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Month: March 2023

New Hybrid Ferry Docks at Limassol

Posted on by David Priestman

P&O Ferries’ newly commissioned Fusion Class vessel ‘P&O Pioneer’ has docked at DP World Limassol port on its journey from Guangzhou, China to Dover, United Kingdom.

The industry-leading P&O Pioneer arrived on Wednesday for bunkering, as it makes its way towards Dover, where it is expected to become fully operational on the English Channel route to Calais in May 2023.

The vessel’s first trip to its new home has been aided by DP World’s vast global network of terminals allowing it to dock in one of its own terminals where it will be fully serviced by various specialist teams from within the global firm’s group of companies.

DP World’s integrated services will provide berthing, bunkering, and marine services while the vessel is docked at Limassol. Unifeeder and P&O Maritime Cyprus will be responsible for bunkering and marine operations, while DP World Limassol terminal operators will be in charge of berthing the vessel while it remains at the port.

The Pioneer is set to be the world’s largest double-ended hybrid ferry with two bridges meaning there is no need for it to turn around in ports, saving fuel on every roundtrip. Forecasts anticipate that P&O Pioneer will deliver a 40% reduction in carbon emissions on the Dover-Calais route from its first day in service, making it the most sustainable ferry ever to sail between Britain and the Continent and a true leader in advancing the UK maritime sector’s journey towards net zero.

Important step

Peter Hebblethwaite, CEO of P&O Ferries, said: “The delivery of P&O Pioneer is an important step for P&O Ferries, and one that will bring advanced sustainable technology to the Dover-Calais crossing. We are excited to offer our passengers and freight customers the chance to experience this state-of-the-art new ferry on our busiest route, which is also one of the UK’s most important connections with the continent of Europe.

“Last summer we carried more than one million passengers on this route and are looking forward to an exciting summer ahead with the first of our two new ships.”

Nawaf Abdulla, CEO of DP World Limassol, said: “I am delighted to be inaugurating this state-of-the-art hybrid ferry at DP World Limassol Terminal, in the presence of key government officials and stakeholders of the maritime sector.

“The fact that leading companies such as Unifeeder and P&O Ferries, which are both part of the DP World Group, choose to register their vessels in Cyprus is a testament to the country’s favourable Tonnage Tax System (TTS) and the government’s efforts to make the Cyprus flag more competitive. Our global range of products and solutions, from ports and technology to marine services and logistics, enables us to create end-to-end, sustainable supply chain solutions that can reshape the way the world trades.”

The Fusion Class vessel allows P&O Ferries to cut fuel use on each crossing, as it is propelled by a combination of fuel and battery power. Reductions in fuel usage and emissions are delivered by the hybrid system by allowing the Pioneer to operate from its Energy Storage System while manoeuvring or in port and is designed to have the capacity to become fully carbon neutral in the future. The modular design of the ship allows for modifications to welcome developing technology and as more charging stations are brought in at ports, current generators on the vessel can be removed and replaced with batteries.

The P&O Pioneer is the first of two identical purpose-built “Fusion Class” sister-ships ordered for the Dover – Calais route, both of which have been registered in Cyprus. The second ship, P&O Liberte, is expected to join in service towards the end of 2023.

 

EPAL Reports Record Pallet Repair Figures

Posted on by David Priestman

EPAL UK and Ireland has reported an uplift in the number of pallet repairs carried out across its network, as customers seek to mitigate the impact of growing supply chain costs.

The organisation, which administers the EPAL system for the UK and Ireland region, said more than 100,000 pallet repairs took place for the first time during 2022, as businesses increased pallet reuse for reasons including sustainability and reducing costs.

Production of new EPAL pallets also grew year-on-year in the UK market in every month of 2022 to a total of 1 million across the year, a record for the country. In Ireland, production remained largely stable, despite challenging conditions that affected availability of timber at times during the year.

Felicity Smith, National Secretary for EPAL UK & Ireland, said: “We are really pleased to see reuse of EPAL pallets going up for another year to hit these record levels. Driven by increasing cost pressures, as well as the increasing legislative and customer demands on sustainability, more supply chains are looking to recondition, repair and reuse their pallets. The EPAL network of licensed repairers is expanding, which is making it easier for them to do this.

“This, alongside the growth we saw in the production of EPAL pallets during 2022, is further indication that more customers are asking their suppliers to use EPAL to make their supply chains more efficient, sustainable, and ISPM 15-compliant.”

Administering some 650 million EPAL Euro pallets and 2 million box pallets internationally, EPAL is the world’s largest open exchange pool.

 

EPAL Reports Record Pallet Repair Figures

Posted on by David Priestman

EPAL UK and Ireland has reported an uplift in the number of pallet repairs carried out across its network, as customers seek to mitigate the impact of growing supply chain costs.

The organisation, which administers the EPAL system for the UK and Ireland region, said more than 100,000 pallet repairs took place for the first time during 2022, as businesses increased pallet reuse for reasons including sustainability and reducing costs.

Production of new EPAL pallets also grew year-on-year in the UK market in every month of 2022 to a total of 1 million across the year, a record for the country. In Ireland, production remained largely stable, despite challenging conditions that affected availability of timber at times during the year.

Felicity Smith, National Secretary for EPAL UK & Ireland, said: “We are really pleased to see reuse of EPAL pallets going up for another year to hit these record levels. Driven by increasing cost pressures, as well as the increasing legislative and customer demands on sustainability, more supply chains are looking to recondition, repair and reuse their pallets. The EPAL network of licensed repairers is expanding, which is making it easier for them to do this.

“This, alongside the growth we saw in the production of EPAL pallets during 2022, is further indication that more customers are asking their suppliers to use EPAL to make their supply chains more efficient, sustainable, and ISPM 15-compliant.”

Administering some 650 million EPAL Euro pallets and 2 million box pallets internationally, EPAL is the world’s largest open exchange pool.

 

Europe Takes the Lead in Sustainable Growth

Posted on by David Priestman

The unprecedented number of Extended Producer Responsibility legislation that has been greenlighted since the advent of 2023 across Europe no doubt signals a new level of environmental awareness on a governmental, rather than merely social level, writes Elena Rotzokou (pictured), Global Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Researcher at Ecoveritas.

European legislative bodies have mobilized themselves en masse since March 2022, which is when several proposals aimed at product sustainability saw the light of day, most notably a circular economy business model. All these proposals fall under the ambitious purview of the European Green Deal, first approved in 2020, whose goal is to achieve incremental sustainable growth so that Europe becomes the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Green Deal legislation has proven most adaptable to the times. In the face of an era of overwhelming environmental catastrophe, which has just been capped with the war in Ukraine, the European Commission has issued a matching response: the European Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative.

What are digital product passports? As the term implies, each product placed by a business on the EU market will need to carry its individual information passport, access to which will need to be provided via a data carrier to a unique product identifier (UID). The EU aims for a 2026 date by which to implement the legislation across three industries: apparel, batteries, and consumer electronics – with more to follow. Food and pharmaceutical products will be excluded. Through data transparency and accessibility, the product passport initiative seeks to raise awareness and encourage environmentally friendly action across all parties involved in a product’s lifecycle: manufacturers, distributors, and end consumers.

The logistics behind product passport use might seem complicated at first glance but are, in fact, straightforward: all a consumer needs to do is scan the product QR code with their phone to access DPP information. To help businesses understand their role in effectively making those passports a reality, several data specification standards have already been established at this early stage to demystify the process. For example, digital links accessible through a unique product identifier will need to be added to the products themselves rather than outer packaging or tags. Interested parties should be able to access information relating to raw materials, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and recycling options.

Traceability systems are to be in place to enable tracking all procedures leading from raw materials to the finished product. Measures will be taken to implement data collection and combination systems to meet the reporting requirements for the passports. Whoever on the supply chain brings a product to the market will carry the responsibility for guaranteeing DPP data accuracy.

As far as the packaging industry is concerned, a range of data availability requirements are expected pertaining, among other things, to product and product packaging weight and volume, durability, reusability, reparability, the presence of substances inhibiting circularity, energy and resource efficiency, recycled content, remanufacturing, waste generation, resource use, microplastic release, and carbon footprints.

Sustainable Growth

In addition to batteries, apparel, and electronics, there is pressure on more industries to adopt the DPP initiative, such as textiles (especially furniture), plastics, chemicals, construction, and automobile manufacturing. Since the 31st of January and until the 5th of December, the European Commission is conducting consultation on various product categories that will be impacted by this law, such as textiles and footwear, furniture, cosmetics, aluminum, plastic and polymer, paper, and glass.

Legislation pertaining to data accessibility and traceability information has already affected EPR laws for plastics, and so DPPs should be a crowning moment in what is already an unfolding process. If all obligated parties cooperate effectively, digital passports might come to be an inextricable part of products, to the point where, ultimately, all products come to life equipped with passports.

2026 is not far away and further guidelines are expected to start trickling in throughout the coming months to inform obligated businesses of how they should expect to be impacted by DPPs.

At Ecoveritas, we understand that this admirably ambitious initiative may seem daunting to most businesses, especially since requirement specifications are not widely available or clear at this point. Whatever the nature of your business, if you sell in-scope products to the EU, it is wise to start making steps towards coming to terms with what this piece of legislation entails and what you will need to do to comply in time and with all standards; and this is where we come in.

Ecoveritas has been and will continue to keep a close track of information on the Digital Passport Product initiative so as to ensure our clients are duly prepared to face their obligations when the time comes. If you expect to be affected by this law, get in touch with us today to learn more about our exclusive EPR matrix and rigorous consulting services.

 

 

Europe Takes the Lead in Sustainable Growth

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The unprecedented number of Extended Producer Responsibility legislation that has been greenlighted since the advent of 2023 across Europe no doubt signals a new level of environmental awareness on a governmental, rather than merely social level, writes Elena Rotzokou (pictured), Global Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Researcher at Ecoveritas.

European legislative bodies have mobilized themselves en masse since March 2022, which is when several proposals aimed at product sustainability saw the light of day, most notably a circular economy business model. All these proposals fall under the ambitious purview of the European Green Deal, first approved in 2020, whose goal is to achieve incremental sustainable growth so that Europe becomes the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Green Deal legislation has proven most adaptable to the times. In the face of an era of overwhelming environmental catastrophe, which has just been capped with the war in Ukraine, the European Commission has issued a matching response: the European Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative.

What are digital product passports? As the term implies, each product placed by a business on the EU market will need to carry its individual information passport, access to which will need to be provided via a data carrier to a unique product identifier (UID). The EU aims for a 2026 date by which to implement the legislation across three industries: apparel, batteries, and consumer electronics – with more to follow. Food and pharmaceutical products will be excluded. Through data transparency and accessibility, the product passport initiative seeks to raise awareness and encourage environmentally friendly action across all parties involved in a product’s lifecycle: manufacturers, distributors, and end consumers.

The logistics behind product passport use might seem complicated at first glance but are, in fact, straightforward: all a consumer needs to do is scan the product QR code with their phone to access DPP information. To help businesses understand their role in effectively making those passports a reality, several data specification standards have already been established at this early stage to demystify the process. For example, digital links accessible through a unique product identifier will need to be added to the products themselves rather than outer packaging or tags. Interested parties should be able to access information relating to raw materials, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and recycling options.

Traceability systems are to be in place to enable tracking all procedures leading from raw materials to the finished product. Measures will be taken to implement data collection and combination systems to meet the reporting requirements for the passports. Whoever on the supply chain brings a product to the market will carry the responsibility for guaranteeing DPP data accuracy.

As far as the packaging industry is concerned, a range of data availability requirements are expected pertaining, among other things, to product and product packaging weight and volume, durability, reusability, reparability, the presence of substances inhibiting circularity, energy and resource efficiency, recycled content, remanufacturing, waste generation, resource use, microplastic release, and carbon footprints.

Sustainable Growth

In addition to batteries, apparel, and electronics, there is pressure on more industries to adopt the DPP initiative, such as textiles (especially furniture), plastics, chemicals, construction, and automobile manufacturing. Since the 31st of January and until the 5th of December, the European Commission is conducting consultation on various product categories that will be impacted by this law, such as textiles and footwear, furniture, cosmetics, aluminum, plastic and polymer, paper, and glass.

Legislation pertaining to data accessibility and traceability information has already affected EPR laws for plastics, and so DPPs should be a crowning moment in what is already an unfolding process. If all obligated parties cooperate effectively, digital passports might come to be an inextricable part of products, to the point where, ultimately, all products come to life equipped with passports.

2026 is not far away and further guidelines are expected to start trickling in throughout the coming months to inform obligated businesses of how they should expect to be impacted by DPPs.

At Ecoveritas, we understand that this admirably ambitious initiative may seem daunting to most businesses, especially since requirement specifications are not widely available or clear at this point. Whatever the nature of your business, if you sell in-scope products to the EU, it is wise to start making steps towards coming to terms with what this piece of legislation entails and what you will need to do to comply in time and with all standards; and this is where we come in.

Ecoveritas has been and will continue to keep a close track of information on the Digital Passport Product initiative so as to ensure our clients are duly prepared to face their obligations when the time comes. If you expect to be affected by this law, get in touch with us today to learn more about our exclusive EPR matrix and rigorous consulting services.

 

 

Asia-Pacific SC Consultancy Expands to Europe

Posted on by David Priestman

A leading end-to-end supply chain consultancy, TMX Global, is expanding into the EMEA market with a central London location and the strategic hire of Gerry Power, UK Head of Country.

Surging demands, supply shortages and inflationary pressures are putting increasing strain on supply chains throughout the EMEA region, driving an increasing need for businesses to be more resilient, agile and adaptable to fuel future growth. As the EMEA region continues to navigate its way through several years of disruption and upheaval, TMX’s specialist knowledge in designing supply chains of the future will help prepare organisations across the region to stay ahead of the disruption and gain a competitive advantage.

Founded in 2010, TMX Global is a specialist supply chain consultancy with offices in Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand, and Malaysia. The new London office is located at One Kingdom Street, Paddington – where TMX joins tech giants Microsoft and Accor.

In 2021, TMX Global (formerly TM Insight) acquired Xact Solutions in a move that saw the consultancy double the size of its team and secure its position as the largest independent supply chain and business transformation firm in the Asia Pacific region.

The organisation’s clients include Coca-Cola Japan Bottlers Inc, UNIQLO, Australia Post, BMW, Asahi, and Australian supermarket giant Coles. As it kicks off its EMEA expansion, TMX Global is working with one of the UK’s most trusted brands and largest specialist clothing, beauty, home and food retailers.

To lead the expansion, TMX Global has appointed industry heavyweight Gerry Power as UK Head of Country. Gerry has more than 30 years’ experience in the supply chain sector, with 22 of those spent leading TNT operations in India and Malaysia. He has also held senior leadership roles delivering strategic growth in the aviation, 4PL, and e-commerce space across both UK and Asian markets.

Power said: “I’m delighted to join TMX and head up the organisation’s expansion into the Europe and the UK. Events of the past three years have posed threats to supply chains in the EMEA region like we’ve never seen before. From Brexit to the pandemic, to the current challenges of the conflict in Ukraine – supply chains have been thrown into the spotlight and we’re seeing more organisations explore how they can ensure their operations are more robust, agile and flexible. I’m excited to replicate TMX’s commitment to designing and delivering bespoke and tailored end-to-end supply chain strategies that help provide clients with a competitive edge in the UK.

“Our base in central London provides us with a great location to service our clients across the UK as well as throughout Europe and I see enormous scope for growth in this region. Now that we’re on the ground, we’re assembling a best-in-class team to help future proof supply chains for our clients locally.”

Travis Erridge, Co-Founder and CEO at TMX Global, said: “In the past few years, there’s been an increasing demand for strategic supply chain expertise around the world and as a result we’ve always had our sights on global expansion. This entry into the EMEA market is a significant milestone for us, as we invest in full delivery teams and an office in central London. We’re also delighted to secure the appointment of Gerry Power to lead our expansion and consider this an exciting time to be part of TMX Global’s growth. We look forward to announcing more strategic hires as we strengthen our team on the ground throughout the region.”

Milan Andjelkovic, Co-Founder and COO at TMX Global, added: “The UK is an important market for the supply chain industry, and we see strong alignments in the TMX approach and the business needs of organisations in this region. As a result of ongoing economic and political disruption worldwide, the pace of change is only accelerating in supply chains throughout the UK. Our team of industry leaders are committed to innovation, and we’re excited by this unique opportunity to establish ourselves in the centre of London and share our experience and expertise with the EMEA market.”

 

Asia-Pacific SC Consultancy Expands to Europe

Posted on by Keith McKinley

A leading end-to-end supply chain consultancy, TMX Global, is expanding into the EMEA market with a central London location and the strategic hire of Gerry Power, UK Head of Country.

Surging demands, supply shortages and inflationary pressures are putting increasing strain on supply chains throughout the EMEA region, driving an increasing need for businesses to be more resilient, agile and adaptable to fuel future growth. As the EMEA region continues to navigate its way through several years of disruption and upheaval, TMX’s specialist knowledge in designing supply chains of the future will help prepare organisations across the region to stay ahead of the disruption and gain a competitive advantage.

Founded in 2010, TMX Global is a specialist supply chain consultancy with offices in Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand, and Malaysia. The new London office is located at One Kingdom Street, Paddington – where TMX joins tech giants Microsoft and Accor.

In 2021, TMX Global (formerly TM Insight) acquired Xact Solutions in a move that saw the consultancy double the size of its team and secure its position as the largest independent supply chain and business transformation firm in the Asia Pacific region.

The organisation’s clients include Coca-Cola Japan Bottlers Inc, UNIQLO, Australia Post, BMW, Asahi, and Australian supermarket giant Coles. As it kicks off its EMEA expansion, TMX Global is working with one of the UK’s most trusted brands and largest specialist clothing, beauty, home and food retailers.

To lead the expansion, TMX Global has appointed industry heavyweight Gerry Power as UK Head of Country. Gerry has more than 30 years’ experience in the supply chain sector, with 22 of those spent leading TNT operations in India and Malaysia. He has also held senior leadership roles delivering strategic growth in the aviation, 4PL, and e-commerce space across both UK and Asian markets.

Power said: “I’m delighted to join TMX and head up the organisation’s expansion into the Europe and the UK. Events of the past three years have posed threats to supply chains in the EMEA region like we’ve never seen before. From Brexit to the pandemic, to the current challenges of the conflict in Ukraine – supply chains have been thrown into the spotlight and we’re seeing more organisations explore how they can ensure their operations are more robust, agile and flexible. I’m excited to replicate TMX’s commitment to designing and delivering bespoke and tailored end-to-end supply chain strategies that help provide clients with a competitive edge in the UK.

“Our base in central London provides us with a great location to service our clients across the UK as well as throughout Europe and I see enormous scope for growth in this region. Now that we’re on the ground, we’re assembling a best-in-class team to help future proof supply chains for our clients locally.”

Travis Erridge, Co-Founder and CEO at TMX Global, said: “In the past few years, there’s been an increasing demand for strategic supply chain expertise around the world and as a result we’ve always had our sights on global expansion. This entry into the EMEA market is a significant milestone for us, as we invest in full delivery teams and an office in central London. We’re also delighted to secure the appointment of Gerry Power to lead our expansion and consider this an exciting time to be part of TMX Global’s growth. We look forward to announcing more strategic hires as we strengthen our team on the ground throughout the region.”

Milan Andjelkovic, Co-Founder and COO at TMX Global, added: “The UK is an important market for the supply chain industry, and we see strong alignments in the TMX approach and the business needs of organisations in this region. As a result of ongoing economic and political disruption worldwide, the pace of change is only accelerating in supply chains throughout the UK. Our team of industry leaders are committed to innovation, and we’re excited by this unique opportunity to establish ourselves in the centre of London and share our experience and expertise with the EMEA market.”

 

ROCKETSOLUTION to Display Shuttle System at LogiMAT

Posted on by David Priestman

The focus of this year’s LogiMAT trade fair appearance by ROCKETSOLUTION is the innovative RSX1 shuttle system. The very robust small parts storage system for loads up to 50kg is characterised by maximum compaction of the storage locations and low susceptibility to faults. It can be flexibly scaled and easily integrated.

With its flagship product RSX1, ROCKETSOLUTION says it continues to be on the road to success. Currently, eight projects are being rolled out in companies from the automotive, retail, industry, fashion and third party logistics sectors. ROCKETSOLUTION can be found in Hall 1 at Stand A35.

Whether it’s a distribution centre, decentralised buffer storage, micro-fulfilment centre in urban areas or for manufacturing automation: the RSX1 shuttle system can be used to automate small parts warehouses to great advantage. It offers maximum compaction with the highest possible system performance. Compared to conventional shuttle systems, the RSX1 reduces the required space by more than half and increases efficiency and profitability in small parts storage. It can store up to 30m high, up to six times more than height-restricted cube systems.

“At the moment, eight systems are being installed or are already in live operation at our customers from different industries. From highly dynamic RSX1 systems as a full expansion to ultra-flexible roaming systems, both variants of our system are installed,” says André Nowinski, Managing Director of ROCKETSOLUTON. The company, which has been active on the market since March 2021, works together with its partners in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. “The number of integration and distribution partners has now grown to nine,” adds Florian Vent, founder and managing director of ROCKETSOLUTION.

With the flexible RSX lifts, up to 1,500 storage and retrieval operations per hour and aisle are possible, depending on the configuration. Thanks to the standard four-deep storage, the system requires significantly less space while maintaining the same performance. The ultra-compact design also allows the usual aisle clearances to be halved. The intelligent container arrangement, space-saving lifter transfers without additional conveyor technology in the racking as well as intelligent maintenance accesses further reduce the unused space in the storage system. The flexible storage depths and the variably installable lifts also make it possible to adapt to difficult structural and spatial conditions.

A new type of load handling device, which does not push the containers into the racking, ensures that the containers guided in the racking are lifted in and out particularly safely and precisely. This ensures additional process reliability (no “dancing dead”) and reliable system availability.

Due to its design, the RSX1 already works from a container height of 100mm without any loss of space. With identical storage space, it offers up to 100% more storage capacity than conventional shuttle systems. As a result, companies can benefit from reduced operating costs and a better eco-balance when using an RSX1 system.

At LogiMAT, ROCKETSOLUTION Managing Director André Nowinski will be available to discuss the latest developments, innovative projects and the future strategy of the technology manufacturer.

 

ROCKETSOLUTION to Display Shuttle System at LogiMAT

Posted on by David Priestman

The focus of this year’s LogiMAT trade fair appearance by ROCKETSOLUTION is the innovative RSX1 shuttle system. The very robust small parts storage system for loads up to 50kg is characterised by maximum compaction of the storage locations and low susceptibility to faults. It can be flexibly scaled and easily integrated.

With its flagship product RSX1, ROCKETSOLUTION says it continues to be on the road to success. Currently, eight projects are being rolled out in companies from the automotive, retail, industry, fashion and third party logistics sectors. ROCKETSOLUTION can be found in Hall 1 at Stand A35.

Whether it’s a distribution centre, decentralised buffer storage, micro-fulfilment centre in urban areas or for manufacturing automation: the RSX1 shuttle system can be used to automate small parts warehouses to great advantage. It offers maximum compaction with the highest possible system performance. Compared to conventional shuttle systems, the RSX1 reduces the required space by more than half and increases efficiency and profitability in small parts storage. It can store up to 30m high, up to six times more than height-restricted cube systems.

“At the moment, eight systems are being installed or are already in live operation at our customers from different industries. From highly dynamic RSX1 systems as a full expansion to ultra-flexible roaming systems, both variants of our system are installed,” says André Nowinski, Managing Director of ROCKETSOLUTON. The company, which has been active on the market since March 2021, works together with its partners in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. “The number of integration and distribution partners has now grown to nine,” adds Florian Vent, founder and managing director of ROCKETSOLUTION.

With the flexible RSX lifts, up to 1,500 storage and retrieval operations per hour and aisle are possible, depending on the configuration. Thanks to the standard four-deep storage, the system requires significantly less space while maintaining the same performance. The ultra-compact design also allows the usual aisle clearances to be halved. The intelligent container arrangement, space-saving lifter transfers without additional conveyor technology in the racking as well as intelligent maintenance accesses further reduce the unused space in the storage system. The flexible storage depths and the variably installable lifts also make it possible to adapt to difficult structural and spatial conditions.

A new type of load handling device, which does not push the containers into the racking, ensures that the containers guided in the racking are lifted in and out particularly safely and precisely. This ensures additional process reliability (no “dancing dead”) and reliable system availability.

Due to its design, the RSX1 already works from a container height of 100mm without any loss of space. With identical storage space, it offers up to 100% more storage capacity than conventional shuttle systems. As a result, companies can benefit from reduced operating costs and a better eco-balance when using an RSX1 system.

At LogiMAT, ROCKETSOLUTION Managing Director André Nowinski will be available to discuss the latest developments, innovative projects and the future strategy of the technology manufacturer.

 

Jungheinrich Optimises UK Engineer Audits

Posted on by David Priestman

Covid-19 has been the catalyst for a dramatic reinvention of the way Jungheinrich UK carries out inventory audits and compliance checks with its engineers, and key to the project has been the creation of an innovative mobile working space for the parts inventory team.

Across the UK, Jungheinrich’s engineers support our customers from a network of ‘genuine parts storage locations’. Supporting the engineers are our inventory controllers, who ensure that the equipment engineers use is safe and that each location has the appropriate amount of parts stock to cover direct demand from our customers. Their annual checks also help engineers work more efficiently and identify any surplus parts that can be returned.

“A ‘storage location’ could be a client with 200 trucks and engineers permanently based on site,” explained Duncan Harrison, Head of Operations and Contract Management at Jungheinrich UK. “It could also be an engineer operating from a van. Each location will carry a number of genuine parts that they use most frequently. If they don’t have the required part, they can order it for overnight delivery direct into their storage location from our UK parts distribution centre. As well as ensuring the optimum parts replenishment schedule for each storage location, the inventory team ensure testing of the engineer’s tools and safety equipment is up to date.”

Prior to the pandemic, controller and engineer would travel to a strategically placed site, complete the audit and return to their respective bases. “It wasn’t so much of an issue because there was generally a depot within a two-hour radius of the engineer,” he noted. When Covid struck, however, the site access changed. Audits remained essential but completing them meant engineers and inventory controllers had to travel much further.

This led to higher fuel consumption, higher costs, a higher carbon footprint for our audit activities and lost time that our engineers could ill afford.

Harrison devised a solution: to build a mobile working space set up to deliver the inventory checks. Inventory controllers would then drive to each engineer and perform the necessary tasks and tests.

Jungheinrich UK partnered with BOTT, leading UK van conversion specialists, who worked with it in the adaptation of the vans to cater for the inventory controllers’ needs by adding lighting, desks, storage bins, electricity ports, hot water boiler and heaters.

“We did a lot of design work on one of our Mercedes Sprinter vans to enable it to provide everything the individual controller needs to carry out all of the daily tasks they would normally carry out at a site,” said Harrison. “There are certain tasks that from a compliance perspective must be completed once a year but we tailor the frequency of the parts inventory audit dependent upon the stock value and turn ratio. Now all of that can be done from the van.”

Our inventory controllers are now able to travel anywhere in the UK to carry out their checks, and because they visit the engineers, the process eliminates one vehicle’s carbon emissions from the process and frees a significant amount of engineer time that would otherwise be lost in travel.

Jonny McCormack, now Inventory Control Team Leader, the first Jungheinrich controller to receive a van, commented: “Having recently joined Jungheinrich, I was very impressed with this innovative way of conducting our checks. It has been a great benefit being able to see how the company is able to further support their environmental footprint by thinking outside the box and make a job that was struggling in a dated system more efficient for everybody, as well as working in a way that keeps in time with the current landscape.”

Harrison added: “The vans are helping us improve our processes, and they ensure the engineers can get back to their patches quicker. The engineers and the service teams think it’s brilliant because they don’t lose an engineer for a whole day. From a business perspective, this new method has really futureproofed our inventory check process. We no longer have to rely on this ever-changing business landscape to make business decisions. We can still audit our engineers and continue to reduce their miles travelled.”

 

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