Let's Celebrate UK Logistics
Tuesday June 28th is National Logistics Day, an annual event that recognises and appreciates the importance of the logistics industry and the critical role it plays in keeping the global economy running.
At Whittan we couldn’t agree more. Having worked in the warehousing and logistics business for over 70 years we have seen how the sector has changed. In recent years the effects of Brexit and the Covid pandemic have created a growth market for online sales. Logistics has never played such a critical role in supporting the UK – getting the right goods to the right place at the right time.
Supporting Logistics
An effective supply chain is vital to keeping business trading and profitable while importantly meeting the expectations of your customers. Whittan supports the warehouse and logistics industry by providing market leading solutions that work hard to maximise efficiencies and optimise your storage capabilities. Our extensive product range of racking, shelving, lockers and accessories have been designed for virtually every sector, size and application that you can think of.
Getting the correct system in place is not a one size fits all approach. To optimise your storage solution, it is important to ask the right questions at the start of the project. We do this by finding out what type of product you are planning on storing now and in the future, how often items need to be accessed and what type of handling equipment you are using.
That’s only just the start of our list of questions but we know that it will help us to ensure we offer the best results and help us to design the optimum storage solution for you. The expertise and experience of our teams enables us to work with you to deliver the complete project and meet your timescales and budget.
Logistics in Action – International Logistics Group UK
Don’t take our word for it, we have recently worked with ILG, one of the UK’s leading 3PL partners, to create a storage solution for their new facility in Northampton. As can often be the case there were several challenges that came up during the project which we were able to overcome using the knowledge and expertise we have built up from working within the logistics sector.
ILG specialises in outsourced order fulfilment, warehousing and packaging services for major global brands. Looking to significantly increase capacity, their new 100,000 sq.ft warehouse would have the potential to process up to 35,000 orders per day.
Having worked previously with Link51 on other projects, ILG asked us to carefully plan and design the space. The high-end storage solution would have to provide them with first-class carrier collection times, expand their storage capabilities and create a seamless and efficient throughput of stock. In a bid to future-proof the facility the storage solution would also need the ability to integrate with automated systems at a later date.
The installation required a combination of new pallet racking, shelving bays, work benches, bollards, column guards and a single level mezzanine floor. ILG also asked us to reconfigure five existing 900mm deep STOW pallet racking bays which were already in situ. We redesigned the racking to create 1100mm deep frames, added a double run of Link51 pallet racking and adjusted the aisle widths to ensure they met the requirements for their forklift trucks and material handling equipment.
The design also included our Carton Live storage system which offers a ‘first-in, first-out’ storage for hand loaded items and Push Back racking that creates high levels of cubic capacity.
During installation we discovered that the floors needed relaying which threatened to seriously impact timescales. To overcome this, we decided to split the area into two zones and simultaneously install the racking on one half while laying the new floor in the other section. A second challenge arose when, due to the pandemic, there was a materials shortage for the mezzanine floor. We overcame this by managing the schedule and completing other parts of the installation while waiting for supplies to arrive. Despite these problems we were able to adapt the plan and ensure the project met the agreed completion date.
Planning Your Storage Solution
Are you thinking of updating or creating a new storage system? We are so confident we can meet your requirements we offer our site survey and space planning service completely free of charge. What’s more our UK manufactured storage solutions are designed to SEMA guidelines to guarantee safety and our nationwide installation teams are all SEIRS accredited.
Get in touch today and let’s start the conversation! Email enquiries@whittan.com, call 01952 682251 or speak to one of our experts via live chat.
