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Month: October 2021

AGV performance: a deep-dive into neural networks

Posted on by David Priestman

Machine Learning, Neural Networks – big terms in modern logistics, but what do they actually mean? What we need is an expert to tell us. Paul Hamblin, editor of Logistics Business magazine, meets one.

AGV and mobile robotics specialist Kollmorgen measures the performance and behaviour of AGV systems, both on a system level and on board individual AGVs. It collects information on motor drives, laser scanners, localisation, traffic, and obstacle interference, thus finding trends and patterns which help it to improve products and system configurations.

Highs and lows in productivity or daily utilisation trends might be measured, and the data used to optimise routes, increase throughput and calculate smarter resource utilisation. To the end-user, this translates into lower costs and higher revenue. The collected data can also give important clues to external processes that might disturb AGV performance. For example, pedestrians getting in the way of the AGVs, or manual forklifts driving in areas originally planned primarily for the AGVs.

How does it do all this, though? Samuel Alexandersson, Manager Product Management AGVs at Kollmorgen is our patient guide.

“An artificial neural network is a computational model that is loosely based on the structure of the human brain,” he begins. “Our brain cells, or neurons, are connected by an intricate network of nerves along which electrochemical signals travel. Simplified, we can say that if the weighted of input signals are strong enough, the neuron will fire, and the signal will continue on to the next set of cells the neuron is connected to.

“In this manner, the structure of the connections between all the different neurons in our brain will determine how a signal is propagated, and when we learn new things, what is really happening inside our brain, is that the connections are restructured.

“In an artificial neural network, the signals are digital instead of electrochemical, and the strengths of the connections are stored in weights. Initially, these weights will have random value, meaning when we feed an input to the network, it will just output random nonsense. But in the same way we humans learn from experience, we can let the model learn from experience in the form of data.

“Each datapoint will be an input and an expected output, so these pairs are examples to learn from. Using these so called Machine Learning algorithms to gradually adjust the weights, will bring the output from the model closer and closer to the expected output, so that it can learn to make predictions.

“For example, if we are to teach a machine to see the difference between a cat and a dog, we need to construct a dataset with images (inputs), where each image has a label indicating if it is a cat or a dog (the correct outputs). After training the neural network on the dataset, we may feed it with a new image, and even though this image has never been seen by the network before, it will tell us if it is a cat or a dog.”

 

Can he offer examples of how insights can be generated from data in a logistics context?

“Designing an AGV system can be a complex task that requires a lot of skill and experience,” he replies. “When designing the road network for example, there can be tens of thousands of individual road stretches that need to be configured correctly. Of course, it is easy to make a mistake and often such mistakes are not discovered until you run the system in a simulation.

“Therefore, we are currently developing tools that can analyze the road network directly, so that the user gets more immediate feedback. In internal AB-tests, we saw a 5x improvement in time it took users to find the root cause in a faulty configuration.

“A more anecdotal indication of the impact we can have with a data-driven approach, is a support case where something that an engineer had been debugging for several hours with conventional methods were resolved within 10 minutes using a prototype that automatically analyses the configuration data.”

So there we have it – as always, it’s all about cats and dogs.

The human side of digitalisation

Posted on by Keith McKinley

By now, most people are familiar with the basic concept of digitalisation. Robots clean windows and floors, and there are apps and fitness trackers to help monitor their users’ health. And while technology has already become an everyday part of practically everyone’s life, there are still concerns that machines will replace people when it comes to solving business problems. According to Marina Syroezhkina (pictured), Director of the AsstrA Information Technology Department, people should not fear technological progress and increasingly digitalised supply chain processes.

In recent years, digitalisation has become a top priority the transport and logistics sector. The pandemic-triggered crisis has demonstrated that businesses embracing technological advances can more easily survive and thrive in rapidly evolving circumstances. Digital business solutions exist to track processes, collect data from various sources, help humans complete mundane tasks, and generally ensure that operations run smoother and more transparently.

With better access to information, a business can more easily assess its current situation and develop an optimal action plan. Businesses often use Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions and other specialised applications to manage business processes and information. Business Intelligence (BI) solutions are used to track process flows.

In addition to the company’s proprietary Supplier Cabinet tool, AsstrA uses Oracle E-Business Suite, and Lotus to integrate transportation systems, automate associated processes, and free team members from the burden of routine operations and manual data processing. Enterprise Content Management (ECM) as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) are also used in this respect.

But the story does not end there. Markets continue to evolve, as does the pace of digitalisation. The rise of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technologies is a recent example. RPA solutions are used to handle routine, monotonous operations that do not require decision making. Such operations might include receiving a file, reconciling two documents, or copying information from one system to another.

For operations involving decision making based on accumulated experience or analysis of data from several sources, machine learning (ML) technology can be leveraged. Using ML, prediction algorithms can be designed to support decisions using data accumulated across a company in the form of spreadsheets, financial reports, images, or even scanned copies of documents. ML solutions help humans add an analytical component to their thinking and make faster, more accurate decisions.

As the pace of innovation quickens, the necessity of responding and adapting to changing market conditions is growing. Many companies, including AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG, are restructuring their project flows around Agile methodology to achieve better results. Roadmaps include short sprints that reflect current realities with a constant focus on strategic objectives. In a changing environment, monolithic planning no longer works.

A year and a half of the “new reality” has confirmed that it is not the fittest who survive, but rather the most adaptable. Digital solutions offer dependable support mechanisms in these uncertain times.

The human side of digitalisation

Posted on by David Priestman

By now, most people are familiar with the basic concept of digitalisation. Robots clean windows and floors, and there are apps and fitness trackers to help monitor their users’ health. And while technology has already become an everyday part of practically everyone’s life, there are still concerns that machines will replace people when it comes to solving business problems. According to Marina Syroezhkina (pictured), Director of the AsstrA Information Technology Department, people should not fear technological progress and increasingly digitalised supply chain processes.

In recent years, digitalisation has become a top priority the transport and logistics sector. The pandemic-triggered crisis has demonstrated that businesses embracing technological advances can more easily survive and thrive in rapidly evolving circumstances. Digital business solutions exist to track processes, collect data from various sources, help humans complete mundane tasks, and generally ensure that operations run smoother and more transparently.

With better access to information, a business can more easily assess its current situation and develop an optimal action plan. Businesses often use Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions and other specialised applications to manage business processes and information. Business Intelligence (BI) solutions are used to track process flows.

In addition to the company’s proprietary Supplier Cabinet tool, AsstrA uses Oracle E-Business Suite, and Lotus to integrate transportation systems, automate associated processes, and free team members from the burden of routine operations and manual data processing. Enterprise Content Management (ECM) as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) are also used in this respect.

But the story does not end there. Markets continue to evolve, as does the pace of digitalisation. The rise of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technologies is a recent example. RPA solutions are used to handle routine, monotonous operations that do not require decision making. Such operations might include receiving a file, reconciling two documents, or copying information from one system to another.

For operations involving decision making based on accumulated experience or analysis of data from several sources, machine learning (ML) technology can be leveraged. Using ML, prediction algorithms can be designed to support decisions using data accumulated across a company in the form of spreadsheets, financial reports, images, or even scanned copies of documents. ML solutions help humans add an analytical component to their thinking and make faster, more accurate decisions.

As the pace of innovation quickens, the necessity of responding and adapting to changing market conditions is growing. Many companies, including AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG, are restructuring their project flows around Agile methodology to achieve better results. Roadmaps include short sprints that reflect current realities with a constant focus on strategic objectives. In a changing environment, monolithic planning no longer works.

A year and a half of the “new reality” has confirmed that it is not the fittest who survive, but rather the most adaptable. Digital solutions offer dependable support mechanisms in these uncertain times.

Open Logistics Foundation established

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus have established the Open Logistics Foundation. The purpose of the non-profit foundation is to build a European open-source community aiming to promote digitalisation in logistics and supply chain management based on open source and standardise logistics processes through de facto standards. Not only is a technology initiative like this unique in logistics to date, the founding members are also taking on a pioneering role as to the future topic of open source.

“We want to drive the digitalisation of logistics forward together. That is why open source is an important success factor for the entire logistics industry and, at the same time, a driver for harmonised processes in digital supply chains. We consider the Open Logistics Foundation to be the first step towards a platform economy based on European legal standards and values. It is both a beginning and an appeal to the logistics sector to think of technology and processes together and actively participate in the open-source community,” the founding members declared in a joint statement. Now it is about anchoring open source in the logistics sector and implementing the internal structures to work with the corresponding hardware and software.

The foundation addresses all logistics-related companies and their IT developers. Through Open Logistics e.V., the funding association, which was also founded in Berlin, it is open to new members from all areas of logistics, ranging from industry, retail and services to freight forwarders and political organisations. Numerous companies already announced their participation in the funding association, including AEB, BLG Logistics Group, GS1 Germany, Lobster Logistics Cloud and the Bochum-based Setlog Holding, but also associations such as the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung.

The core of the foundation’s work is the operation of the so-called Open Logistics Repository, a technical platform on which software and hardware interfaces reference implementations and components available as open-source under a free license (permissive license). All tools and components will be free of charge without restriction for commercial applications to promote broad acceptance within the logistics sector. Companies may use them, for example, to expand their platforms or to set up new products and business models faster.

The open-source approach guarantees an open standard for digitalising logistics processes while offering a significant degree of flexibility for individual customisation. Companies that use open source are usually more productive, reduce costs and prevent being tied to proprietary software. Another advantage is that the software solutions are not isolated, but all components are compatible, facilitating digital networking beyond company boundaries.

The main tasks of the foundation also include identifying collaborative projects to be included in the repository. It monitors the quality of the open-source software and guarantees neutrality in its development. Furthermore, it offers training for companies on how to work with the platform.

The set-up phase of the platform will take place in the coming year. In Berlin, some open-source projects have already been named, for example the first open-source digital consignment note (eCMR) as well as implementations for the digital load carrier exchange or the AGV interface VDA 5050. Further developments from the community will be added in the future.

On the foundation’s establishment, the board members were appointed. Jochen Thewes (Chairman), CEO of DB Schenker, Dr. Stephan Peters (Vice Chairman), Member of the Board of Rhenus, and Stefan Hohm (Vice Chairman), CDO of Dachser, were elected to the Executive Board. The Advisory Board is made up of Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael ten Hompel (Chairman), Managing Director of the Fraunhofer IML, and Markus Bangen, CEO of duisport, as well as Jakub Piotrowski CIO/CDO of BLG Logistics Group.

The Open Logistics Foundation was initiated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML as part of its Silicon Economy research project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) with €25m. More than 150 researchers are working on an open-source software and hardware infrastructure that enables companies to process their business operations in an automated way and to offer and use services and data securely across different platforms beyond company boundaries. The software and hardware created during the project duration until 2023 and the developments from the community Open Logistics Foundation will form the basis of the Open Logistics Foundation’s repository.

Statements

“If we want to digitise logistics successfully, we have to overcome silo structures. Hardware and software from open source can and will make a significant contribution to achieving this. The benefits are impressively simple: Everyone uses the same freight documents, for example, and everyone plans routes or offers tracking and tracing. In this respect, we want to jointly develop IT standards in logistics beyond company boundaries and make the results accessible to everyone. This open-source approach is intended to replace individual investments in the digitalisation of commodities. Every company will benefit from this.” Jochen Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker, Chairman of the Board of the Open Logistics Foundation

“Digitalisation is not an end in itself. It overcomes interfaces and pays off higher-level goals such as transparency, efficiency, and sustainability. Above all, however, it must also be economically feasible and successful on the market. 100 percent digital is not a dream, but our common future in more and more use cases. The open-source concept guarantees an open standard for digitalising logistics processes while offering a high degree of flexibility for individual adaptations. By founding the Open Logistics Foundation, we have laid the basis for the era of open source in logistics.” Dr. Stephan Peters, Member of the Board of Rhenus SE & Co. KG, Vice Chairman of the Open Logistics Foundation

“Intelligent logistics is based on high-performance IT systems. This principle has applied at Dachser for many decades and will certainly remain so. However, it hardly makes sense to program every line of code in a standard application yourself. This is neither economical nor does it provide a competitive advantage. On the contrary, quite often, it even prevents the pragmatic networking of partners and customers. Therefore, it is advantageous for all supply chain parties, if in the future, that selected software components are available to everyone free of charge as open-source elements and continuously updated via a neutral authority. Open source thus becomes another important competitive factor, and that is why we have supported the idea of the Open Logistics Foundation since the very beginning.” Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer (CDO), Dachser SE, Vice Chairman of the Open Logistics Foundation

“The logistics sector must become more software-driven to play a role in the forthcoming platform economy and to self-determine its future based on European legal standards and values. Digitisation is the goal, and open source is the key to taking all companies along this journey, regardless of size and sector. Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus have laid the basis with their donation of the non-profit Open Logistics Foundation. Now it’s a matter of what the logistics sector turns it into.” Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael ten Hompel, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML), Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Open Logistics Foundation.

“After the presentation of the Open Logistics Foundation, it was clear to the Port of Duisburg very quickly that we would like to get involved. The primary goals of our commitment are an industry-wide dialogue, the identification of overarching challenges, and the creation of urgently needed standards to make cross-location collaboration technologically easier. The bundling of resources and topics offers us the unique opportunity to set de facto standards instead of creating further monoliths. The digitalisation of logistics can only be advanced by working together. The early involvement of all stakeholders creates important internal structures and also promotes the mutual exploration of existing needs and necessities as well as the identification of available resources.” Markus Bangen, Chairman of the Executive Board of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport), Member of the Advisory Board of the Open Logistics Foundation

About the Foundation

The Open Logistics Foundation is a non-profit and operationally working foundation based in Dortmund that fosters open-source applications in logistics. The foundation’s primary purpose is to build a European open-source community to promote digitalisation in logistics and supply chain management based on open source and standardise logistics processes utilising de facto standards. The foundation operates the repository, a technical platform for open-source software (OSS) and hardware (OSH).

It makes interfaces, reference implementations and components available via open-source under a free license (permissive license). It monitors the quality and security of the open-source tools and guarantees neutrality in its development. The Open Logistics Foundation works based on European legal standards and values, it is independent and addresses IT developers and users from all areas of logistics.

The Open Logistics Foundation was initiated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) as part of the “Silicon Economy” project. The founding members are Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus; other companies support the organisation. The foundation is open to further members through its funding association, Open Logistics e.V.

Open Logistics Foundation established

Posted on by David Priestman

Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus have established the Open Logistics Foundation. The purpose of the non-profit foundation is to build a European open-source community aiming to promote digitalisation in logistics and supply chain management based on open source and standardise logistics processes through de facto standards. Not only is a technology initiative like this unique in logistics to date, the founding members are also taking on a pioneering role as to the future topic of open source.

“We want to drive the digitalisation of logistics forward together. That is why open source is an important success factor for the entire logistics industry and, at the same time, a driver for harmonised processes in digital supply chains. We consider the Open Logistics Foundation to be the first step towards a platform economy based on European legal standards and values. It is both a beginning and an appeal to the logistics sector to think of technology and processes together and actively participate in the open-source community,” the founding members declared in a joint statement. Now it is about anchoring open source in the logistics sector and implementing the internal structures to work with the corresponding hardware and software.

The foundation addresses all logistics-related companies and their IT developers. Through Open Logistics e.V., the funding association, which was also founded in Berlin, it is open to new members from all areas of logistics, ranging from industry, retail and services to freight forwarders and political organisations. Numerous companies already announced their participation in the funding association, including AEB, BLG Logistics Group, GS1 Germany, Lobster Logistics Cloud and the Bochum-based Setlog Holding, but also associations such as the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung.

The core of the foundation’s work is the operation of the so-called Open Logistics Repository, a technical platform on which software and hardware interfaces reference implementations and components available as open-source under a free license (permissive license). All tools and components will be free of charge without restriction for commercial applications to promote broad acceptance within the logistics sector. Companies may use them, for example, to expand their platforms or to set up new products and business models faster.

The open-source approach guarantees an open standard for digitalising logistics processes while offering a significant degree of flexibility for individual customisation. Companies that use open source are usually more productive, reduce costs and prevent being tied to proprietary software. Another advantage is that the software solutions are not isolated, but all components are compatible, facilitating digital networking beyond company boundaries.

The main tasks of the foundation also include identifying collaborative projects to be included in the repository. It monitors the quality of the open-source software and guarantees neutrality in its development. Furthermore, it offers training for companies on how to work with the platform.

The set-up phase of the platform will take place in the coming year. In Berlin, some open-source projects have already been named, for example the first open-source digital consignment note (eCMR) as well as implementations for the digital load carrier exchange or the AGV interface VDA 5050. Further developments from the community will be added in the future.

On the foundation’s establishment, the board members were appointed. Jochen Thewes (Chairman), CEO of DB Schenker, Dr. Stephan Peters (Vice Chairman), Member of the Board of Rhenus, and Stefan Hohm (Vice Chairman), CDO of Dachser, were elected to the Executive Board. The Advisory Board is made up of Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael ten Hompel (Chairman), Managing Director of the Fraunhofer IML, and Markus Bangen, CEO of duisport, as well as Jakub Piotrowski CIO/CDO of BLG Logistics Group.

The Open Logistics Foundation was initiated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML as part of its Silicon Economy research project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) with €25m. More than 150 researchers are working on an open-source software and hardware infrastructure that enables companies to process their business operations in an automated way and to offer and use services and data securely across different platforms beyond company boundaries. The software and hardware created during the project duration until 2023 and the developments from the community Open Logistics Foundation will form the basis of the Open Logistics Foundation’s repository.

Statements

“If we want to digitise logistics successfully, we have to overcome silo structures. Hardware and software from open source can and will make a significant contribution to achieving this. The benefits are impressively simple: Everyone uses the same freight documents, for example, and everyone plans routes or offers tracking and tracing. In this respect, we want to jointly develop IT standards in logistics beyond company boundaries and make the results accessible to everyone. This open-source approach is intended to replace individual investments in the digitalisation of commodities. Every company will benefit from this.” Jochen Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker, Chairman of the Board of the Open Logistics Foundation

“Digitalisation is not an end in itself. It overcomes interfaces and pays off higher-level goals such as transparency, efficiency, and sustainability. Above all, however, it must also be economically feasible and successful on the market. 100 percent digital is not a dream, but our common future in more and more use cases. The open-source concept guarantees an open standard for digitalising logistics processes while offering a high degree of flexibility for individual adaptations. By founding the Open Logistics Foundation, we have laid the basis for the era of open source in logistics.” Dr. Stephan Peters, Member of the Board of Rhenus SE & Co. KG, Vice Chairman of the Open Logistics Foundation

“Intelligent logistics is based on high-performance IT systems. This principle has applied at Dachser for many decades and will certainly remain so. However, it hardly makes sense to program every line of code in a standard application yourself. This is neither economical nor does it provide a competitive advantage. On the contrary, quite often, it even prevents the pragmatic networking of partners and customers. Therefore, it is advantageous for all supply chain parties, if in the future, that selected software components are available to everyone free of charge as open-source elements and continuously updated via a neutral authority. Open source thus becomes another important competitive factor, and that is why we have supported the idea of the Open Logistics Foundation since the very beginning.” Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer (CDO), Dachser SE, Vice Chairman of the Open Logistics Foundation

“The logistics sector must become more software-driven to play a role in the forthcoming platform economy and to self-determine its future based on European legal standards and values. Digitisation is the goal, and open source is the key to taking all companies along this journey, regardless of size and sector. Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus have laid the basis with their donation of the non-profit Open Logistics Foundation. Now it’s a matter of what the logistics sector turns it into.” Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael ten Hompel, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML), Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Open Logistics Foundation.

“After the presentation of the Open Logistics Foundation, it was clear to the Port of Duisburg very quickly that we would like to get involved. The primary goals of our commitment are an industry-wide dialogue, the identification of overarching challenges, and the creation of urgently needed standards to make cross-location collaboration technologically easier. The bundling of resources and topics offers us the unique opportunity to set de facto standards instead of creating further monoliths. The digitalisation of logistics can only be advanced by working together. The early involvement of all stakeholders creates important internal structures and also promotes the mutual exploration of existing needs and necessities as well as the identification of available resources.” Markus Bangen, Chairman of the Executive Board of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport), Member of the Advisory Board of the Open Logistics Foundation

About the Foundation

The Open Logistics Foundation is a non-profit and operationally working foundation based in Dortmund that fosters open-source applications in logistics. The foundation’s primary purpose is to build a European open-source community to promote digitalisation in logistics and supply chain management based on open source and standardise logistics processes utilising de facto standards. The foundation operates the repository, a technical platform for open-source software (OSS) and hardware (OSH).

It makes interfaces, reference implementations and components available via open-source under a free license (permissive license). It monitors the quality and security of the open-source tools and guarantees neutrality in its development. The Open Logistics Foundation works based on European legal standards and values, it is independent and addresses IT developers and users from all areas of logistics.

The Open Logistics Foundation was initiated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) as part of the “Silicon Economy” project. The founding members are Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus; other companies support the organisation. The foundation is open to further members through its funding association, Open Logistics e.V.

Five ways to upskill your HGV drivers

Posted on by David Priestman

Upskilling your drivers is important for numerous reasons. Road transport is a heavily regulated industry so there are naturally several mandatory training requirements, depending on the work being carried out. But more generally, it also promotes safe driving, reduces road collisions, and can help keep your workforce feel supported in their job. HGV training and recruitment expert, Driver Hire Training, has revealed some top tips for keeping your drivers’ skills fresh.

Training and upskilling your drivers is ultimately an investment in your people, and one of the best ways to motivate and get the best performance from your workforce is by helping them understand that their employer values them and wants them to improve. And although there is an aspect of compliance, through the mandatory Driver CPC training and various other qualifications, this should always be seen as an opportunity for growth rather than a burden, alongside other development opportunities.

Ultimately a skillset is vital, with HGV drivers in demand more than ever, employers should be focusing on ways to keep their staff happy and motivation high, as well as looking to attract the best talent in the area. Recent surveys have shown that companies that score highly on their employee development opportunities see 93% less attrition and this also tends to be a contributing factor within the businesses that rank highly in studies such as the Sunday Times Best Places to Work.

There’s a substantial amount that managers can do to upskill drivers, in driving and lots of other related things too, for example encouraging healthy lifestyles to training in first aid. Employers should think about the direct benefit to the business that such upskilling can provide, but also how the wider investment in people can aid each individual.

These are five ways to look to upskill your drivers:

1: Driver CPC

There is a legal requirement to meet the 35 hours of training every five years and if uncompleted, this can result in £1,000 fine. That said, such training should always be viewed as genuinely useful and a chance to gain new skills. With this in mind it’s important to make sure you’re willing to get the most out of your Driver CPC training courses, as if not you’re missing out on vital upskilling opportunities.

Some of the most popular CPC courses are around Drivers Hours, Digital Tachograph and Road Traffic Laws. There’s also a lot of interest in additional training such as Safe Urban Driving, City Driving and Vulnerable Road Users showing that people do want socially responsible training but also that these situations are often required standards for many operations.

2: Upgrade Licences

Upgrading licences so your drivers have the options to drive a variety of vehicles can be beneficial for a number of reasons, for example upgrading licences from just van work to larger vehicles such as artic lorries.

3: Specialist licences

It may be worth considering upskilling your workforce to drive specialist vehicles such as forklifts or ADR training for transporting dangerous good. This means your workforce has the versatility to handle a variety of transport issues and in turn, build greater flexibility into your operations.

4: First Aid Training

Training your staff in first aid can be extremely helpful for your staff, the company and for wider society. For instance, if your driver is the first at the site of an accident they can respond immediately and appropriately to any injuries and maybe even save a life.

5: Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

Keeping your workforce motivated to live a healthy lifestyle can be very worthwhile. It can be easy to fall into unhealthy habits when living between truck and service stations, but it also helps in understanding nourishing ways to live outside of work.

Employers can also consider looking for ways to upskill themselves in order to better support their drivers, such as engaging in accreditations like Investors in People. Organisations like the CIPD (Chartered institute of Personnel and Development) should be a go-to body for any HR professional or employer wanting to improve what they do in this area.

John Keelan-Edwards, Managing Director at Driver Hire Training, said: “Training and upskilling your employees to help them both in and out of work should be of the utmost importance for all employers. Investing in your people is one of the most vital things you can do, it helps both your brand as well as the people in your company as a business that wants to see their people succeed.

“There are so many ways to help upskill your drivers, from specialist licences to helping them lead healthy lifestyles. It’s also important to remember about your own development and constantly learning how as an employer you can be the best boss you can be, especially in an industry with high demand.”

Five ways to upskill your HGV drivers

Posted on by David Priestman

Upskilling your drivers is important for numerous reasons. Road transport is a heavily regulated industry so there are naturally several mandatory training requirements, depending on the work being carried out. But more generally, it also promotes safe driving, reduces road collisions, and can help keep your workforce feel supported in their job. HGV training and recruitment expert, Driver Hire Training, has revealed some top tips for keeping your drivers’ skills fresh.

Training and upskilling your drivers is ultimately an investment in your people, and one of the best ways to motivate and get the best performance from your workforce is by helping them understand that their employer values them and wants them to improve. And although there is an aspect of compliance, through the mandatory Driver CPC training and various other qualifications, this should always be seen as an opportunity for growth rather than a burden, alongside other development opportunities.

Ultimately a skillset is vital, with HGV drivers in demand more than ever, employers should be focusing on ways to keep their staff happy and motivation high, as well as looking to attract the best talent in the area. Recent surveys have shown that companies that score highly on their employee development opportunities see 93% less attrition and this also tends to be a contributing factor within the businesses that rank highly in studies such as the Sunday Times Best Places to Work.

There’s a substantial amount that managers can do to upskill drivers, in driving and lots of other related things too, for example encouraging healthy lifestyles to training in first aid. Employers should think about the direct benefit to the business that such upskilling can provide, but also how the wider investment in people can aid each individual.

These are five ways to look to upskill your drivers:

1: Driver CPC

There is a legal requirement to meet the 35 hours of training every five years and if uncompleted, this can result in £1,000 fine. That said, such training should always be viewed as genuinely useful and a chance to gain new skills. With this in mind it’s important to make sure you’re willing to get the most out of your Driver CPC training courses, as if not you’re missing out on vital upskilling opportunities.

Some of the most popular CPC courses are around Drivers Hours, Digital Tachograph and Road Traffic Laws. There’s also a lot of interest in additional training such as Safe Urban Driving, City Driving and Vulnerable Road Users showing that people do want socially responsible training but also that these situations are often required standards for many operations.

2: Upgrade Licences

Upgrading licences so your drivers have the options to drive a variety of vehicles can be beneficial for a number of reasons, for example upgrading licences from just van work to larger vehicles such as artic lorries.

3: Specialist licences

It may be worth considering upskilling your workforce to drive specialist vehicles such as forklifts or ADR training for transporting dangerous good. This means your workforce has the versatility to handle a variety of transport issues and in turn, build greater flexibility into your operations.

4: First Aid Training

Training your staff in first aid can be extremely helpful for your staff, the company and for wider society. For instance, if your driver is the first at the site of an accident they can respond immediately and appropriately to any injuries and maybe even save a life.

5: Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

Keeping your workforce motivated to live a healthy lifestyle can be very worthwhile. It can be easy to fall into unhealthy habits when living between truck and service stations, but it also helps in understanding nourishing ways to live outside of work.

Employers can also consider looking for ways to upskill themselves in order to better support their drivers, such as engaging in accreditations like Investors in People. Organisations like the CIPD (Chartered institute of Personnel and Development) should be a go-to body for any HR professional or employer wanting to improve what they do in this area.

John Keelan-Edwards, Managing Director at Driver Hire Training, said: “Training and upskilling your employees to help them both in and out of work should be of the utmost importance for all employers. Investing in your people is one of the most vital things you can do, it helps both your brand as well as the people in your company as a business that wants to see their people succeed.

“There are so many ways to help upskill your drivers, from specialist licences to helping them lead healthy lifestyles. It’s also important to remember about your own development and constantly learning how as an employer you can be the best boss you can be, especially in an industry with high demand.”

Bottle label applicator added to AM range

Posted on by David Priestman

AM Labels Limited, an award-winning colour label printing machine specialist, label manufacturer, barcoding and software solution expert based in Northamptonshire (UK), has added the Afinia A200 Bottle Label Applicator to its portfolio.

The Afinia A200 is an innovative, semi-automatic bottle label applicator that is simple and easy to operate, enabling users to effortlessly apply labels to bottles, cans, jars and a range of other cylindrical containers. Thanks to its ultrasonic gap detector, the A200 benefits from a highly accurate, efficient and consistent performance, even when clear materials are used. What’s more, the gap detector on the A200 is more far reliable than mechanical flag sensors, which are common in other bottle label applicators.

The compact label applicator can accommodate a variety of bottle, can and jar sizes, from 25mm to 160mm in diameter and from 80mm to 240mm in height. Facilitating the application of smooth, straight and perfectly spaced labels without bubbles or creases, the durable and low-cost A200 increases productivity, as well as saving time and money, while offering consistent and reliable results. The applicator is compatible with both single and front-and-back labels and, for additional ease of use, labels can be applied with a simple push of a button or via the included foot pedal.

With the ability to apply labels on up to 600 bottles or containers per hour, AM Labels says the A200 is ideal for use in a variety of industries and applications, including for businesses operating in retail, food and beverage and health and beauty sectors. Designed to enable users to apply labels to their chosen container accurately, the applicator is highly flexible, easy to adjust, and extremely competitively priced compared to other similar models on the market.

The improved mechanical design of the A200 is user friendly and the product guide can be easily customised, enabling label application onto bottles with both small and large heights. The applicator can also accommodate printing onto a limited range of tapered bottles. The A200 further benefits from an intuitive colour display which displays status information in a clear and concise manner, while enabling users to programme up to 29 formats, including the gap between front and back labels.

Brendon Bass, Sales and Marketing Manager, AM Labels Limited, commented: “We are delighted to expand our portfolio with this new and innovative product. The Afinia A200 Bottle Label Applicator allows businesses, operating in a range of industries, to effortlessly, efficiently and evenly apply labels to their chosen bottle or cylindrical container, delivering professional and consistent results, each and every time.

“The A200 was developed to provide a solution to common issues that can occur when operating label applicators with mechanical gap detectors, such as the metal flag being prone to damage or adhesive build up. The ultrasonic media sensor on the A200 can detect gaps in a wider range of media types, offering increased levels of accuracy and ease of use, while eliminating any inconsistencies that applying labels by hand can often create.”

AM Labels Limited says it has first-class technical and software expertise and customer service excellence, in addition to its own label production facility. The company offers vast and in-depth label printer, scanning and barcoding expertise to support a wide range of industries and applications.

Bottle label applicator added to AM range

Posted on by David Priestman

AM Labels Limited, an award-winning colour label printing machine specialist, label manufacturer, barcoding and software solution expert based in Northamptonshire (UK), has added the Afinia A200 Bottle Label Applicator to its portfolio.

The Afinia A200 is an innovative, semi-automatic bottle label applicator that is simple and easy to operate, enabling users to effortlessly apply labels to bottles, cans, jars and a range of other cylindrical containers. Thanks to its ultrasonic gap detector, the A200 benefits from a highly accurate, efficient and consistent performance, even when clear materials are used. What’s more, the gap detector on the A200 is more far reliable than mechanical flag sensors, which are common in other bottle label applicators.

The compact label applicator can accommodate a variety of bottle, can and jar sizes, from 25mm to 160mm in diameter and from 80mm to 240mm in height. Facilitating the application of smooth, straight and perfectly spaced labels without bubbles or creases, the durable and low-cost A200 increases productivity, as well as saving time and money, while offering consistent and reliable results. The applicator is compatible with both single and front-and-back labels and, for additional ease of use, labels can be applied with a simple push of a button or via the included foot pedal.

With the ability to apply labels on up to 600 bottles or containers per hour, AM Labels says the A200 is ideal for use in a variety of industries and applications, including for businesses operating in retail, food and beverage and health and beauty sectors. Designed to enable users to apply labels to their chosen container accurately, the applicator is highly flexible, easy to adjust, and extremely competitively priced compared to other similar models on the market.

The improved mechanical design of the A200 is user friendly and the product guide can be easily customised, enabling label application onto bottles with both small and large heights. The applicator can also accommodate printing onto a limited range of tapered bottles. The A200 further benefits from an intuitive colour display which displays status information in a clear and concise manner, while enabling users to programme up to 29 formats, including the gap between front and back labels.

Brendon Bass, Sales and Marketing Manager, AM Labels Limited, commented: “We are delighted to expand our portfolio with this new and innovative product. The Afinia A200 Bottle Label Applicator allows businesses, operating in a range of industries, to effortlessly, efficiently and evenly apply labels to their chosen bottle or cylindrical container, delivering professional and consistent results, each and every time.

“The A200 was developed to provide a solution to common issues that can occur when operating label applicators with mechanical gap detectors, such as the metal flag being prone to damage or adhesive build up. The ultrasonic media sensor on the A200 can detect gaps in a wider range of media types, offering increased levels of accuracy and ease of use, while eliminating any inconsistencies that applying labels by hand can often create.”

AM Labels Limited says it has first-class technical and software expertise and customer service excellence, in addition to its own label production facility. The company offers vast and in-depth label printer, scanning and barcoding expertise to support a wide range of industries and applications.

Elanders helping solve UK supply chain challenges

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Elanders, a global print, packaging and supply chain management specialist, has converted 25,000 sq ft of additional space at its Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK) site to support customers in the light of all the current global supply chain challenges.

The logistics site, on New York Business Park, now has capacity for an additional 1,250 pallets to support its existing fulfilment services and capability.

The proactive investment meets Elanders’ current and new clients’ needs that range from being a modern facility, through to effective operational design, secure storage, separate caged areas and security access control.

These services will help businesses who are experiencing storage and fulfilment challenges, which will have been exacerbated by the recent global supply chain issues.  Elanders in the UK has ‘Excise warehouse’ status to support alcohol supply chain services and a ‘Bonded’ supply chain operational solution where utilising this capability will negate any double duty and UK tax payments for goods that are shipped to the UK from outside the EU and later sold to EU customers.

The additional space has been designed to work with small- to medium-sized businesses who operate in both the B2B and B2C markets. In all cases, the focus is on bespoke solution design and operational engagement that is focused upon the final customer needs.

Kevin Rogers, Managing Director for Elanders in the UK, said: “Supply chain solutions are under immense pressure today. The business situation has highlighted that many supply chain solutions are not that agile or flexible to mitigate significant challenge and disruption. New solutions and structural designs are now actually needed to meet a changed customer demand requirement. What Elanders has today is the flexible solution that can support both B2B and B2C activities – creating more localised responsive and personal supply chain solutions in a global economy.”

Elanders’ supply chain solutions support customers who also require add-on services to support their operational needs, such as order management and value adding services in addition to the core warehousing and logistics needs – including the reverse logistics of customer product returns.

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