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Month: December 2022

DeliveryApp invests for 2023 growth

Posted on by David Priestman

DeliveryApp, the technology-based logistics platform, has selected TrunkBBI as its agency partner for Digital PR and SEO.

Following a competitive pitch process, integrated creative and activation agency TrunkBBI, headquartered in Manchester, has been appointed to work with the innovative deltech platform to support digital activation. The agency has been challenged with elevating DeliveryApp’s brand awareness amongst key audiences as it heads into the new year and supporting with ambitious long-term goals to become the first carbon positive delivery platform in the UK.

Manchester-based company DeliveryApp is a delivery technology platform, primarily designed to connect independent couriers with end users, enabling fast deliveries through its app and website. With a network of over 10,000 independent couriers across the country who collect and deliver parcels personally, the company puts a real focus on the ethical treatment of its drivers, who are paid a flat rate.

Sustainability is an underlying pillar of the deltech platform. With scope to expand its environmental initiatives as electronic vehicles advance, DeliveryApp deliveries are already carbon neutral. The company calculates the carbon emissions incurred in every delivery and offsets   this   through   investment   in   carbon   reduction programmes, facilitated through its partnership with Carbon Neutral Britain. Additionally, DeliveryApp also plants a tree for every completed delivery facilitated through its partnership with Ecologi.

DeliveryApp impressed by agency

Commenting on the partnership, Nebula Norman, Marketing Director at DeliveryApp, said: “Trunk BBI impressed us with their strong vision for our brand. This combined with a talented team and vast amounts of experience, made them the natural choice for DeliveryApp. Their customer- and driver-centric approach, will play a major role in helping will help us build and grow as a brand, and we’re delighted to be working with them on this.”

Jon Butler, CEO at TrunkBBI, added: “We are extremely excited to be appointed to deliver a robust Digital PR and SEO strategy for DeliveryApp, working with the team to drive online visibility, aiming to grow brand awareness amongst delivery drivers, as well as customers across their B2B and B2C offering. This appointment confirms the confidence companies have in our services, and this all comes down to our people who work extremely hard to ensure we are consistently producing brilliant results.

“We are proud to be building a partnership with a company that has such strong ethics in place. The brand’s sustainability initiatives and its fair treatment of drivers is something that aligns with our own values, and we look forward to helping DeliveryApp grow its deserved reputation in the logistics sector.”

 

DeliveryApp invests for 2023 growth

Posted on by David Priestman

DeliveryApp, the technology-based logistics platform, has selected TrunkBBI as its agency partner for Digital PR and SEO.

Following a competitive pitch process, integrated creative and activation agency TrunkBBI, headquartered in Manchester, has been appointed to work with the innovative deltech platform to support digital activation. The agency has been challenged with elevating DeliveryApp’s brand awareness amongst key audiences as it heads into the new year and supporting with ambitious long-term goals to become the first carbon positive delivery platform in the UK.

Manchester-based company DeliveryApp is a delivery technology platform, primarily designed to connect independent couriers with end users, enabling fast deliveries through its app and website. With a network of over 10,000 independent couriers across the country who collect and deliver parcels personally, the company puts a real focus on the ethical treatment of its drivers, who are paid a flat rate.

Sustainability is an underlying pillar of the deltech platform. With scope to expand its environmental initiatives as electronic vehicles advance, DeliveryApp deliveries are already carbon neutral. The company calculates the carbon emissions incurred in every delivery and offsets   this   through   investment   in   carbon   reduction programmes, facilitated through its partnership with Carbon Neutral Britain. Additionally, DeliveryApp also plants a tree for every completed delivery facilitated through its partnership with Ecologi.

DeliveryApp impressed by agency

Commenting on the partnership, Nebula Norman, Marketing Director at DeliveryApp, said: “Trunk BBI impressed us with their strong vision for our brand. This combined with a talented team and vast amounts of experience, made them the natural choice for DeliveryApp. Their customer- and driver-centric approach, will play a major role in helping will help us build and grow as a brand, and we’re delighted to be working with them on this.”

Jon Butler, CEO at TrunkBBI, added: “We are extremely excited to be appointed to deliver a robust Digital PR and SEO strategy for DeliveryApp, working with the team to drive online visibility, aiming to grow brand awareness amongst delivery drivers, as well as customers across their B2B and B2C offering. This appointment confirms the confidence companies have in our services, and this all comes down to our people who work extremely hard to ensure we are consistently producing brilliant results.

“We are proud to be building a partnership with a company that has such strong ethics in place. The brand’s sustainability initiatives and its fair treatment of drivers is something that aligns with our own values, and we look forward to helping DeliveryApp grow its deserved reputation in the logistics sector.”

 

WCS for Special Brew

Posted on by David Priestman

Cimcorp’s Warehouse Control System (WCS) optimises inventory flows and improves warehouse efficiency. The 150-year-old Finnish beverage and brewing company Olvi relies on Cimcorp’s WCS to handle all intralogistics within its distribution centre.

Throughout Olvi’s logistics centre in Lisalmi, Finland, goods are mainly produced at the brewery and then automatically transferred to the high-bay warehouse for storage, picking, and dispatching.
It can be busy. “During the high season, a product produced in the morning might be in the retail outlet in the afternoon,” says Olvi’s Logistics Foreman, Ilkka Heikkilä.

However, a typical week with 5500 customer deliveries is not quite as hectic. Standard delivery time from production to the customer’s premises is 48 hours. This is fixed in the everyday routine of the logistics department. “The 24-hour cycle means that we must pick and deliver one day’s goods within 24 hours,” says Ilkka Heikkilä. “The next period is dedicated to new orders.”

High quality with warehouse control software

In 2014, Olvi implemented Cimcorp’s intralogistics system. It encompasses all the different areas for storage and order-picking and manages the flow of inventory from the reception to the dispatch of goods. Integrating seamlessly with the sales system M3, the WCS receives all the pertinent data from its host system.

As a first step, product information, orders and their deadlines are transferred from M3 to WCS. The needed data for product registration is automatically retrieved from the conveyor system.
In the logistics centre, operators move pallets to the order picking areas according to a predetermined schedule. A voice-directed picking system can be used, if required. With this system, pickers receive instructions regarding order lines as well as their locations in the dispatch areas.

Automatic picking

“Via their headsets, warehouse workers receive exact information on what and where to pick,” explains Heikkilä. A combination of automated tray picking and manual picking is used to pick most orders, with any products that cannot be picked automatically being added to the pallets.

With the high-bay warehouse, conveyors and order picking robots, Olvi can pick 97 percent of its orders automatically. In the next step, the goods are shrink-wrapped and moved to the shipping area. Whenever a delivery is ready, it is loaded and delivered to the next link in the chain. At that point, WCS sends the order accomplishment information to the sales system for reporting and invoicing.

Real-time monitoring

Olvi implemented Cimcorp’s WCS to eliminate bottlenecks and improve efficiency. Within the logistics department, the system has about 20 users. For them, monitoring in real time is one of the biggest benefits. “The most valuable feature is the ability to monitor the current picking situation,” says Heikkilä. “We can track our progress in relation to the daily target.”

With Cimcorp’s Warehouse Control System, better forecasting and evaluation are also possible. For example, Olvi plans and forecasts picking activities based on order data.
A high degree of automation and innovation is a hallmark of Olvi’s distribution centre in contrast to many of its European competitors. Olvi knows that as a beverage company expands and offers more complex products, it is essential that the goods flow seamlessly.

“We have more than 400 products in our distribution,” Timo Miettinen, Logistics Manager at Olvi, “and Cimcorp’s intralogistics system has the capability to handle products from our subsidiaries and partners in addition to our own.” The number of products has grown rapidly over the past decade, and there is no indication that this trend will reverse. “In fact,” says Miettinen, “there are still new and attractive product categories with room for growth.” For Olvi, smooth processes and intelligent automation are necessary to meet customer demands.

WCS for Special Brew

Posted on by David Priestman

Cimcorp’s Warehouse Control System (WCS) optimises inventory flows and improves warehouse efficiency. The 150-year-old Finnish beverage and brewing company Olvi relies on Cimcorp’s WCS to handle all intralogistics within its distribution centre.

Throughout Olvi’s logistics centre in Lisalmi, Finland, goods are mainly produced at the brewery and then automatically transferred to the high-bay warehouse for storage, picking, and dispatching.
It can be busy. “During the high season, a product produced in the morning might be in the retail outlet in the afternoon,” says Olvi’s Logistics Foreman, Ilkka Heikkilä.

However, a typical week with 5500 customer deliveries is not quite as hectic. Standard delivery time from production to the customer’s premises is 48 hours. This is fixed in the everyday routine of the logistics department. “The 24-hour cycle means that we must pick and deliver one day’s goods within 24 hours,” says Ilkka Heikkilä. “The next period is dedicated to new orders.”

High quality with warehouse control software

In 2014, Olvi implemented Cimcorp’s intralogistics system. It encompasses all the different areas for storage and order-picking and manages the flow of inventory from the reception to the dispatch of goods. Integrating seamlessly with the sales system M3, the WCS receives all the pertinent data from its host system.

As a first step, product information, orders and their deadlines are transferred from M3 to WCS. The needed data for product registration is automatically retrieved from the conveyor system.
In the logistics centre, operators move pallets to the order picking areas according to a predetermined schedule. A voice-directed picking system can be used, if required. With this system, pickers receive instructions regarding order lines as well as their locations in the dispatch areas.

Automatic picking

“Via their headsets, warehouse workers receive exact information on what and where to pick,” explains Heikkilä. A combination of automated tray picking and manual picking is used to pick most orders, with any products that cannot be picked automatically being added to the pallets.

With the high-bay warehouse, conveyors and order picking robots, Olvi can pick 97 percent of its orders automatically. In the next step, the goods are shrink-wrapped and moved to the shipping area. Whenever a delivery is ready, it is loaded and delivered to the next link in the chain. At that point, WCS sends the order accomplishment information to the sales system for reporting and invoicing.

Real-time monitoring

Olvi implemented Cimcorp’s WCS to eliminate bottlenecks and improve efficiency. Within the logistics department, the system has about 20 users. For them, monitoring in real time is one of the biggest benefits. “The most valuable feature is the ability to monitor the current picking situation,” says Heikkilä. “We can track our progress in relation to the daily target.”

With Cimcorp’s Warehouse Control System, better forecasting and evaluation are also possible. For example, Olvi plans and forecasts picking activities based on order data.
A high degree of automation and innovation is a hallmark of Olvi’s distribution centre in contrast to many of its European competitors. Olvi knows that as a beverage company expands and offers more complex products, it is essential that the goods flow seamlessly.

“We have more than 400 products in our distribution,” Timo Miettinen, Logistics Manager at Olvi, “and Cimcorp’s intralogistics system has the capability to handle products from our subsidiaries and partners in addition to our own.” The number of products has grown rapidly over the past decade, and there is no indication that this trend will reverse. “In fact,” says Miettinen, “there are still new and attractive product categories with room for growth.” For Olvi, smooth processes and intelligent automation are necessary to meet customer demands.

One-tenth of UK goods pass through Prologis portfolio

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, in partnership with independent advisory firm Oxford Economics has released an updated study on the economic impact of its global operations. The “Future Flow of Goods” report highlights how the activities taking place inside logistics buildings owned and managed by Prologis in the UK are making a major contribution to the country’s economy.

According to the report:

  • The goods produced and sold that came through a Prologis building represent 2.8% of global GDP, up from 2.5% in 2020
  • £67bn ($78bn) of throughput flows through Prologis warehouses in the UK each year, the equivalent 2.5% of UK GDP and almost 10% of all household goods
  • Warehouses owned and managed by Prologis UK house an estimated 34,183 people in direct jobs – 5% up from 2020

The study’s economic impact model found that activities carried out by customers operating across the entire Prologis UK portfolio, which includes 22 Prologis Parks in the Midlands, South East and London, make a significant contribution to the national economy, with goods flowing through the buildings equivalent to approximately 9.8% of household consumption.

Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said: “It is increasingly clear to all that the logistics sector is playing an important role in driving economic growth – not just here in the UK, but around the world. This study confirms the contribution the sector is making and it’s positive to see that throughput at our warehouses in the UK has an estimated economic value equivalent to 2.5% of GDP, supporting UK PLC growth.”

Prologis: employment increases

“A crucial element of generating economic value is creating sustainable jobs – key to long-term prosperity,” continues Weston. “The Oxford Economics data shows that direct employment created by businesses at our Parks has increased since 2020 – another great outcome for the UK economy.

“The study is important to Prologis, because it demonstrates that the commitment we show in supporting our customers by investing in training and skills initiatives and ensuring there are enough workers in the sector, is making a difference.”

The study is the third to be conducted by Oxford Economics – the first was published in 2017 and followed up in 2020. The 2020 study provided UK-specific data for the first time.

Oxford Economics estimates the total employment impact of Prologis’ activities, with the study revealing that logistics property is having a positive employment impact in the UK specifically. The total number of people estimated to be in direct employment at Prologis-owned warehouses in the UK is 34,183, up from 32,500 in 2020 – an increase of 5%. Globally, in 2020, Oxford Economics estimated total direct employment of 853,700 workers in Prologis-owned warehouses. This figure has risen to 1,067,975 workers in 2022 – an increase of 25%.

Prologis’ estate in the UK covers more than 26 million sq ft. Many of its buildings are purpose-built to meet customers’ needs and are leased to household names such as Tesco, Sainsburys and Royal Mail. Among its key industrial property assets is the UK’s premier rail-connected logistics park at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT).

CLICK HERE to visit Prologis’ Economic Impact Report to view and download the full report.

 

WNS acquires The Smart Cube and OptiBuy

Posted on by David Priestman

WNS (Holdings) Limited, a leading provider of global Business Process Management (BPM) solutions, has acquired The Smart Cube, a leader in platform-driven research and analytics (R&A) focused on procurement and supply chain, and OptiBuy, a leading European provider of procurement platform consulting and implementation solutions. These assets are complementary to WNS’ existing offerings and strengthen the company’s capabilities in both high-end procurement and advanced analytics.

The Smart Cube

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in London, UK, The Smart Cube provides digitally led market intelligence and analytics solutions. The company’s offerings span four key areas including procurement and supply chain, commercial sales and marketing, digital and analytics, and strategy and investment research. The Smart Cube leverages its proprietary digital AI knowledge management platform, Amplifi Pro, to help clients drive improved procurement and market intelligence and insight-based decision making. The company also brings strong front-end advisory capabilities and a large European footprint to the WNS portfolio.

The company has over 800 global employees including a seasoned leadership team with CXO-level relationships, and more than 600 talented R&A specialists with approximately two-thirds holding a Master’s degree. The acquisition of The Smart Cube was completed for a figure $125m.

“The Smart Cube is proud to become part of WNS, an industry leader in global Business Process Management. Both of our firms share a common philosophy of partnering and growing with clients, and believe our businesses continue to have huge growth opportunities ahead,” said Gautam Singh, Founder and CEO of The Smart Cube. “Over the last 20 years, we have built a strong business based on delivering value for our clients leveraging our unique AI+HI (artificial intelligence + human intelligence) methodology. We are delighted to now join WNS in the next phase of our growth journey.”

OptiBuy

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, OptiBuy is a leading European provider of procurement platform consulting and implementation solutions. The company helps clients leverage the capabilities of leading 3rd party procurement and supply chain platforms including Ivalua, Jaggaer, and O9, and complements WNS’ existing offerings with platforms such as Coupa and Ariba. In addition, OptiBuy also provides consulting, optimisation, outsourcing, and training services to their clients.

Currently focused on the EMEA market, the company has approximately 90 employees including more than 40 senior-level certified platform implementation professionals based in Poland. WNS views expansion of these capabilities into the North American market as a significant opportunity.

The acquisition of OptiBuy was completed for a figure of €30m.

“On behalf of the entire team at OptiBuy, we are excited to become part of WNS and believe that the combination of our two firms will enable the creation of differentiated, end-to-end digital procurement and supply chain solutions for the global marketplace,” said Mateusz Borowiecki, managing director of OptiBuy. “We look forward to building on the capabilities we have created over the past 12 years and working with the WNS team as we help clients leverage digital technologies to drive long-term business value.”

WNS: acquisitions complement us

“Both of these companies possess unique, digitally-led/human intelligence capabilities which are complementary to WNS’ existing procurement and analytics offerings, and are also complementary with each other,” said Keshav R. Murugesh, WNS’ chief executive officer. “The Smart Cube and OptiBuy bring experienced leadership teams, highly specialised resources, and differentiated technology offerings to the WNS portfolio. These companies also have blue-chip customer bases with extensive cross-selling opportunities, and proven track records of delivering strong top line growth, healthy margins, and high levels of customer satisfaction.

“We believe that The Smart Cube and OptiBuy will significantly enhance our WNS-Denali (procurement) and WNS-Triange (analytics) solutions, and help accelerate our positioning and growth in these strategic areas. On behalf of myself and the entire WNS team, we are excited to welcome the talented teams of The Smart Cube and OptiBuy to the WNS family.”

WNS acquires The Smart Cube and OptiBuy

Posted on by Keith McKinley

WNS (Holdings) Limited, a leading provider of global Business Process Management (BPM) solutions, has acquired The Smart Cube, a leader in platform-driven research and analytics (R&A) focused on procurement and supply chain, and OptiBuy, a leading European provider of procurement platform consulting and implementation solutions. These assets are complementary to WNS’ existing offerings and strengthen the company’s capabilities in both high-end procurement and advanced analytics.

The Smart Cube

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in London, UK, The Smart Cube provides digitally led market intelligence and analytics solutions. The company’s offerings span four key areas including procurement and supply chain, commercial sales and marketing, digital and analytics, and strategy and investment research. The Smart Cube leverages its proprietary digital AI knowledge management platform, Amplifi Pro, to help clients drive improved procurement and market intelligence and insight-based decision making. The company also brings strong front-end advisory capabilities and a large European footprint to the WNS portfolio.

The company has over 800 global employees including a seasoned leadership team with CXO-level relationships, and more than 600 talented R&A specialists with approximately two-thirds holding a Master’s degree. The acquisition of The Smart Cube was completed for a figure $125m.

“The Smart Cube is proud to become part of WNS, an industry leader in global Business Process Management. Both of our firms share a common philosophy of partnering and growing with clients, and believe our businesses continue to have huge growth opportunities ahead,” said Gautam Singh, Founder and CEO of The Smart Cube. “Over the last 20 years, we have built a strong business based on delivering value for our clients leveraging our unique AI+HI (artificial intelligence + human intelligence) methodology. We are delighted to now join WNS in the next phase of our growth journey.”

OptiBuy

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, OptiBuy is a leading European provider of procurement platform consulting and implementation solutions. The company helps clients leverage the capabilities of leading 3rd party procurement and supply chain platforms including Ivalua, Jaggaer, and O9, and complements WNS’ existing offerings with platforms such as Coupa and Ariba. In addition, OptiBuy also provides consulting, optimisation, outsourcing, and training services to their clients.

Currently focused on the EMEA market, the company has approximately 90 employees including more than 40 senior-level certified platform implementation professionals based in Poland. WNS views expansion of these capabilities into the North American market as a significant opportunity.

The acquisition of OptiBuy was completed for a figure of €30m.

“On behalf of the entire team at OptiBuy, we are excited to become part of WNS and believe that the combination of our two firms will enable the creation of differentiated, end-to-end digital procurement and supply chain solutions for the global marketplace,” said Mateusz Borowiecki, managing director of OptiBuy. “We look forward to building on the capabilities we have created over the past 12 years and working with the WNS team as we help clients leverage digital technologies to drive long-term business value.”

WNS: acquisitions complement us

“Both of these companies possess unique, digitally-led/human intelligence capabilities which are complementary to WNS’ existing procurement and analytics offerings, and are also complementary with each other,” said Keshav R. Murugesh, WNS’ chief executive officer. “The Smart Cube and OptiBuy bring experienced leadership teams, highly specialised resources, and differentiated technology offerings to the WNS portfolio. These companies also have blue-chip customer bases with extensive cross-selling opportunities, and proven track records of delivering strong top line growth, healthy margins, and high levels of customer satisfaction.

“We believe that The Smart Cube and OptiBuy will significantly enhance our WNS-Denali (procurement) and WNS-Triange (analytics) solutions, and help accelerate our positioning and growth in these strategic areas. On behalf of myself and the entire WNS team, we are excited to welcome the talented teams of The Smart Cube and OptiBuy to the WNS family.”

Small Sorters, many Destinations

Posted on by David Priestman

Mobile sorters can make outstanding use of limited space – what’s more, they’re flexible in what you can use them for.

For over 200 years; from the first railway lines to the Eiffel Tower lifts and industry 4.0, Fives has been at the heart of industrial revolutions by designing the breakthrough solutions and technologies that make up industry and that the world needs. As the world’s leading partner in supply chain performance, Fives, through its Intralogistics Business Unit, provides and integrates world-class solutions for sorting, warehousing, material handling and advanced automation, serving a wide range of industries.

As a pioneer of digitalization, Fives is always one innovation ahead thanks to its ability to anticipate customer needs and the commitment of its passionate and expert employees, including Fabio Sacchi, New Application Director for the GENI-AntTM sorter. In 2016, he joined Fives with the mission to develop robotic solutions for intralogistics. Since then, he has led a team of expert engineers with the goal to build the next generation of the world’s most flexible robotic sorters. The result is the development of the AMR-based GENI-AntTM sorter, entirely designed and manufactured at Fives Intralogistics SpA in Italy.

What is the thinking behind the GENI-AntTM sorter? “ Due to the pandemic and the acceleration in the switch to ecommerce, retailers and 3PLs need to transform their supply chains, modernise their warehouses and improve their delivery network, especially in urban areas,” he says. “They must now manage unpredictable, more fragmented, and smaller orders in their distribution centres and warehouses, as well as an increasing number of returns.”

Mobile sorters

The GENI-AntTM sorter is the most scalable and flexible solution available on the market today. It can be easily reconfigured and relocated due to its compact design and small footprint. “The implementation of autonomous mobile sorters, capable of making decisions and speeding up processing, allows our customers to move to the next level of integrated automation to improve efficiency and productivity in their facilities. This is the perfect solution for any company facing increasing logistics complexity and labour shortage.”

He goes on to list the benefits that he says the GENI-AntTM sorter can offer to beat its competitors. “Compared to a traditional sorter, a GENI-Ant TM -based system requires 20% less space, over 25% less operation and maintenance costs, and 40% less labour costs, while offering high productivity, and can serve many more destinations. It can be adapted to building constraints and is therefore suitable for postal agency and express courier depots as a stand-alone solution for last sorting points, as well as for retail and distribution centres for shipping to the point of sale or to end customers. At the same time, it can be integrated with other material handling equipment, as an extension of an existing sorter for multiple processing within larger hubs and warehouses.”

The ability and capacity to handle multiple varieties of items is crucial. “It is equipped with two stand-alone cross-belts sorters to transport and sort multiple items. It is capable of handling a wide range of products, such as parcels, flyers, fragile and non-standard items, as well as unusually large parcels up to 1.2 metres long. This range of sortable products also includes extremely small and irregular items that are difficult to sort with other conventional systems, such as soft goods, oddly shaped and unstable packages.”

Fives is about a lot more than sorters, of course, with a product range including conveyors, diverters, sorters, singulators, ASRS and software systems. Mr Sacchi says it was this holistic know-how that led to the genesis of the GENI-AntTM sorter.

He visualises many opportunities for GENI-AntTM sorter customers, describing it as “a future-proof solution that can be easily and quickly adapted to ever-changing requirements. Thanks to its flexibility and modularity it can be adapted to new environments and intralogistics challenges.”

Small Sorters, many Destinations

Posted on by David Priestman

Mobile sorters can make outstanding use of limited space – what’s more, they’re flexible in what you can use them for.

For over 200 years; from the first railway lines to the Eiffel Tower lifts and industry 4.0, Fives has been at the heart of industrial revolutions by designing the breakthrough solutions and technologies that make up industry and that the world needs. As the world’s leading partner in supply chain performance, Fives, through its Intralogistics Business Unit, provides and integrates world-class solutions for sorting, warehousing, material handling and advanced automation, serving a wide range of industries.

As a pioneer of digitalization, Fives is always one innovation ahead thanks to its ability to anticipate customer needs and the commitment of its passionate and expert employees, including Fabio Sacchi, New Application Director for the GENI-AntTM sorter. In 2016, he joined Fives with the mission to develop robotic solutions for intralogistics. Since then, he has led a team of expert engineers with the goal to build the next generation of the world’s most flexible robotic sorters. The result is the development of the AMR-based GENI-AntTM sorter, entirely designed and manufactured at Fives Intralogistics SpA in Italy.

What is the thinking behind the GENI-AntTM sorter? “ Due to the pandemic and the acceleration in the switch to ecommerce, retailers and 3PLs need to transform their supply chains, modernise their warehouses and improve their delivery network, especially in urban areas,” he says. “They must now manage unpredictable, more fragmented, and smaller orders in their distribution centres and warehouses, as well as an increasing number of returns.”

Mobile sorters

The GENI-AntTM sorter is the most scalable and flexible solution available on the market today. It can be easily reconfigured and relocated due to its compact design and small footprint. “The implementation of autonomous mobile sorters, capable of making decisions and speeding up processing, allows our customers to move to the next level of integrated automation to improve efficiency and productivity in their facilities. This is the perfect solution for any company facing increasing logistics complexity and labour shortage.”

He goes on to list the benefits that he says the GENI-AntTM sorter can offer to beat its competitors. “Compared to a traditional sorter, a GENI-Ant TM -based system requires 20% less space, over 25% less operation and maintenance costs, and 40% less labour costs, while offering high productivity, and can serve many more destinations. It can be adapted to building constraints and is therefore suitable for postal agency and express courier depots as a stand-alone solution for last sorting points, as well as for retail and distribution centres for shipping to the point of sale or to end customers. At the same time, it can be integrated with other material handling equipment, as an extension of an existing sorter for multiple processing within larger hubs and warehouses.”

The ability and capacity to handle multiple varieties of items is crucial. “It is equipped with two stand-alone cross-belts sorters to transport and sort multiple items. It is capable of handling a wide range of products, such as parcels, flyers, fragile and non-standard items, as well as unusually large parcels up to 1.2 metres long. This range of sortable products also includes extremely small and irregular items that are difficult to sort with other conventional systems, such as soft goods, oddly shaped and unstable packages.”

Fives is about a lot more than sorters, of course, with a product range including conveyors, diverters, sorters, singulators, ASRS and software systems. Mr Sacchi says it was this holistic know-how that led to the genesis of the GENI-AntTM sorter.

He visualises many opportunities for GENI-AntTM sorter customers, describing it as “a future-proof solution that can be easily and quickly adapted to ever-changing requirements. Thanks to its flexibility and modularity it can be adapted to new environments and intralogistics challenges.”

Schmitz Cargobull strengthens UK team

Posted on by David Priestman

Schmitz Cargobull has made a series of new appointments to its UK and Ireland sales team following the doubling of production capacity at its Manchester manufacturing plant and the introduction of a third new trailer aimed at the local markets.

After 11 years at the company, Mark Smith has been promoted to the newly-created role of UK Key Accounts Manager, looking after major national fleets.

Aaron Howarth, who has spent the last year in Schmitz Cargobull UK’s Aftersales Team and previously worked for Mercedes-Benz for 15 years, takes over from Smith as Regional Sales Manager for the East Midlands.

Benjamin Clayton has joined the business as Regional Sales Manager for the South, bringing 11 years’ experience in the automotive industry, including roles at Marshall Fleet Solutions and Asset Alliance Group.

And Philip Keenan joins as Regional Sales Manager for Ireland, following more than 10 years’ experience working for some of the country’s leading haulage and logistics companies, including Dixon Transport and DG McArdle International.

The appointments follow an increase in production at the company’s Manchester facility, which now produces three trailers specifically for the UK and Ireland – the S.BO PACE, the S.CS FIXED ROOF and the S.CS FREEPOST.

Smith, who will be drawing on more than 25 years’ transport industry experience to help grow the company’s blue-chip customer base, says: “With the increase in production capacity at our Manchester plant and the diversity of the Schmitz Cargobull portfolio, we are able to offer customer-tailored solutions for their transport operations.”

In addition to the three locally-built models, the team will be supporting customers with the entire Schmitz Cargobull portfolio including the popular S.KO COOL, M.KI tippers and skeletal trailers.

All four new appointments will report to Stephen Mallett, Head of Sales, Schmitz Cargobull UK & ROI.

 

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