Feature 3PL
Indesit expects to save 340,000 road miles each year by using double-deck trailers.
between inbound and outbound fl ows by supplier locations, consumer demand and the different confi gurations of grocery and non-grocery networks. Grocery is often produced or supplied regionally whereas non-grocery suppliers and retailers tend to be organised around national facilities. “Our network model eliminates many inef-
after introducing double-decker trailers. Asda introduced double-decker trailers into its ambient operations in 2010 as part of its “Fewer, Friendlier Miles” programme. The trailers accommodate around 70% more load than conventional units and, after adapting
“Fuel-effi cient vehicles and aerodynamic trailers are important, but only off er incremental improvements in fuel economy and on their own do nothing to reduce road miles or congestion”
infrastructure at its distribution centres and changing delivery processes, Asda saved 3.6m road miles a year and cut carbon emissions by 40%. Other benefi ts included reduced congestion at stores. It is clear that the numbers can stack up very quickly.
NETWORK INTELLIGENCE
Established food and beverage transport specialists such as Jigsaw have created networks with regional hauliers and distribu- tion specialists to offer national services to major producers and retailers. The man- agement of the network and transport go hand-in-hand. The benefi t for the customer, whether producer or retailer, is a seamless service with a single point of contact. In reality, much of the supposed wasteful- ness in grocery distribution in particular comes from the spare capacity that exists in most networks. Imbalances are created
www.shdlogistics.com
fi ciencies because using regional partners to fulfi l national contracts provides an extra level of fl exibility,” says Andy Humpherson, Jigsaw’s managing director. “A partner can provide an outbound movement for one of our national contracts and an inbound ship- ment for one of its own regional customers on the second half of a route. Or vice-versa. In fact, any combination of inbound/outbound, national/regional, grocery/non-grocery or Jigsaw/own customer load should be pos- sible with the right planning and processes.” Jigsaw’s model offers far more fl exibility than is possible with solely regional or nation- al operations, and means that vehicle fi lling, routing and road miles are optimised accord- ingly. Services like these separate transport from warehousing, to a certain extent, to maximise the effi ciency of each. In doing so they enable the fl exibility demanded by cus- tomers to support changing business patterns, seasonal fl uctuations and new markets. Value is added through management innovation, commitment to higher service levels and pro- viding an improved and seamless interface between the various supply chain partners. Additional reductions in road miles are available elsewhere. Greater use of tech- nology which supports more effi cient load and route planning, for example, promotes more effi cient use of vehicles and fewer road miles. The Food Industry Sustainability Strategy suggests that better use of technol- ogy could reduce environmental transport costs by around 2.3%. Businesses have also relocated warehouses to be nearer to key suppliers, customers or major motorway links. Demand for transport and distribution will continue to increase to support our growing population and the increasingly diversifi ed services required by everyone involved in the supply chain. The industry is rising to the challenge presented by these changes and the improvements that have already been made are only the start of what will no doubt be an ongoing process.
www.jigsawtransport.com Storage Handling Distribution August 2012 43
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