Study: mixed consumer sentiment on home deliveries

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has released the results of a consumer sentiment study of ecommerce home delivery. The study of over 8,000 consumers across 10 European and North American countries provides retailers and logistics organisations with critical insights into consumer purchase and delivery preferences and concerns.

“Ecommerce and home delivery present opportunities and challenges to retailers and logistics organisations. In our study, consumers indicated they will increase their ecommerce purchases in the future, but 73% of them said they experienced a delivery failure in the last three months,” said Chris Jones, EVP, Industry and Services at Descartes. “The results of poor delivery performance can be catastrophic for retailers with almost one-quarter of the respondents in our study citing that they did not order from that retailer again.”

The study analyses consumer ecommerce buying behaviour, what is causing ecommerce purchases to increase or decrease, the kinds of goods purchased, their frequency and which ones are being delivered. In addition, it provides insight into delivery services, charges and performance. Most importantly, it analyses the importance that consumers place on delivery performance and the impact of delivery failures on future purchases. To learn more, read the full study: Descartes Research Report: Ecommerce—Is Retailer Fulfilment and Delivery Performance Keeping Up with Sales Growth?

Descartes’ ecommerce logistics solutions help retailers and logistics services providers deliver a superior customer experience. The home delivery solution covers a wide range of critical capabilities including delivery appointment booking, route planning, mobile applications and customer communications. They engage the customer at the point of purchase through order fulfilment and the successful completion of the delivery, provide opportunities to upsell value-added delivery services and keep customers up-to-date with the status of their delivery.

The warehouse management and integrated parcel shipping solutions help small- to mid-size retailers to use the right carrier and service to minimise shipping costs as well as to scale their ecommerce business by improving fulfilment reliability, speed and productivity.

AR Racking implements shuttle system for household items company

Logística de Menaje S.L., a company belonging to the Grupo Marcos Larrañaga y CIA which operates in the household items sector for hospitality and households with the Lacor and Ibili brands, chose AR Racking to carry out the extension of its logistics centre located in Alegría-Dulantzi (Álava).

Logística de Menaje S.L. culminates with this extension of its warehouse, completed at the end of 2021, a continuous innovation process to adapt to the needs of its customers to offer a premium quality service in terms of design, production, logistics and administration. The storage systems specialist AR Racking already completed in 2020 an initial optimisation phase of 3,540 sq m of the warehouse.

In this second phase of the project, the extension covered a total of 1,445 sq m of the intermediate stock warehouse, installing the AR Shuttle semi-automated storage system. This solution with motorised pallet shuttles has enabled maximum exploitation of both the floor and height space to generate a storage capacity for 4,961 pallets, on top of the 12,960 obtained in the installation of 2020. In total, almost 18,000 positions for storing household products.

Compact racking equipped with AR Shuttle make up a high-density storage system, enabling great use of the space and reduction of the work aisles of the forklift. In fact, it is the motorised pallet shuttles that transport the unit loads autonomously inside the racking structure.

Complex and custom design in 4 weeks

The project had to consider complex development limitations that necessitated a detailed floor and height design, which thanks to the perfect execution of AR Racking’s civil engineering and engineering work ensured its success.

Of note too were the tight deadlines managed to get the warehouse operational as quickly as possible, executing the installation of this second extension phase in just four weeks. The initial phase was developed in seven weeks.

In the words of Menaje S.L. Logistics Director, Yolanda Ocio, “having the facilities up and running in record time allowed us to continue with our daily business operations adapting to the storage needs that arose”.

Ocio continued: “This intermediate stock area installed with the AR Shuttle system acts as a buffer from our shipment area and allows us to store a high number of references in a very reduced space.”

From AR Racking, Xabier Rica, Project Manager and Sales Representative for the Northern Region, emphasised: “The joint work with Menaje S.L.’s logistics managers was key to developing the project according to its specific storage needs, and fully optimising the available space through the construction of the warehouse and design of the storage system.”

CLICK HERE to watch a video.

 

AR Racking implements shuttle system for household items company

Logística de Menaje S.L., a company belonging to the Grupo Marcos Larrañaga y CIA which operates in the household items sector for hospitality and households with the Lacor and Ibili brands, chose AR Racking to carry out the extension of its logistics centre located in Alegría-Dulantzi (Álava).

Logística de Menaje S.L. culminates with this extension of its warehouse, completed at the end of 2021, a continuous innovation process to adapt to the needs of its customers to offer a premium quality service in terms of design, production, logistics and administration. The storage systems specialist AR Racking already completed in 2020 an initial optimisation phase of 3,540 sq m of the warehouse.

In this second phase of the project, the extension covered a total of 1,445 sq m of the intermediate stock warehouse, installing the AR Shuttle semi-automated storage system. This solution with motorised pallet shuttles has enabled maximum exploitation of both the floor and height space to generate a storage capacity for 4,961 pallets, on top of the 12,960 obtained in the installation of 2020. In total, almost 18,000 positions for storing household products.

Compact racking equipped with AR Shuttle make up a high-density storage system, enabling great use of the space and reduction of the work aisles of the forklift. In fact, it is the motorised pallet shuttles that transport the unit loads autonomously inside the racking structure.

Complex and custom design in 4 weeks

The project had to consider complex development limitations that necessitated a detailed floor and height design, which thanks to the perfect execution of AR Racking’s civil engineering and engineering work ensured its success.

Of note too were the tight deadlines managed to get the warehouse operational as quickly as possible, executing the installation of this second extension phase in just four weeks. The initial phase was developed in seven weeks.

In the words of Menaje S.L. Logistics Director, Yolanda Ocio, “having the facilities up and running in record time allowed us to continue with our daily business operations adapting to the storage needs that arose”.

Ocio continued: “This intermediate stock area installed with the AR Shuttle system acts as a buffer from our shipment area and allows us to store a high number of references in a very reduced space.”

From AR Racking, Xabier Rica, Project Manager and Sales Representative for the Northern Region, emphasised: “The joint work with Menaje S.L.’s logistics managers was key to developing the project according to its specific storage needs, and fully optimising the available space through the construction of the warehouse and design of the storage system.”

CLICK HERE to watch a video.

 

NORD sets new standards for food sector

From 26 to 29 April 2022, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS will exhibit at ANUGA FOODTEC (Hall 7.1 on stand A030). With the IE5+ synchronous motor, the company is setting new standards with regard to energy efficiency of drive systems in the food industry and intralogistics. The high-efficiency IE5+ motor has now been integrated into a single-stage helical gear unit – thus further optimising system efficiency – and is also launched in the next size.

The new DuoDrive geared motor features high system efficiency and a consistent version reduction paired with a smooth, unventilated and compact design. Elimination of many wearing parts results in lower maintenance. In combination with the simple commissioning of the complete solution via plug-and-play, this results in a significant decrease of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to existing drive systems. DuoDrive is suitable for use in the food industry as well as intralogistics.

With the IE5+ synchronous motor, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS is setting new standards again: The new motor is now available in ventilated or smooth surface versions for powers from 1.1 to 4.0kW with a continuous torque of 6.8 to 18.2Nm.

Taking integration to the next level

DuoDrive is a NORD DRIVESYSTEMS’ revolutionary integrated geared motor in hygienic wash-down design where the IE5+ synchronous motor and the single-stage helical gear unit are installed in one single housing. As a system, the very compact DuoDrive concept achieves a significantly higher energy efficiency than the already proven combination of IE5+ synchronous motor and NORDBLOC.1 bevel gear unit.

At up to 92%, DuoDrive currently offers one of the highest efficiencies on the market for geared motors in this power class, and achieves its very high systems efficiency even in the partial load range. It is thus future-proof and a real cost reducer.

The first available DuoDrive size covers gear unit speed ratios of i=3.24 to i=16.2 and is designed for torque ranges of up to 80Nm and speeds of up to 1,000min-1. As it is easy to clean, corrosion-resistant and wash-down capable, DuoDrive is also ideal for use in hygiene-sensitive and harsh environments, and ensures higher system availability and lower cleaning costs through lower cleaning effort. If required, the motors are provided with a very smooth surface or the nsd tupH surface treatment.

An alternative to stainless steel

In case of stringent requirements on surface and corrosion protection, nsd tupH surface treatment is the technology of choice. Thanks to a special method, the surface is made corrosion-resistant and harder and makes aluminium behave like stainless steel with regard to corrosion protection.

This is not a coating, but a surface treatment that creates a protective layer which is permanently bonded to the substrate material. So nothing can detach or flake off. Damage remains locally restricted and does not spread. The drives are easy to clean and largely resistant to acids and alkalis.

It is even possible to use high-pressure cleaners or apply aggressive media. nsd tupH treatment is available for most of the aluminium products in the NORD modular drive system, and ideally suited for hygienically sensitive applications in the food sector.

 

NORD sets new standards for food sector

From 26 to 29 April 2022, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS will exhibit at ANUGA FOODTEC (Hall 7.1 on stand A030). With the IE5+ synchronous motor, the company is setting new standards with regard to energy efficiency of drive systems in the food industry and intralogistics. The high-efficiency IE5+ motor has now been integrated into a single-stage helical gear unit – thus further optimising system efficiency – and is also launched in the next size.

The new DuoDrive geared motor features high system efficiency and a consistent version reduction paired with a smooth, unventilated and compact design. Elimination of many wearing parts results in lower maintenance. In combination with the simple commissioning of the complete solution via plug-and-play, this results in a significant decrease of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to existing drive systems. DuoDrive is suitable for use in the food industry as well as intralogistics.

With the IE5+ synchronous motor, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS is setting new standards again: The new motor is now available in ventilated or smooth surface versions for powers from 1.1 to 4.0kW with a continuous torque of 6.8 to 18.2Nm.

Taking integration to the next level

DuoDrive is a NORD DRIVESYSTEMS’ revolutionary integrated geared motor in hygienic wash-down design where the IE5+ synchronous motor and the single-stage helical gear unit are installed in one single housing. As a system, the very compact DuoDrive concept achieves a significantly higher energy efficiency than the already proven combination of IE5+ synchronous motor and NORDBLOC.1 bevel gear unit.

At up to 92%, DuoDrive currently offers one of the highest efficiencies on the market for geared motors in this power class, and achieves its very high systems efficiency even in the partial load range. It is thus future-proof and a real cost reducer.

The first available DuoDrive size covers gear unit speed ratios of i=3.24 to i=16.2 and is designed for torque ranges of up to 80Nm and speeds of up to 1,000min-1. As it is easy to clean, corrosion-resistant and wash-down capable, DuoDrive is also ideal for use in hygiene-sensitive and harsh environments, and ensures higher system availability and lower cleaning costs through lower cleaning effort. If required, the motors are provided with a very smooth surface or the nsd tupH surface treatment.

An alternative to stainless steel

In case of stringent requirements on surface and corrosion protection, nsd tupH surface treatment is the technology of choice. Thanks to a special method, the surface is made corrosion-resistant and harder and makes aluminium behave like stainless steel with regard to corrosion protection.

This is not a coating, but a surface treatment that creates a protective layer which is permanently bonded to the substrate material. So nothing can detach or flake off. Damage remains locally restricted and does not spread. The drives are easy to clean and largely resistant to acids and alkalis.

It is even possible to use high-pressure cleaners or apply aggressive media. nsd tupH treatment is available for most of the aluminium products in the NORD modular drive system, and ideally suited for hygienically sensitive applications in the food sector.

 

Conqueror partners with CIFFA to offer freight forwarding courses

Conqueror Freight Network, the largest exclusive network worldwide, in a bid to offer members the most necessary and innovative benefits, has opened an Online Academy to provide freight forwarding courses. The inaugural course is on International Transportation and Trade which started last Friday. More than 20 students have enrolled it with the aim to reach new goals and confidence while boosting their productivity, enhancing their skills and even preparing them for greater responsibilities.

In order to provide students with the best training, Conqueror Freight Network has partnered with The Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA), a certified training provider with more than 60 years of experience in education. These courses have been completed by more than 10,000 learners globally.  CIFFA offers two different skill levels of courses on freight forwarding.

The first Course is the International Transportation and Trade, which is about the foundations of international freight forwarding, how to manage risks by selecting the appropriate Incoterm, how to calculate freight charges and load shipments, types of equipment and documentation used to move goods.

Antonio Torres, President and Founder of Conqueror states: “We are excited of the high demand that the International Transportation and Trade Course has had among our members. It is fundamental to have a deep knowledge of logistics to provide a successful service, but it is not always easy to find specific training within the sector. That is why we have decided to give this opportunity to our members. We believe that these training courses will enhance their capabilities and open new chances within their businesses.”

The second course, Essentials of Freight Forwarding, offers lessons in international payment methods and cargo insurance, knowledge about commercial documents and their completion, export packaging, cargo security, and alternative transport solutions to enable freight forwarders to provide the best quote option to their customers.

The educational programmes imparted by CIFFA are specifically intended for both people already working in the freight forwarding industry who would like to go further in their knowledge, and starters who would like to begin their journey in the industry.

Additionally, these courses are offered entirely online, using asynchronous delivery, so they can be accomplished at the speed the student is comfortable with. Each lesson is fully interactive putting the student in real world freight forwarding scenarios.

Conqueror has also established a partnership with Container xChange – a neutral online platform, used by 600+ freight forwarders who offer a wide range of training material about the leasing container industry. This way, Conqueror can offer a SOC Container Masterclass delivered by Container xChange as a complement to the other two courses. The SOC Container Masterclass provided by Container xChange, is a comprehensive, “everything-you-need-to-know” course about handling Shipper Owned Containers. All members who enrol in one of the logistics courses offered will be given access to this Masterclass.

Investing in training courses will not only enable agents to specialize and go deeper in the freight forwarding industry, but also, it will provide the adequate skills to open their companies to new opportunities.

 

 

Conqueror partners with CIFFA to offer freight forwarding courses

Conqueror Freight Network, the largest exclusive network worldwide, in a bid to offer members the most necessary and innovative benefits, has opened an Online Academy to provide freight forwarding courses. The inaugural course is on International Transportation and Trade which started last Friday. More than 20 students have enrolled it with the aim to reach new goals and confidence while boosting their productivity, enhancing their skills and even preparing them for greater responsibilities.

In order to provide students with the best training, Conqueror Freight Network has partnered with The Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA), a certified training provider with more than 60 years of experience in education. These courses have been completed by more than 10,000 learners globally.  CIFFA offers two different skill levels of courses on freight forwarding.

The first Course is the International Transportation and Trade, which is about the foundations of international freight forwarding, how to manage risks by selecting the appropriate Incoterm, how to calculate freight charges and load shipments, types of equipment and documentation used to move goods.

Antonio Torres, President and Founder of Conqueror states: “We are excited of the high demand that the International Transportation and Trade Course has had among our members. It is fundamental to have a deep knowledge of logistics to provide a successful service, but it is not always easy to find specific training within the sector. That is why we have decided to give this opportunity to our members. We believe that these training courses will enhance their capabilities and open new chances within their businesses.”

The second course, Essentials of Freight Forwarding, offers lessons in international payment methods and cargo insurance, knowledge about commercial documents and their completion, export packaging, cargo security, and alternative transport solutions to enable freight forwarders to provide the best quote option to their customers.

The educational programmes imparted by CIFFA are specifically intended for both people already working in the freight forwarding industry who would like to go further in their knowledge, and starters who would like to begin their journey in the industry.

Additionally, these courses are offered entirely online, using asynchronous delivery, so they can be accomplished at the speed the student is comfortable with. Each lesson is fully interactive putting the student in real world freight forwarding scenarios.

Conqueror has also established a partnership with Container xChange – a neutral online platform, used by 600+ freight forwarders who offer a wide range of training material about the leasing container industry. This way, Conqueror can offer a SOC Container Masterclass delivered by Container xChange as a complement to the other two courses. The SOC Container Masterclass provided by Container xChange, is a comprehensive, “everything-you-need-to-know” course about handling Shipper Owned Containers. All members who enrol in one of the logistics courses offered will be given access to this Masterclass.

Investing in training courses will not only enable agents to specialize and go deeper in the freight forwarding industry, but also, it will provide the adequate skills to open their companies to new opportunities.

 

 

FourKites launches universal time slot solution

FourKites, the real-time supply chain visibility platform, has launched Slot Manager, its universal time slot booking solution, across Europe. The cloud-based solution helps warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing facilities collaborate efficiently on pickup and receiving time slots, saving significant time and improving daily operations and partner relationships. In addition, the highly configurable solution allows shippers and carriers to eliminate excess dwell time on site, eliminating detention fees and significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Time slot management is a notoriously time-consuming task for shippers and carriers alike. With  carrier dwell averaging up to 4.35 hours per day, or nearly half of a driver’s time, Slot Manager improves facility productivity and reduces carrier wait time by more than 50%. Highly configurable for personalised requirements, Slot Manager enables shippers and carriers to collaborate in real time, and allows carriers to self-book their preferred time slot based on real-time transit conditions, thereby eliminating hours of daily administrative work and error-prone manual processes.

Slot Manager is an extension of FourKites’ Appointment Manager, launched over two years ago. The solution is now also available in several new Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, New Zealand and India.

Specifically, Slot Manager offers the following benefits:

  • Labour optimisation: Leveraging FourKites’ Dynamic ETA to provide the most accurate times of arrival, teams can better allocate labour and resources based on real-time data and shifts in expected arrival time.
  • Ease and compliance with carrier scheduling: Slot Manager creates a single appointment layer accessible to both shippers and carriers to streamline communication and facilitate collaboration. Slots are created by the facility to ensure adherence to preferred scheduling, business rules and specific commodity requirements.
  • True end-to-end visibility: Powered by real-time supply chain visibility data from FourKites, Slot Manager extends visibility even further into the facility via one streamlined interface. With FourKites, stakeholders receive a comprehensive end-to-end view of shipments from point of origin to predictive insights that help orchestrate activities in the facility.
  • Diminished carrier detention costs: With optimised scheduling, carrier dwell on site can be virtually eliminated, helping shippers avoid detention fees and fines for truck queues on public roads.
  • Reduced carbon emissions: Scheduling and operational efficiencies driven by Slot Manager reduce time carriers spend in the yard by up to 50%, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 54%.

“We are excited to introduce the easiest, most flexible slot booking application on the market,” said Mathew Elenjickal, FourKites Founder and CEO. “This groundbreaking solution helps shippers across the globe optimise end-to-end visibility, efficiency and sustainability, as well as adapt quickly as their business needs change. We’re thrilled to be launching Slot Manager in Europe, specifically tailored to the needs of local facilities.”

In addition, FourKites has partnered with French transportation solutions firm IER, a Blue Systems entity (Bolloré Group), to facilitate integrated implementation in Europe, driving greater efficiency for both carriers and facilities. The partnership combines IER’s leading standard of facility hardware technology with facility processes for automated check-in and check-out. When combined with FourKites’ advanced data capture and processing capabilities, the companies’ combined pre-configured integration offers a fast, turnkey facility solution for customers.

“We chose to partner with FourKites due to their globally recognised data quality and their commitment to delivering that data back to customers with actionable insights,” said Christophe Levy, Chief Executive Officer of IER’s Track & Trace Unit. “By combining FourKites’ advanced supply chain intelligence capabilities with our leading facility hardware capabilities, we offer a seamlessly integrated solution that helps customers achieve immediate results for their business.”

 

FourKites launches universal time slot solution

FourKites, the real-time supply chain visibility platform, has launched Slot Manager, its universal time slot booking solution, across Europe. The cloud-based solution helps warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing facilities collaborate efficiently on pickup and receiving time slots, saving significant time and improving daily operations and partner relationships. In addition, the highly configurable solution allows shippers and carriers to eliminate excess dwell time on site, eliminating detention fees and significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Time slot management is a notoriously time-consuming task for shippers and carriers alike. With  carrier dwell averaging up to 4.35 hours per day, or nearly half of a driver’s time, Slot Manager improves facility productivity and reduces carrier wait time by more than 50%. Highly configurable for personalised requirements, Slot Manager enables shippers and carriers to collaborate in real time, and allows carriers to self-book their preferred time slot based on real-time transit conditions, thereby eliminating hours of daily administrative work and error-prone manual processes.

Slot Manager is an extension of FourKites’ Appointment Manager, launched over two years ago. The solution is now also available in several new Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, New Zealand and India.

Specifically, Slot Manager offers the following benefits:

  • Labour optimisation: Leveraging FourKites’ Dynamic ETA to provide the most accurate times of arrival, teams can better allocate labour and resources based on real-time data and shifts in expected arrival time.
  • Ease and compliance with carrier scheduling: Slot Manager creates a single appointment layer accessible to both shippers and carriers to streamline communication and facilitate collaboration. Slots are created by the facility to ensure adherence to preferred scheduling, business rules and specific commodity requirements.
  • True end-to-end visibility: Powered by real-time supply chain visibility data from FourKites, Slot Manager extends visibility even further into the facility via one streamlined interface. With FourKites, stakeholders receive a comprehensive end-to-end view of shipments from point of origin to predictive insights that help orchestrate activities in the facility.
  • Diminished carrier detention costs: With optimised scheduling, carrier dwell on site can be virtually eliminated, helping shippers avoid detention fees and fines for truck queues on public roads.
  • Reduced carbon emissions: Scheduling and operational efficiencies driven by Slot Manager reduce time carriers spend in the yard by up to 50%, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 54%.

“We are excited to introduce the easiest, most flexible slot booking application on the market,” said Mathew Elenjickal, FourKites Founder and CEO. “This groundbreaking solution helps shippers across the globe optimise end-to-end visibility, efficiency and sustainability, as well as adapt quickly as their business needs change. We’re thrilled to be launching Slot Manager in Europe, specifically tailored to the needs of local facilities.”

In addition, FourKites has partnered with French transportation solutions firm IER, a Blue Systems entity (Bolloré Group), to facilitate integrated implementation in Europe, driving greater efficiency for both carriers and facilities. The partnership combines IER’s leading standard of facility hardware technology with facility processes for automated check-in and check-out. When combined with FourKites’ advanced data capture and processing capabilities, the companies’ combined pre-configured integration offers a fast, turnkey facility solution for customers.

“We chose to partner with FourKites due to their globally recognised data quality and their commitment to delivering that data back to customers with actionable insights,” said Christophe Levy, Chief Executive Officer of IER’s Track & Trace Unit. “By combining FourKites’ advanced supply chain intelligence capabilities with our leading facility hardware capabilities, we offer a seamlessly integrated solution that helps customers achieve immediate results for their business.”

 

Altra expands virtual exhibition stand

Altra Industrial Motion Corp. has expanded its virtual exhibition with new explorable 3D application environments, booths, event areas and products.

Viewable from a web browser at any time, the Altra virtual exhibition stand offers visitors the chance to engage with market-leading power transmission products, 3D models, videos, literature and downloads. The stand features bearings, brakes, clutches, couplings, drives, engine braking solutions, gearing, limit switches, linear actuators, motors and more for a wide variety of challenging applications. Users can navigate products via hotspots, which offer easy access to content and quick contact with experts if required.

New additions to the stand include detailed 3D virtual application environments for the water, mining, oil and gas sectors. Places to explore include an oil rig and surface ship; a surface mine, an underground mine and processing area; as well as a complete wastewater treatment plant. By clicking on highlighted installations, visitors can instantly view relevant brands and products, as well as all associated media. This allows quick filtering of suitable solutions for each application, speeding up specifying.

Also new is Innovation Spotlight, which will be updated monthly with a technically advanced product. In the recently added Auditorium, visitors can sit and watch an extensive library of Altra webinars and presentations in a virtual room. Furthermore, the user interface for the stand has been refreshed.

Leading brands represented at the virtual exhibition include Ameridrives, Bauer Gear Motor, Bibby Turboflex, Boston Gear, Delroyd Worm Gear, Formsprag Clutch, Guardian Couplings, Huco, Kilian, Kollmorgen, Lamiflex Couplings, Marland Clutch, Matrix, Nuttall Gear, Portescap, Stieber, Stromag, Svendborg Brakes, TB Wood’s, Thomson, Twiflex, Warner Electric and Wichita Clutch.

Showcasing innovative power transmission solutions from the leading brands of Altra,

CLICK HERE to visit the stand.

 

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