IN BIZ NC JUNE JULY 2021 qxp.qxp_A4 size 14/05/2021 09:58 Page 19
GOING GLOBAL
GOING GLOBAL
The Chamber’s INTERNATIONAL TRADE TEAM will help you navigate your way through all of the regulatory procedures and documents that you’ll need for successful international trading
GERMAN DISTRIBUTION CENTRE FOR DACHSER Logistics provider Dachser has started operations at a new distribution centre at its Magdeburg site in Germany. At the facility, the family-owned company provides logistics services for its customer Globus Baumarkt and other companies in the region. The expansion created 40 new jobs. Dachser’s new facility is 84,000 m2 and includes two warehouses with a total logistics area of 40,000 m2. One of the warehouses has been specifically designed for the storage and picking of food and non-food items and covers approximately 8,000 m2. The second warehouse for contract logistics activities has an area of 32,000 m2. Through the expansion, the office and social space at Dachser’s Magdeburg distribution centre now cover 1,880 m2. There is also an additional 3,000 m2 of outdoor storage adjacent to the site. Including the distribution
centre 40km away in Oschersleben, Dachser’s Magdeburg logistics centre now provides 55,000 m2 for logistics operations and space to accommodate 80,000 pallets. “At our new facility, we furnish warehousing and distribution services for Globus Baumarkt as well as well-known regional and global manufacturers and retailers
of industrial goods and food products,” explainede Christian Schäckel, general manager of the Magdeburg logistics centre. Dachser has been operating in the Magdeburg region for over 25 years. Around 170 employees are responsible for ensuring the smooth execution of logistics services.
FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS Businesses from across the county have benefitted from a series of expert International Trade Webinars run by Northamptonshire Chamber. During the past few months, the Chamber has run more than a dozen webinars to help businesses gain an indepth understanding of how export and import procedures and documentation work post-Brexit. The free virtual workshops were run in partnership with SEMLEP (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership) and covered a variety of topics from customs declarations to import declarations and compliance. Northamptonshire Chamber group events, communications and marketing manager Matthew Cannon said: “We’re fully aware of how many new things our international traders have had to contend with in recent months which is why we have launched our new International Trade Membership and were keen to host these workshops. “All the sessions were based on business insight and were designed to keep businesses moving forward in 2021. We were delighted to work with SEMLEP on this important initiative and have been pleased to see how much our members have welcomed these sessions.” Piroto Labelling Limited finance manager Chris Hayward attended one of the webinars. He said: “The
webinars provided a good overview of all importing and exporting scenarios associated with Brexit. “It was also interesting to see that many, many local businesses were in a similar position to ourselves, initially having little knowledge of the complications involved. Importantly, one of the messages we gleaned early on ensured we contracted an import agent in good time, which in turn negated any potential delays to our vital raw material imports.” For further information about the Chamber’s International Trade Membership email sunny.singh@northants-chamber.co.uk
PAPERWORK GETS AUTOMATED An innovative business process automation company has implemented software robots to make the labourintensive task of routine customs paperwork more efficient. From 1 January 2021, customs paperwork has been required for goods moving between Great Britain and any EU country, for both imports and exports. This was a challenge for customs clearance services trying to deal with an increase of thousands of documents every day. Ether Solutions, who provide automation of business processes using software robots to perform repetitive activity that people undertake on computer screens, worked alongside one specialist customs agent to bring in their robots to help meet demand. Knowledgeable customs experts handle the complex situations, but the regular movement of goods is achieved with the software robots completing the daily routine processing. In the supply chain world of 24-hour logistics, using software robots to complete the office administration whenever it is needed virtually eliminates the need for a night shift team. Ether Solutions David Martin said: “Automation is ideally performed on stable processes. As the news headlines have been reporting there is still a lot of change happening in the GB – EU customs arrangements, but even during this challenging period, software robots have been delivering benefits by working alongside people as part of an integrated process. Any industry can innovate and gain benefits from automation to achieve a competitive position, without needing the challenges of a trade agreement to spark the action.”
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