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Day: 5 September 2023

Travis Perkins invests in new loader cranes

Posted on by David Priestman

Travis Perkins plc, the UK’s largest distributor of building materials, has announced a multi-million pound investment in 400 new truck loader cranes.

These new HIAB iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 cranes are the first of their kind and will replace the existing cranes on the Group’s heavy side delivery vehicles in the Travis Perkins merchanting and Keyline Civils Specialist businesses over a three-year period.

This version of the HIAB iX.162 crane is around 150kg lighter in weight than the previous model, HIAB X-HIDUO 162. This allows the truck to increase its payload and lower its fuel consumption. To further reduce carbon emissions, the new cranes have been developed so the engine can be stopped and restarted from the crane remote control. This results in a significant reduction in idle time emissions and noise.

Despite being lighter, the new crane model is stronger than the previous model. This gives operators more flexibility and enables them to deliver heavy loads in even the most challenging customer environments safely and with greater accuracy. They also come with Hiab’s all-new CombiDrive 4 remote control, which has confirmed view sensors and automatically detects operator positioning to minimise accident risk and promote better safety for operators, customers and the public.

“These new cranes represent a significant investment. They support our plans to innovate and grow, and they cement our place as a leading partner to construction by serving our customers with improved safety and efficiency. All new cranes will come with a maintenance contract, which means they will be maintained to the highest standards by Hiab. They also support our own commitment to net zero and the decarbonisation of our customers’ supply chain; a commitment we share with Hiab, whose values very much align with our own,” explained Richard Byrne, Travis Perkins Group HSE & Fleet Director.

Gage Roberts, Hiab Key Account Manager – UK & Ireland, said: “We are all very excited to introduce the first HIAB iX.162 HIPRO  BSS-2 to Travis Perkins and get this unit out working in the field. It became very apparent that when specifying a crane for our customers, the safety features alongside the environmental factors are much more prominent considerations than they ever have been previously. The new crane has an abundance of innovations that will all work towards this crane being the safest, most efficient and most productive crane in the industry. It is also great to work alongside a strategic partner such as Travis Perkins plc; a company that always demands the very best – something that benefits both businesses enormously.”

“There has never been a product on the market before like the HIAB iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 in its category. Our innovation teams have been working on this round-the-clock for several years and no stone has been left unturned, from hose routing and weight savings, to enhanced safety features and technology that will help companies achieve sustainability  targets. When the new HIAB iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 cranes are rolled out, we expect the crane operators to see immediate benefits. We look forward to working with Travis Perkins and bringing about real change to the wider UK industry,” Vice President for Sales & Product Management, Loader Cranes Light & Medium, at Hiab, Alexander Gelis, added.

The new 400 HIAB cranes will be rolled out from January 2024, and will be supplied to Travis Perkins and Keyline with HiConnect telematics in order to monitor the performance and safe operation of the crane.

They will also be supplied with the comprehensive service contract solution ProCare, available for Hiab equipment. It provides proactive maintenance and expert assistance to maximise equipment performance, reliability and lifespan.

 

Travis Perkins invests in new loader cranes

Posted on by David Priestman

Travis Perkins plc, the UK’s largest distributor of building materials, has announced a multi-million pound investment in 400 new truck loader cranes.

These new HIAB iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 cranes are the first of their kind and will replace the existing cranes on the Group’s heavy side delivery vehicles in the Travis Perkins merchanting and Keyline Civils Specialist businesses over a three-year period.

This version of the HIAB iX.162 crane is around 150kg lighter in weight than the previous model, HIAB X-HIDUO 162. This allows the truck to increase its payload and lower its fuel consumption. To further reduce carbon emissions, the new cranes have been developed so the engine can be stopped and restarted from the crane remote control. This results in a significant reduction in idle time emissions and noise.

Despite being lighter, the new crane model is stronger than the previous model. This gives operators more flexibility and enables them to deliver heavy loads in even the most challenging customer environments safely and with greater accuracy. They also come with Hiab’s all-new CombiDrive 4 remote control, which has confirmed view sensors and automatically detects operator positioning to minimise accident risk and promote better safety for operators, customers and the public.

“These new cranes represent a significant investment. They support our plans to innovate and grow, and they cement our place as a leading partner to construction by serving our customers with improved safety and efficiency. All new cranes will come with a maintenance contract, which means they will be maintained to the highest standards by Hiab. They also support our own commitment to net zero and the decarbonisation of our customers’ supply chain; a commitment we share with Hiab, whose values very much align with our own,” explained Richard Byrne, Travis Perkins Group HSE & Fleet Director.

Gage Roberts, Hiab Key Account Manager – UK & Ireland, said: “We are all very excited to introduce the first HIAB iX.162 HIPRO  BSS-2 to Travis Perkins and get this unit out working in the field. It became very apparent that when specifying a crane for our customers, the safety features alongside the environmental factors are much more prominent considerations than they ever have been previously. The new crane has an abundance of innovations that will all work towards this crane being the safest, most efficient and most productive crane in the industry. It is also great to work alongside a strategic partner such as Travis Perkins plc; a company that always demands the very best – something that benefits both businesses enormously.”

“There has never been a product on the market before like the HIAB iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 in its category. Our innovation teams have been working on this round-the-clock for several years and no stone has been left unturned, from hose routing and weight savings, to enhanced safety features and technology that will help companies achieve sustainability  targets. When the new HIAB iX.162 HIPRO BSS-2 cranes are rolled out, we expect the crane operators to see immediate benefits. We look forward to working with Travis Perkins and bringing about real change to the wider UK industry,” Vice President for Sales & Product Management, Loader Cranes Light & Medium, at Hiab, Alexander Gelis, added.

The new 400 HIAB cranes will be rolled out from January 2024, and will be supplied to Travis Perkins and Keyline with HiConnect telematics in order to monitor the performance and safe operation of the crane.

They will also be supplied with the comprehensive service contract solution ProCare, available for Hiab equipment. It provides proactive maintenance and expert assistance to maximise equipment performance, reliability and lifespan.

 

Arvato opens Hamm DC

Posted on by David Priestman

Arvato and Douglas, a European omnichannel provider for beauty, have jointly officially opened their new location in Hamm, Germany. The new distribution centre with its state-of-the-art automation technology is a lighthouse project for both companies and marks the next step in their long-standing partnership. With a total area of 38,000 sq m, Arvato will handle all logistics for store deliveries and Douglas’ fast-growing online business in the DACH region – including returns management. The new logistics centre will create up to 400 jobs in Hamm.

After commissioning the logistics centre in August last year, Arvato initially began processing orders for online customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the meantime, all Douglas stores in the DACH region are also supplied from Hamm.

With the new logistics centre, Arvato has tripled warehouse capacity for Europe’s leading omnichannel beauty provider, whose online sales have grown by an average of more than 20% per year over the past five years.

“We have created a forward-looking concept in Hamm that optimally supports not only growth but also the Douglas ‘Let it Bloom’ strategy,” said Julia Börs, President Consumer Products at Arvato, underlining the importance of the project.

“Efficient logistics is one of the most important pillars for any omnichannel retailer. With the new and state-of-the-art logistics centre in Hamm, we have reached a decisive milestone in linking store business and online store in the DACH region even more closely – also and especially to the benefit of our customers and suppliers,” said Sander van der Laan, CEO of the Douglas Group.

Arvato’s digitisation strategy perfectly supports Douglas’ cross-channel business model. The supply chain and e-commerce service provider has specifically designed the DC in Hamm as an omnichannel warehouse with high-performance automation technology and a cloud-based IT solution, in which Douglas’ various sales channels and country orders are brought together.

At the heart of the omnichannel solution is a state-of-the-art shuttle system from Austrian supplier KNAPP, with whom Arvato has been working for many years. The system of the latest 2D generation (OSR Shuttle Evo) has more than 130,000 storage locations, 32 ergonomic workstations and a storage and retrieval capacity of 12,500 totes per hour. At the same time, the more than 500 shuttles can not only move within an aisle, but also change aisles if necessary, thus reaching all items on one level.

This increases flexibility enormously and reduces the effort required for conveyor technology outside the shuttles. The shuttle is part of a sophisticated overall system which, with the connected automatic carton and tote erectors, three cross-belt sorters, pick-by-light picking stations for samples and large-volume items, and automatic carton sealing machines, interlocks perfectly.

Subsequent sorting then takes place in the goods issue and dispatch departments.

Börs said: “In total, we have invested more than €70m in state-of-the-art automation technologies at the Hamm site. This is the largest investment in a single site to date.”

In full operation, up to 114,000 packages per day can be shipped from Hamm. Fast delivery to customers in the DACH region is supported by the very good location of the DC in the eastern Ruhr region and the connection to several highways. “The location is also fundamentally equipped for further growth, as together with Douglas we already took into account possible capacity expansions in various functional areas during the design phase,” explained Börs.

Arvato opens Hamm DC

Posted on by David Priestman

Arvato and Douglas, a European omnichannel provider for beauty, have jointly officially opened their new location in Hamm, Germany. The new distribution centre with its state-of-the-art automation technology is a lighthouse project for both companies and marks the next step in their long-standing partnership. With a total area of 38,000 sq m, Arvato will handle all logistics for store deliveries and Douglas’ fast-growing online business in the DACH region – including returns management. The new logistics centre will create up to 400 jobs in Hamm.

After commissioning the logistics centre in August last year, Arvato initially began processing orders for online customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the meantime, all Douglas stores in the DACH region are also supplied from Hamm.

With the new logistics centre, Arvato has tripled warehouse capacity for Europe’s leading omnichannel beauty provider, whose online sales have grown by an average of more than 20% per year over the past five years.

“We have created a forward-looking concept in Hamm that optimally supports not only growth but also the Douglas ‘Let it Bloom’ strategy,” said Julia Börs, President Consumer Products at Arvato, underlining the importance of the project.

“Efficient logistics is one of the most important pillars for any omnichannel retailer. With the new and state-of-the-art logistics centre in Hamm, we have reached a decisive milestone in linking store business and online store in the DACH region even more closely – also and especially to the benefit of our customers and suppliers,” said Sander van der Laan, CEO of the Douglas Group.

Arvato’s digitisation strategy perfectly supports Douglas’ cross-channel business model. The supply chain and e-commerce service provider has specifically designed the DC in Hamm as an omnichannel warehouse with high-performance automation technology and a cloud-based IT solution, in which Douglas’ various sales channels and country orders are brought together.

At the heart of the omnichannel solution is a state-of-the-art shuttle system from Austrian supplier KNAPP, with whom Arvato has been working for many years. The system of the latest 2D generation (OSR Shuttle Evo) has more than 130,000 storage locations, 32 ergonomic workstations and a storage and retrieval capacity of 12,500 totes per hour. At the same time, the more than 500 shuttles can not only move within an aisle, but also change aisles if necessary, thus reaching all items on one level.

This increases flexibility enormously and reduces the effort required for conveyor technology outside the shuttles. The shuttle is part of a sophisticated overall system which, with the connected automatic carton and tote erectors, three cross-belt sorters, pick-by-light picking stations for samples and large-volume items, and automatic carton sealing machines, interlocks perfectly.

Subsequent sorting then takes place in the goods issue and dispatch departments.

Börs said: “In total, we have invested more than €70m in state-of-the-art automation technologies at the Hamm site. This is the largest investment in a single site to date.”

In full operation, up to 114,000 packages per day can be shipped from Hamm. Fast delivery to customers in the DACH region is supported by the very good location of the DC in the eastern Ruhr region and the connection to several highways. “The location is also fundamentally equipped for further growth, as together with Douglas we already took into account possible capacity expansions in various functional areas during the design phase,” explained Börs.

Automotive Supply Chains not Sustainable

Posted on by David Priestman

According to the latest report The automotive supply chain: Pursuing long-term resilience from the Capgemini Research Institute, automotive organisations now feel more confident to tackle future supply chain disruptions. To achieve this, automakers have been forced to rethink, restructure, and refinance their supply chain management. While issues have been stabilised in the short-term, supply chains are still transforming due to their complexity and evolving factors: the acceleration of electric vehicle (EV) production, the new regulatory and government policies, and the adoption of more software-based features like ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), increasing the demand for semiconductors.

A global re-orchestration is underway as procurement from offshore locations fell by 22% in the past two years. Europe leads this trend having reduced offshore procurement by a quarter since 2021. This is followed by APAC and the US who have reduced offshore sourcing by 20% and 18% respectively.

The report finds that automotive organisations expect procurement from offshoring locations to reduce by a further 19% by 2025, as electric vehicle production surges and the fabrication of key electronics components relocates.

Sustainability Efforts are Faltering

Successive supply chain crises have sapped automakers’ time and diverted focus and investment away from sustainability initiatives. Consequently, sustainability is not currently considered a priority for many of them, with only 37% of respondents stating that issues such as carbon footprint management and environmental risk influence supply chain decision-making. Investment across the industry reflects this trend and while OEMs’ total investment in supply chain sustainability is on par with last year, suppliers’ annual investment has significantly reduced by 17%.

While sustainability and circularity are key components for building a more resilient supply chain and to future-proof operations, the scaling of circular-economy initiatives has been delayed due to a shortage of suppliers of recycled materials (and of the materials themselves).

Automotive organisations need to balance sustainability and circular economy with factors like cost and affordability. According to the report, digital solutions can help address this delicate balance between these various competing factors.

Accelerate of Nearshoring

Driven by a surge in efforts to deliver software-based features and services, the average proportion of vehicle value attributed to semiconductors and sensors increased by 51% over the last two years. This is expected to increase by a further 46% between 2023 and 2025.

However, only half of OEMs consider the current supply of semiconductor components as secure. Of those surveyed, 70% said the majority of supply is currently being obtained from China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. In a bid to achieve a greater level of supply-security OEMs are investing in alternative supply methods and moving away from tier-1 and -2 suppliers. Similarly, OEMs have secured only three years of EV battery raw materials on average.

Inventory Building not Feasible in Long-Term

According to the report, half of OEMs feel confident that they would be able to avoid 60% of the revenue loss they incurred in 2022 if the same scenarios – including the semiconductor shortage – happened again today.

To address operational and logistic issues, both suppliers and OEMs have adopted strategies based on adding operational investment and working capital. This is led by the building of inventories, which 81% of suppliers and 44% of OEMs have implemented. However, it’s clear that this is unsustainable in the long-term as holding excessive inventory risks a variety of negative effects on the operational and financial wellbeing of automotive organisations.

Lack of Data-Driven Intelligent Supply Chains

Visibility and transparency are key to create a more trustworthy supplier ecosystem – just over half (53%) of respondents have a mature intelligent supply chain in place to enable data-driven decision making, allowing for the integration of newer technologies such as AI and data analytics. With growing participation in standardised, open, and trusted data ecosystems that include new suppliers for software driven services, automotive organisations can further progress resilience and sustainability ambitions.

Alexandre Audoin, Global Head of Automotive Industry at Capgemini, comments: “Over the past few years, organisations have been forced to restructure and refinance supply chain management on the fly in order to navigate multiple disruptions from all fronts. While in a more positive place today, automakers need to look at delivering a long-term, intelligent, and data-driven strategy that will build resilience and competitive advantage. More so, this needs to incorporate circularity as an essential component, not only to help organisations navigate regulatory changes, but to embed new players in the supply chain ecosystem and also achieve ambitious climate-targets.”

CLICK HERE to download the report.

 

 

Dexory partners with Linkline

Posted on by David Priestman

Dexory has partnered with Northamptonshire warehousing and logistics 3PL Linkline to unlock operational efficiencies using real-time data at its warehouse in Kettering, with a view to further roll-out to the wider estate.

Linkline already uses various automation solutions, and plans on building a large, automated hub in 12–18 months’ time to support its growth plans and ambition to drive greater efficiencies for its customers. This drive and innovative approach further demonstrates a commitment to invest in technology, making this an ideal partnership for Dexory.

Dexory’s solution addresses the urgent need for improved space utilisation and increased efficiencies, combining powerful analytics with autonomous robots capable of capturing rich image and sensor data from across any warehouse. This powerful combination provides comprehensive and actionable visibility across warehouses of any size, as well as connecting warehouses across the global supply chain through Dexory’s digital platform, DexoryView.

Linkline aims to introduce its data collection autonomous robot Dextor (the name the Linkline team have given the robot) to the Kettering site next week (w/c 11th September). Dextor will then operate every night, scanning the full 250,000 sq ft warehouse, integrating into the day to day warehouse operations, working alongside the operations and warehouse teams. Progress can be followed on the Linkline Transport LinkedIn page during this first week.

James Bowes, Chairman of Linkline, commented: “We’re hugely excited to start putting Dextor to use in our warehouses. We’re always looking at technological solutions to drive more value for our customers and Dextor will do just that. We anticipate strong time savings for our warehouse operators who currently have to manually stock check at regular intervals throughout the week whereas now this process will be completed at night by Dextor.”

Oana Jinga, Chief Commercial Officer & Co-founder of Dexory, added: “Dexory is really excited to have Linkline on board and really seeing the value of data-driven technology for their operations. Integrating DexoryView into their Kettering warehouse, will allow them to unlock greater efficiencies and proactively prevent any errors resulting from stock inaccuracy, delivering on the best point of service for both themselves and their customers.”

Dexory partners with Linkline

Posted on by David Priestman

Dexory has partnered with Northamptonshire warehousing and logistics 3PL Linkline to unlock operational efficiencies using real-time data at its warehouse in Kettering, with a view to further roll-out to the wider estate.

Linkline already uses various automation solutions, and plans on building a large, automated hub in 12–18 months’ time to support its growth plans and ambition to drive greater efficiencies for its customers. This drive and innovative approach further demonstrates a commitment to invest in technology, making this an ideal partnership for Dexory.

Dexory’s solution addresses the urgent need for improved space utilisation and increased efficiencies, combining powerful analytics with autonomous robots capable of capturing rich image and sensor data from across any warehouse. This powerful combination provides comprehensive and actionable visibility across warehouses of any size, as well as connecting warehouses across the global supply chain through Dexory’s digital platform, DexoryView.

Linkline aims to introduce its data collection autonomous robot Dextor (the name the Linkline team have given the robot) to the Kettering site next week (w/c 11th September). Dextor will then operate every night, scanning the full 250,000 sq ft warehouse, integrating into the day to day warehouse operations, working alongside the operations and warehouse teams. Progress can be followed on the Linkline Transport LinkedIn page during this first week.

James Bowes, Chairman of Linkline, commented: “We’re hugely excited to start putting Dextor to use in our warehouses. We’re always looking at technological solutions to drive more value for our customers and Dextor will do just that. We anticipate strong time savings for our warehouse operators who currently have to manually stock check at regular intervals throughout the week whereas now this process will be completed at night by Dextor.”

Oana Jinga, Chief Commercial Officer & Co-founder of Dexory, added: “Dexory is really excited to have Linkline on board and really seeing the value of data-driven technology for their operations. Integrating DexoryView into their Kettering warehouse, will allow them to unlock greater efficiencies and proactively prevent any errors resulting from stock inaccuracy, delivering on the best point of service for both themselves and their customers.”

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