. it opted for 3PL Dynamics, enabling the logistics service provider to realise a major digitalisation improvement that will effortlessly respond to customer needs and demands.

For over 35 years, Jenkins has been one of the UK and Ireland’s market-leading providers of efficient and innovative port-centric warehousing and logistics solutions. It can design and implement flexible logistics solutions tailored to individual needs – giving unrivalled control of supply chain costs, with quality assured just-in-time delivery directly to customers nationwide.

Roughly 18 months ago, Jenkins decided to seek out a new WMS solution. In February 2021, it successfully went live at its site in Liverpool and is confident 3PL Dynamics is the right solution to roll out across all 10 of its sites.

To ensure all its logistics processes run with maximum efficiency, Jenkins opted for the always up-to-date solution from Boltrics, developed with the input of more than 200 logistics service providers. Boltrics’ Warehouse Management System is specifically designed for logistics service providers, like Jenkins, to help streamline warehouse activities.

As well as warehouse management, 3PL Dynamics includes capabilities for freight management, transport management, and more. Mercurius IT is one of Boltrics’ international partners and the only UK provider for 3PL Dynamics. With over 16 years’ experience implementing business management systems, there was no doubt Mercurius IT was the right partner to complete this project. Its team worked closely with Jenkins to ensure the implementation was completed according to its timescale and business needs.

Paul Prenter, CFO at Jenkins, said: “The system will reduce many of the manual elements the legacy systems require, safeguarding against user error and allowing the individual to spend their time more valuably. This allows all users the opportunity to develop their skills and make use of their time and attention in the most productive way possible.

“Another great feature of the Boltrics system is its web portal, allowing our customers greater visibility of their stock than they have had previously. The web portal allows the customers to access their own version of the WMS and to take their own stock inventories, check on the status of their deliveries, and provides details on the status of stock expected to arrive. This provision enhances our customers’ ability to access and manage their stocks in real time, which helps them drive efficiency.”

Lee Williams, Jenkins Super User, added: “It’s a revolutionary system that will streamline our inputting, investigating, reporting and invoicing processes. It will really enhance our customer user experience whilst saving us time.”

With Phase 1 – successfully going live at its site in Liverpool – complete, Jenkins is confident to switch the other sites to 3PL Dynamics as well. With the help of DataHub EDI integration, Jenkins’ WMS and its customers’ systems will be integrated for exchanging information more efficiently.

Diffusion Alloys plans centre for excellence at Teesport

Posted on by Keith McKinley

PD Ports has granted a new long-term lease to Diffusion Alloys at Teesport Commerce Park, allowing for the construction of a new £1.5m coating facility and centre for excellence.

Diffusion Alloys, an established global leader in diffusion coatings for large components, has occupied its current site at Teesport Commerce Park for over 18 years and now, thanks to the new lease, is accelerating plans to build a new, 8,000 sq ft warehouse on site that will boost processing capability and create 20 new, sustainable jobs over the next two years.

This investment is the latest in a string of developments welcomed to Teesport Commerce Park following PD Ports’ success in securing two waste-to-energy plants to the Tees Valley in conjunction with Wentworth Clean Power, projects worth a cumulative £660m.

PD Ports Group Property Director, Michael McConnell, welcomed the further investment at Teesport Commerce Park: “PD Ports is delighted to have granted Diffusion Alloys a new long-term lease that will enable them to continue to grow their business and build a brand new production facility in line with growing demand.

“Projects such as Diffusion Alloys’ centre for excellence and the Wentworth Clean Power waste-to-energy plants really highlight the trust and confidence that large-scale business have in the Tees Valley thanks to our expertise, our strong-skills base and our unrivalled connections to global markets.

“We very much look forward to continuing to support Diffusion Alloys as they bring their new facility to fruition over the longer-term.”

Diffusion Alloys Managing Director, Lisa Randall, explained that an anticipated significant rise in demand for its specialist services over the next 10-20 years was the driving force behind the decision to expand the company’s Tees-based capabilities and headquarter its centre for excellence at Teesport Commerce Park.

“We are delighted to be not only extending our lease at Teesport Commerce Park, but also investing further to build a new facility on site,” said Randall. “The new factory and centre for excellence site will enable the company to support the build out of hydrogen generation technology from within the UK.

“The decision is testimony to our dedicated and hard-working staff in Teesside who have been instrumental in making this investment possible.”

PD Ports, owner and operator of Teesport, directly invested over £17m in infrastructure and developments across the Tees Valley during 2020, building on the £1bn of investment the port operator has attracted in the last decade.

 

Elektroautomatik acquires Jernbro’s AGV business

Posted on by David Priestman

Elektroautomatik in Sweden AB has entered into an agreement to acquire Jernbro’s AGV and automation operations. Jernbro Automation is a leading supplier of customer-specific automation solutions based around AGV concepts. The business has its office and production in Skövde with 22 employees. Jonas Kjellberg will take over as CEO, the business will be part of Elektroautomatik and function as an independent business unit.

“The AGV business deserves a more specialised owner who wants to invest in continued development and growth,” says Mikael Jansson, CEO of Jernbro. ”At the same time, the sale means that Jernbro frees up capital that contributes to achieving our ambitious growth goals in industrial maintenance and energy efficiency.”

“Jernbro’s AGV business is a well-run business with premium products in a growing market that requires flexible and smart solutions,” says Jonas Kjellberg, CEO of Elektroautomatik.” This will create new opportunities for us, to act both together and separately. Through the acquisition, we strengthen our range of services and create the best possible customer value.”

Elektroautomatik is Sweden’s largest automation integrator. It is a turnkey supplier in the field of automation and says it has great competence in all areas, from idea to end production. In addition to automation, it also offers AGVs, machines, service, consultants and training through its EA Machine, EA Service, EA Consultant, EA Academy and now also EA Mobile Robotics departments.

Since 1st October 1, 2021 Jernbro automation has become Elektroautomatik mobile robotics.

Operating since 1986, EA Mobile Robotics is a leading supplier of customer-specific automation solutions based on Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR).

It develops complete solutions that include control, fixturing, and robotic loading and unloading for assembly applications as well as logistics applications for production. Its AGV systems can be adapted and supplied with many different navigation options.

It says its AGV systems are not only quick to install but are also highly reliable and feature onboard quality control. As its solutions are open and can be tailored to a customer’s specific needs, the result is a flexible and durable AGV system that will fulfil production needs for a long time.

AliExpress bolsters logistics ecosystem

Posted on by David Priestman

AliExpress, part of Alibaba Group and one of the world’s largest online retail marketplaces, has introduced innovative logistics solutions in partnership with Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics arm. Ahead of the world renowned 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, this enables the Company to offer X-day delivery guarantee and an enhanced service to millions of customers.

The upgrades, consisting of China domestic selection warehouses, automated sorting centres, overseas warehouses, increased weekly chartered flights, as well as last-mile self-pickup network, help create one of the world’s most robust cross-border e-commerce ecosystems. These new additions significantly speed up the dispatch time needed for shipments from China to overseas customers.

Riding on this momentum and the triple-digit growth in AliExpress’s key markets, Brazil, Spain and France in 2020, the company plans to further increase its investment in innovative technology to support its global and local logistics.

“Shoppers worldwide have come to expect efficient delivery,” said Wang Mingqiang, general manager of AliExpress. “Through our ongoing innovations and strategic partnership with Cainiao, we have enhanced our cross-border e-commerce ecosystem. We can now help our sellers deliver popular products within an incredibly efficient delivery time to Europe and Latin America. As we implement this enhanced supply chain network ahead of the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, we are thrilled to be delivering goods faster and more reliably with no additional cost for our valued customers.”

In the past year, the number of packages received and delivered by AliExpress’ ecosystem logistics partners has increased by 100%. In response to the rising needs through partnership with Cainiao, five selection warehouses have been established in China for sellers to pre-stock their AliExpress products, thus significantly reducing the dispatch time, along with nine domestic automated sorting centres and 80 chartered flights in average every week, AliExpress now offers 10 working days delivery for selected cross border orders made in Spain and France, 12 working days for Brazil and five working days for South Korea.

There are plans to roll-out the initiatives in more European markets. Between 11th and 30th November, AliExpress will have more than 300 chartered flights in total to ensure customers receive their package on time.

Since 2020, AliExpress and Cainiao have also actively developed overseas warehouses to enhance the capacity and efficiency of cross-border logistics networks. By utilising these warehouses, local delivery in Spain and France can be achieved in three days and seven days for the rest of Europe. Over the next year overseas warehouses will largely be upgraded with a strong emphasis on local logistics.

On last-mile delivery, a network of over 20,000 self-pickup service points has been launched in Spain, France, Poland and Russia, combining AliExpress-branded lockers powered and operated by Cainiao, as well as collection points powered by local partners. These lockers offer a fluid shopping experience for consumers, who can freely and quickly pick up their AliExpress orders in automatic lockers. This is a practical solution that offers greater flexibility and security.

Additionally, AliExpress will introduce an ‘on-time guarantee’ in Spain and France ahead of the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival. This service will be applicable for any orders shipping from China domestic selection warehouses, as well as Cainiao overseas warehouses, and AliExpress will automatically reimburse US$1 coupon per order in case of late arrival of the packages.

AliExpress has continued to improve its delivery service with a logistics strategy that grows stronger every year. The latest upgrades came just in time for the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival to bring customers around the world a delivery guarantee with a much shorter timeline. AliExpress will be allocating more resources to support its business roadmap, a key element of the roadmap is recruiting more local merchants onto the platform.

Enhancing the network of overseas warehouses and self-pickup lockers for a better customer experience are one of the key business objectives for AliExpress in the coming years.

Maersk provides end-to-end logistics to Danish Crown

Posted on by Keith McKinley

A.P. Moller – Maersk has signed a global end-to-end logistics agreement with Danish Crown from 2021.

The three-year end-to-end agreement covers all Danish Crown’s business units, delivering solutions on ocean services, inland logistics and cold chain logistics. Access to the digital supply chain platform Tradelens, which is underpinned by blockchain technology, is also a core part of the agreement.

Vincent Clerc, A.P. Moller – Maersk Executive Vice President and CEO Ocean and Logistics, commented: “We are excited to be chosen as Danish Crown’s main logistics company. The food supply chain is highly demanding, but we will work hard to provide fast, reliable and dynamic supply chain solutions to Danish Crown as a modern end-to-end logistics company with fully controlled assets.”

Danish Crown is one of the world’s largest exporters and the number one supplier of pork in Europe. The Danish Crown Group is also the largest meat-processing company in Europe, and Danish Crown Beef is a key player in the European beef market, while the group’s trading company ESS-FOOD sells and distributes fresh and frozen foods worldwide. The agreement finally includes DAT-Schaub, which is a global market leader in casings for sausage production across the World.

With a significant export to Asia and a growing business in both North and South America it is key for Danish Crown to ensure a flexible and resilient supply chain to support their business needs and meet their sustainability targets.

Jais Valeur, Group CEO of Danish Crown, added: “There is no doubt that Maersk is at the leading the sustainability transition within container logistics, which very much aligns with our own ambitions to become the world´s most sustainable meat supplier in 2030. Maersk is a natural choice for Danish Crown, as our customers will expect that we are able to undertake the responsibility of all business activities in the food supply chain right from the Danish farmer to the dinner tables in Shanghai, Tokyo or New York.”

As one of the largest food exporters in the world, Danish Crown values an active partnership with a logistics leader such as Maersk, that can accelerate its business and reduce complexity.

Valeur concluded: “Through sheer business size and its extensive network, Maersk can offer a reliability in our supply chains which our customers are increasingly demanding. At the same time, we will get a partner in Maersk who understands and priorities the importance of an active collaboration in our daily business. This close collaboration is key and will ultimately service our customer’s needs into account.”

 

Edeka Group Plots Sophisticated DC

Posted on by David Priestman

The new logistics centre of German food group EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen mbH located in Marktredwitz, is currently under construction and will start operations in mid-2024 – both technologically and economically. It will supply some 900 stores in parts of Franconia, the Upper Palatinate, Saxony, and Thuringia with almost 28,000 different items from the dry goods range, fruits, vegetables, gourmet foods, frozen products, and flowers.

The facility with a size of approx. 100,000 sq m is designed for a peak picking performance of 583,000 cases per day. Spread across all logistics areas, 66,000 pallet storage locations, 730,000 tote, and tray storage locations, as well as 139 stacker cranes are connected by an efficient material flow – intelligently controlled by advanced logistics and IT systems.

EDEKA’s eighth OPM warehouse

As in the EDEKA distribution centres in Oberhausen, Landsberg, Zarrentin, and Berbersdorf, as well as in the NETTO distribution centres in Erharting and Henstedt, WITRON Logistik + Informatik GmbH from Parkstein is responsible for the complete design, implementation, and commissioning as a logistics lifetime partner. This also includes the design and implementation of all IT, control, and mechanical components. Furthermore, a WITRON Onsite team takes care of service, maintenance, and a constantly high system availability of this distribution centre.

A future expansion of the Marktredwitz site is already part of the current logistics design. “The investment secures a large number of jobs not only in Marktredwitz, but far beyond the region,” says Rainer Kämpgen, Logistics Director of EDEKA Nordbayern-Sachsen-Thüringen. “At the same time, it stands for a good and reliable supply of people in the long-term, especially in our rural Bavarian region.”

“WITRON’s task was to develop a technical and economic end-to-end solution,” says Kämpgen. “End-to-end within the internal supply chain – from receiving to shipping. End-to-end within the external supply chain – from the supplier to the distribution centre, transportation, and to the stores. End-to-end in terms of temperature zones and product groups: Dry, fresh, gourmet food, fruits, vegetables, frozen products. End-to-end in terms of the cases and load carriers to be picked: Piece picking, case picking, totes, half pallets, full pallets, roll containers, and insulated containers. WITRON has convincingly succeeded in meeting these requirements.”

High level of automation

Similar to the Berbersdorf site, EDEKA in Marktredwitz relies again on a fully automated WITRON system for the distribution of sensitive fruit and vegetable products. Thus, it is possible to successfully relieve the logistics operators from unergonomic work in a temperature-controlled work environment. More than 1,000 different products are stored here in a temperature range between +7°C and +10°C.

The logistical centrepiece of the fruit and vegetable area is WITRON’s intelligent and modular Automated Tote System (ATS) with nine stacker cranes and 42,500 tote storage locations. Plastic totes of the size 600 x 400 and 400 x 300mm are used as well. With the ATS, totes (stacks) already filled with goods by the supplier are received fully automatically, destacked, buffered, picked, stacked on a dispatch unit according to customer or store requirements, and made available for shipping.

More than 3,500 different gourmet food items such as ready meals, salad menus, or convenience products are picked by the WITRON OPM technology in the temperature range +4°C/+6°C with six COM machines onto pallets or roll containers in a store-friendly manner and without the need for personnel. The semi-automated CPS system (Car Picking System) is also used in this assortment area. With CPS, the items are placed in the pick front by stacker cranes as required and then stacked onto the load carriers by the logistics staff in a route-optimized and store-friendly manner using pick-by-voice technology.

Module mix ensures high flexibility

The dry goods assortment is the product range with the highest throughput, handling 65% of all units. Here too, fully or semi-automated systems handle the processing of cases, single-item picking, and the store-friendly consolidation of display pallets with maximum efficiency.

The implementation includes an OPM system with 18 COM machines, an All-in-One Order Fulfilment System (AIO) with 20 ergonomic piece picking workstations, a Car Picking System (CPS) for the semi-automated picking of heavy or bulky items, as well as a Display Pallet Picking System (DPP), which consolidates customer orders consisting of different half and quarter pallets in a separate high bay warehouse in line with customer requirements.

All dry goods orders are consolidated by a fully automated shipping buffer, which, in addition to pallets and roll containers of the dry goods assortment, also provides deep-freeze containers to the loading personnel just-in-time for delivery via heavy-duty lanes, sorted according to route and unloading points.

Pick-by-voice

The distribution centre in Marktredwitz stores and picks flowers and frozen items using a pick-by-voice system and controlled by a WITRON WMS. The picking of frozen goods takes place at -18 degrees Celsius or -22 degrees Celsius directly into the deep-freeze containers.

“True to the credo ‘technology from people for people’, EDEKA and WITRON always aim to focus on the five key issues – service level for the stores, cost-efficiency, people, sustainability, and flexibility,” says Kämpgen. “When it comes to service level, EDEKA merchants and all consumers benefit first and foremost in terms of premium customer service made possible by holistic and cost-efficient processes within the internal and external logistics supply chain.

“When it comes to people, it is the employees in the stores who benefit from the highly efficient goods handling based on store-friendly picked load carriers – and, of course, all staff members in the EDEKA logistics centres who benefit from ergonomic and leading-edge workstations.

“Sustainability is addressed in many ways – for example through significant CO2 savings due to densely packed load carriers, optimal truck utilization, and fewer trucks on the roads. Furthermore, through footprint savings in construction, and significant reduction of excess goods, breakage, and waste. In addition, flexibility and expandability also ensure future viability. With that permanently changing market requirements can be met quickly and flexibly.”

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