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Day: 23 May 2023

Cambridge’s First Net Zero Urban Consolidation Centre Opened

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Cambridge (UK)’s first Net Zero Urban Consolidation Centre (UCC), pioneered by Cambridgeshire-based Welch’s Transport, has opened. The new venture will support the city’s sustainability goals by delivering clean, emissions-free last-mile deliveries and is at the heart of the company’s new Net Zero logistics fulfilment operation that also includes one of the first fully electric HGVs in the country.

Building on Welch’s Transport’s 89 years’ experience in supply chain management and transportation, the UCC comprises full warehousing and logistics management facilities. Goods ordered by organisations in Cambridge, and delivered to the Welch’s depot in Duxford, will be consolidated for more efficient last-mile deliveries using smaller, more eco-friendly vehicles. The UCC will minimise the number of heavy goods vehicles operating in the city centre, potentially reducing the number of vehicle trip deliveries by 46%.

Chris Welch, Director of Welch’s Transport, said: “Our aim is that organisations in Greater Cambridge can quite literally ‘share the load’ when it comes to reducing C02 emissions. Our UCC will reduce the number of delivery vehicles in urban areas across Greater Cambridge and will, therefore, emit fewer greenhouse gases. The new UCC further supports our efforts in Cambridge to deliver clean, emission-free last-mile deliveries in the city. With the support of local businesses in the city, we could decrease CO2-EQ emissions per consignment by up to 88%.”

The UCC, and new fully electric HGV, is the company’s first step to creating a greener Cambridge, with the 19 tonne vehicle able to deliver zero-emissions general haulage, palleted, parcels and hazardous goods.

Welch continued: “The combination of our knowledgeable local drivers, new electric vehicle and Urban Consolidation Centre will revolutionise last mile deliveries in Greater Cambridge. With the UK’s commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2050, we can support every local organisation – as well as those in business parks – that are looking to meet their sustainability goals.”

Caption: [L-R] Sophie Home, Chris Welch and David Welch, Welch’s Net Zero

Cambridge’s First Net Zero Urban Consolidation Centre Opened

Posted on by David Priestman

Cambridge (UK)’s first Net Zero Urban Consolidation Centre (UCC), pioneered by Cambridgeshire-based Welch’s Transport, has opened. The new venture will support the city’s sustainability goals by delivering clean, emissions-free last-mile deliveries and is at the heart of the company’s new Net Zero logistics fulfilment operation that also includes one of the first fully electric HGVs in the country.

Building on Welch’s Transport’s 89 years’ experience in supply chain management and transportation, the UCC comprises full warehousing and logistics management facilities. Goods ordered by organisations in Cambridge, and delivered to the Welch’s depot in Duxford, will be consolidated for more efficient last-mile deliveries using smaller, more eco-friendly vehicles. The UCC will minimise the number of heavy goods vehicles operating in the city centre, potentially reducing the number of vehicle trip deliveries by 46%.

Chris Welch, Director of Welch’s Transport, said: “Our aim is that organisations in Greater Cambridge can quite literally ‘share the load’ when it comes to reducing C02 emissions. Our UCC will reduce the number of delivery vehicles in urban areas across Greater Cambridge and will, therefore, emit fewer greenhouse gases. The new UCC further supports our efforts in Cambridge to deliver clean, emission-free last-mile deliveries in the city. With the support of local businesses in the city, we could decrease CO2-EQ emissions per consignment by up to 88%.”

The UCC, and new fully electric HGV, is the company’s first step to creating a greener Cambridge, with the 19 tonne vehicle able to deliver zero-emissions general haulage, palleted, parcels and hazardous goods.

Welch continued: “The combination of our knowledgeable local drivers, new electric vehicle and Urban Consolidation Centre will revolutionise last mile deliveries in Greater Cambridge. With the UK’s commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2050, we can support every local organisation – as well as those in business parks – that are looking to meet their sustainability goals.”

Caption: [L-R] Sophie Home, Chris Welch and David Welch, Welch’s Net Zero

Clark Europe Names New BDM

Posted on by David Priestman

Holger Schmitz has been the new Business Development Manager at Clark Europe in Duisburg with effect from April 2023. His new area of responsibility includes expanding the dealer network in Europe as well as supporting the Clark Regional Managers.

Holger Schmitz is no stranger to Clark. His professional career took him to the then Mülheim-based materials handling vehicles manufacturer back in 2000. A traineeship was followed by a permanent position in the internal sales department. In 2003, he moved to Pramac Lifter, where he worked as a dealer advisor. From 2007 until recently, Schmitz was employed by Doosan Industrial Vehicle Europe as County Manager and managed the German branches as well as the sales activities in the DACH region and Eastern Europe.

“We are delighted to have Holger Schmitz back on board and wish him every success in his new role,” says Rolf Eiten, President and CEO at Clark Europe. “The expansion of the Clark dealer network is one of our key objectives alongside the expansion of the product range. We want to position ourselves better and better not only on the European market, but worldwide. For this, we not only need new dealers, but also more efficient ones.”

As Business Development Manager, Holger Schmitz reports to Stefan Budweit, Director Sales & Marketing at Clark Europe.

 

Clark Europe Names New BDM

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Holger Schmitz has been the new Business Development Manager at Clark Europe in Duisburg with effect from April 2023. His new area of responsibility includes expanding the dealer network in Europe as well as supporting the Clark Regional Managers.

Holger Schmitz is no stranger to Clark. His professional career took him to the then Mülheim-based materials handling vehicles manufacturer back in 2000. A traineeship was followed by a permanent position in the internal sales department. In 2003, he moved to Pramac Lifter, where he worked as a dealer advisor. From 2007 until recently, Schmitz was employed by Doosan Industrial Vehicle Europe as County Manager and managed the German branches as well as the sales activities in the DACH region and Eastern Europe.

“We are delighted to have Holger Schmitz back on board and wish him every success in his new role,” says Rolf Eiten, President and CEO at Clark Europe. “The expansion of the Clark dealer network is one of our key objectives alongside the expansion of the product range. We want to position ourselves better and better not only on the European market, but worldwide. For this, we not only need new dealers, but also more efficient ones.”

As Business Development Manager, Holger Schmitz reports to Stefan Budweit, Director Sales & Marketing at Clark Europe.

 

FourKites Named a Gartner Leader

Posted on by David Priestman

For the third consecutive year, real-time supply chain visibility company FourKites has been named a Leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms (RTTVPs). Gartner evaluated nine vendors for its report, and FourKites received its position as a Leader both for its Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.

FourKites, the largest global visibility solution, tracks over 3 million shipments per day across all modes and connects the global supply chains of 50% of the Fortune 500, including customers in Europe such as Barilla, Henkel, Bayer, Dow, Volvo Group, cargonerds, Spotos and Bacardi. In 2022, FourKites achieved a 70% YoY growth in global customers — totalling over 1,200 — nearly 50% growth in total shipments and 37% growth in connected facilities, the latter of which now total over 3.2 million individual facilities around the world. In Europe specifically, FourKites saw 2x growth in shipments, across 120 countries and territories; 40% growth in European customers; 24% growth in the number of carriers tracking shipments; and nearly 3 billion miles tracked in the region.

“2022 was a year of tremendous growth and acceleration of our business,” said FourKites CEO and founder Mathew Elenjickal. “In addition to growing our shipper and carrier base around the world, we have forged strategic partnerships with industry titans, grown our C-suite with seasoned executives, and continued to innovate with our customers to add meaningful business value to their most critical pain points. We’re proud to be recognised as a Leader yet again by Gartner.”

What Customers are Saying

FourKites continues to earn accolades for its unique customer-driven innovation model; for the maturity of its end-to-end, multimodal platform; and for its unwavering commitment to customer success.

“Supply chain management has become so much easier now,” said a Global Mobility Project Manager, UK, Finance. “Gratification arises from knowing that our cargo has been safely delivered, because FourKites allows our team to keep track of exactly where it is. Having access to the data and analytics that FourKites has supplied has been necessary for decision-making, controlling the items exiting our facility, and efficiently monitoring shipments.”

“As a solution provider, FourKites provides a remarkable coverage and support experience. They are an accelerator of our digital transformation initiatives and a great partner who pro-actively seeks feedback in order to gleam future needs and innovations to their roadmap,” commented a Global Futurist, UK, Software Industry.

A VP of Supply Chain, Services (non-Government) Industry added: “To serve our customers, we need a platform that enables supply chain professionals to act quickly to fulfil their orders. Making decisions, regulating what leaves our facilities, and effectively tracking shipments have all required access to the data and analytics that FourKites has provided. The user interface is relatively simple and adaptable to the needs of each individual user, which makes it quite easy to use. As the product has been so successful in the US, we want to expand it to our offices and affiliates abroad to take advantage of its popularity.”

Leading Industry Innovation

FourKites pioneered the real-time transportation visibility (RTTV) category in 2014 and was the first company to extend real-time visibility across supply chains end-to-end, from yards to warehouses and more. In addition to strategic investments in 2021 from industry heavyweights Qualcomm Ventures, LLC, Volvo Group Venture Capital AB and Zebra Technologies, FourKites recently has inked strategic alliances with Mitsui & Co., Ltd., FedEx, Quiet Platforms, Sony, Microsoft and Narvar. In addition, FourKites has been recognised for its industry leadership and innovation by SupplyChainBrain, Blue Yonder, Builtin Chicago, Manhattan Associates, and it is one of only four Transportation and Logistics companies to receive Inc.’s Best in Business Award.

Recent FourKites innovations include Sustainability Hub, which provides supply chain leaders with advanced emissions tracking and reporting capabilities; Data Connector, which accelerates time-to-insights by allows customers to automatically access and leverage FourKites data directly within their existing business intelligence tools; and FourKites Connect, which accelerates the carrier connectivity process from hours or even days to just minutes.

FourKites Named a Gartner Leader

Posted on by Keith McKinley

For the third consecutive year, real-time supply chain visibility company FourKites has been named a Leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms (RTTVPs). Gartner evaluated nine vendors for its report, and FourKites received its position as a Leader both for its Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.

FourKites, the largest global visibility solution, tracks over 3 million shipments per day across all modes and connects the global supply chains of 50% of the Fortune 500, including customers in Europe such as Barilla, Henkel, Bayer, Dow, Volvo Group, cargonerds, Spotos and Bacardi. In 2022, FourKites achieved a 70% YoY growth in global customers — totalling over 1,200 — nearly 50% growth in total shipments and 37% growth in connected facilities, the latter of which now total over 3.2 million individual facilities around the world. In Europe specifically, FourKites saw 2x growth in shipments, across 120 countries and territories; 40% growth in European customers; 24% growth in the number of carriers tracking shipments; and nearly 3 billion miles tracked in the region.

“2022 was a year of tremendous growth and acceleration of our business,” said FourKites CEO and founder Mathew Elenjickal. “In addition to growing our shipper and carrier base around the world, we have forged strategic partnerships with industry titans, grown our C-suite with seasoned executives, and continued to innovate with our customers to add meaningful business value to their most critical pain points. We’re proud to be recognised as a Leader yet again by Gartner.”

What Customers are Saying

FourKites continues to earn accolades for its unique customer-driven innovation model; for the maturity of its end-to-end, multimodal platform; and for its unwavering commitment to customer success.

“Supply chain management has become so much easier now,” said a Global Mobility Project Manager, UK, Finance. “Gratification arises from knowing that our cargo has been safely delivered, because FourKites allows our team to keep track of exactly where it is. Having access to the data and analytics that FourKites has supplied has been necessary for decision-making, controlling the items exiting our facility, and efficiently monitoring shipments.”

“As a solution provider, FourKites provides a remarkable coverage and support experience. They are an accelerator of our digital transformation initiatives and a great partner who pro-actively seeks feedback in order to gleam future needs and innovations to their roadmap,” commented a Global Futurist, UK, Software Industry.

A VP of Supply Chain, Services (non-Government) Industry added: “To serve our customers, we need a platform that enables supply chain professionals to act quickly to fulfil their orders. Making decisions, regulating what leaves our facilities, and effectively tracking shipments have all required access to the data and analytics that FourKites has provided. The user interface is relatively simple and adaptable to the needs of each individual user, which makes it quite easy to use. As the product has been so successful in the US, we want to expand it to our offices and affiliates abroad to take advantage of its popularity.”

Leading Industry Innovation

FourKites pioneered the real-time transportation visibility (RTTV) category in 2014 and was the first company to extend real-time visibility across supply chains end-to-end, from yards to warehouses and more. In addition to strategic investments in 2021 from industry heavyweights Qualcomm Ventures, LLC, Volvo Group Venture Capital AB and Zebra Technologies, FourKites recently has inked strategic alliances with Mitsui & Co., Ltd., FedEx, Quiet Platforms, Sony, Microsoft and Narvar. In addition, FourKites has been recognised for its industry leadership and innovation by SupplyChainBrain, Blue Yonder, Builtin Chicago, Manhattan Associates, and it is one of only four Transportation and Logistics companies to receive Inc.’s Best in Business Award.

Recent FourKites innovations include Sustainability Hub, which provides supply chain leaders with advanced emissions tracking and reporting capabilities; Data Connector, which accelerates time-to-insights by allows customers to automatically access and leverage FourKites data directly within their existing business intelligence tools; and FourKites Connect, which accelerates the carrier connectivity process from hours or even days to just minutes.

REPORT: Rise of E-commerce and Returns Culture

Posted on by David Priestman

Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns Survey reveals that 70% of e-commerce consumers have experienced a delayed online order in the last six months, affecting their overall view of the brand.

Consumer behaviour, preferences and expectations continue to challenge manufacturers, retailers and 3PLs alike. Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns survey finds that 90% of respondents are less likely to buy from a brand again after a poor online shopping experience, while 29% say they are increasingly willing to share a negative review online. These are among the central findings from online shoppers in 2023.

The recent survey gathered insights from 2,200 consumers across eight global regions on their post-purchase experience between the moment they click the “buy” button and when the product reaches their doorstep. A significant number of consumers (70%) experienced shipping delays without any reason provided for the delay (35%). With consumers looking for speed and convenience as the deciding factors when they purchase online, these delays drive customer dissatisfaction and affect brand decisions.

“Customer expectations have only grown more complicated post-COVID,” explained Chad Collins, CEO Software at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “Körber’s latest research reveals that a good shopping experience can make a loyal customer for life. On the contrary, a poor experience can leave a wake of destruction. The importance of a frictionless customer experience cannot be emphasised enough. Brands need seamlessly integrated technologies to overcome these challenges and ensure that consumer expectations are met.”

One area of opportunity for businesses is enhancing shipping visibility and accountability to help avoid unexpected delays. And when delays invariably occur, have a plan in place for customer communication to update expectations and provide potential appeasement to create customer loyalty. 38% of consumers were not offered any compensation, refund or discounts on their recent delayed order, yet 83% indicated that is important to them.

Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns Survey looked at changing consumer expectations and what drives customer satisfaction. In February 2023, Körber polled 2,200 consumers across the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Germany, France and the UK.

CLICK HERE to access the full report.

 

REPORT: Rise of E-commerce and Returns Culture

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns Survey reveals that 70% of e-commerce consumers have experienced a delayed online order in the last six months, affecting their overall view of the brand.

Consumer behaviour, preferences and expectations continue to challenge manufacturers, retailers and 3PLs alike. Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns survey finds that 90% of respondents are less likely to buy from a brand again after a poor online shopping experience, while 29% say they are increasingly willing to share a negative review online. These are among the central findings from online shoppers in 2023.

The recent survey gathered insights from 2,200 consumers across eight global regions on their post-purchase experience between the moment they click the “buy” button and when the product reaches their doorstep. A significant number of consumers (70%) experienced shipping delays without any reason provided for the delay (35%). With consumers looking for speed and convenience as the deciding factors when they purchase online, these delays drive customer dissatisfaction and affect brand decisions.

“Customer expectations have only grown more complicated post-COVID,” explained Chad Collins, CEO Software at Körber Business Area Supply Chain. “Körber’s latest research reveals that a good shopping experience can make a loyal customer for life. On the contrary, a poor experience can leave a wake of destruction. The importance of a frictionless customer experience cannot be emphasised enough. Brands need seamlessly integrated technologies to overcome these challenges and ensure that consumer expectations are met.”

One area of opportunity for businesses is enhancing shipping visibility and accountability to help avoid unexpected delays. And when delays invariably occur, have a plan in place for customer communication to update expectations and provide potential appeasement to create customer loyalty. 38% of consumers were not offered any compensation, refund or discounts on their recent delayed order, yet 83% indicated that is important to them.

Körber’s 2023 State of Shipping and Returns Survey looked at changing consumer expectations and what drives customer satisfaction. In February 2023, Körber polled 2,200 consumers across the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Germany, France and the UK.

CLICK HERE to access the full report.

 

Fives Modernises La Poste Group’s Network

Posted on by David Priestman

Fives, one of the world’s most preferred partners for transforming supply chain facilities, has once again been chosen by La Poste Group for continuing the modernisation of its Colissimo network. This new project, which illustrates its confidence in Fives’ turnkey handling solutions, is part of a vast programme to renovate its parcel delivery network.

In 2017, Colissimo, the parcel delivery brand of La Poste Group, began a renovation programme covering its overall delivery network in France. This programme included the renewal of existing logistics facilities as well as the setting-up of new sorting systems to enhance the delivery service within and outside France.

Since the beginning of this ambitious plan, Fives has been playing a key role through the design and installation of handling systems in Douvrin and Les Arcs-sur-Argens, and in participating in the realisation of the sorting solution in Pontcharra. All those systems are already handed over and fully in production since 2019 and 2020 respectively.

These successful completions have driven Colissimo to select Fives again for equipping a new handling system in Rouen, Normandie: the two companies have been collaborating for several years in various projects based on the highly-valued GENI-Belt technology muchly appreciated for its intrinsic reliability and accuracy.

Fives’ engineers have designed the final system layout in collaboration with Colissimo’s experts to come up with the best possible solution that complies with both functionality expectations and customer’s budget.

The system will be equipped with two overlapped GENI-Belt cross-belt sorters with a length of more than 1km, several GENI-Feed high-speed induction lines and hundreds chutes to feed minivans, roller cages and trucks to deliver parcels locally and internationally.

Scalable solution

In summer 2024, Colissimo will be able to sort more than 300,000 items a day in its Rouen Normandie’s hub. However, we know that nowadays parcel flows are unpredictable: for this reason, Fives has designed a scalable solution that can increase the system capacity up to 116% of its nominal throughput with the minimum effort and investment.

“We are proud to collaborate once again with such an important player as La Poste Group,” states Benjamin Le Moult, Sales Manager & Key Account Manager GeoPost at Fives Intralogistics SpA. “After many projects completed for La Poste Group seeing that they trust again in our company, illustrates that the expertise collected in all these years of activity and the efforts we have made to fine-tune our technologies, have paid off.”

 

Fives Modernises La Poste Group’s Network

Posted on by David Priestman

Fives, one of the world’s most preferred partners for transforming supply chain facilities, has once again been chosen by La Poste Group for continuing the modernisation of its Colissimo network. This new project, which illustrates its confidence in Fives’ turnkey handling solutions, is part of a vast programme to renovate its parcel delivery network.

In 2017, Colissimo, the parcel delivery brand of La Poste Group, began a renovation programme covering its overall delivery network in France. This programme included the renewal of existing logistics facilities as well as the setting-up of new sorting systems to enhance the delivery service within and outside France.

Since the beginning of this ambitious plan, Fives has been playing a key role through the design and installation of handling systems in Douvrin and Les Arcs-sur-Argens, and in participating in the realisation of the sorting solution in Pontcharra. All those systems are already handed over and fully in production since 2019 and 2020 respectively.

These successful completions have driven Colissimo to select Fives again for equipping a new handling system in Rouen, Normandie: the two companies have been collaborating for several years in various projects based on the highly-valued GENI-Belt technology muchly appreciated for its intrinsic reliability and accuracy.

Fives’ engineers have designed the final system layout in collaboration with Colissimo’s experts to come up with the best possible solution that complies with both functionality expectations and customer’s budget.

The system will be equipped with two overlapped GENI-Belt cross-belt sorters with a length of more than 1km, several GENI-Feed high-speed induction lines and hundreds chutes to feed minivans, roller cages and trucks to deliver parcels locally and internationally.

Scalable solution

In summer 2024, Colissimo will be able to sort more than 300,000 items a day in its Rouen Normandie’s hub. However, we know that nowadays parcel flows are unpredictable: for this reason, Fives has designed a scalable solution that can increase the system capacity up to 116% of its nominal throughput with the minimum effort and investment.

“We are proud to collaborate once again with such an important player as La Poste Group,” states Benjamin Le Moult, Sales Manager & Key Account Manager GeoPost at Fives Intralogistics SpA. “After many projects completed for La Poste Group seeing that they trust again in our company, illustrates that the expertise collected in all these years of activity and the efforts we have made to fine-tune our technologies, have paid off.”

 

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