Software applications that streamline and automate business processes throughout the supply chain to improve planning, optimise inventory levels, reduce costs, and respond quickly to changes in customer and supplier demand.
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Can ocean freight deliver demand for higher quality perishable products?565 Views
Worry that the current cost structure of the shipping industry is forcing increasing inefficiency and risk in the cold chain, with the potential to compromise quality for the end customer, is spurring some perishables shippers to reach out to shipping lines to find better logistical solutions. This current concern about the ocean freighted perishables industry forms the backdrop of the annual ‘Great Reefer Debate’ at the 10th Anniversary edition of the Cool Logistics Global Conference & Exhibition in Antwerp, running from 2-4 October 2018.
Not only is there increased concern that refrigerated containers are so often not where they are needed, when they are needed, but there are increased reports of ships not sailing when they are scheduled to. Unacceptable delays are forcing more shippers to claim, and while some logistics service providers are developing new and better solutions, there is growing frustration that these are not always able to be utilised when ships are late.
What this will mean for the ocean freight cold chain is ultimately in the hands of all the parties involved. Can the industry work together to ensure better reliability? Can new sustainable technological solutions be adopted to deliver better quality perishable produce? Or is the maritime industry looking at a swing from fresh to frozen – and will airfreight carriers be the winners?
All these questions and more will be tackled on day 1 of Cool Logistics Global 2018. Ronald Veldman of industry analyst Seabury will set the scene in the morning by presenting an overview of just which perishable commodities are currently moving where and how. This insight will be followed by a thought-provoking speech from David Sussmann on how global warming and demographic trends relate to the seafood trade. Mr Sussmann is CEO of seafood supplier Seafoodia and Pure Océan, an initiative to support marine biodiversity and sustainability. He will also join with Chris Swartz, Director Global Transportation & Logistics Services at AJC International, Inc., the world’s largest non-processor provider of protein products, on the opening shipper panel.
AJC along with other shippers and retailers will raise topics such as transport capacity, cost implications of environmental shipping regulations including the Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA), disruption as a function of new technologies, retail cost pressures and implications of e-commerce.
The afternoon is dedicated to reefer shipping, technology and trade facilitation, including a focused look at port logistics and the potential of digitilisation to improve container access. The debate between Craig Moore, Head of Supply Chain at DP World London Gateway and Tineke Van de Voorde, Coordinator Trade Facilitation at Port of Antwerp, plus more to be announced, will look at achieving greater supply chain transparency, facilitating perishable trade flows and implications for future cold chain investment, among other topics.
Speakers announced so far for ‘The Great Reefer Debate’, which also takes place in the afternoon of day 1, include Anne Sophie, Zerlang Karlsen, Global Head of Reefer Management, Maersk Line, Ted Prince, Executive Vice President and COO at Tiger Cool Express LLC, Yntze Buitenwerf, CEO, Seatrade Group, Chris Swartz, Director Global Transportation & Logistics Services AJC International Inc, and Nigel Webster, Vice President, Reefers at BEACON Intermodal Leasing LLC. Topics will range from reefer box access and whether or not there really is a box shortage, to delays and transshipment, rolled boxes and specialised reefer shipping.
Cool Logistics Global, the annual conference and exhibition for perishables shipping and logistics people, will seek once more to tackle the most important issues facing the global cold chain industry. Bringing key executives together for high level debate, the conference on 3-4 October, plus technology workshop on 2 October, will cover issues including the latest trends in reefer logistics, shipping and handling, infrastructure and distribution planning, the intelligent reefer unit, logistics opportunities in fresh value projects financed by the World Bank Group, blockchain, IoT and other smart technologies for the cold chain, a look at the global airfreight supply chain and more. The exhibition will highlight latest services and technologies for shippers of temperature-controlled cargoes.
Key sponsors include the Port of Antwerp, Emerson Climate Technologies, Fruit Logistica, Kuehne + Nagel, Seacube, ValenciaPort, DP World London Gateway, Kloosterboer, Neutral Air Partner, ONE Europe (Ocean Network Express), Ocean X, Seaco and Visbeen. A growing list of exhibitors include Emerson Climate Technologies, Hamburg Süd, Hapag-Lloyd and Kuehne + Nagel.
The full 3-day workshop and conference programme can be viewed at www.coollogisticsglobal.com/programme.
Delegates can book to attend the full event, 2-day conference only or 1-day workshop only at coollogisticsresources.com/global/register.
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62% of wholesalers missing out on digital marketing opportunities583 Views
62% of wholesalers missing out on digital marketing opportunities
Business Computer Projects (BCP) has released a new report on digital marketing. It shows the importance of digital marketing as a tool for growth. It also highlights that support is required to help wholesalers develop long-term digital strategies.BCP invited their clients to take part in a survey to determine how wholesalers engage with digital marketing. As well as find out if it’s a valuable tool for business growth. The results show that 85% understand the importance of digital marketing. However, they were surprised to see only 38% develop frequent strategies. So why aren’t more businesses taking advantage of the opportunities available to them?
Firstly, only 31% said they have an allocated digital marketing budget. This doesn’t mean they are not spending money on marketing campaigns. It is more likely that they don’t have a process to track campaigns against financial costs. Andy Pratt, Sales Executive said “A marketing budget is essential for the wider business strategy. Without one you can easily invest in the wrong marketing platforms which do not generate positive results.”
Secondly, as digital transformation is such a hot topic 70% said they had recently rebranded or launched a new website. However, technology on its own is no longer enough to survive and thrive in ever-changing markets. Websites need to provide customers with instant information, services and help.
Unsurprisingly then that SEO and content marketing are the top areas which respondents said they want to improve. “Providing content is an excellent cost-effective way to demonstrate that you understand your customers’ needs and are willing to help them fulfil them.” Andy continues “Take for example, a restaurant who wants to redesign their menu for summer. A foodservice business could create a recipe blog for customers which features key products.”
Finally, a lack of resources and suitable skills may be why digital marketing in the sector isn’t as prominent as it should be. Two thirds of businesses surveyed only have a small marketing team. BCP assume they use channels that are easy to implement and manage. It takes a full team of individuals to strategies, coordinate and implement a digital marketing plan so it’s important to have the right team with sufficient expertise.
This means that despite respondents saying they undertake frequent digital marketing activity, 54% outsource certain things. There can be many pitfalls with this as well. The biggest being when marketing agencies fail to understand your business or brand.
This is why BCP expanded their Oporteo platform to include new digital marketing services. They understand that your customers want online services. They are here to support your ecommerce and lead-generation efforts.
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Top tips to help food and drink wholesalers reduce waste542 Views
The issue of sustainability is once again a hot topic thanks to last year’s Blue Planet 2. Although the key focus is currently on reducing plastic packaging, we wanted to highlight how food and drink wholesalers can reduce waste in other ways throughout their supply chain.
The trend for fresh products is becoming increasingly popular as consumers demand healthier options for when they’re on-the-go. This means your customers need more and more fresh produce to attract shoppers to their business.
However, it is estimated that nearly 2 million tonnes of fresh produce is wasted throughout supply chains across the UK. Which equates to nearly £1.9bn of lost sales across the food and drink industry!
Research by WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme) revealed that over half of this waste is avoidable. You may have seen The Grocer launched their “Waste Not, Want Not” campaign in a bid to highlight this issue and encourage more unsaleable food to be donated to charity. So far the results look positive, with a 70% increase of food being redistributed by FareShare.
Yet one of the most significant causes of waste is because of poor supply chain management, along with incorrect forecasting or out of date information. All of which can easily be overcome with the efficient use of technology.
Outlined below is how you can utilise our Accord solutions to reduce waste and maximise profits across your operations:
Dynamic demand forecasting: have automatic prompts identify when products need re-ordering. This enables you to react quickly to sales trends and means you don’t over order, so your stock levels are kept to the optimum level. Recent studies in the USA have even shown that food and drink businesses with forecast-driven automatic replenishment solutions can reduce food waste by up to 30%!
Scheduled deliveries: Set rules about how and when you want to receive products from your suppliers. This will help you avoid receiving products with short ‘best before’ dates which cannot be turned around in time for your customers.
Real-time goods receiving: Use Voice or RF devices to cross-reference goods received with purchase orders in real-time so you can identify any discrepancies immediately. They can also alert you when the life of products received are too short (as defined in your delivery rules). The real-time functionality means all of your warehouse activity from goods received through to delivery will be time and date stamped, giving you total traceability.
Automatic stock replenishment: Enable automatic triggers when your pickface needs replenishing. This ensures your oldest stock is always picked first and not left to go out of date.
Route optimisation: It’s not just food waste you can avoid. Reduce transport emissions later down the line by enabling customer orders to be picked by the most efficient delivery route. This will not only eliminate the need for multiple deliveries but also keep your costs to a minimum.
Maximise transport space: Verify orders before the stock is placed on the truck to ensure product amounts are correct, space is optimised and unsaleable returns are avoided.Find out more about our Accord solutions and how they can help you create a sustainable future by contacting us on 0161 355 3000