Industry News


AMP Clean Energy enhances customer experience with Paragon software


A


MP Clean Energy, formerly Forest Fuels, the UK’s leading biomass wood fuel supplier, has selected Paragon’s route


optimisation software and fleXipod ePOD system to help transform its customer experience. The company has adopted the integrated logistics solution to tackle the challenges created by rapid business growth, extended peak periods and changing customer expectations. “Our very rapid commercial growth


in recent years, combined with two very long, cold winters meant the manual planning processes we had in place were under increasing pressure and no longer able to cope,” explains Tony Vick, Logistics Director for AMP Clean Energy’s fuels division. “Our annual customer satisfaction survey also identified a need for shorter lead times and better communications, making it clear that we needed to improve our customer experience as well as maximise operational efficiency.” AMP Clean Energy has brought


together some of the UK’s biggest biomass businesses under one roof including Forest Fuels, Billington Bioenergy and Midlands Wood Fuels. Prior to rebranding as AMP Clean Energy, Forest Fuels selected Paragon’s logistics software to help streamline systems and enhance customer experience.


In the last two years the company


has expanded its specialist fleet of commercial vehicles from 14 to more than 40 to meet the growing demand for wood pellet and wood chip fuel. The fuels business now delivers to around 4,000 customers using a range of blower, tipped, walking floor and palletised options, enabling it to offer the most suitable delivery choice for each customer’s needs. “We serve customers in sectors


as diverse as education, healthcare, hospitality and agriculture,” continues Vick. “With 900 deliveries a week in the peak season, it is vitally important to the efficiency of our operation that the right vehicle is used for each delivery. Our planning team has to factor in a number of parameters to ensure deliveries are achievable, but also to ensure that they happen on time, every time.”


The Paragon software was


selected based on its proven ability to reduce planning time for complex transport operations and achieve measurable efficiency improvements. The seamless integration of the route optimisation software with the fleXipod ePOD system was also identified as a unique capability that could improve real-time visibility and customer engagement, so was key to the final decision. A team of planners will use the


Paragon route optimisation software to create weekly plans, with daily routes and schedules refined and finalised the day before, helping AMP Clean Energy to always deliver on their service promise. As well as dramatically streamlining the planning process, the company will be able to use the strategic capabilities of Paragon’s software to identify areas


of operational improvement, such as a potential annual fuel saving of 10 to 14 per cent. Going forward AMP Clean Energy


will be able to provide automated SMS updates to confirm the date of delivery and provide a two to three hour time window on the day. Meanwhile, fleXipod will allow the company to further enhance customer communications as well as streamline back office systems by initiating the invoicing process immediately proof of delivery is received. “As AMP Clean Energy we will


be offering a much wider choice of biomass fuel and heat services. Our commitment to provide a consistent, high-quality customer experience will be key to our future success, so the Paragon logistics software will have a critical role to play here,” concludes Vick. William Salter, Managing Director


of Paragon Software Systems comments: “The biomass fuel sector is a relatively young industry. Leading companies such as AMP Clean Energy are having to handle rapid levels of growth, while continuing to meet customer needs in an efficient and sustainable way. Our logistics software, combined with the expertise of our support team, helps customers to create efficient transport operations that underpin the ability to deliver on their customer promise.”


Enva acquires Hadfield Wood Recyclers


Enva, a full-service and leading provider of recycling and resource recovery solutions in the UK and Ireland, is pleased to announce that it has acquired Hadfield Wood Recyclers Ltd and all other businesses within the Hadfield group. Hadfield is one of the UK’s oldest


and largest wood recyclers, with more than 38 years in the industry. With facilities in Tilbury, Manchester and Middlesbrough, it handles wood waste for many national and international waste management


4 Forest Bioenergy Review Spring 2019


companies, local authorities and other public sector bodies, as well as businesses from all industries including construction, waste and retail. This recovered waste wood is then refined to create the ‘easi’ range of animal bedding products as well as alternative sources of energy and materials for the panel board industry. (hadfield.co.uk). Commenting on the acquisition,


Tom Walsh, CEO, Enva, said: “We are delighted to have purchased Hadfield. The manner in which the


business takes a waste material and manages it back into a new product – effectively creating a second life and displacing finite natural resources – is completely aligned with the strategy and ethos of the Enva business.” Geoff Hadfield, who founded


Hadfield Wood Recyclers in 1980, said the time was right for the business to become part of a bigger entity. “Enva is a well-respected company with a clear purpose. There are obvious synergies between our respective businesses that will allow us to take


the processing of waste wood to the next level. The whole team are delighted to be joining Enva and are looking forward to the future.” Also commenting, Barry Coughlan,


Managing Director of Enva, said: “This is a very exciting time for our business. The acquisition of Hadfield extends our existing suite of material recovery solutions and complements our current wood recycling operations. We look forward to working with the team and welcoming Hadfield and its employees into the Enva family.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20