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Day: 6 February 2024

Leveraging Data-Driven Decision-Making Tech

Posted on by David Priestman

ORTEC, a global provider of leading end-to-end supply chain solutions developed specifically for the operational needs of manufacturers, retailers, and distributors, introduces a state-of-the-art solution purpose-fit for the operational needs of the manufacturing and finished goods logistics industries. ORTEC’s Manufacturing Solution Suite provides valuable insights and planning tools that help companies optimize their supply chain and reduce costs.

“Manufacturing supply chain professionals know that conditions and demand change constantly, so it’s essential to continuously monitor and reassess,” said Mat Witte SVP, ORTEC Americas. “ORTEC uses data-driven analytics to create supply chain visibility and help solve everyday challenges for staying on target, improving the customer experience, and meeting business goals. Further, ORTEC’s Planner Insights and Prescriptive Planning are unmatched in the industry. Through our partnership and innovation, clients are able to navigate the changing supply chain while meeting fluctuating service demands.”

“For many manufacturers, supply chain and logistics comprise more than 10% of overall costs on average, which has a huge impact on company profits. ORTEC’s Manufacturing solution helps companies manage the complex logistics landscape by using their existing data to make more informed decisions,” said Aaron Geiger, Managing Director of Manufacturing at ORTEC. “With better planning and more accurate forecasting, they see higher efficiencies, improved utilization of labor and resources, and lower supply chain costs.”

The ORTEC Manufacturing Solution Suite offers a state-of-the-art solution for integrated pallet building, routing, loading, planning, and execution when distributing products. The solution combines load, route, and dispatch optimization to maximize vehicle and container utilization, improve collaboration between the manufacturer, carrier(s), drivers, and the consignees, and increase on-time deliveries.

ORTEC’s innovative Manufacturing solution presents a complete end-to-end solution that supports the entire length of the supply chain, following the company’s signature six-step approach that allows companies to Predict, Prepare, Plan, Execute, Monitor, and Improve across their operations. Performance analysis compares planned versus actual results to support continuous improvement and to reduce cost to serve. Future forecasting allows organizations to predict future needs and generate ‘what-if’ scenarios that help them prepare for changes.

“At ORTEC we partner with our wide range of customers in manufacturing to ensure they are consistently meeting their KPIs, including change management and sustainability initiatives. We continue to collaborate with them beyond implementation to develop a strategy that enables them to optimize gains over the long-term,” says Jeff Bailey, CEO, ORTEC Americas.

Leveraging Data-Driven Decision-Making Tech

Posted on by David Priestman

ORTEC, a global provider of leading end-to-end supply chain solutions developed specifically for the operational needs of manufacturers, retailers, and distributors, introduces a state-of-the-art solution purpose-fit for the operational needs of the manufacturing and finished goods logistics industries. ORTEC’s Manufacturing Solution Suite provides valuable insights and planning tools that help companies optimize their supply chain and reduce costs.

“Manufacturing supply chain professionals know that conditions and demand change constantly, so it’s essential to continuously monitor and reassess,” said Mat Witte SVP, ORTEC Americas. “ORTEC uses data-driven analytics to create supply chain visibility and help solve everyday challenges for staying on target, improving the customer experience, and meeting business goals. Further, ORTEC’s Planner Insights and Prescriptive Planning are unmatched in the industry. Through our partnership and innovation, clients are able to navigate the changing supply chain while meeting fluctuating service demands.”

“For many manufacturers, supply chain and logistics comprise more than 10% of overall costs on average, which has a huge impact on company profits. ORTEC’s Manufacturing solution helps companies manage the complex logistics landscape by using their existing data to make more informed decisions,” said Aaron Geiger, Managing Director of Manufacturing at ORTEC. “With better planning and more accurate forecasting, they see higher efficiencies, improved utilization of labor and resources, and lower supply chain costs.”

The ORTEC Manufacturing Solution Suite offers a state-of-the-art solution for integrated pallet building, routing, loading, planning, and execution when distributing products. The solution combines load, route, and dispatch optimization to maximize vehicle and container utilization, improve collaboration between the manufacturer, carrier(s), drivers, and the consignees, and increase on-time deliveries.

ORTEC’s innovative Manufacturing solution presents a complete end-to-end solution that supports the entire length of the supply chain, following the company’s signature six-step approach that allows companies to Predict, Prepare, Plan, Execute, Monitor, and Improve across their operations. Performance analysis compares planned versus actual results to support continuous improvement and to reduce cost to serve. Future forecasting allows organizations to predict future needs and generate ‘what-if’ scenarios that help them prepare for changes.

“At ORTEC we partner with our wide range of customers in manufacturing to ensure they are consistently meeting their KPIs, including change management and sustainability initiatives. We continue to collaborate with them beyond implementation to develop a strategy that enables them to optimize gains over the long-term,” says Jeff Bailey, CEO, ORTEC Americas.

New Wearable Barcode Scanner

Posted on by David Priestman

WEROCK Technologies GmbH, an innovative provider of industrial IT solutions, introduces the Rockscan W100, a wearable barcode scanner that sets new standards for efficient and flexible scanning. The Rockscan W100 enables effortless and fast hands-free scanning, offers the best scanning performance in its class and is rugged and durable.

Working in industry, logistics and retail, numerous barcodes need to be scanned every day. The Rockscan W100 was developed to speed up and optimize this process. As a workflow accelerator, it enables effortless and fast scanning while keeping the user’s hands free. With state-of-the-art technology and multiple carrying options, the Rockscan W100 offers a flexible solution to the challenges of the traditional barcode scanning process.

The Rockscan W100 is not only powerful, but also rugged and durable. It is ideal for harsh environments where conventional scanners fail or are not reliable enough. It can withstand drops from up to 1.5 meters onto concrete and more than 2000 drops from 1.2 meters. It therefore exceeds the drop resistance according to MIL-STD-810G and is waterproof and dustproof according to IP65.
The wearable barcode scanner is equipped with a number of innovative features that make it one of the most powerful and versatile barcode scanners on the market. These include

– Easier and faster scanning: The Rockscan W100 features advanced scanning technology that enables fast and easy barcode scanning with a read range of up to 14 meters.
– Long battery life: The Rockscan W100 is equipped with a powerful battery that enables up to 5,000 scans per charge.
– Rugged construction: The Rockscan W100 is designed for use in harsh environments and can withstand drops from up to 1.5 meters onto concrete.
– Flexible applications: The Rockscan W100 can be used as a pocket scanner, ring scanner or back of hand scanner.
– Intuitive feedback: The Rockscan W100 provides acoustic, haptic and visual feedback to avoid errors.

“We are proud to launch the Rockscan W100, an innovative barcode scanner that meets and exceeds our customers’ requirements. It is the result of our many years of experience and expertise in the field of industrial IT solutions. It is the performance booster for the workflows of our customers who work in a world where time savings and precision are of crucial importance,” says Markus Nicoleit, Managing Director of WEROCK Technologies GmbH.

Typical areas of application for the Rockscan W100 include

– Retail: Incoming goods, inventory tracking and point-of-sale transactions.
– Transportation & logistics: parcel tracking and warehouse management.
– Warehousing & Distribution: Warehouse management, receiving, picking, sorting.
– Manufacturing: Inventory management, parts and finished product tracking, assembly.

 

Ramps Take on a Heavy Load For Witron

Posted on by David Priestman

Logistics specialist Witron has benefited from the strength and versatility of bespoke loading ramps from Thorworld during its construction of a new distribution centre for a retail customer. The largest of the four ramps delivered to the Northwest site had to withstand the weight of a 48-tonne crane.

Thorworld’s involvement came after Witron was let down by its existing ramp supplier. Given the complexity of the distribution centre’s build, and with the clock ticking, Witron needed a reliable alternative, quickly.

“Thorworld stood out as a credible solution provider, they have an excellent reputation in the market and could manufacture ramps to the exact size and weight parameters we required,” commented Duncan Pointon, Business Development Manager UK at Witron.

“Plus, their knowledge was second to none when it came down to our application, giving valuable input as the ramps needed to be moved in and out of pits.”

The four ramps were built and delivered in a phased operation, to suit Witron’s own construction schedule. The first three ramps are being used by Witron to help move plant in and out of the dispatch buffer pits where they assemble automated racking. Thorworld installed the first ramp to demonstrate best practice, while the next two were installed by Witron.

Thorworld returned to install the last – and most complex – of the four ramps. “This was in the CPS pit, which forms part of the 35m High Bay Warehouse. We erect racking at ground level, in strategically located pits. The racking must be installed by crane, therefore we needed a ramp specifically built to allow the crane easy access in and out of the pit,” explained Duncan Pointon.

Ian Langan, Technical and Engineering Director at Thorworld, particularly enjoyed the challenge of designing a ramp capable of withstanding the weight of the crane. “Normally our mobile ramps have a usable width of 2250mm and up to 15,000kg capacity. The crane weighed 48,000KG and required a usable width of 3.5m and a ramp length of 8m,” he said.

“We had to undertake design calculations and finite element analysis (FEA), to ensure the capacities and axle loads could be adequately supported. And then manufacture all four ramps from scratch within a very short timescale!”

Unusually for Thorworld, the four ramps are only needed during the fit-out of the distribution centre and will not be in regular use. Nonetheless, Witron has recognised their long-term value. “All of our DCs are built to a similar specification, so we’ll definitely need the Thorworld ramps again! Until then, we’ll keep them in storage, ready for the next site build,” concluded Duncan Pointon

Ramps Take on a Heavy Load For Witron

Posted on by David Priestman

Logistics specialist Witron has benefited from the strength and versatility of bespoke loading ramps from Thorworld during its construction of a new distribution centre for a retail customer. The largest of the four ramps delivered to the Northwest site had to withstand the weight of a 48-tonne crane.

Thorworld’s involvement came after Witron was let down by its existing ramp supplier. Given the complexity of the distribution centre’s build, and with the clock ticking, Witron needed a reliable alternative, quickly.

“Thorworld stood out as a credible solution provider, they have an excellent reputation in the market and could manufacture ramps to the exact size and weight parameters we required,” commented Duncan Pointon, Business Development Manager UK at Witron.

“Plus, their knowledge was second to none when it came down to our application, giving valuable input as the ramps needed to be moved in and out of pits.”

The four ramps were built and delivered in a phased operation, to suit Witron’s own construction schedule. The first three ramps are being used by Witron to help move plant in and out of the dispatch buffer pits where they assemble automated racking. Thorworld installed the first ramp to demonstrate best practice, while the next two were installed by Witron.

Thorworld returned to install the last – and most complex – of the four ramps. “This was in the CPS pit, which forms part of the 35m High Bay Warehouse. We erect racking at ground level, in strategically located pits. The racking must be installed by crane, therefore we needed a ramp specifically built to allow the crane easy access in and out of the pit,” explained Duncan Pointon.

Ian Langan, Technical and Engineering Director at Thorworld, particularly enjoyed the challenge of designing a ramp capable of withstanding the weight of the crane. “Normally our mobile ramps have a usable width of 2250mm and up to 15,000kg capacity. The crane weighed 48,000KG and required a usable width of 3.5m and a ramp length of 8m,” he said.

“We had to undertake design calculations and finite element analysis (FEA), to ensure the capacities and axle loads could be adequately supported. And then manufacture all four ramps from scratch within a very short timescale!”

Unusually for Thorworld, the four ramps are only needed during the fit-out of the distribution centre and will not be in regular use. Nonetheless, Witron has recognised their long-term value. “All of our DCs are built to a similar specification, so we’ll definitely need the Thorworld ramps again! Until then, we’ll keep them in storage, ready for the next site build,” concluded Duncan Pointon

Tiger Trailers Provide New Vans for Warburtons Fleet

Posted on by David Priestman

One of Britain’s leading bakery brands, Warburtons, has selected Tiger Trailers to supply 38 rigid box vans to its nationwide fleet of trucks, that transport fresh bread to around 18,500 locations daily, around the nation.

When Warburtons approached Tiger in the winter of 2022, they needed the vehicles to be built to match their specific operational requirements. Expected to become part of a busy retail delivery fleet, they needed a custom, clever, and ergonomic design with robustness and usability as key components.

With regular visits to Tiger’s factory and 3D-model review sessions during the initial design phase, Warburtons was impressed by Tiger Trailers’ thorough build quality, consistency, and attention to detail displayed in their vehicles, as well as an ultra-modern facility and assurance of on-time delivery.

Steve Gray, Head of Transport at Warburtons, comments: “It has been reassuring to have been involved throughout the design and manufacturing process. We have taken delivery of 10 of the vans already and are very impressed with the final product. We are looking forward to a further 28 due joining our fleet in spring this year.”

Transport Truck
Warburtons’ New Rigid Box Van

Building the Fleet

Built on 14-tonne DAF chassis from local firm Lancashire DAF, each rigid is fitted with Warburtons-specification racking along its sides, along with adjustable centre aisle load bars to suit the customer’s loading requirements. The rigids also boast crew doors on each side of the body’s rear, to expedite the loading process, access to which is covered with a hinged alloy floor section, maximising load capacity. The Dhollandia tail lift aids drivers with large loads, and the two Labcraft B3 Banksman reversing lights help in low-light conditions. They are finished in Warburtons’ trademark orange, painted in house at Tiger.

Tom Stott, Technical Sales Manager at Tiger Trailers, comments: “It’s been a pleasure to work closely with Steve and his team at Warburtons. At Tiger we are proud to offer competitive lead times, and guarantee a premium product without compromising on quality. To have done so for one of Britain’s most-recognisable brands is something to be celebrated, and we are hopeful to build on the relationship we have established with Steve and Warburtons in the future.”

Ten of Warburtons’ new Tiger rigids, delivered in late 2023, can already be seen out on the roads, operating out of several of Warburtons’ 22 nationwide depots.

For a Warm Valentine’s Day, Pursue a Cold Supply Chain

Posted on by David Priestman

Imagine going to a shop and it has run out of roses, chocolates, or luxury dine for two meals – it might mean a romantic plan is spoiled and reverting to a less-than-ideal back-up option. In a few weeks’ time, Valentine’s Day will be upon us again. For retailers, it’s a peak time for gift buying—roses, chocolates, luxury items, and special offers. Total spending in 2023 was expected to reach $25.9 billion, according to NRF data, while in the UK that figure stood at £2.2 billion.

And like previous years, things can go wrong. One risk is around wasted inventory — flowers, cosmetics, food — because these are sensitive to humidity and temperature. For example, the rose supply chain is global with countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Kenya, and the Netherlands growing, harvesting and shipping roses across the world. Timing and temperature are everything – they need to be picked and processed at the right time and transported thousands of miles at the right temperature and environment so they’re fresh, crisp and colorful for shoppers.

Cooling via vacuum and forced air methods, removing infected flowers and avoiding botrytis blight and damage from frost while in storage and transit are some of the concerns that harvesters and logistics managers have to think about when it comes to the cold chain. Exposure to the wrong environment could cause wasted inventory, lost revenue and negative consumer experiences. But how can suppliers, logistics, and warehousing companies make sure their cold chain is the best it can be?

Cold Chain and Environmental Data Visibility

Supply chain managers need accurate, timely, high-level views of their inventory and supply chain with ‘air traffic control’ platforms that connect, analyse and leverage data across the chain. These platforms provide predictive insights and analytics for road, sea, air, rail and last-mile routing and allow transport and logistics teams to build custom solutions with APIs and leverage AI assistants for problem identification and solving. For example, if a delayed arrival of an empty truck is reported, a loading dock manager can turn to their workforce management solution to reallocate labour. They may have four workers they can send to help load or unload another temperature-sensitive shipment to minimize exposure to warmer (or colder) temperatures. In another scenario, the platform may be able to reconcile weather reports with anticipated transit routes to recommend a delayed departure. The shipment may be late, but it’s better to be late than throw away pallets of roses on arrival because they were temperature compromised.

At an operational level, environmental monitoring systems can use sensors in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and other systems to track that air, humidity, light and other conditions in cold storage. They monitor conditions across a space, giving managers visibility into what is happening. Meanwhile, environmental sensing systems monitor temperature, humidity, light and other conditions down to the item level and even after an item has left cold storage. This means sensing systems can travel with inventory like roses, monitoring conditions, location and time as they move and share that information during transit and upon arrival.

Sensors can range from simple chemical-based sensors to passive USB monitoring devices to more advanced Bluetooth-enabled ones. For example, the data captured via temperature sensors, location beacons and radio frequency identification (RFID) at the time the roses were unloaded from a trailer, put in inbound staging, released from staging and taken to cold storage can be aggregated and compared using prescriptive analytics. Should the temperature rise or drop at any point in time, managers can identify the trouble area and time frame to rectify the root issue and prevent a reoccurrence. They can also use the data to determine the potential impact of the temperature change on product quality. Recent advancements in data logger technologies leverage Bluetooth® and near field communication (NFC) connectivity. Cold chain managers can now see what’s happening inside a box or crate without needing to open it, making it convenient to track temperature variations in near-real time.

Data from these wireless-enabled data loggers are typically sent to the cloud. The inventory or quality control manager can then sign into their private portal to view the data for an entire shipment. Modern data loggers come with a security layer that provides secure connections to block unauthorized access, prevent data manipulation and provide encrypted data transmissions to help defend against security breaches.

Conclusion

Every rose has its thorn and right now, costs and delays continue to mount in the Panama Canal, and conflict in the Red Sea shows no sight of ceasing, as far as sea freight is concerned. While the wider industry faces labour challenges and a decline in air freight demand, transport and logistics companies and the retailers they serve are feeling yet more pressures. But recent data suggests warehousing and logistics leaders are heading in the right direction to make their operations a lot more visible, resilient, and secure.

Sixty-seven percent of decision-makers plan to implement temperature monitoring sensors and smart labels, while 91% want to move to cloud-based systems for improved supply chain visibility. Whether an online order or in-store browsing, it’s a disappointment when things aren’t available, especially for special occasions like Valentine’s Day. Sensors and cloud platforms are helping make that a thing of the past.

By Andre Luecht, Global Strategy Lead for Transportation, Logistics and Warehouse, Zebra Technologies.

For a Warm Valentine’s Day, Pursue a Cold Supply Chain

Posted on by David Priestman

Imagine going to a shop and it has run out of roses, chocolates, or luxury dine for two meals – it might mean a romantic plan is spoiled and reverting to a less-than-ideal back-up option. In a few weeks’ time, Valentine’s Day will be upon us again. For retailers, it’s a peak time for gift buying—roses, chocolates, luxury items, and special offers. Total spending in 2023 was expected to reach $25.9 billion, according to NRF data, while in the UK that figure stood at £2.2 billion.

And like previous years, things can go wrong. One risk is around wasted inventory — flowers, cosmetics, food — because these are sensitive to humidity and temperature. For example, the rose supply chain is global with countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Kenya, and the Netherlands growing, harvesting and shipping roses across the world. Timing and temperature are everything – they need to be picked and processed at the right time and transported thousands of miles at the right temperature and environment so they’re fresh, crisp and colorful for shoppers.

Cooling via vacuum and forced air methods, removing infected flowers and avoiding botrytis blight and damage from frost while in storage and transit are some of the concerns that harvesters and logistics managers have to think about when it comes to the cold chain. Exposure to the wrong environment could cause wasted inventory, lost revenue and negative consumer experiences. But how can suppliers, logistics, and warehousing companies make sure their cold chain is the best it can be?

Cold Chain and Environmental Data Visibility

Supply chain managers need accurate, timely, high-level views of their inventory and supply chain with ‘air traffic control’ platforms that connect, analyse and leverage data across the chain. These platforms provide predictive insights and analytics for road, sea, air, rail and last-mile routing and allow transport and logistics teams to build custom solutions with APIs and leverage AI assistants for problem identification and solving. For example, if a delayed arrival of an empty truck is reported, a loading dock manager can turn to their workforce management solution to reallocate labour. They may have four workers they can send to help load or unload another temperature-sensitive shipment to minimize exposure to warmer (or colder) temperatures. In another scenario, the platform may be able to reconcile weather reports with anticipated transit routes to recommend a delayed departure. The shipment may be late, but it’s better to be late than throw away pallets of roses on arrival because they were temperature compromised.

At an operational level, environmental monitoring systems can use sensors in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and other systems to track that air, humidity, light and other conditions in cold storage. They monitor conditions across a space, giving managers visibility into what is happening. Meanwhile, environmental sensing systems monitor temperature, humidity, light and other conditions down to the item level and even after an item has left cold storage. This means sensing systems can travel with inventory like roses, monitoring conditions, location and time as they move and share that information during transit and upon arrival.

Sensors can range from simple chemical-based sensors to passive USB monitoring devices to more advanced Bluetooth-enabled ones. For example, the data captured via temperature sensors, location beacons and radio frequency identification (RFID) at the time the roses were unloaded from a trailer, put in inbound staging, released from staging and taken to cold storage can be aggregated and compared using prescriptive analytics. Should the temperature rise or drop at any point in time, managers can identify the trouble area and time frame to rectify the root issue and prevent a reoccurrence. They can also use the data to determine the potential impact of the temperature change on product quality. Recent advancements in data logger technologies leverage Bluetooth® and near field communication (NFC) connectivity. Cold chain managers can now see what’s happening inside a box or crate without needing to open it, making it convenient to track temperature variations in near-real time.

Data from these wireless-enabled data loggers are typically sent to the cloud. The inventory or quality control manager can then sign into their private portal to view the data for an entire shipment. Modern data loggers come with a security layer that provides secure connections to block unauthorized access, prevent data manipulation and provide encrypted data transmissions to help defend against security breaches.

Conclusion

Every rose has its thorn and right now, costs and delays continue to mount in the Panama Canal, and conflict in the Red Sea shows no sight of ceasing, as far as sea freight is concerned. While the wider industry faces labour challenges and a decline in air freight demand, transport and logistics companies and the retailers they serve are feeling yet more pressures. But recent data suggests warehousing and logistics leaders are heading in the right direction to make their operations a lot more visible, resilient, and secure.

Sixty-seven percent of decision-makers plan to implement temperature monitoring sensors and smart labels, while 91% want to move to cloud-based systems for improved supply chain visibility. Whether an online order or in-store browsing, it’s a disappointment when things aren’t available, especially for special occasions like Valentine’s Day. Sensors and cloud platforms are helping make that a thing of the past.

By Andre Luecht, Global Strategy Lead for Transportation, Logistics and Warehouse, Zebra Technologies.

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