UK handling supplier, Midland Pallet Trucks, suggests warehousing processes are affecting staff skill sets.

The topic of last mile service delivery can be a complex nut to crack. However, one company who has been at the vanguard of doing so for more than 20 years is ByBox. The company provides overnight delivery of spares to a network of smart lockers, making the last mile both cost-efficient and effective. To find out more Kris Oldland spoke with Richard Agostinelli, their newly appointed CEO...

In a move that eased their own last mile service delivery problems, BT have implemented a vast network of smart lockers across the length and breadth of the UK. Simultaneously BT have utilised their expertise to establish a crucial solution for other field service organisations. Could this be the panacea to overcome the increasing headache of last-mile service delivery? Kris Oldland reports…

It’s been over three years since Baywater Healthcare implemented FAST LEAN SMART’s flagship scheduling and route optimisation solution, FLS VISITOUR, for their logistics and field service operations. The software has since enabled them to increase their efficiency, solve some significant planning challenges, give a better service to their patients, and win new contracts.

One in five decision makers admit their staff tend to feel more like drivers than engineers, according to recent figures collected by BT Final Mile.

In today’s connected world everything from phones to fridges have become smart. In service logistics we are now seeing the smart locker coming to prominence. But how exactly do they work and what benefits do they bring to field service? Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, ByBox brings us up to speed...

We live in a time of smart everything, any one of us uses a number of smart devices daily. Chances are you own a smart phone or smart TV; maybe you have a smart watch, meter or even a smart home. Smart has become a ubiquitous word in the modern age, so it should come as no surprise that lockers have now received the ‘smart’ treatment. Having provided a field service distribution network based on locker tech for over 20 years, we consider ourselves experts on the matter. As technology has adapted, so have we and so have our lockers; now truly smart and app-based for a fully connected field service supply chain.

What makes something smart? Simply put, it’s the making of a device or object interactive with other connected devices or objects; enabling them to talk back to us and/or each other. Making otherwise inanimate things smart! For example, a house is just bricks and mortar but add an interactive camera, heating control from your phone, a home hub and so on, and then your house becomes ‘smart’. Now let’s consider what makes a big grey locker smart. Give it the right tech to interact with other systems via the cloud, enhanced Bluetooth rollingcode encryption, battery maintenance censors and mobile phone apps to obtain detailed transactions and it too becomes ‘smart’!

Here are a few areas that we believe give a Smart Locker its credentials…

Access control is key!

By their very nature all lockers need some sort of system to secure the goods inside. Often this will be a physical key or keypad. We too have used these methods to provide access to lockers. However, both key and keypads come with security and audit trail issues, as well as lacking closed-loop visibility of part movements. How many times have you or someone you know lost the keys to the house or car, even if it’s for a frantic half an hour while you search? Well, imagine managing a large volume of keys to an entire network or trusting your engineers – full-time or contracted – with their own set. And, what if they call in sick and access needs to be granted elsewhere?

Also, if an engineer is dismissed obtaining the key can prove difficult and slow down productivity. Furthermore, key entry lacks the true ability to run audit trails. In the same vain, pin codes for keypad entry systems carry very similar pain points. They are difficult to manage access control across your network, revoking access can be challenging and they lack audit trails as well as various security measures. Doing away with keys and pin codes, our cutting edge Smart Lockers favour secure Bluetooth access via an app; equipped with enhanced Bluetooth rolling-code encryption to ensure robust locker security.

"Smart Lockers offer the ability to scan items in and out using a mobile app that updates the operating platform in real-time..."

Our Thinventory^TM operating platform controls which engineers can access what doors; by using the app an engineer is given access to the right door. What’s more, when the part is delivered the engineer receives a message that it’s ready for collection, saving time and money. All this data is stored in the cloud, so customers know exactly what has been accessed and when.

Obtain end-to-end visibility

Never over order stock again due to a lack of visibility. Smart Lockers offer the ability to scan items in and out using a mobile app that updates the operating platform in real-time, giving you full access to what’s going on in your supply chain. In ByBox’s case the opening of the locker and the scanning of parts in and out is tied together, so it’s harder for mistakes to be made. With returns also made back into the locker, your engineer can select its condition – good, bad, repair, warranty – enabling you to speed up your returns process and better manage inventory. If stock isn’t returned, you can easily track where it is.

Smartly power up

A Smart Locker can’t be smart if it’s down and batteries play a fundamental part in keeping all this smart tech working! Using sensors to constantly monitor the performance of a battery and highlight any blips, means that the main ‘potential’ point of failure doesn’t become one as alerts are sent back to the operating system. So, while you may own a smart watch or smart TV, you can now own a smart field service locker network that gives you better functionality, process improvements and usable data.

Want to see our Smart Lockers in action? Email Marketing@ByBox.com and we’ll arrange a demo.

 

Kevin Little from logistics firm PiVAL International outlines three ways to keep on top of your supply chain.

It seems that as every day goes by, the supply chain becomes immensely more complex to understand. It could be due to the rise of technology increasing visibility to the supply chain, the fact that it’s more process-driven due to the need to minimize the costs, and that it has become the highest priority to ensure successful business management.

So with all of these factors creating the supply chain complexities, how do you go about it?

 

three ways to stay on track of the supply chain

First and foremost, understanding the supply chain’s efficiency is difficult to master, which is why there are service industries that assist with some of the distribution of services. But how can you stay on track of the supply chain? Here are three tips that we use, that are beneficial when wanting to stay on top of the curve. 

#1. Adapt to Your Customer Demand and Go Mobile

 

To ensure you are staying on track of the supply chain, make sure you are able to adapt to customers' demands. Living in a digital world, customers now demand that all technologies associated in the field are intolerant of failure. Technology is one of the greatest liberators when it comes to your sales force. Utilizing this advancement means your company has more time acquiring and retaining customers instead of focusing on paperwork and waiting for responses.

#2. Outsource an External Partner

 

When your company decides to outsource an external partner, you are allowing yourself to focus more on your company’s core strengths and values. Thus, remaining ahead and on track of any trends relating to the supply chain. Instead of maintaining in-house infrastructure and expertise to manage every operation in your business, companies should consider outsourcing supply chain partners. By outsourcing a third party logistics company, you will be improving your business by speeding up service and improving your customer service. Additionally, the business will be saving both time and money. 

#3. Increase or Maintain Your Visibility

 

The term ‘Supply Chain Visibility’ refers to your company’s ability to track every component and touchpoint the product has undergone, from the suppliers’ hands to yours. 

 

You can obtain good visibility to your customers by giving your suppliers the ability to check your inventory in real-time, in order for them to gain a better understanding of current stock and plan ahead for future demand. Having a supply chain partner that presents good visibility and allows your team members to access details about your counts allows them to strategize freely, without risking too much distraction back-and-forth. 

 

Allowing colleagues, customers and suppliers the power of visibility relieves pressure regarding communication and inventory planning for the future. Your supply must be responsible to stay optimized for many different market and supply conditions. Think redundancy and multi-channel supply chains.

 

Kevin Little is VP, Sales and Marketing at PiVAL International.

 

 

Study from SCALA reveals third-party logistic companies (3PLs) are falling behind in innovation and productivity.