September 1st – “Early doors” – For pre-winter checks

Welcome to the September 1st Warehouse & Logistics News. September conjures images of roads and motorways made vivid with leaves turning colour. Can you get poetic about the M25 or the M6? We like to think so…

If you’re planning to turn over a new leaf in your warehouse and logistics operations this autumn by investing in business improvements, in this issue we have plenty of stories about products, equipment and services to inspire you.

And don’t miss our scheduled features on Pallet Networks and The Loading Bay. In the latter, Alan Jenkins, Hörmann Sales Director explains why designing out risk is essential for the modern loading bay. He cites the loading bays installed by Hörmann at Asda’s new Warrington distribution centre as a good example of an integrated design that significantly adds to site safety long term at the site.

Meanwhile, with seasonal goods bound for Britain already on board ship and clothing retailers stocking shelves with winter woollies, have you started thinking about Christmas yet? As you’ll see from our cover story, the team at Hörmann Industrial Doors definitely think it should be “early doors” for seasonal safety checks. Last year pre-winter checks from Hörmann saved customers time and money throughout the peak period, as routine checks prevented breakdowns and helped maximise thermal efficiency. This year the company has added multi-brand servicing to its maintenance and repair offer, and the resulting demand has prompted further expansion of their service team.

Menu pricing is another feature helping customers to understand their servicing costs and recognise the possible savings, with fixed price servicing, call out costs, out of hours charges and hourly rates all clearly defined. In refining their service Hörmann recognised that a planned visit creating a schedule for essential and desirable maintenance is less costly and more desirable than emergency call outs. They have also opened their offer to all makes. This upweighting of Hormann’s maintenance offering reflects the logistics industry’s switch to manufacturer-backed maintenance programmes, driven by the increased focus on improving both safety and operational efficiency. A single point of contact, reduced prices and extended warranties on Hörmann equipment all contribute to the bottom line as the logistics industry continues to improve safety, efficiency and its environmental footprint.

Have a good month.