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Issue 5 2016 - Freight Business Journal


///BENELUX Logistics – and technology – is central to success


Benelux is still Logistics Central for the rest of Europe and naturally the region is also at the forefront of technological development in the industry, says Gerry Daalhuisen at Kewill. However, there has been a change in emphasis over the past few years – companies are thinking less in silos such as ‘road’, ‘sea’ or ‘warehousing’


for small companies to hook up with their customers. Not only global companies, but the Tier 2 firms are also searching for loyalty by collaborating with customers.” Technology is also becoming


more flexible in that it can enable rapid changes of mode; it can, for example, track occurances like two pallets being unloaded


ago. Of course, other countries


have access to the same sort of technology, but Gerry Daalhuisen says that companies in Benelux were among the first to embrace the concept of third party logistics and that this is reflected in their willingness to embace technology to do more things with the supply chain. “There’s always been a drive in the industry here to do more than move things from A to B,” he says. Relatively expensive labour


and are taking a much more collaborative approach explains the vice president of product management at the systems and soſtware specialist. As in other parts of the world, “the Cloud has made it easier


from a container and being


transferred to truck while the rest of the container continues on its way by canal barge, something that would have been unthinkable with the soſtware and systems of even a few years’


compared with the cheaper regions of eastern and central Europe has also been a big driver for IT siolutions, as has the attitude of Government. The Dutch Government – along with those of Belgium and Germany - has for instance been the driving force behind the Syncromodality programme to use techology to break down some of the barriers that exist between the different modes of transport. The legendary coop-


erativeness of the Benelux customs authorities has also played a big part. Their pragmatic approach has


Still top of the property hotspots


Logistics real estate in Benelux continues to perform well, even as Europe faces economic and political cross-currents, says industrial property specialist Prologis. The European market is undersupplied despite an increase in development, with vacancies falling to 6.2% in the first quarter while the number of quality opportunities has fallen. Prologis is one of the leaders


in industrial real estate and is present in almost every logistics hot spot in Benelux with 1.9 million square meters in its portfolio there. Important markets include


Venlo in the Netherlands, which Prologis considers the region’s biggest logistics area. It is a key base for European distribution hubs and Prologis has over 200,000sq m in six distribution centres, serving customers like Geodis. Also


important are Tilburg, where Benelux-based fast growing e-tailer Coolblue is one of the biggest clients, with Prologis holding 60,000sq m; Eindhoven, where there is a recent development for XPO Logistics of 70,000sq m; and Waalwijk, near Rotterdam. In Belgium, Liege is a main hub which Prologis is currently developing for US footwear brand, Skechers, which has its European base there. Across Europe, says Prologis,


customer sentiment is robust despite economic and political uncertainty, and that is fueling demand. Vacancies have declined across Europe, reaching 6.2% in the first quarter of 2016/17, down 20 basis points quarter on quarter and 90 basis points year on year. Demand has improved as supply has been consistently restrained for the past few


years. The recovery has


broadened too, as all countries now have a vacancy rate below 9%. Sentiment is shifting in the


marketplace and decision- making is quickening as vacancies fall. Customers have experienced vast growth in the past few years and maximised utilisation of their current space, resulting in a need for expansion to match long- term business plans. Looking forward, further economic growth


could both create


additional need for growth for these customers and act as a catalyst to quicken the pace of decision-making. Markets are undersupplied increased


despite


development activity. A soft winter, tightening of the market and availability of capital continues to spur development growth.


certainly smoothed the passage of the new Union Customs Code that came into force in Benelux, along with the rest of Europe, from 3 May, says Daalhuisen. Information is meanwhile


flowing through the supply chain more readily than ever before, he continues. New ‘control tower’ solutions are taking the place of updating spreadsheets, with all the issues of up-to-dateness and synchronisation that entails. Devices like smart phones


are also starting to revolutionise logistics, says Daalhuisen. For instance, yard managers could ‘geofence’ their


premises so


that they receive alerts when a truck is about to arrive, via the driver’s smartphone, allowing the vehicle to be planned for in advance and dealt with much more quickly and efficiently.


Delays and changes of plan could be relayed back and forth between yard and vehicle quickly and simply. It would also be possible to replicate the vehicle booking systems that have been adopted by seaports and similar locations, but without the cost and inflexibility of closed systems that users have to log on to. Such systems are on the cusp


of becoming ‘normal’ in the Benelux countries, Daalhuisen considers. “It’s so easy to create apps these days.” Cheap and simple mobile


phone and Cloud technology will also appeal to logistics service providers working on short 1-2 year contracts and who cannot justify the cost of more expensive technology. The beauty of the Cloud it is universal, readily


is that


understood and economical; the same cannot be said for some of the other systems that have, if not exactly fallen by the wayside, have failed to become universal. Radio Frequency ID is one such; while does have its applications, for example keeping track of complex arrays of goods inside


Trains and barges extend Rotterdam’s reach


Rotterdam has added a new rail shuttle and a new inland shipping link to northern France and, according to the Rotterdam Port Promotion Council, connections are now better than ever with a five times a week rail service leaving Rotterdam for Dourges.


There are also several inland shipping departures each week. These links, which were launched this spring, also connect to and from the South of France. France is an important


industrial centre for automotive,


electronics,


a warehouse, the fact that it requires all players in the supply chain to acquire specific pieces of kit has prevented it from being universally adopted. “What happened was that the logistics service providers didn’t have the margins to do it, so it became a bit of a bottleneck,” is Daalhuisen’s verdict. There are now much easier


ways of getting information into the supply chain, and of course the Cloud has revolutionised attitudes to data sharing. Daalhuisen summarises:


“The biggest difficulty with technology is not technology itself, but getting people to adopt and use it. But if we can overcome that and be willing to share data, it would be truly revolutionary.”


pharmaceutical and food processing, its agricultural sector is the largest in the EU and it is one of the world’s foremost wine producers. Another major new


development on the horizon is the green light for the finance for the new Scheldt-Seine waterway connection. This project will kick off in 2018 and will be finished by 2021, expanding inland shipping options still further.


DSV broadens Benelux offer


DSV has broadened its services from the UK to the Benelux, in response to demand from customers for same-day full or part loads service from all its UK depots. Operations are centralised on Purfleet in the UK, Rekkem in Belgium and Wadinxween in Holland. DSVhas also double manned


some of its vehicles to speed transit times, specifically from the Midlands and North, eliminating driver rest time and offering better protection and security.


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