FEATURE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TAKING A FRESH APPROACH TO PROCESS FLOW


by Chris Allen, sales manager, Dawsongroup TCS W


ith pressures to increase output, improve productivity and reduce


costs all within an existing footprint, manufacturers and distributors need to take a fresh look at how they can improve their process flow. The drive for increased productivity


and cost saving impacts all types of business. For manufacturers and distributors, taking a closer look at process flow and understanding how and where improvements can be made is key. The food sector is particularly


vulnerable to these pressures. With low margins, driven down by the big retailers, there is rarely a significant investment in new production facilities. This means that premises built in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s are finding it difficult to cope with a much larger population as well as the modern consumer demand for speed and choice. The common issue is that these


production and distribution sites are often limited in terms of space, with areas such as grass borders deemed unsuitable for any practical purpose. This can lead to poor productivity, resulting in a higher cost per unit and double or even triple handling of the


18


product. As well as impacting the efficiency of the business, it could in the worst case mean stock is rejected due to poor quality. In this scenario, an inflatable cold


store offers the ideal solution. Flexible in terms of where they can be sited with fast installation and simple removal when needed, inflatables not only have beneficial product features but will aid a business in terms of improving its productivity. These structures use premium textiles


to make them durable and are extremely secure thanks to the use of highly engineering anchoring systems. Easy to relocate and even join, inflatables can be tailored to an individual site and its demands. This is valuable in many cases where cold store ‘boxes’ are too wide and difficult to move quickly. Unloading chilled raw material


deliveries into an inflatable installed at ground level in a yard, quite possibly in a location that was previously deemed to be dead space, has the potential to deliver multiple benefits. There is an industry-wide problem of trucks queuing at loading docks to deliver or load, so this frees up busy loading bays


SEPTEMBER 2019 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS


Below: Chris Allen, sales manager, Dawsongroup TCS


thus improving efficiency and avoiding the cost of waiting time. Furthermore, feeding the production


line directly from the inflatable avoids double handling in and out of internal stores, especially when the stores are often closer to the end of the production line than the start. Why bother going back and forth between the loading dock and the store when the requirement is just-in-time? Let’s also consider the pressure that


stems from the ‘just-in-time’ deliveries that are prevalent in foodservice. Turnaround time is crucial, you want the delivery vehicle on the road not in the yard awaiting replenishment - but that is severely comprised when the operator has restricted loading points. An inflatable can become an additional collection point in the yard to store pending deliveries, thus improving turnaround productivity. The scope for utilising inflatable chill


stores is huge, particularly when you consider their potential for meeting peaks in seasonal demand. Take for instance the increase in consumption of salmon around Christmas. The challenge is often finding space within the existing facility where the temporary staff are crammed into a limited space, thus reducing their productivity or compromising the


/ MATERIALSHANDLINGLOGISTICS


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  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72