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Day: 19 November 2021

Konecranes reaches delivery milestone  

Posted on by David Priestman

In November 2021, The Absolut Company accepted the delivery of a Flow Drive Konecranes reach stacker for its operations in the south of Sweden. This particular machine is a milestone in Konecranes history, as it is the 10,000th lift truck to roll off the production line.

Since its creation in 1879, Absolut Vodka has become one of the world’s most iconic liquor brands with export to more than 120 markets. Today, the company has 300 employees at its production facility in Åhus, a town in the southern Swedish province of Skåne. Here it needs to move equipment, raw materials and finished product around the site every day. The most efficient, safe and flexible transportation method in the work area is lift trucks. Now the time is right to invest in another reach stacker, and they have chosen Konecranes again.

“It was not difficult to decide on our next reach stacker,” says Harri Tossavainen, Warehouse Manager for Absolut. “Konecranes provides locally produced equipment of the highest quality, and they have helped us to maintain our productivity under tight schedules for over two decades. This high standard continues as the new eco-friendly Flow Drive aligns well with our long-term commitment to environment and sustainability, and will play a key part in our journey to make our products climate-neutral by 2030.”

“In 1995, Absolut bought the first commercial reach stacker Konecranes ever produced and in 2004, they took delivery of our first ever produced second generation reach stacker,” says Roger Persson, Technical Product Manager for Konecranes Lift Trucks. “Now, we celebrate the delivery of our 10,000th lift truck to the very same company. Local agent N.C. Nielsen has been a significant part of this relationship, and has provided excellent support whenever needed. We’re honoured to have both Absolut and N.C. Nielsen share in this historic occasion.”

The 10,000th lift truck is a Konecranes SMV 4632 TC5 reach stacker, a sturdy 46-tonne machine able to stack up to five containers high. It features the OPTIMA cabin for comfort and visibility, and a range of safety features to maximise load stability and safe handling. The truck is fitted with Flow Drive, a Konecranes innovation that uses hydromechanical variable transmission (HVT) to limit power at low speed, reducing wear and carbon emissions while cutting fuel consumption by up to 25%.

With longer intervals between refuelling and less maintenance, Konecranes says it can significantly increase productivity. Absolut will run this lift truck on HVO100, a completely renewable and fossil-free chemical copy of regular diesel, based on vegetable oil, which can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%. It is also equipped with Start/Stop function to reduce the amount of time the engine spends idling.

Smart systems integrate with Work Zone, a geofencing feature for safety and efficiency, and TRUCONNECT Premium, which adds tire pressure and shock sensors to a remote and almost real-time view of truck usage, for easier operations and maintenance planning.

Roger Henriksson, an operations tester at Konecranes Lift Trucks, assembled the first reach stacker Konecranes sold to Absolut back in the 1990s. Still with Konecranes, he tested the 10,000th machine and handed it over to Absolut as part of a small ceremony and site tour at the Konecranes Markaryd factory on 18th November 2021. To celebrate the delivery, the reach stacker has been painted in Absolut style.

“This is a proud moment for Konecranes Lift Trucks. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers, partners, distributors and all the colleagues who have helped us achieve this number,” says Andreas Falk, Senior Vice President BU Lift Trucks.

This contract is part of Ecolifting, Konecranes’ vision to increase its handprint – meaning the beneficial environmental impact that can be achieved with its product and service portfolio – while reducing customers’ carbon footprints. From eco-optimising diesel drives, to hybridisation and fully-electrified fleets, Konecranes says it will continue to do more with less.

 

Konecranes reaches delivery milestone  

Posted on by David Priestman

In November 2021, The Absolut Company accepted the delivery of a Flow Drive Konecranes reach stacker for its operations in the south of Sweden. This particular machine is a milestone in Konecranes history, as it is the 10,000th lift truck to roll off the production line.

Since its creation in 1879, Absolut Vodka has become one of the world’s most iconic liquor brands with export to more than 120 markets. Today, the company has 300 employees at its production facility in Åhus, a town in the southern Swedish province of Skåne. Here it needs to move equipment, raw materials and finished product around the site every day. The most efficient, safe and flexible transportation method in the work area is lift trucks. Now the time is right to invest in another reach stacker, and they have chosen Konecranes again.

“It was not difficult to decide on our next reach stacker,” says Harri Tossavainen, Warehouse Manager for Absolut. “Konecranes provides locally produced equipment of the highest quality, and they have helped us to maintain our productivity under tight schedules for over two decades. This high standard continues as the new eco-friendly Flow Drive aligns well with our long-term commitment to environment and sustainability, and will play a key part in our journey to make our products climate-neutral by 2030.”

“In 1995, Absolut bought the first commercial reach stacker Konecranes ever produced and in 2004, they took delivery of our first ever produced second generation reach stacker,” says Roger Persson, Technical Product Manager for Konecranes Lift Trucks. “Now, we celebrate the delivery of our 10,000th lift truck to the very same company. Local agent N.C. Nielsen has been a significant part of this relationship, and has provided excellent support whenever needed. We’re honoured to have both Absolut and N.C. Nielsen share in this historic occasion.”

The 10,000th lift truck is a Konecranes SMV 4632 TC5 reach stacker, a sturdy 46-tonne machine able to stack up to five containers high. It features the OPTIMA cabin for comfort and visibility, and a range of safety features to maximise load stability and safe handling. The truck is fitted with Flow Drive, a Konecranes innovation that uses hydromechanical variable transmission (HVT) to limit power at low speed, reducing wear and carbon emissions while cutting fuel consumption by up to 25%.

With longer intervals between refuelling and less maintenance, Konecranes says it can significantly increase productivity. Absolut will run this lift truck on HVO100, a completely renewable and fossil-free chemical copy of regular diesel, based on vegetable oil, which can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%. It is also equipped with Start/Stop function to reduce the amount of time the engine spends idling.

Smart systems integrate with Work Zone, a geofencing feature for safety and efficiency, and TRUCONNECT Premium, which adds tire pressure and shock sensors to a remote and almost real-time view of truck usage, for easier operations and maintenance planning.

Roger Henriksson, an operations tester at Konecranes Lift Trucks, assembled the first reach stacker Konecranes sold to Absolut back in the 1990s. Still with Konecranes, he tested the 10,000th machine and handed it over to Absolut as part of a small ceremony and site tour at the Konecranes Markaryd factory on 18th November 2021. To celebrate the delivery, the reach stacker has been painted in Absolut style.

“This is a proud moment for Konecranes Lift Trucks. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers, partners, distributors and all the colleagues who have helped us achieve this number,” says Andreas Falk, Senior Vice President BU Lift Trucks.

This contract is part of Ecolifting, Konecranes’ vision to increase its handprint – meaning the beneficial environmental impact that can be achieved with its product and service portfolio – while reducing customers’ carbon footprints. From eco-optimising diesel drives, to hybridisation and fully-electrified fleets, Konecranes says it will continue to do more with less.

 

Forto marks sustainability milestones

Posted on by David Priestman

Forto, a leading provider of digitised freight forwarding and supply chain solutions, has announced the latest milestone achievement in its sustainability roadmap with more than 50% of Sea Freight Full Container Load (FCL) volumes booked with Forto’s carbon offset offering in the third quarter of 2021. In this period, 65% of Forto sea freight booking customers committed to offset the CO₂e emissions of their Sea Freight shipments, representing the highest percentage of customers to-date. The adoption rate was achieved well ahead of the company’s targeted forecast originally set for 2023.

The achievement signals an acceleration in customer adoption of climate-driven solutions and marks an important next step in the company’s long term goal to drive transformation towards sustainable supply chains. “We see these metrics as positive indicators of a significant market shift. Sustainability topics are moving to the forefront of customer agendas more than ever before,” explained Michael Wax (pictured), CEO and co-founder of Forto. “This is a pivotal point for the logistics sector and there is a huge opportunity for industry to drive innovation and new programmes forward that will dramatically impact trade, and of course, all people, our planet and future generations.”

Climate neutrality

In April 2021, Forto announced its goal to make its transports 100% climate neutral by 2025. A commitment to addressing the global impact of shipping and transport on people and planet is built into the Forto DNA and strategy. The Forto programme starts by providing customers with emissions visibility and information that empowers them to make impactful data-based decisions. The goal is for sustainable choices to become the default, which can be achieved by making climate action easy. The company reinforces this with its own investments on top of those of the customers.

Current Forto programmes and initiatives focus on:

  • Transparency and visibility of climate impact. Forto believes that the first step towards action is knowledge. The company works with independent third parties to continually monitor and analyze the carbon footprint of the transports booked by its customers in order to identify inefficiencies and reduce emissions. This information is available for customers through emissions reporting on a shipment level.
  • CO₂e Offsetting for All Transport Modes. Forto offers CO₂e offsets for all modes of transport, with offsetting being part of sea freight shipments by default. Taking climate action is easy with customers being able to set their offsetting preferences directly on the Forto platform on a global & shipment level. Leading brands in fashion, furniture and electronics are among the customers participating in the programme as part of their own sustainability initiatives.
  • Forto’s own CO₂e Offsetting Commitment and 1+1 Matching. To further drive positive climate impact, Forto doubles each customer’s CO₂e offsets. In addition, Forto invests in automatically offsetting all Sea Freight Less than Container Load (LCL) shipments, so that they are 100% climate neutral at no additional cost to the customer.
  • Alternative energy transport. Keeping in mind that offsetting is just a first step towards sustainable logistics, Forto is committed to exploring greener transport modes. For example, 90% of German-based Rail Pre- and On-Carriage intermodal volumes are transported using trains powered by renewable energy.
  • Continual education and consultation. The company works to empower people to take climate action by listening, discussing, learning and innovating together. All Forto teams are trained by the company’s growing sustainability team to work together strategically with partners, customers and other stakeholders to explore sustainability options and find solutions that fit their needs.

Forto is also working to build a network of partners and collaborators on a global level to jointly achieve sustainability and climate goals. “Sustainability should become an integral part of any corporate philosophy,” added Dr. ing. Michael Ardelt, COO at Forto. “We hope to not only have an impact on our business, but that of the entire industry. That means working together with our customers, our partners, and a variety of companies to bring these sustainability initiatives forward together.”

The company strongly believes in a world of free and fair trade and connects the benefits of global trade with a sustainable way of transporting goods. Few other industries or achievements in human history had a similar effect on advancing people’s life standards across the globe like trade did. Beyond reducing environmental impact and improving social conditions – a sustainable and balanced company is also a future-proof company. Forto’s goal is to make supply chains future-proof while preparing the industry for the challenges of the next century.

Forto also strives to live sustainability from the inside out. Since its foundation, the company calculates, reduces and compensates its internal emissions footprint with the goal of CO₂e neutrality for internal operations. Forto also works each day towards building an inspiring and sustainable environment for their employees with initiatives such as green energy, organic food and a climate friendly travel policy. The company offers additional programmes such as planting trees instead of gifting products as employee rewards, and ongoing education and inspiration as well as training on sustainability topics.

 

Forto marks sustainability milestones

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Forto, a leading provider of digitised freight forwarding and supply chain solutions, has announced the latest milestone achievement in its sustainability roadmap with more than 50% of Sea Freight Full Container Load (FCL) volumes booked with Forto’s carbon offset offering in the third quarter of 2021. In this period, 65% of Forto sea freight booking customers committed to offset the CO₂e emissions of their Sea Freight shipments, representing the highest percentage of customers to-date. The adoption rate was achieved well ahead of the company’s targeted forecast originally set for 2023.

The achievement signals an acceleration in customer adoption of climate-driven solutions and marks an important next step in the company’s long term goal to drive transformation towards sustainable supply chains. “We see these metrics as positive indicators of a significant market shift. Sustainability topics are moving to the forefront of customer agendas more than ever before,” explained Michael Wax (pictured), CEO and co-founder of Forto. “This is a pivotal point for the logistics sector and there is a huge opportunity for industry to drive innovation and new programmes forward that will dramatically impact trade, and of course, all people, our planet and future generations.”

Climate neutrality

In April 2021, Forto announced its goal to make its transports 100% climate neutral by 2025. A commitment to addressing the global impact of shipping and transport on people and planet is built into the Forto DNA and strategy. The Forto programme starts by providing customers with emissions visibility and information that empowers them to make impactful data-based decisions. The goal is for sustainable choices to become the default, which can be achieved by making climate action easy. The company reinforces this with its own investments on top of those of the customers.

Current Forto programmes and initiatives focus on:

  • Transparency and visibility of climate impact. Forto believes that the first step towards action is knowledge. The company works with independent third parties to continually monitor and analyze the carbon footprint of the transports booked by its customers in order to identify inefficiencies and reduce emissions. This information is available for customers through emissions reporting on a shipment level.
  • CO₂e Offsetting for All Transport Modes. Forto offers CO₂e offsets for all modes of transport, with offsetting being part of sea freight shipments by default. Taking climate action is easy with customers being able to set their offsetting preferences directly on the Forto platform on a global & shipment level. Leading brands in fashion, furniture and electronics are among the customers participating in the programme as part of their own sustainability initiatives.
  • Forto’s own CO₂e Offsetting Commitment and 1+1 Matching. To further drive positive climate impact, Forto doubles each customer’s CO₂e offsets. In addition, Forto invests in automatically offsetting all Sea Freight Less than Container Load (LCL) shipments, so that they are 100% climate neutral at no additional cost to the customer.
  • Alternative energy transport. Keeping in mind that offsetting is just a first step towards sustainable logistics, Forto is committed to exploring greener transport modes. For example, 90% of German-based Rail Pre- and On-Carriage intermodal volumes are transported using trains powered by renewable energy.
  • Continual education and consultation. The company works to empower people to take climate action by listening, discussing, learning and innovating together. All Forto teams are trained by the company’s growing sustainability team to work together strategically with partners, customers and other stakeholders to explore sustainability options and find solutions that fit their needs.

Forto is also working to build a network of partners and collaborators on a global level to jointly achieve sustainability and climate goals. “Sustainability should become an integral part of any corporate philosophy,” added Dr. ing. Michael Ardelt, COO at Forto. “We hope to not only have an impact on our business, but that of the entire industry. That means working together with our customers, our partners, and a variety of companies to bring these sustainability initiatives forward together.”

The company strongly believes in a world of free and fair trade and connects the benefits of global trade with a sustainable way of transporting goods. Few other industries or achievements in human history had a similar effect on advancing people’s life standards across the globe like trade did. Beyond reducing environmental impact and improving social conditions – a sustainable and balanced company is also a future-proof company. Forto’s goal is to make supply chains future-proof while preparing the industry for the challenges of the next century.

Forto also strives to live sustainability from the inside out. Since its foundation, the company calculates, reduces and compensates its internal emissions footprint with the goal of CO₂e neutrality for internal operations. Forto also works each day towards building an inspiring and sustainable environment for their employees with initiatives such as green energy, organic food and a climate friendly travel policy. The company offers additional programmes such as planting trees instead of gifting products as employee rewards, and ongoing education and inspiration as well as training on sustainability topics.

 

New research highlights massive supply chain challenges

Posted on by David Priestman

To better understand the state of European supply chains, FourKites, the real-time supply chain visibility platform, partnered with Reuters Events to survey over 450 supply chain leaders across the continent, with particular emphasis on the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. The responses represent a broad perspective of the concerns and challenges surrounding European supply chains, sustainability and the role of real-time visibility in streamlining operations.

Coming in the midst of ongoing disruptions caused by COVID-19, State of the European Supply Chain: Logistics, Sustainability and Visibility Report 2022 reveals that the demand shock, labour shortages, port disruptions and capacity constraints have accelerated the adoption of supply chain visibility solutions throughout Europe. However, while many companies have adopted new digital practices, more than 60% of European companies admitted they’re slow to react to changing trends in logistics technologies, according to the report.

Key findings include:

  • Over half of all respondents are currently using supply chain visibility solutions, but one-third (33%) are having trouble improving data-driven processes such as forecasting, receiving operations and labour.
  • The majority of respondents (67%) cited end-to-end freight traceability as their biggest pain point when transporting goods.
  • More than half of respondents (63%) cited carriers providing inaccurate ETAs as a persistent problem.

“If we have visibility, we can be efficient and flexible,” said Ferenc Polgar, Global Distribution Operational Excellence Lead at Bayer. “We can communicate delays to our customers so they can adjust their operations and improve their experience. We can be more effective during peak distribution periods to make sure plans are going accordingly.”

“Being able to see your goods in transit is one piece of the puzzle, but it doesn’t help navigate the many disruptions and delays that inevitably take place once the product leaves the ship or warehouse,” said Matt Elenjickal, founder and CEO of FourKites. “For that reason, the paradigm is shifting to full end-to-end supply chain visibility, wherein the goal is total predictive visibility across the entire supply chain, enabling proactive risk management vs. reactive problem-solving.”

Pain points vary

Looking at their three biggest pain points in transporting goods, respondents from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands had surprisingly different answers:

  • The UK was relatively balanced, with 71% of respondents citing end-to-end freight traceability, carrier relationships, and dwell times as their biggest pain points.
  • In the Netherlands, 75% of retailers and manufacturers said their biggest pain point was carrier relationships.
  • In Germany, 100% of respondents were struggling with ensuring end-to-end freight traceability.

Overall, respondents indicated supply chain visibility improved their planning and inventory management (60%), customer service (56%) and increased efficiency (38%). In the Netherlands, 40% saw an improvement to customer service whereas in Germany that number was even higher at 100%. Meanwhile, in the UK 63% said that improved planning and inventory management is the primary benefit of visibility.

Even the most commonly used mode of transportation also varied widely across the continent: 63% of UK respondents cited full truckload as their key mode of freight, while 80% of Netherlands respondents are using less than truckload, and 100% of German respondents are transporting freight by air, both domestically and internationally.

Sustainability is a priority

The survey illustrates that sustainability is top of mind for today’s supply chain leaders. Over 80% indicated that they were either holding steady (44%) or increasing (40%) their commitment to sustainability, emphasising the urgency with which businesses understand they are required to act.

The two key supply chain sustainability goals articulated by respondents were the reduction of carbon emissions in transportation (39%) and manufacturing (31%), as well as the reduction of non-renewable packaging materials (31%). However, over a quarter of respondents also reported mapping sustainability impact throughout their supply chain as a challenge to modernising transportation assets.

“We use supply chain visibility data to understand better where there’s waste within the supply chain. Where do we have excessive empty miles?” said Paul Avampato, Head of International Logistics at Henkel. “We believe by reducing dwell time that we can keep the network moving smoother. The more we reduce dwell time, the less trucks that you have to put on the road.”

CLICK HERE to read the full report.

New research highlights massive supply chain challenges

Posted on by Keith McKinley

To better understand the state of European supply chains, FourKites, the real-time supply chain visibility platform, partnered with Reuters Events to survey over 450 supply chain leaders across the continent, with particular emphasis on the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. The responses represent a broad perspective of the concerns and challenges surrounding European supply chains, sustainability and the role of real-time visibility in streamlining operations.

Coming in the midst of ongoing disruptions caused by COVID-19, State of the European Supply Chain: Logistics, Sustainability and Visibility Report 2022 reveals that the demand shock, labour shortages, port disruptions and capacity constraints have accelerated the adoption of supply chain visibility solutions throughout Europe. However, while many companies have adopted new digital practices, more than 60% of European companies admitted they’re slow to react to changing trends in logistics technologies, according to the report.

Key findings include:

  • Over half of all respondents are currently using supply chain visibility solutions, but one-third (33%) are having trouble improving data-driven processes such as forecasting, receiving operations and labour.
  • The majority of respondents (67%) cited end-to-end freight traceability as their biggest pain point when transporting goods.
  • More than half of respondents (63%) cited carriers providing inaccurate ETAs as a persistent problem.

“If we have visibility, we can be efficient and flexible,” said Ferenc Polgar, Global Distribution Operational Excellence Lead at Bayer. “We can communicate delays to our customers so they can adjust their operations and improve their experience. We can be more effective during peak distribution periods to make sure plans are going accordingly.”

“Being able to see your goods in transit is one piece of the puzzle, but it doesn’t help navigate the many disruptions and delays that inevitably take place once the product leaves the ship or warehouse,” said Matt Elenjickal, founder and CEO of FourKites. “For that reason, the paradigm is shifting to full end-to-end supply chain visibility, wherein the goal is total predictive visibility across the entire supply chain, enabling proactive risk management vs. reactive problem-solving.”

Pain points vary

Looking at their three biggest pain points in transporting goods, respondents from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands had surprisingly different answers:

  • The UK was relatively balanced, with 71% of respondents citing end-to-end freight traceability, carrier relationships, and dwell times as their biggest pain points.
  • In the Netherlands, 75% of retailers and manufacturers said their biggest pain point was carrier relationships.
  • In Germany, 100% of respondents were struggling with ensuring end-to-end freight traceability.

Overall, respondents indicated supply chain visibility improved their planning and inventory management (60%), customer service (56%) and increased efficiency (38%). In the Netherlands, 40% saw an improvement to customer service whereas in Germany that number was even higher at 100%. Meanwhile, in the UK 63% said that improved planning and inventory management is the primary benefit of visibility.

Even the most commonly used mode of transportation also varied widely across the continent: 63% of UK respondents cited full truckload as their key mode of freight, while 80% of Netherlands respondents are using less than truckload, and 100% of German respondents are transporting freight by air, both domestically and internationally.

Sustainability is a priority

The survey illustrates that sustainability is top of mind for today’s supply chain leaders. Over 80% indicated that they were either holding steady (44%) or increasing (40%) their commitment to sustainability, emphasising the urgency with which businesses understand they are required to act.

The two key supply chain sustainability goals articulated by respondents were the reduction of carbon emissions in transportation (39%) and manufacturing (31%), as well as the reduction of non-renewable packaging materials (31%). However, over a quarter of respondents also reported mapping sustainability impact throughout their supply chain as a challenge to modernising transportation assets.

“We use supply chain visibility data to understand better where there’s waste within the supply chain. Where do we have excessive empty miles?” said Paul Avampato, Head of International Logistics at Henkel. “We believe by reducing dwell time that we can keep the network moving smoother. The more we reduce dwell time, the less trucks that you have to put on the road.”

CLICK HERE to read the full report.

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