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Month: November 2021

Kent sees record growth in logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

According to data sourced from the Office for National Statistics, the logistics and distribution sector across the Kent and Medway region of the UK has grown by 60.6% since 2016, with 2,000 jobs created over the same period and 3,600 businesses now operating in the sector.

Gravesham, Dartford, Medway, Maidstone and Swale are performing above the national average in terms of sector size, contributing to an industry that has seen a 48.1% increase in GVA countywide since 2000. That figure, as of 2018, stood at an estimated £2.3bn per year.

Gavin Cleary, CEO of Locate in Kent, explains there are several factors at play including the availability of lower cost industrial and commercial spaces on brownfield sites, increased housing development across the county and the strategic location of Kent and Medway as a gateway between London and Europe.

“Franzosini & Butti, Coyote Logistics UK Limited, TNT Express Limited and Amazon UK are some of the large operators that have chosen Kent & Medway since 2015, confirming our region as a prime location for logistics for nearly every sector,” said Cleary. “And we’re seeing no sign of that easing as the UK emerges from the pandemic with continued strong demand. We have a number of exciting new sites coming through between now and the end of 2023, with a significant number already pre-let.”

One of the biggest drivers for this success has been the rise of e-commerce and the continued shift towards online retail, with the Covid-19 pandemic only serving to accelerate that trend. And with prime locations in the sector’s Golden Triangle along the M1 corridor in the East Midlands at saturation point, Kent and Medway is one of the areas benefitting as couriers and distributors look elsewhere.

Companies working in the sector have also highlighted driver welfare and environmental concerns as important factors that are helping to increase the competitiveness of Kent and Medway as a key hub for the logistics and distribution sector.

Neil Cursons, Managing Director of Kent firm George Cursons which launched its new frozen foods processing and distribution plant for the UK hotel and catering trade at Manston, Thanet, in October, said: “Kent is a fantastic location for business. With its proximity to London and the Channel Ports and the sector’s drive to be more sustainable, the county has great potential to grow further in the logistics and distribution space.

“Dover is one of the main arrival points for frozen fish, but rather than those shipments going up north to be processed we chose to keep it here, saving on transport and cutting pollution. That’s the opportunity we saw in wanting to open this facility.

“We are looking at how we can expand on this further to help us meet regional demand. Our belief is that local is better. We can tap into existing supply chains and build from there.”

The following schemes are expected to launch by 2023, adding an estimated 12.5 million sq ft (1.16 million sq m) of additional space for the logistics and transportation sector, with Mid and North Kent the areas to benefit.

  • 3.92 million sq ft (365,000 sq m) of logistics and manufacturing space at J4/M20 with Panattoni securing permission to transform the former Aylesford Newsprint Site.
  • 5.2 million sq ft (483,000 sq m) of logistics, manufacturing, and energy production at the former Kingsnorth Power Station in Medway
  • 500,000 sq ft (46,500 sq m) of warehouse and office space at Woodcut Farm in Maidstone, located off Junction 8 of the M20
  • 800,000 sq ft (74,500 sq m) of warehouse and office space at Kingstanding in Tunbridge Wells
  • 450,000 sq ft (42,000 sq m) of warehouse space at Powerhouse in Dartford
  • 100,000 sq ft (9,250 sq m) of speculative warehouses at Goodmans in Dartford
  • Enhanced production corridors, including Innovation Park Medway which once complete, will provide over one million sq ft (93,000 sq m) of space for high-value technology, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and knowledge-intensive businesses

Locate in Kent is the inward investment agency for Kent and Medway. Its aim is to encourage and support more businesses to set up and expand in the county. It offers a bespoke support to investors including market insights, property searches, advice on financial support available, and connections to local partners, suppliers and business networks.

Platform improves worker safety at Lindab

Posted on by David Priestman

Factories and production lines have always faced challenges when it comes to protecting workers and maintaining operations. Accidents, however rare, must always be prevented as far as humanly and logistically possible. The margin for error is often little to none.

In work environments with heavy machinery and in Lindab Steel’s case, foil rolls sometimes weighing several hundred kilogrammes, accident prevention is of the utmost importance. With help from VPG, Lindab Steel’s cutting machine has been equipped with a platform that safely lifts the operator to the appropriate working height instead of the operator using ladders and stairs.

Erik Dahllöf, Sales Manager at VPG, was visiting Lindab’s factory on another matter and during his visit an additional opportunity to improve safety, ergonomics and operations presented itself. In cooperation with Lindab’s staff, including Production Engineer Patrik Hayes, a risk assessment of the cutting machine was conducted. Together they investigated ways to reduce the risk of accidents and improve ergonomics for operators.

The cutting machine is an important part of the production line. It straightens the sheet metal before it’s cut to the appropriate length, anywhere from 300mm to 4,000mm-long pieces. The machine is elevated and therefore can be cumbersome for operators to work with, increasing the risk of accidents. Before the new platform was installed, operators had to use stairs, ladders and even stand on their toes on top of the machine to properly adjust and set up for production,

“Ergonomically, the pros are substantial,” said Hayes. “Previously operators had to work with their hands above shoulder height. Now we can lift the operator to the correct working height no matter how tall or short they are.”

Work-related accidents are not only catastrophic for the person or people involved, whenever accidents happen it’s extremely costly for a company, on average €100,000.

“The cutting machine runs 24×7 and it’s incredibly costly if operations come to a halt,” added Hayes. “Our first priority is always the health and safety of our workers but maintaining production is of course key as well.”

Operators are very happy with the new platform, not only sparing their physical well-being but also helping them work more efficiently at the correct working height.

“No matter how much an operator values quality, if you spend too much time in an uncomfortable position quality will be affected over time,” said Hayes. “Investing in safer and more ergonomic solutions for workers will always give you returns on your investment, many times over.”

The end result of the project can only be said to be a huge success, appreciated by all involved parties. “Right now, it’s full steam ahead and everyone is very happy with the lifting platform solution,” Hayes concluded.

Platform improves worker safety at Lindab

Posted on by David Priestman

Factories and production lines have always faced challenges when it comes to protecting workers and maintaining operations. Accidents, however rare, must always be prevented as far as humanly and logistically possible. The margin for error is often little to none.

In work environments with heavy machinery and in Lindab Steel’s case, foil rolls sometimes weighing several hundred kilogrammes, accident prevention is of the utmost importance. With help from VPG, Lindab Steel’s cutting machine has been equipped with a platform that safely lifts the operator to the appropriate working height instead of the operator using ladders and stairs.

Erik Dahllöf, Sales Manager at VPG, was visiting Lindab’s factory on another matter and during his visit an additional opportunity to improve safety, ergonomics and operations presented itself. In cooperation with Lindab’s staff, including Production Engineer Patrik Hayes, a risk assessment of the cutting machine was conducted. Together they investigated ways to reduce the risk of accidents and improve ergonomics for operators.

The cutting machine is an important part of the production line. It straightens the sheet metal before it’s cut to the appropriate length, anywhere from 300mm to 4,000mm-long pieces. The machine is elevated and therefore can be cumbersome for operators to work with, increasing the risk of accidents. Before the new platform was installed, operators had to use stairs, ladders and even stand on their toes on top of the machine to properly adjust and set up for production,

“Ergonomically, the pros are substantial,” said Hayes. “Previously operators had to work with their hands above shoulder height. Now we can lift the operator to the correct working height no matter how tall or short they are.”

Work-related accidents are not only catastrophic for the person or people involved, whenever accidents happen it’s extremely costly for a company, on average €100,000.

“The cutting machine runs 24×7 and it’s incredibly costly if operations come to a halt,” added Hayes. “Our first priority is always the health and safety of our workers but maintaining production is of course key as well.”

Operators are very happy with the new platform, not only sparing their physical well-being but also helping them work more efficiently at the correct working height.

“No matter how much an operator values quality, if you spend too much time in an uncomfortable position quality will be affected over time,” said Hayes. “Investing in safer and more ergonomic solutions for workers will always give you returns on your investment, many times over.”

The end result of the project can only be said to be a huge success, appreciated by all involved parties. “Right now, it’s full steam ahead and everyone is very happy with the lifting platform solution,” Hayes concluded.

Algorithms helps keep London’s roads jam-free

Posted on by David Priestman

To keep the city of London free of traffic jams and construction site logistics efficient, Battersea Power Station utilises decision-making algorithms designed by software developer INFORM. Its time slot management and truck supply control system SYNCROSUPPLY manages up to 400 truck deliveries daily arriving at the construction site.

Battersea Power Station and its shareholders are working on transforming the 42-acre site around the city’s famous landmark into a modern riverside destination, which will provide 4,239 new homes, shops, restaurants, cafés, office space, leisure and fitness facilities, a hotel, over 19 acres of public space and a Zone 1 London Underground Station which opened in September 2021. Traffic jams in front of the worksite would spread throughout London if the £9bn mega-project was not planned properly. Utilising INFORM’s mathematical optimisation algorithms based on Operations Research (OR), the operators guarantee smooth supply logistics as well as optimised resource utilisation thanks to enhanced transparency and planning reliability.

High requirements on logistics

The construction site is developing dynamically, with up to 10,000 trucks registered each month delivering tools and materials. The planning software’s task is to optimally utilise the gates, loading points and resources of the construction site. Previously, this often proved difficult, as planning data from the numerous carriers, suppliers and construction companies all need to be centrally managed. Additionally, the layout of the construction site changes every week as construction progresses.

Duncan Pickard, Head of Programme Management and Delivery at Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “The INFORM system was selected for its ability to transcend construction deliverables into an operating campus, and is now being utilised to complete the program of works, whilst managing our retailer and residents’ delivery requirements in this exciting new mixed-used destination for London. Using the system at Battersea Power Station has enabled us to match lifts, hoists and cranes to each delivery and review the optimisation of each.”

In the past, delivery traffic was only planned up to the gate. It was not possible to take into account whether a specific loading point on the construction site was occupied or whether the right resources were available at the time of arrival to unload a truck’s specific load. With the enormous number of daily deliveries and the distribution of responsibilities among various construction companies, individual schedulers could no longer manually estimate if a truck should deliver at a specific time, what freight was needed where, or what throughput times could be expected when. However, the tight and varying space conditions on the construction site do not allow for errors.

Decision-making enhanced by algorithms

SYNCROSUPPLY’s time slot management module provides transparency about which trucks and loads will arrive where and when, and about the capacity utilisation of all resources required for unloading at that time. The system also stores information on when materials are to be delivered. After all, some orders must be placed months in advance. Time slots can be accepted or, if required, allocated automatically according to the availability of resources like freight elevators or cranes.

Matthias Wurst, Director Business Development Industrial Logistics at INFORM, added: “Our time slot management also helps to coordinate non-construction traffic around the development site. We assign optimised time slots for deliveries to retailers already located in the area, private moving traffic of new residents and parcel services, so that all stakeholders will reach their destinations as desired.”

The truck supply control module assists in dealing with everyday disruptions. If, for example, forwarding agencies report a delay, within seconds the system can take these deviations into account, recalculate suitable parking and unloading locations, optimise the sequence of all transports to suit the new situation and inform all parties involved about the changed circumstances. Even within the construction site, trucks can be individually guided and dispatched to the appropriate loading point.

With a peak of 140 vehicles per hour accessing the site via only two feeder roads, London’s streets would be jammed by trucks without SYNCROSUPPLY’s optimisation algorithms. In the future, the numerous data on throughput times and the duration of the unloading process will be used to further optimise planning.

Algorithms helps keep London’s roads jam-free

Posted on by David Priestman

To keep the city of London free of traffic jams and construction site logistics efficient, Battersea Power Station utilises decision-making algorithms designed by software developer INFORM. Its time slot management and truck supply control system SYNCROSUPPLY manages up to 400 truck deliveries daily arriving at the construction site.

Battersea Power Station and its shareholders are working on transforming the 42-acre site around the city’s famous landmark into a modern riverside destination, which will provide 4,239 new homes, shops, restaurants, cafés, office space, leisure and fitness facilities, a hotel, over 19 acres of public space and a Zone 1 London Underground Station which opened in September 2021. Traffic jams in front of the worksite would spread throughout London if the £9bn mega-project was not planned properly. Utilising INFORM’s mathematical optimisation algorithms based on Operations Research (OR), the operators guarantee smooth supply logistics as well as optimised resource utilisation thanks to enhanced transparency and planning reliability.

High requirements on logistics

The construction site is developing dynamically, with up to 10,000 trucks registered each month delivering tools and materials. The planning software’s task is to optimally utilise the gates, loading points and resources of the construction site. Previously, this often proved difficult, as planning data from the numerous carriers, suppliers and construction companies all need to be centrally managed. Additionally, the layout of the construction site changes every week as construction progresses.

Duncan Pickard, Head of Programme Management and Delivery at Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “The INFORM system was selected for its ability to transcend construction deliverables into an operating campus, and is now being utilised to complete the program of works, whilst managing our retailer and residents’ delivery requirements in this exciting new mixed-used destination for London. Using the system at Battersea Power Station has enabled us to match lifts, hoists and cranes to each delivery and review the optimisation of each.”

In the past, delivery traffic was only planned up to the gate. It was not possible to take into account whether a specific loading point on the construction site was occupied or whether the right resources were available at the time of arrival to unload a truck’s specific load. With the enormous number of daily deliveries and the distribution of responsibilities among various construction companies, individual schedulers could no longer manually estimate if a truck should deliver at a specific time, what freight was needed where, or what throughput times could be expected when. However, the tight and varying space conditions on the construction site do not allow for errors.

Decision-making enhanced by algorithms

SYNCROSUPPLY’s time slot management module provides transparency about which trucks and loads will arrive where and when, and about the capacity utilisation of all resources required for unloading at that time. The system also stores information on when materials are to be delivered. After all, some orders must be placed months in advance. Time slots can be accepted or, if required, allocated automatically according to the availability of resources like freight elevators or cranes.

Matthias Wurst, Director Business Development Industrial Logistics at INFORM, added: “Our time slot management also helps to coordinate non-construction traffic around the development site. We assign optimised time slots for deliveries to retailers already located in the area, private moving traffic of new residents and parcel services, so that all stakeholders will reach their destinations as desired.”

The truck supply control module assists in dealing with everyday disruptions. If, for example, forwarding agencies report a delay, within seconds the system can take these deviations into account, recalculate suitable parking and unloading locations, optimise the sequence of all transports to suit the new situation and inform all parties involved about the changed circumstances. Even within the construction site, trucks can be individually guided and dispatched to the appropriate loading point.

With a peak of 140 vehicles per hour accessing the site via only two feeder roads, London’s streets would be jammed by trucks without SYNCROSUPPLY’s optimisation algorithms. In the future, the numerous data on throughput times and the duration of the unloading process will be used to further optimise planning.

Smart tools for workforce management

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The latest workforce management technology can be an important tool in boosting staff morale and retention. Logistics Business magazine editor Paul Hamblin talks to a major provider.

Recent­ research for human capital management specialists UKG reveals 87% of UK employees are being propelled into the future of work by accelerating digital transformation projects. Tellingly, the research claimed that 86% of these workers are enjoying the benefits of these new innovations, calling for organisations to recognise this adjustment and respond accordingly.

Neil Pickering, Industry and Content Manager EMEA for UKG, says that choosing the right digital solution to support your HR department will not only help to control costs and boost productivity, but can also work to enhance employee engagement and drive true cultural change.

Historically, workforce management from a business perspective is about driving efficiency, cost control and productivity and also about ensuring compliance. Pickering argues that while those factors are still a core part of the jigsaw, they can also serve an important need, by giving some very welcome control to employees – which in turn benefits the employer. Happy staff are staff who will stay, and it only takes a brief glance at recent news headlines to see how vital a stable workforce is to efficient, effective supply chains.

“It’s about improving lives for businesses, by boosting productivity and efficiency, but it’s also about employees, giving them autonomy and choice,” he explains. “We call it being Life Aware. By considering employee needs, perhaps by giving them more control, it will affect positively how you attract and retain those people. This is where our future is. So our technology is not just at the service of the organisation but at the service of people, too.”

It sounds great in theory – but what does giving staff more control look like in practice? “Self-service, easy-to-use apps enable staff to arrange shift swaps at short notice, or to arrange holidays; these apps can also proactively suggest and help arrange training needs, for instance. A manager’s time is freed from the paperwork to focus on productivity,” he suggests.

Such self-service actions are possible because the technology is always ensuring that an organisation’s resources are being used as effectively as possible, that the right number of staff are in the right place at the right time (both temporary and full-time accounted for) with forensic forecasts based on precise historical data ensuring that rotas and schedules are accurate, up-to-date and efficiently resourced. It is also – ­and this is another important factor in staff morale scores – making sure that staff are paid the right amount at the right time, with overtime accurately measured.

UKG’s view is that employers have begun to consider how to attract people other than by just paying more money. It has coined a term for it: Life-Work Technology. “We work with over 50,000 customers globally,” says Neil Pickering. “Our software has to be flexible enough to cope with local needs, local legislations, there is no one-size solution because every organisation’s need is different.”

UKG is a new name for a seasoned business, comprising 43-year-old workforce management specialists Kronos and HR delivery experts Ultimate Software, who merged in April 2020. “It’s the perfect marriage,” reports Pickering, “Very little customer overlap, about 5,000-6,000 employees each, two US-founded businesses with a strong global footprint.”

The logistics industry – from ports to 3PLs to warehouses – has led the way in adopting innovative workforce management processes, he relates. “It’s the backbone of the supply chain and it is the logistics sector that businesses have had to turn to change business models.”

His message is that digital transformation is about people processes as well as a piece of technology. His advice? “Engage openly with your chosen supplier. Make sure both parties agree on what you’re endeavouring to do. In UKG’s case, we have a lot of experience, so we’ve usually got pretty good advice on what will work and what won’t.”

Whatever the circumstances, there’s no time to waste. “You can’t wait for digital transformation to come to you,” he urges. “If you haven’t started the journey soon, it will be too late.”

Smart tools for workforce management

Posted on by David Priestman

The latest workforce management technology can be an important tool in boosting staff morale and retention. Logistics Business magazine editor Paul Hamblin talks to a major provider.

Recent­ research for human capital management specialists UKG reveals 87% of UK employees are being propelled into the future of work by accelerating digital transformation projects. Tellingly, the research claimed that 86% of these workers are enjoying the benefits of these new innovations, calling for organisations to recognise this adjustment and respond accordingly.

Neil Pickering, Industry and Content Manager EMEA for UKG, says that choosing the right digital solution to support your HR department will not only help to control costs and boost productivity, but can also work to enhance employee engagement and drive true cultural change.

Historically, workforce management from a business perspective is about driving efficiency, cost control and productivity and also about ensuring compliance. Pickering argues that while those factors are still a core part of the jigsaw, they can also serve an important need, by giving some very welcome control to employees – which in turn benefits the employer. Happy staff are staff who will stay, and it only takes a brief glance at recent news headlines to see how vital a stable workforce is to efficient, effective supply chains.

“It’s about improving lives for businesses, by boosting productivity and efficiency, but it’s also about employees, giving them autonomy and choice,” he explains. “We call it being Life Aware. By considering employee needs, perhaps by giving them more control, it will affect positively how you attract and retain those people. This is where our future is. So our technology is not just at the service of the organisation but at the service of people, too.”

It sounds great in theory – but what does giving staff more control look like in practice? “Self-service, easy-to-use apps enable staff to arrange shift swaps at short notice, or to arrange holidays; these apps can also proactively suggest and help arrange training needs, for instance. A manager’s time is freed from the paperwork to focus on productivity,” he suggests.

Such self-service actions are possible because the technology is always ensuring that an organisation’s resources are being used as effectively as possible, that the right number of staff are in the right place at the right time (both temporary and full-time accounted for) with forensic forecasts based on precise historical data ensuring that rotas and schedules are accurate, up-to-date and efficiently resourced. It is also – ­and this is another important factor in staff morale scores – making sure that staff are paid the right amount at the right time, with overtime accurately measured.

UKG’s view is that employers have begun to consider how to attract people other than by just paying more money. It has coined a term for it: Life-Work Technology. “We work with over 50,000 customers globally,” says Neil Pickering. “Our software has to be flexible enough to cope with local needs, local legislations, there is no one-size solution because every organisation’s need is different.”

UKG is a new name for a seasoned business, comprising 43-year-old workforce management specialists Kronos and HR delivery experts Ultimate Software, who merged in April 2020. “It’s the perfect marriage,” reports Pickering, “Very little customer overlap, about 5,000-6,000 employees each, two US-founded businesses with a strong global footprint.”

The logistics industry – from ports to 3PLs to warehouses – has led the way in adopting innovative workforce management processes, he relates. “It’s the backbone of the supply chain and it is the logistics sector that businesses have had to turn to change business models.”

His message is that digital transformation is about people processes as well as a piece of technology. His advice? “Engage openly with your chosen supplier. Make sure both parties agree on what you’re endeavouring to do. In UKG’s case, we have a lot of experience, so we’ve usually got pretty good advice on what will work and what won’t.”

Whatever the circumstances, there’s no time to waste. “You can’t wait for digital transformation to come to you,” he urges. “If you haven’t started the journey soon, it will be too late.”

‘Nirvana’ for nervous importers

Posted on by Keith McKinley

As supply chain disruptions continue to dominate news headlines, a noted inbound supply chain software specialist is making sure that nervous importers are guaranteed a good night’s sleep. Logistics Business magazine editor Paul Hamblin meets Setlog.

In the logistics industry, much of the noise around Digital Integration and Real-time Visibility (RTV) software and their ability to improve both service and efficiencies has been focused on the last-mile sector, on the journey of goods around a warehouse and then out to the end consumer. Indeed, end-consumer comfort with the technology is a key component of its raison d’être.

But what about the much longer, more complex and decidedly uncertain route taken by the goods before they even arrive at the warehouse? In other words, their journey from a producer or supplier in Asia or Africa to, say, their European-based importer? In a world where disruption has been perhaps the most common word in the global supply chain lexicon over the past 24 months – and with no likelihood of unexpected disruptions ceasing any time soon – ­importers will be happy to hear about a software provider able to offer solutions aimed at full collaboration and visibility of the total inbound supply chain.

Founded 20 years ago, now with offices in New York and Bochum (Germany) serving over 150 customers and brands, Setlog offers a digital ecosystem in which every stakeholder in the supply chain takes part. It includes the importer’s WMS and ERP and all constituent parts, plus suppliers, factories, forwarders, laboratories, buying offices, warehouses and quality control mechanisms, all linked to a common, easy-to-use, 100% integrated Digital Independence and visible gateway that enables all parties at all locations to see all data and all workflows at all relevant times. And all managed by easy-to-use, downloadable software.

It’s called Online Supply Chain Accelerator, or OSCA. “Data silos are everywhere, and they are killing businesses,” Guido Brackelsberg, Setlog co-founder and MD Sales, tells me. “Those businesses need shorter lead times. It’s driven by the Amazons of this world and it’s leading to more decentralised supply chains that are not optimally connected. To achieve the agility they need, our view is that businesses need digital independence, a digital core to manage sourcing, procurement and their global logistics processes. It’s why we focus on API integration and better movement of data. Collaboration of inbound supply chains is going to be a must for everyone, whether you are in fashion or frying pans.”

The obvious immediate benefit is faster lead times – 2-4 months, rather than the 8-12 months of a traditional or not fully integrated supply chain. Put that win against an autumn of doom-laden headlines about global shortages, blocked ports and stranded container ships and you have a story to make a Setlog target customer sit up and take notice.

As supply chain disruptions continue to dominate news headlines, a noted inbound supply chain software specialist is making sure that nervous importers are guaranteed a good night’s sleep. Paul Hamblin meets Setlog. “Let’s not even talk about how bad it is out there,” agrees Guido Brackelsberg.

“The benefit we offer against this backdrop is security, reassurance. You have a much better grip on your supply chain because your supplier is sharing all of his/her information. Our customers say to us: ‘I can sleep at night now, because of OSCA. If something goes wrong in my supply chain outside my control – and I know it’s going to – I can alleviate the pain. I can act, rather than react.’” Clearly it is a highly intricate network, but for the core user it is easy to operate via the software. “That’s what 20 years of experience gives us,” says Brackelsberg. “Knowing what a warehouse worker in Bangladesh is confident about operating intuitively in the same way as counterparts around the world. Everyone sees the same screens.”

A SaaS business model, Setlog is migrating OSCA to a platform approach so a supplier will only need to be added to the ecosystem once. That same supplier might work with five different customers with five different workflows. In each case, full end-to-end visibility with integrated API and data analytics are promised, all with nirvana in mind for the importer – digital independence.

Automation for all

Posted on by David Priestman

A UK specialist is bringing a new business model to the automation and integration sector, which could be good news for SMEs.

Until now, automation projects have largely been for the mega players only. Only the Amazons, Tescos and Wal-Marts of this world have had the heft in terms of investment, capacity, footprint and staff resource to take expensive projects on with a clear ROI goal in mind and without disrupting their massive day-to-day operations.

But now the world is changing. Customer service requirements in terms of delivery speed, accuracy and personalisation are requiring SMEs to think like the big players – and that means automation and digital transformation. The problem for smaller concerns and ecommerce start-ups embarking on such projects often lies in not having the staff bandwidth and expertise to make the jump with any confidence and without incurring damaging disruption to the core business.

This is where Big Box Group comes in. Initially a strong business as a storage and racking specialist, some five or so years ago its founder Iain Gillard began to embrace a new vision of where warehousing was going, in which scanning efficiencies, AGVs and robots and a greater automation emphasis were front and centre. He forecast that SMEs would need someone to help them through the process, to be a reliable expert partner guaranteed to get the job done – and, crucially, to be a single point of contact.

Jason Dyche, the company’s Head of Automation, is himself a veteran of the German warehousing logistics optimisation field. He bought fully into Gillard’s concept, joining Big Box Group in summer 2020, at the height of the pandemic and in the full knowledge that the need for such skills as Big Box could offer would be accelerated by the world emergency.

“What I liked about the Big Box concept was that, with our wide expertise, we could walk into almost any business and we could help them with anything, within reason,” he reveals. “It could be racking, it could be a mezzanine floor, it could be a temporary building, it could be a scanning solution.”

Does that not make them just another consultancy service, though? “Absolutely not,” he shakes his head. “We are not consultants. We don’t charge a consultancy fee. The idea is that we work in partnership, that we are trusted to get the job over the line. And for the client, the beauty is that they have one phone call to make each time, because we will do the rest for them. If the project is a small one, we know we can go back in confidence a few months later and they will want us to do another, larger job.”

Big Box Group’s automation suite of solutions has led to partnerships with AGV supplier Balyo, narrow-aisle UK forklift specialist Flexi and goods-to-person AMR provider GreyOrange. A fruitful relationship has been established with fast-growing Munich-based wearables innovator ProGlove (pictured).

“The beauty of ProGlove is that it can provide a very quick fix in terms of ROI, perhaps 3-6 months compared to other automation solutions,” explains Jason Dyche. “There’s a fast turnaround, too – orders can be ready in a matter of weeks, whereas AMR and AGV implementation can be, say, 12-18 months.”

He says the company will look at any project within the warehouse, from Goods-In to Goods-Out. With that flexibility in mind, how does he go about assessing what is right for a new client?

“I’ll start by asking, ‘What are your objectives as a business?’ Let’s be honest, the answer is usually going to be: ‘We want to increase our turnover without adding to our overheads, in fact we would prefer to reduce those overheads’. My job is to establish how to do that for them most cost-effectively and appropriately,” he says.

It means no two projects are the same. Currently he is working on a large asset-tracking project for a successful manufacturer which has grown so fast that its inventory has become haphazard; on developing a way to move butter from a pallet to a conveying system more efficiently; and on a scanning project (with ProGlove) for a major British supermarket chain.

Automation for all

Posted on by David Priestman

A UK specialist is bringing a new business model to the automation and integration sector, which could be good news for SMEs.

Until now, automation projects have largely been for the mega players only. Only the Amazons, Tescos and Wal-Marts of this world have had the heft in terms of investment, capacity, footprint and staff resource to take expensive projects on with a clear ROI goal in mind and without disrupting their massive day-to-day operations.

But now the world is changing. Customer service requirements in terms of delivery speed, accuracy and personalisation are requiring SMEs to think like the big players – and that means automation and digital transformation. The problem for smaller concerns and ecommerce start-ups embarking on such projects often lies in not having the staff bandwidth and expertise to make the jump with any confidence and without incurring damaging disruption to the core business.

This is where Big Box Group comes in. Initially a strong business as a storage and racking specialist, some five or so years ago its founder Iain Gillard began to embrace a new vision of where warehousing was going, in which scanning efficiencies, AGVs and robots and a greater automation emphasis were front and centre. He forecast that SMEs would need someone to help them through the process, to be a reliable expert partner guaranteed to get the job done – and, crucially, to be a single point of contact.

Jason Dyche, the company’s Head of Automation, is himself a veteran of the German warehousing logistics optimisation field. He bought fully into Gillard’s concept, joining Big Box Group in summer 2020, at the height of the pandemic and in the full knowledge that the need for such skills as Big Box could offer would be accelerated by the world emergency.

“What I liked about the Big Box concept was that, with our wide expertise, we could walk into almost any business and we could help them with anything, within reason,” he reveals. “It could be racking, it could be a mezzanine floor, it could be a temporary building, it could be a scanning solution.”

Does that not make them just another consultancy service, though? “Absolutely not,” he shakes his head. “We are not consultants. We don’t charge a consultancy fee. The idea is that we work in partnership, that we are trusted to get the job over the line. And for the client, the beauty is that they have one phone call to make each time, because we will do the rest for them. If the project is a small one, we know we can go back in confidence a few months later and they will want us to do another, larger job.”

Big Box Group’s automation suite of solutions has led to partnerships with AGV supplier Balyo, narrow-aisle UK forklift specialist Flexi and goods-to-person AMR provider GreyOrange. A fruitful relationship has been established with fast-growing Munich-based wearables innovator ProGlove (pictured).

“The beauty of ProGlove is that it can provide a very quick fix in terms of ROI, perhaps 3-6 months compared to other automation solutions,” explains Jason Dyche. “There’s a fast turnaround, too – orders can be ready in a matter of weeks, whereas AMR and AGV implementation can be, say, 12-18 months.”

He says the company will look at any project within the warehouse, from Goods-In to Goods-Out. With that flexibility in mind, how does he go about assessing what is right for a new client?

“I’ll start by asking, ‘What are your objectives as a business?’ Let’s be honest, the answer is usually going to be: ‘We want to increase our turnover without adding to our overheads, in fact we would prefer to reduce those overheads’. My job is to establish how to do that for them most cost-effectively and appropriately,” he says.

It means no two projects are the same. Currently he is working on a large asset-tracking project for a successful manufacturer which has grown so fast that its inventory has become haphazard; on developing a way to move butter from a pallet to a conveying system more efficiently; and on a scanning project (with ProGlove) for a major British supermarket chain.

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