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Tag: logistics

DP World releases film to mark freeport status

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DP World has released a new film to introduce its operations to customers who want to benefit from market leading port-centric logistics in the UK.

DP World’s terminals at Southampton and London Gateway were both part of bids which were awarded freeport status by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March 2021.

This step-change was secured after DP World – a leading provider of smart logistics solutions, which enables the flow of trade across the globe – invested almost £2 billion in Britain over the last ten years, its largest international investment outside the Middle East.

Ernst Schulze, Chief Executive of DP World in the UK, said: “This two-minute film explains the capabilities that we already have in this country and our ambitions for the future.”

“It tells the story of how the flows of trade through Southampton and London Gateway have a positive impact on the lives of ordinary people by supplying them reliably and cost efficiently with the products they consume. Our Southampton terminal can turn vessels around faster than any other UK port, our rapidly expanding port-centric logistics park at London Gateway provides high-quality warehousing and supply chain solutions, and the emphasis on rail across both ports brings significant environmental benefits by taking 300,000 trucks off UK roads each year.

“At DP World we think ahead and create smarter trade solutions, while ensuring a positive and sustainable impact on economies, societies and our planet. We are open for business today with customers who want to take advantage of Southampton and London Gateway being awarded freeport status.”

The DP World in the UK film was produced by Studiomade.

DHL Express predicts considerable B2B e-commerce growth

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DHL Express, the international express service provider, has released a new Whitepaper “The Ultimate B2B E-commerce Guide: Tradition is out. Digital is in“.

The study predicts strong growth for the B2B e‑commerce market in the coming years: by 2025, 80% of all B2B sales interactions between suppliers and professional buyers will take place in digital channels. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the pace of digitalisation and the purchasing behaviour of technology-savvy millennials, who are now of an age to be the professional B2B decision-makers, are the main drivers of this global e-commerce growth.

What is predicted for the future of the B2B sector has already been visible in the significant B2C e-commerce rise over the last years, where DHL Express experienced high growth rates particularly during the holiday peak seasons (e.g. Easter, Christmas) and mega shopping days (e. g. Black Friday, Cyber Monday). In total the B2C e‑commerce volumes within the DHL Express network increased in 2020 by approximately 40%, compared to 2019.

This positive business development is also reflected in the FY2020 financial results of the company: With a total revenue of €19.1 billion (+11.9% year-on-year) and EBIT of €2.7 billion (+34.9%) the Express division of Deutsche Post DHL Group closed 2020 with the best result in its more than 50 years’ history. With its worldwide network and breadth of industries served, DHL Express was able to accommodate fast-changing trade flows.

Furthermore its presence in more than 220 countries and territories helped consumers and businesses to stay connected by enabling them to trade around the world – also during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Even in times of worldwide shutdowns, globalisation has shown its resilience, fuelled by digitalisation and the power of global trade”, says John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “These trends have led to an ever-growing number of consumers to shift their shopping activities online. The pandemic has accelerated this development like never before, with a sharp rise in businesses selling their goods in the global marketplace. E-commerce and global logistics thus provided the key to unlock local shutdowns, keep economies running and mitigate the impact of Covid-19 for many of our customers.”

It was not only B2C e-commerce that was growing due to ongoing digitalisation and changed shopping behaviour of consumers. In 2019, before the pandemic, global sales on B2B e-commerce sites and marketplaces had already increased by 18.2% to reach USD 12.2 trillion, outpacing the market size of the B2C sector. Through Covid-19 and the resulting acceleration of digitalisation, this global B2B E‑commerce volume is estimated to reach USD 20.9 trillion by 2027.

“We have been facing the pandemic for over one year now,” says Michiel Greeven, Executive Vice President Global Sales at DHL Express. “A year that showed how nearly a decade of digital evolution happened in just a few months’ time, with online shopping and cross-border shipping as the new normal. And this is true not only for B2C retailers, but also in terms of B2B e-commerce as companies started recognising that online selling platforms are crucial for their business success, today and in the future. As a result, there will also be an additional need for global Express shipping and DHL Express is well positioned to support all B2B companies on their journey.”

The Whitepaper also uncovers factors driving the growth of the global B2B e‑commerce market: besides general trends such as globalisation and digitalisation, a new technology-oriented generation of millennials is starting to make its mark. Already, millennials account for 73% of all professional B2B purchasing decisions. As digital natives, their experiences in the B2C-sector translate to high expectations when making B2B transactions, pushing companies to invest in digital solutions, such as selling platforms, while offering great growth potential.

“If B2B businesses want to make the most out of the new cross-border and e-commerce opportunities they need to start adapting to the changing buying behaviours. Especially with the upcoming generation of millennial as B2B decision-makers, who are further driving the digitalisation of the sector. B2B customer experiences have to be more aligned with the digital B2C experiences. As international e-commerce specialists, we have the know-how and insights to support businesses to adapt to the ongoing changes and unleash their full potential” says Leendert van Delft, Vice President Global Sales Programs and Global E-commerce.

In 2020, DHL Express delivered 484 million shipments in total for its customers (B2C and B2B) around the globe, around 9% more per day than in 2019. To adapt to this significant growth of its network, DHL Express continues to invest annually more than €1 billion in new state-of-the-art facilities around the world to multiply its sorting capacity (+65% since 2013), hires new employees (+10,000 year-on-year) and adds new freighter aircraft to its fleet (+20 units year-on-year). In this context, DHL Express recently announced the purchase of eight more Boeing B777 wide-body freighters and a partnership with Smartlynx Malta to add two Airbus A321 to its fleet. With these measures, DHL Express ensures that its worldwide customers can benefit from the global
e-commerce boom.

3PL firm promotes first manager from fast-track programme

Posted on by David Priestman

Specialist 3PL logistics provider Europa Warehouse is celebrating the success of its Management Trainee programme, designed to give graduates an opportunity to fast-track a career in logistics.

A division of leading logistics provider Europa Worldwide Group, Europa Warehouse launched the programme in 2019, demonstrating its efforts to open doors for the next generation of talent.

Welcoming graduates looking to build a career in warehouse operations, the programme offers on the job training, giving individuals the skill set to quickly progress within the division.

Now, despite what has been a challenging year, Europa Warehouse is celebrating the growth and development of its team as its first trainee is promoted to Project Manager at Europa Warehouse.

With predictions that the ongoing growth in e-commerce could drive demand for 92 million sq ft of warehouse space across the UK by 2024, Europa Warehouse 3PL and logistics services are in high demand and going forward, the Management Trainee’s roles will be vital in sustaining growth and driving the business forward.

Europa Warehouse Logistics Director, Maria Torrent March comments: “Encouraging graduates to kick start a career in logistics and nurturing talent is a key focus for Europa Warehouse. The pandemic has shone a light on 3PL and logistics and sparked an interest for many young adults, and we are keen to offer opportunities and support.”

One of the programme’s recent success stories is Ram Odedra, who has been promoted to Project Manager at Europa Warehouse, Corby, before completing the two-year scheme. Ram found the opportunity on the Aston University graduate job portal and is now responsible for dealing with the new processes and contracts across Europa’s warehouses in Corby, Birmingham and Dartford.

Discussing why the Europa Warehouse Management Trainee programme appealed to him, Ram said: “The main factors that made me want to apply were the practical nature of the scheme and the chance to be able to work on projects across different areas and sites of the business. For example, I did my initial training at Minworth warehouse, then Northampton and finally Dartford. This meant that I could gain exposure to all aspects of Europa’s operations and in return, find the area that appealed most to my skill set.”

As part of the programme, a mentor is assigned to each Trainee to help guide development and ensure adequate support is provided.

Ram continues: “I am excited to be taking the next step in my career in logistics and progress within my new role. I would highly recommend the programme to anyone wanting to get involved in an operation where you are given live projects with real responsibility. Over the years, I have received an incredible amount of support and guidance working alongside Europa’s experienced professionals, as well as the flexibility to choose which direction I would like to take.”

Maria added: “Despite the challenges of Covid-19 and the increase in demand for warehouse space and 3PL services, we have ensured that employees continue to receive sufficient training and I am thrilled to see the success of Ram within our team. I look forward to watching others within the Europa team shine.”

Just last year, the division announced a recruitment drive for 120 new recruits following the launch of its 60m, state-of-the-art warehouse facility in Corby. The new site doubled Europa Warehouse’s logistics portfolio and has been constructed to a high-quality specification, including above-market standard 18 metre heights to facilitate three floors of mezzanines.

Europa Warehouse provides a range of value-added capabilities including e-commerce fulfilment, production services, inventory management, packing, labelling, special deliveries, final assembly, quality control and critical parts management.

Logistics company boosts efficiency with cloud-based IT solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Outsourced fulfilment and global delivery firm ILG has improved efficiency and scalability by modernising its whole IT infrastructure with digital transformation specialists Extech Cloud.

To support further business growth and better position ILG for new challenges, Extech Cloud successfully implemented a high performing and secure cloud-based IT solution for ILG in 2020. Not only were all the core business services such as emails, databases, file storage, and more smoothly migrated to the public cloud, ILG’s applications and infrastructure were also fully transitioned to Microsoft Azure, the leading cloud computing service.

“2020 was an unusual year and presented challenges for many, but it also created an opportunity to find new, better ways to do things,” says Andrew Hookway, Director of the Sussex-based Extech Cloud.  “Logistics and transport businesses know how critical it is to meet demand and manage seasonal peaks effectively, and that their IT infrastructure plays a critical role in this. However, few are exploiting the benefits that the public cloud can bring to the business and its valuable people, which is where we can help.”

With this transition completed, ILG now has a cloud infrastructure which supports growth on demand and allows for the adoption of new products and services as they become available. This all comes at a lower cost compared to traditional private cloud and on-premise solutions, such as servers.

A full transition to the cloud also means that logistics businesses, such as ILG, can be more in control of their IT services than ever before.

“When we say we can help businesses to ensure their IT meets their demands, a full cloud transition is the only way to have fast flexibility” says Andrew. “Busier than ever? You can ramp up your service level. On the other hand, having a quiet period? Turn things down for a bit. The cloud helps you to meet your level of demands and importantly, you pay for only what you need, when you need it.”

“The implementation of Microsoft Azure has allowed us to scale resources in line with business demand, a key requirement for ILG as we see huge seasonal spikes in volumes,” says Tom Ashley, Client Services and IT Director at ILG. “Extech Cloud’s support has allowed us to focus all of our attention on providing great service to our clients.”

ILG is one of the UK’s leading global delivery and outsourced fulfilment partners, with international delivery and cargo options as well as state-of-the-art warehouse facilities and customer service that is second to none.

ILG first began working with Extech Cloud more than a decade ago to help the IT department focus on high-value-adding tasks and ensure ILG’s technology became a driver for growth and efficiency. Today, Extech Cloud provides ILG with operational management of the cloud infrastructure, support for users across multiple locations and endpoints, along with advice and guidance on emerging products to make ILG even more efficient.

“Extech Cloud are a passionate and professional partner. The support they have provided to us over the past decade has been invaluable,” says Tom Ashley.

Logistics and Supply Chain Training and Research Centre Opening

Posted on by David Priestman

The logistics and supply chain sector is set to benefit from a dedicated new training and research facility that has been developed through a partnership between industry and education based at the heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’ at GLP’s Magna Park development in Lutterworth. The Centre for Logistics Education and Research (CLEAR) will help the sector to address key challenges as the UK moves towards economic recovery and renewed growth following the coronavirus pandemic.

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) is working in collaboration with Aston University, Wincanton, supply chain partner, and leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, GLP to provide skills training and professional development at all levels across the spectrum of logistics and supply chain roles, to enable the sector to become increasingly agile, flexible and resilient. CLEAR is due to launch in the summer of 2021 and will initially be based Bittesby House within the Magna Park Northern extension within the broader Magna Park Lutterworth development, eventually moving to a bespoke, state of the art facility.

The ambitions of the centre were revealed to industry at a webinar last month with speakers hosted by Richard Atkinson CBE, Teaching Fellow, Leadership, Strategy, Engagement at Aston University and including NWSLC’s Principal and Chief Executive, Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Professor Edward Sweeney from Aston University, and Dean Clamp, who is Group HSEQ Director for Wincanton and a board member of the Chartered Institute for Logistics and Transport (CILT).

Outlining the challenges currently faced by the sector, Professor Edward Sweeney commented on the central role of skills development within logistics and supply chain in helping the UK to retain its leading role in the sector. He said, “Operating within a highly competitive environment with the challenges of harnessing new technology and ‘big data’ across businesses of all sizes in a changing political and environmental context requires a highly skilled and professional workforce. The aim is that working closely with industry, CLEAR will be ideally positioned to address its needs and provide skills training and development opportunities that are tailor-made for the sector.”

Marion Plant said, “Our ambitions for CLEAR are based on offering a holistic one-stop-shop training service both from its base at Magna Park and also remotely online, enabling a flexible skills pathway tailored to meet the needs of specific businesses and providing individuals with well-defined opportunities to progress their careers.

“Small but mighty” – US 3PL Westhub Logistics Enters the Market

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Westhub Logistics (WHL), a Bay Area-based third-party logistics (3PL) company, announced their entry into the market for both B2B and B2C companies selling dry goods.

Specializing in receiving, warehousing and fulfillment, WHL has built a reputation on accurate inventory tracking, automation efficiency, customized orders and same-day delivery.

Though Westhub Logistics may not be as large a company as its competitors, founder Weston Cook (pictured) does not see this as a hindrance. “There’s this popular illusion that bigger is better. Though we are small, we are mighty,” Cook says. “And we believe our integrity is incomparable.”

Cook set out to “reimagine the impersonal—and often impractical—3PL industry” by launching a family-owned, personally operated company built on integrity, with an emphasis on serving local businesses. “I have always believed that taking things up a notch means bringing customer service down to earth,” said Cook.

Their personalized approach has drawn the attention of Amazon sellers. They manage sellers’ relationship with Amazon, keep track of their orders and calculate when additional products need stocking.

Likewise, with the pandemic forcing shifts in business strategy and paving the way for more online retail businesses to grow, Weshthub Logistics sees itself as a partner that can meet the moment.

Says Sales Manager Jessica Ramos, “With today’s logistical challenges and highly competitive online retail demand, we put our clients at the center with our customer friendly solutions and straightforward pricing.”

Logistics Business Virtual Exhibition extended

Posted on by Keith McKinley

The Logistics Business Exhibition, which started today, will remain open this Friday for live-streamed video meetings. This is to ensure that all the visitors have sufficient time to connect with exhibitors, network and watch the Panel Discussions.

Please visit by clicking here.

There are 6 virtual halls, with 40 Exhibitors: Forklift & AGV Technology, Handling Automation Systems, Packaging & Pallets, Software & Computing, Transport Services & Equipment, Warehousing Equipment. Visitors can browse halls and search for specific requirements from a long list of sub-categories.

Live stream Panel Discussions each day will see an exchange of ideas across all technologies. An updated list is on the exhibition site.

Dachser Logistics Reorganise Regional Management

Posted on by David Priestman

Dachser Air & Sea Logistics (ASL) has reorganised management within its business units in Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) and Americas regions.

The position of Managing Director, ASL EMEA has been assumed by Dr Tobias Burger, who is already responsible for the strategic development of the business field Air & Sea Logistics as Deputy Director ASL. Before moving to the air and sea freight business, the 43-year-old was head of Corporate Governance & CEO Office at Dachser. Dr Burger succeeds Thomas Krüger, who has led the air and sea freight business in the EMEA region since 2016.

With immediate effect, Dachser Air & Sea Logistics has assigned responsibility for the ASL Americas business unit to Ralph Riehl. Before joining Dachser, the experienced manager worked for the logistics group Panalpina, now DSV Panalpina, for over 30 years, holding management positions in France, Singapore, and the United States. Most recently, Riehl was Senior Vice President of Sales, responsible for all DSV Panalpina sales in North and Latin America. Riehl assumes the position of Managing Director ASL Americas from Guido Gries, who has led Dachser’s business in the region since 2012.

“We would like to thank Thomas Krüger and Guido Gries for their many years of dedicated work in the business development and integration of our air and sea freight network, and we wish them all the best for their professional and personal future,” says Edoardo Podestà, COO Air & Sea Logistics at Dachser.

“Dr Tobias Burger and Ralph Riehl will provide new impetus for the sustainable and profitable development of Dachser Air & Sea Logistics in their regions through their optimal combination of in-house and external expertise. As a result, they will consistently drive the development of globally integrated, value-added solutions for our customers.”

New Year, New Customs Provider?

Posted on by David Priestman

3PL specialists Gefco explain why it could be vital to review your customs partners for 2021. 2020 was a year like no other for many manufacturers and their supply chains. It posed challenges that will continue to test even the most resilient of manufacturing businesses as we steadily move towards a global recovery. Of course, all this also comes at a time when we’re witnessing some of the biggest shifts in international trade for over two decades.

Making the transition from free and open trade between the EU and UK to the current regulations has been especially difficult in this climate and indeed, many have struggled to cope or adequately prepare in time. Now that we’re into the New Year and beyond the initial adjustment period it is vital that your business is working with an overland logistics partner that is going to deliver for your business.

At Gefco, we’re helping numerous businesses navigate this tricky period. With 17 Authorised Economic Operator certifications to our name, customs operations in 118 countries and over 50 years of experience in the trade and customs sector, our specialists facilitate the customs services that manufacturers need to ensure operations run smoothly.

Even during simpler times, efficient and cost-effective logistics planning can be a challenge. The new wave of rules and regulations which have come into force now that the UK-EU border is reinstated will aggravate that challenge, creating original and complex demands on UK manufacturers, who will often need to re-engineer their processes and reallocate their already overstretched
time, teams and budgets.

The process of ensuring products are customs-compliant can often be complicated by fragmented information, confused communications and poor visibility. When it comes to ensuring better control of crossborder operations, Gefco focuses on three pillars, which it calls the three Cs: Consolidation, Connectivity and Collaboration. The ideal 2021 logistics partner will help you achieve these through a full audit of processes and flows, and through the use of technology to connect remote operations, enable your teams to store and access all important documentation in one place, and give you complete visibility of your cross-border operations.

In manufacturing businesses, adaptability is crucial; whether it’s responding to changing circumstances or customer demands, the ability to adapt has a direct impact on profitability and business success. To ensure this, manufacturers need experts who are approachable, responsive and well-equipped. The ideal customer partner will have every post-Brexit eventuality covered. In Gefco’s case, we can lean on an integrated network of national and international hubs, and services that cover the full range of over-land freight options, including full load (FTL), less than load (LTL) and groupage.

Similarly vital to the success of manufacturers in 2021 will be the steady and reliable flow of raw materials into the UK. Assessing how Brexit might have affected the flow of the materials businesses need to manufacture their goods is a business imperative. Amongst the options to consider, are the utilisation of new Smart Borders in France – an IT solution based on anticipated customs formalities which can help deliver compliance, as well as time and cost efficiencies. Gefco’s experts can help manufacturers navigate this new frontier to help ensure manufacturers are maintaining that all-important steady flow of raw materials.

It’s difficult to overstate the value of having an expert logistics partner to lean on during challenging times. And with trade negotiations having gone right down to the wire and creating so much uncertainty and confusion, it’s more important than ever that manufacturers have a dependable and capable supply chain partner: one that will help facilitate getting goods to where they need to be, safely and securely, regardless of the new levels of complexity that Brexit has brought.

Looking Forward to an Innovative 2021 for Retail

Posted on by David Priestman

Edward Hutchison, Managing Director of BITO Storage Systems, applauds the UK Retail Sector for meeting 2020’s challenges and looks forward to supporting it through innovative intralogistics installations in 2021.

Retailers innovate to survive – but never more so than now, as the sector was challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic throughout 2020 and into 2021. As a significant supporter of the UK’s Retail Sector in terms of providing the order picking, storage and intralogistics solutions designed to make retail more efficient, BITO applauds the achievements of the retailers the have overcome these challenges and seized opportunities for future growth.

In addition to enforced closure of non-essential shops, pandemic restrictions have resulted in more people working from home and have accelerated the shift from the high street to shopping on the Internet and home delivery.  According to the latest ONS (Office for National Statistics) retail sales figures for Great Britain, 2020 saw the retail sector suffer its largest annual fall since records began of 1.9%. However, the amount spent in online retail sales increased by 46.1% when compared with 2019 as a whole. This represents the largest annual increase since 2008.

Retailers have been handling a surge in online order volumes, for broader mixes of SKUs and often with shorter lead times. This places enormous pressure on intralogistics operations to improve order-picking productivity. At BITO we are seeing a particular trend towards lower cost solutions to help improve fulfilment operations and meet the need for flexibility. These might include multi-tier shelving, adapting pallet racking for picking small items, installing live storage flow shelves to improve pick face density, investing in bins and containers for efficient storage and delivery, and adopting technology that allows staff to spend their time more productively picking orders – driverless internal transport to move goods from pick zones to the packaging area is a good example.

The Retail Sector’s response to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and restrictions is inspiring and heroic. We anticipate working on numerous innovative order picking and storage solution designs in the coming year. We find that designing solutions to successfully overcome a specific operational challenge can often be transferred successfully to a broader base, thus driving a sector-wide uplift of service levels.

As the vaccination programme against Covid continues to roll out during 2021, we expect the economic bounce back to carry on. Shoppers will continue to enjoy the convenience of online retail and local stores but we also expect pent up demand will see shoppers returning to the high street as soon as allowed, where they will perhaps see new names and have new retail experiences.

Retailers will need to invest in intralogistics systems that help fulfil orders as efficiently as possible – either to retail stores or direct to consumer. They will seek systems that are efficient, reliable and have the flexibility to adapt easily to changing business circumstances and to meet peaks in demand. At BITO, we have a team of experts with a tremendous amount of experience in providing one stop shop intralogistics solutions for all kinds of retailers – whether it is for small-scale installations or large distribution centre integrations.

 

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