Critical and key issues in material handling, logistics and distribution

Welcome to the October 2021 edition

In this issue we feature a Special Technology Report looking in depth at the latest developments in the world of Demand Forecasting & Planning/S&OP.

Also included is a special Cover Story ‘Back to the future of work’ by Caroline Chumakov, senior principal analyst, Gartner Supply Chain, which looks at tactics to use in order to attract and retain talent in the workplace.

Ultimo has published its 2021 Enterprise Asset Management Trend Report after conducting a major international survey. The report is based on the results of the largest survey of asset management professionals it has undertaken and includes data from the UK, Germany, Holland and Belgium.

Container xChange has published container prices data trends and insights soon after the Golden Week concludes in China and as the world prepares for Christmas holidays shopping season. The data indicates that the average standard container prices in China have plunged both for trading and leasing.

The home delivery firm ParcelHero says the next week or two are critical for retailers stocking their warehouses for Christmas, but a massive bottleneck at Felixstowe means container ships loaded with toys and gifts are now sailing away to EU ports.

A new study into the concerns business leaders in the UK currently hold in relation to a post-pandemic world, has highlighted that a staggering 73% of businesses don’t believe they have the skills needed to succeed.

Following the impacts of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses in the UK have struggled to meet supply demands due to the lack of HGV drivers. Not only has this had a significant impact on end customers, it has also created financial disruption for many hauliers and businesses that rely on open supply lines.

Worker quality and numbers is fast becoming one of the trickiest aspects of finding and properly utilising people in the DC, says Smitha Raphael, Chief Product & Delivery Officer for WMS technology innovator SnapFulfil.

Up to 4,000 people will soon be able to take advantage of training courses to become HGV drivers, as part of a package of measures announced by the Government to ease temporary supply chain pressures in food haulage industries, brought on by the pandemic and the global economy rebounding around the world.

The warehousing industry is ready for incoming deliveries from abroad, but nothing is coming due to post-Brexit customs delays, says Midland Bearings, an equipment supplier to the UK warehousing and logistics sector.

New UK trade figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are extremely concerning, says the home delivery expert ParcelHero. They reveal widespread shortages for retailers and tumbling profit margins for transport companies, as the Brexit-created driver shortage bites deeper.