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Day: 16 February 2023

Airbridge for Turkey Humanitarian Relief

Posted on by David Priestman

Amid widespread devastation caused by the recent earthquake people in the affected areas in Turkey and Syria need all the humanitarian relief available as soon as possible. UPS has put its worldwide smart logistics network to the task to transport relief supplies.

A Boeing 767 is currently taking off every night from the UPS Air Hub at Cologne Bonn airport, transporting urgently needed goods to Turkey from national and international aid organizations, UPS employees, citizens, and companies.

The willingness to donate in the region was so extensive that on-site donations are not currently being accepted. In-kind and monetary donations should instead be given to other aid organizations providing support.

The UPS Air Hub at Cologne Bonn Airport is UPS’s European air freight hub for international transport of goods. As a European hub, it is not only a platform to service customers but is also central to disaster relief efforts and support. The UPS Air Hub was also able to demonstrate its strategically important position and its reliability in the handling of shipments for the worldwide distribution of vaccines.

Relief supplies and donations receive freight space within the UPS network

In addition to the Cologne-Istanbul airbridge, UPS and The UPS Foundation have taken other measures to provide assistance where it is most needed. This includes:

• Pledging more than US$1 million in global logistics services.
• Working with the World Food Program, UNHCR and International Red Cross & Red Crescent to fly in relief items from Dubai.
• Offering transport capacity in UPS trucks for the Istanbul city government and NeedsMap, a local NGO that UPS supports.
• Activating EDUARDO, an emergency air dashboard created by skilled UPS volunteers to help humanitarian relief organizations quickly access all available flight capacity available at airports across Turkey.

Frank Jørgensen, President of UPS Germany, Austria and Switzerland, told us “Our hearts and thoughts are with the people of Turkey and Syria. Our sympathy also goes to the many relatives – including numerous UPS employees – of the people affected in the earthquake area. Above all, we help by using what we have: our committed employees with their expertise and our global logistics network.”

Airbridge for Turkey Humanitarian Relief

Posted on by David Priestman

Amid widespread devastation caused by the recent earthquake people in the affected areas in Turkey and Syria need all the humanitarian relief available as soon as possible. UPS has put its worldwide smart logistics network to the task to transport relief supplies.

A Boeing 767 is currently taking off every night from the UPS Air Hub at Cologne Bonn airport, transporting urgently needed goods to Turkey from national and international aid organizations, UPS employees, citizens, and companies.

The willingness to donate in the region was so extensive that on-site donations are not currently being accepted. In-kind and monetary donations should instead be given to other aid organizations providing support.

The UPS Air Hub at Cologne Bonn Airport is UPS’s European air freight hub for international transport of goods. As a European hub, it is not only a platform to service customers but is also central to disaster relief efforts and support. The UPS Air Hub was also able to demonstrate its strategically important position and its reliability in the handling of shipments for the worldwide distribution of vaccines.

Relief supplies and donations receive freight space within the UPS network

In addition to the Cologne-Istanbul airbridge, UPS and The UPS Foundation have taken other measures to provide assistance where it is most needed. This includes:

• Pledging more than US$1 million in global logistics services.
• Working with the World Food Program, UNHCR and International Red Cross & Red Crescent to fly in relief items from Dubai.
• Offering transport capacity in UPS trucks for the Istanbul city government and NeedsMap, a local NGO that UPS supports.
• Activating EDUARDO, an emergency air dashboard created by skilled UPS volunteers to help humanitarian relief organizations quickly access all available flight capacity available at airports across Turkey.

Frank Jørgensen, President of UPS Germany, Austria and Switzerland, told us “Our hearts and thoughts are with the people of Turkey and Syria. Our sympathy also goes to the many relatives – including numerous UPS employees – of the people affected in the earthquake area. Above all, we help by using what we have: our committed employees with their expertise and our global logistics network.”

Pharmacy Boasts 1st Piece-picking Solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Swedish online pharmacy Apotea automated its logistics centre last Autumn with a piece-picking solution to quickly, easily, and smoothly deliver approximately 50,000 orders a day to its customers. Following international cooperation between Element Logic, AutoStore, RightHand Robotics and Apotea, the centre fully integrated eOperator piece-picking robots with an AutoStore solution, a world first.

Pharmacy products are one of the fastest-growing segments of both Swedish and European e-commerce. Apotea.se is Sweden’s largest online pharmacy, with the country’s most comprehensive range of over-the-counter products and prescription drugs.

“During the pandemic, we looked at expanding the capacity to go from delivering 50,000 orders to 100,000 orders. That’s when we started looking at Element Logic and AutoStore. When we thought of installing AutoStore, it was precisely the ability to be able to robotise the picking that was one of the driving forces,” says Pär Svärdson, CEO at Apotea.

Apotea strives to deliver the best customer experience in the industry through fast and accurate deliveries. In Apotea’s logistics centre in Morgongåva, Sweden, the company has invested in automation from Element Logic, which takes care of the entire warehouse process. The goal is to optimise delivery and efficiency and cope with large variations in incoming orders.

The installation consists of 20,000 bins (with space for a total of 25,000), 30 AutoStore robots (R5) and four carousel ports, three of which are served by eOperator piece-picking robots. Initially, the new capacity at Apotea is estimated to be 800 order lines per hour. The installation is a collaboration between Element Logic, AutoStore, RightHand Robotics and Apotea. At the end of 2022, all CEOs and founders from the respective companies met at Apotea to inaugurate the solution.

“For us, it was essential to have a solution that can handle variations in product size and order intake, and that can expand as we grow. This investment helps us become more efficient, which makes it easier for us to exceed our customers’ expectations,” says Svärdson.

“To Apotea, the automation solution of AutoStore, eOperator and other features from Element Logic goes splendidly with their combined targets of optimal warehouse efficiency and environmental care. We look forward to following Apotea’s journey towards highly accurate deliveries along with saved energy, reduced noise levels and ergonomically friendly working hours,” says Dag-Adler Blakseth, CEO at Element Logic Group.

Apotea’s investment in eOperator, the world’s most advanced piece-picking robot solution, makes them pioneers internationally by using it to pick from an AutoStore installation. eOperator picks automatically 24/7, requiring no light at night. Through machine learning, eOperator automatically selects the best way to handle an item to be picked, increasing order capacity, goods handling, and delivery time.

“eOperator makes it possible to deliver quickly to customers, even at nights, weekends and bank holidays. You get a 24-hour operation, which is completely exceptional. We get better efficiency and faster deliveries, making everything cheaper and more efficient. It became natural to say, yes, let’s go,” continues Svärdson.

Apotea is not only Sweden’s market-leading online pharmacy, but also the country’s most sustainable e-commerce company, according to Sustainable Brand Index 2020 and 2021. Apotea‘s goal is to reduce the climate footprint throughout the entire chain, from production to the end consumer. On the roof of their logistics centre, you will find one of Sweden’s most extensive solar cell facilities that supply the entire AutoStore system.

“Our goal is to become Sweden’s most sustainable company, which is both brave and ambitious. It is vital for humanity and our environment, but also to be competitive. I believe that future customers will demand a different approach to sustainability from companies than today,” explains Svärdson.

AutoStore is a modular and scalable robotic solution for storing products efficiently. Compared to a manual warehouse, picking performance is ten times higher with AutoStore. The system consists of a grid where robots pick and deliver goods on the smartest available routes. The robots work around the clock and recharge when needed. At Apotea’s ports, the picked goods are delivered to both human operators and three eOperator piece-picking robots.

“Apotea has had a fantastic growth journey in Swedish e-commerce. By connecting an AutoStore system with Element Logic‘s smart piece-picking solution, eOperator, and other automation, we can help them continue to offer their customers fast and accurate deliveries and improved order capacity and goods handling,” explains Anders Bohlin, Sales Director at Element Logic Sweden.

Facts about Element Logic’s installation:
• 20,000 bins (with space for a total of 25,000)
• 30 AutoStore robots (R5)
• 4 carousel ports
• 3 piece-picking robots (eOperator)
• 800 order lines per hour (calculated capacity)
• 24/7 operations

Direct-to-Consumer Evolves

Posted on by David Priestman

A newly released report on the rise of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) found that decision-makers across ecommerce, manufacturing, retail, transport and logistics supply chain, and wholesale businesses in North America find DTC channels key to unlocking better customer experiences and achieving higher profit margins.

The research, commissioned by Deposco, a leading provider of omnichannel supply chain fulfilment solutions, highlights these findings about the rise of Direct-to-Consumer models:

• When asked about key drivers for using DTC models over a third (36%) of respondents highlighted access to more customer data to drive business strategy and a further 31% referenced reduced costs
• Almost 9 out of 10 respondents (89%) have seen increased sales through DTC channels over the past 12 months

This report indicates a massive trend that DTC – which will contribute more than one-half of overall sales by 2026 – enhances the customers experience in tandem with ensuring profitability of organization as the biggest benefits of DTC. Further to this the report also reveals that sustainable practices are an emerging focus for DTC brands. Almost half (48%) of the sample say they have the capability to “easily combine separate orders for delivery at the same time”, an approach that reduces environmental emissions by bringing down the number of deliveries needed.

The focus on sustainability is also gathering ground across the wider supply chain, with 30% saying they are looking toward growing the proportion of stock sourced from nearshore suppliers. Long-term scalability and future success with DTC will require proactive moves toward enhanced efficiencies and operational savings. For example, investing in technologies that allow different retailers to collaborate on delivery runs, or incentivize consumers to go for a more sustainable option through a better price on consolidated orders, would benefit everyone.

Deposco’s complimentary report, ‘The Rise of Direct-to-Consumer in North America: How businesses can break through the barriers and make a success of DTC channels’, is now available.

Deposco’s Bright Suite of omnichannel fulfilment supply chain applications is how fast-growing companies rapidly scale their warehouse management and order management operations, so they can see what inventory they’ve got, where it is, and where to position it to fulfil demand when It’s Grow Time™. It’s the only solution that provides this much actionable insight into both your supply chain and the broader marketplace. Streamlined into One Solution, One Focus, One Team. That’s why over 3,000 of the world’s fastest-growing ecommerce and DTC businesses rely on Deposco. We’re supporting over $10 billion in sales and over 51 million consumer orders annually. Last year, we saw total shipment growth increase by 78%.

Direct-to-Consumer Evolves

Posted on by David Priestman

A newly released report on the rise of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) found that decision-makers across ecommerce, manufacturing, retail, transport and logistics supply chain, and wholesale businesses in North America find DTC channels key to unlocking better customer experiences and achieving higher profit margins.

The research, commissioned by Deposco, a leading provider of omnichannel supply chain fulfilment solutions, highlights these findings about the rise of Direct-to-Consumer models:

• When asked about key drivers for using DTC models over a third (36%) of respondents highlighted access to more customer data to drive business strategy and a further 31% referenced reduced costs
• Almost 9 out of 10 respondents (89%) have seen increased sales through DTC channels over the past 12 months

This report indicates a massive trend that DTC – which will contribute more than one-half of overall sales by 2026 – enhances the customers experience in tandem with ensuring profitability of organization as the biggest benefits of DTC. Further to this the report also reveals that sustainable practices are an emerging focus for DTC brands. Almost half (48%) of the sample say they have the capability to “easily combine separate orders for delivery at the same time”, an approach that reduces environmental emissions by bringing down the number of deliveries needed.

The focus on sustainability is also gathering ground across the wider supply chain, with 30% saying they are looking toward growing the proportion of stock sourced from nearshore suppliers. Long-term scalability and future success with DTC will require proactive moves toward enhanced efficiencies and operational savings. For example, investing in technologies that allow different retailers to collaborate on delivery runs, or incentivize consumers to go for a more sustainable option through a better price on consolidated orders, would benefit everyone.

Deposco’s complimentary report, ‘The Rise of Direct-to-Consumer in North America: How businesses can break through the barriers and make a success of DTC channels’, is now available.

Deposco’s Bright Suite of omnichannel fulfilment supply chain applications is how fast-growing companies rapidly scale their warehouse management and order management operations, so they can see what inventory they’ve got, where it is, and where to position it to fulfil demand when It’s Grow Time™. It’s the only solution that provides this much actionable insight into both your supply chain and the broader marketplace. Streamlined into One Solution, One Focus, One Team. That’s why over 3,000 of the world’s fastest-growing ecommerce and DTC businesses rely on Deposco. We’re supporting over $10 billion in sales and over 51 million consumer orders annually. Last year, we saw total shipment growth increase by 78%.

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