As one of the largest manufacturers of materials handling products in the world, SSI SCHAEFER boasts over 80 years of history, with a presence in more than 70 countries, eight production plants, and over 10,000 employees across six continents.
Head of Automation Sales at SSI Schaefer UK
Using this wealth of experience, SSI SCHAEFER provides flexible, modular and future proof solutions which are shaping the world of intralogistics. The company’s extensive portfolio covers anything from small to large-scale projects, from manual to fully automated systems, making SSI SCHAEFER the only innovative logistics partner you need.
Adhering to its Think Tomorrow philosophy, SSI SCHAEFER designs and implements solutions which are tailored to your needs and optimised for long-term usage, ensuring you are prepared for the future no matter what it holds.
Timothee Gauvrit, Head of Automation Sales at SSI Schaefer UK, spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What products or services does your company offer?
We are one of the largest manufacturers of materials handling products in the world, providing flexible, modular and future-proof solutions. Our extensive intralogistics portfolio means we can tailor everything to customers’ needs and optimise solutions for long-term usage.
Which industries do your customers operate in?
We have six specialised market sectors where we use industry-specific expertise to address challenges. These sectors are: Food Retail, Food and Beverage, Retail and Wholesale, Healthcare and Cosmetics, Industry, and Fashion.
Do you have any examples of a project you have recently completed?
We are currently in the go-live phase for a Premier Farnell electronics project in Leeds, which is a highly automated site with ASRS and a goods-to-person system.
How did the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown affect your business?
We have seen a clear surge in the number of enquiries and projects in the market. More and more companies are turning to automation in order to address new challenges such as labour shortages, tighter SLAs and a switch to E-commerce. Of course, some companies delayed investments due to the high level of uncertainty when the pandemic started. However, it is clear that any further delays will affect companies’ growth, so if they do not invest now, they risk missing a major turn in the market.
Did Covid-19 have a negative impact or did the increase in online shopping actually result in a boost to your business?
Yes to both. Our customers are in a number of different markets and this means that we see the impact on both sides. We saw a negative impact in the car industry, where production came to a complete stop, but in the retail industry customers used automation to meet online demand. In the middle of this were the supermarkets that saw a substantial increase in demand, and our CSS team was able to flex to meet the needs of the customer.
Is your business back to normal following the Covid-19 outbreak?
No, we are back to a new way of working. Things will never go back to how they were before, but the situation has opened up new opportunities and avenues to look at.
Going forward, will the industry be permanently changed as a result of Covid-19 or will it return to how it was pre-Covid?
Customer habits are significantly changing with online shopping and there is no sign it will revert back to a pre-Covid world. As a result, several industries will have to adapt and permanently change – there will be a new normal. Video conferences are now a fully accepted way of communicating and collaborating, and many companies have seen an increase in productivity and performance despite a reduction in face-to-face meetings.
What products or services will you be introducing in the next year?
We are looking at Micro Fulfilment Centres, offering the ability to fill small-scale orders. We are also working on creating more energy-efficient products and increasing the energy efficiency of our existing portfolio.
In what areas are you making technological advances?
We continue to invest in making our technology more sustainable. Our latest Flexi shuttle and its cutting-edge supercapacitor technology demonstrates how innovation can increase efficiency and decrease power consumption of automated solutions. Robot piece picking is becoming increasingly flexible as well as combining robotics solutions with our pouch system.
What training do you provide for your staff?
We have a global company-specific platform called Campus, where we learn about our products from different departmental perspectives. For example, sales staff can learn what they need to sell a crane, projects staff learn how to install the crane, and CSS staff learn how to maintain the crane. This knowledge is shared globally and helps us ensure that all of our colleagues have the same standard of relevant training.
In addition, we provide access to LinkedIn Learning to supplement internal initiatives and as a source where staff can decide their own learning initiatives.
We also offer apprenticeships to further upskill our staff and promote progression within the organisation, or help someone begin their career with SSI SCHAEFER.
What is the company’s commitment to social responsibility?
We have recently joined the ’50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders’ initiative, to raise a voice for sustainable, economical, and future-proof material handling solutions. We are the only material handling company to be a part of this, and the initiative aims to leverage innovation and sustainable business models, making our contribution to achieving the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) globally visible.
What improvements have you made to your customer service recently?
We are continually driving to make improvements to our service delivery. As an engineering team we work collaboratively across the UK and globally to ensure we are sharing best practice and developments, making sure we support our customers so they can meet the demands required to serve their own customers.
Are you helping customers boost the level of automation in their business?
Each customer has specific needs and we always look at automation as one possibility among several, including mechanisation or manual solutions. We have one of the largest portfolios on the market and we only push for automation when there is a clear payback and/or benefit to our customers.
Do you help customers maximise the use of their existing warehouse space?
Maximising existing space is clearly the first step in our approach, as any extension and building work drives considerable amount of extra capital investment. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems typically allow a better utilisation of the building height and increase storage density compared to traditional manual solutions. From vertical storage lifts, to ASRS, through to mobile racking, we offer a range of solutions for the specific needs of our customers.
Will you be investing in your premises over the next 12 months?
In line with the 50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders initiative, we will be looking at investing in energy saving on a local level, implementing strategies to help increase the energy efficiency of our premises.
What industries do you believe offer your business the most potential over the next year?
We have a strong presence in the Fashion sector and we see clear potential over the next year with some very large projects in the market. More generally, a large number of retail businesses are looking at E-commerce solutions and there is a clear potential here.
How future proof is your business?
Our motto is Think Tomorrow – we are committed to looking after our customers’ future with solutions designed for long-term usage. This philosophy extends to the company as a whole. We started in 1937 and have been in the UK for 60 years – if the company itself wasn’t future proof, we wouldn’t be able to look after our customers’ future or continue to shape the future of intralogistics.
Will you be exhibiting at any major trade shows over the next year?
We have so far booked LogiMAT, Stuttgart in March 2021, and IMHX, UK in September 2021, with more shows planned.
How would you sum up your company in three words?
Trustworthy / Innovative / Market-leading
SSI SCHAEFER
01264 386600
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