Supply chains are an increasingly important part of any business strategy. As the world changes, they are also becoming more complex: transnational regulations, language and currency variations, blockchain issues, the creation and maintenance of local supplier relationships all factor into the decisions that need to be made.
Moving to a third party logistics provider is one way that many organisations resolve their difficulties with the supply chain, but 3PL is not a hands-off experience – working in partnership not only allows you to get the best from this relationship but can also give you the opportunity to plan for the … Read More
China is described as a powerhouse and that’s nothing but the truth. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and a Gross Domestic Product of $9.2 trillion dollars, it’s the second largest economy in the world. It’s also the most popular manufacturing location worldwide. What does this mean for UK logistics managers?
Simply put, many of the goods that were previously warehoused in the UK to ship around the country are now warehoused elsewhere and shipped in. This puts more pressure on shipping container ports like Felixstowe and shortens the amount of … Read More
Southampton is the UK’s busiest vehicle handling port and Europe’s foremost turnaround cruise port, contributing £2 billion to the UK economy every year. Less that two miles from the M27, and with direct rail links to the UK railway network it is also served by Southampton International Airport.
The port is also a substantial container gateway and its routes to Asia are about to be improved with a new service from Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) that offers a round trip route comprising Pusan-Shanghai-Ningbo-Kaohsiung-Shenzhen-Singapore-Colombo-Rotterdam-Hamburg-Southampton-Singapore-Hong Kong-Pusan. Whilst the service will comprise a mere … Read More
Reverse logistics might not be a phrase that trips off the tongues of the management team of the average British, small and medium enterprises (SME) retailer, but it’s a growing area of concern, especially with the influence of Black Friday and other American shopping trends that increasingly impact the UK marketplace.
Most of us are familiar with traditional logistics ie the process of planning and controlling a cost-effective movement of raw materials, manufacturing processes, finished goods and information to the consumer. Reverse logistics is defined as the process of planning, controlling and managing the cost-effective flow … Read More
On 11th January 2018 the Secretary of State for Transport took part in a ceremony to launch the next phase of expansion at Hutchison Ports, Felixstowe.
For fifty years the port has been central to the UK’s import/export market, and the new developments are designed to keep the port abreast of the latest logistics trends.… Read More
whichwarehouse.com tries to keep its finger on the pulse of our industry as a whole. We’ve looked at the key developments in 2017 and we’re going to suggest that the following will be crunch points for many logistics and supply chain 2018 managers:
Growth in trade volumes
Containerised trade volume is likely to increase in 2018, but projections vary from around 1.8% to 5.1%. What’s more, agreed on is that port volumes in Europe are likely to decrease by around half a percent while Africa’s port volumes could increase by as much as 25%.… Read More
We want to start by wishing all our readers a Happy New Year!!!
At whichwarehouse.com we watch our industry eagerly to find out what the emerging trends are, and to explore how we can best help our customers fulfil their logistics, haulage and warehousing needs.
Over the past year we’ve brought you lots of meaty stories, so here’s our roundup of the most interesting logistics developments in 2017…
A visionary plan for warehousing near Heathrow is being approved and it could change the way that freight, cargo and warehousing are handled in the UK’s biggest airport.
Interestingly, the warehousing space isn’t the main reason that a vast underground construction is likely to begin in 2019, rather it’s the vast reserve of minerals to be found in the selected area.
The site which has just been given planning permission runs parallel to the A312 (The Parkway) and the A4 (Bath Road) This is significant because Bath Road is already a vital road link to Heathrow, much used by cargo … Read More
While the UK logistics industry has declared that it’s ready to work closely with the government to try to ensure Post-Brexit structures don’t ‘stifle supply chain efficiency’. The recently published Customs Bill Paper gave an outline framing for the UK’s customs, VAT and excise arrangements after 29 March 2019.
The framework includes the creation of more inland customs depots to try and create more freedom for port-based customs. What isn’t clear is where these inland depots might be based, how they might be staffed and what effect this might have on the warehousing and logistics sector.… Read More
Consumer concerns and expectations are driving substantial change in the field of perishables. How will this demanding area of warehousing and logistics need to alter to keep up?
The refrigerated warehousing world is being shaken up by consumer concerns about health and safety – from the 2 Sisters Food Group through to worries about cross contact between organic and non-organic foodstuffs, the UK’s consumers in particular are asking difficult questions about the supply chain for their foods and perishables.… Read More