Critical and key issues in material handling, logistics and distribution

Pall-Ex is driving into a new era with a strengthened senior management team at the wheel following two major appointments. The logistics giant has appointed former Palletways network development director, Barry Byers, as new UK Managing Director, while Martin Rantle has been named Non-Executive Chairman, after previously serving as vice president of sales for DHL.

Pall-Ex has teamed up with De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) to help tackle the logistics industry’s nationwide skills shortage.The palletised freight network has tasked second year marketing students with developing creative ideas to promote careers in the logistics sector to young people aged 16 to 24.

Professional salaries in the UK are expected to increase by at least 3% in 2020 – following two years of pay freezes. With over half of UK professionals believing that their pay is not an accurate reflection of the work they do – news of salary increases above 2020 inflation rates (1.94%) will be warmly welcomed.

In the backdrop of increasing demand for compact and cost-efficient protective packaging solutions, the growth outlook of global padded mailers market will remain positive during the forecast period (2019 - 2029). A new study projects healthy 5% CAGR for padded mailer sales during the period of projection.

The majority of workers resort to borrowing to cover the cost of Christmas. Research from Hastee study finds 71% of workers in the UK and Ireland source additional funds during the festive period and 61% admit Christmas-related financial stress impacts their performance at work.

The December 2019 edition of Manufacturing & Logistics IT features a Special Technology Report on Digital Transformation.

For this report, we spoke with experts from the vendor and analyst communities about recent trends and ongoing areas of development within the world of Digital Transformation, and what users can potentially look forward to in the not too distant future.

Rockwell Automation continues to add to its list of achievements in industrial cybersecurity to help industrial companies focus more on transforming their business and worry less about potential cybersecurity risks. The company recently received ISA/IEC 62443-2-4 certification, which defines security requirements for service providers.

Commercial vehicle operators are struggling to decipher their brake test reports, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA). To help operators understand the complex documents, FTA has launched an online guide titled Brake test report.

By Graham Francis, Channel Marketing Manager at global enterprise labelling solutions company Kallik.

In heavily regulated industries - including medical device manufacture, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and cosmetics - demand is intensifying for accurate, compliant and contextually-relevant product labelling.

A more circular approach to plastic packaging will be key to hitting ambitious international plastic recycling targets, says a prominent packaging machinery supplier.