MHD Supply Chain Solutions April 2023

COVER

STORY

TOYOTA FORKLIFTS SUPPORTING HEALTHY HEADS

Toyota Material Handling Australia and Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds tackling mental health challenges

MASSIVE IOT

MHD speaks to project44’s Chief Industry Officer

MHD

Supply Chain Solutions

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

MHD Supply Chain Solutions magazine is recognised by the Australian Supply Chain Institute, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Australia, the Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia and the Singapore Logistics and Supply Chain Management Society.

RIDING THE WAVES OF CHANGE

With economic headwinds coming, news of a major bank collapse in the United States, and the threat of recession on the horizon, one might be forgiven for being in a gloomy state of mind. But in our industry there’s always room for optimism, as businesses adopt novel technological solutions to improve their output and deal with the constant barrage of ongoing micro and macro challenges.

For example, TMX is revolutionising its Distributed Order Management systems with a new capability known as Order Orchestration, while project44 is using its massive visibility platform and data apparatus to unlock hitherto unimaginable benefits in the sustainability and ESG space.

Toyota Material Handling Australia, meanwhile, is doubling down on its people-focus. Tough times are often tough on mental health, and TMHA is putting in the work within its own organisation and with partners to give workers the support they need. In this connection, check out our Cover Story for this issue to learn how TMHA is supporting not-for-profit Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds to address the mental health issues facing the trucking and warehousing industries.

Much has been made, understandably so, of Australia’s low industrial vacancy rates – especially in Australia’s largest capital city. However, the Colliers Western Sydney team spotlights what exciting developments are happening in the ever-changing markets of Parramatta and Kemps and Badgery creeks.

The waves of change are coming – but there’s every chance our industry will ride them to success.

Happy reading. See you next month.

ARTICLES

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

COPYRIGHT

MHD magazine is owned by Prime Creative Media. All material in MHD is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in MHD are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

Edward Cranswick Editor edward.cranswick@primecreative.com.au

TOYOTA FORKLIFTS SUPPORTING HEALTHY HEADS

APRIL

ON THE COVER

Toyota Material Handling Australia

COVER

COVER STORY

14 Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds and TMHA tackle mental health

REGULAR COLUMNS

18 Logical Outlook on property selection and development

20 Property Focus on the ever-changing Western Sydney industrial market

SUPPLY CHAIN

25 Thinxtra explains how IoT drives down costs

29 Körber on the OMS advantage

33 Bestrane exploring the advancements and impacts of telematics

45 Addverb on redefining Australia’s automation landscape

22 Project44 on ESG and sustainability

52 TMX on the benefits of Order Orchestration

WAREHOUSING

22

50 New team members at Fuzzy LogX

41 Dematic discusses AGV and AMR safety standards

37 Conquest outlines the benefits of hiring cleaning equipment

48 Brother International explains the importance of logistics labelling technology

ASSOCIATIONS, EVENTS, AND REGULARS

06 Industry News

54 SCLAA’s National Mentoring Program returns

57 Products

58 People on the Move

AVOIDING INVENTORY CASH FLOW CRUNCH

Project44’s Bart de Muynck, Chief Industry Officer, explains how businesses can experience a cash flow crunch when they have superfluous inventory and their capital is trapped, but can solve this problem by adopting shipping-visibility-based solutions.

2023 will continue to throw more challenges and disruptions to an already weakened supply chain.

Sellers of all shapes and sizes are reporting reduced margins and cash flow due to increasing pressure on the supply chain. Once you pay for products and shipping services, your free cash takes a hit, and the capital remains trapped until you can sell these goods.

With products stuck at ports, in warehouses, or in-transit over the road, the gap between purchasing inventory and selling it is widening and growing more expensive by the second.

Considering most stores take 60 to 90 days to go from purchase order to stock on their shelves, you would have to wait a long time before you see any return from these items. When this scenario occurs across multiple products simultaneously, it doesn’t take a finance major to understand that this results in a cash flow crunch.

LOOKING FORWARD

What will be different from a year ago due to socio-economic and geo-political issues, is that the focus in 2023 will be on cost savings and cash flow.

As economies around the world see limited and even negative growth, companies are forced to double down on efficiencies that can drive down costs. This will improve profit margins which positively impact free cash flow.

CFOs can be expected to ask their organisations in 2023 to optimise and maximise cash across the enterprise. This new style of budgeting will encourage supply chain driven businesses to only invest in technology solutions that generate value quickly, improve profit margins, cash flow, and support new business models.

Visibility platforms align very well

to this thinking as they generate value quickly without absorbing.

In the short term, the value will be generated from operational efficiencies such as a reduction in manual interactions, improved distribution planning, and improved warehouse operations, as well as cost reduction in the areas of detention and demurrage (D&D), expedite costs and carrier detention.

In the medium term, further value will be released from working capital improvement through the reduction in excess stocks by decreasing lead time deviation, reduction of slow and obsolete (SLOB) inventory, and through the reduction in invoicing days.

IMPROVING CASH FLOW

Free cash flow is cash generated by a business after all operating expenses (including operating capital costs) are paid.

Free cash flow is important because

it enables companies to ensure it can efficiently run operations, pay its debts, invest in the business (for example, via stock buy backs), and capitalise on growth opportunities (like M&A) without the need to raise capital. This is especially critical in today’s macroeconomic climate with high interest rates, increasing supply costs, and decreasing demand.

The good news is that the shippers that manage to get ahead of these challenges can leapfrog the competition. By adopting visibility, they can improve inventory forecasts, which in turn provides better insights into lead times, and allows you to synchronise sales with available inventory.

This will reduce stockouts and boost both cash flow and profit margins. At the same time, this will generate operational efficiencies, which can be passed down to customers through discounts and offers that build increased loyalty for your company.

Bart de Muynck, Chief Industry Officer at project44.

Pas Tomasiello Senior Regional Director Sales & Solutions Development Dematic APAC

Michael Bradshaw Senior Director Integrated Systems, Dematic Asia

Sudhakar Janakiraman Senior Vice President, Sales Dematic Americas

Andrea Campora SVP Dematic EMEA Commercial and MD Dematic UK & Ireland

PRICING RESET OCCURRING MID-2023

mid-year, and the low vacancy and rental growth trend is met with yield stabilisation after an expansionary cycle from March 2022.

“Yield stabilisation will be underpinned by the moderation of interest rates and funding costs, determining the price readjustment that many sellers have been waiting for prior to bringing assets to the market,” Luke says.

“Private investors sold 46 per cent of assets, while corporate sale and leasebacks were less of a feature in 2022. Institutional groups were only more active in bringing assets to market in the final quarter of 2022 and this is a trend we expect will play out further in 2023.”

Colliers’ Gavin Bishop, Head of Industrial Capital Markets, and Luke Crawford, Director of Research, explain the economic forecast for industrial assets in 2023, and why Australia will be a standout performer globally.

Outperforming returns from office and retail assets for the past five consecutive years, the industrial and logistics sector remains better placed than most to weather market uncertainty this year due to a confluence of yield stabilising and increasing rents, according to Colliers’ latest investment research.

While the average deal size fell to $37.7 million in 2022, down from $73.7 million in 2021, and national prime average capital values are expected to drop by around 10 per cent from the pricing peak in late 2021 ($3, 415 per sqm) by mid-2023, the tables will turn thereafter, according to Colliers’ Head of Industrial Capital Markets, Gavin Bishop.

“Interest rates are expected to

moderate mid-year, resulting in an uplift in asset values, driven by yield stabilisation and continued rental growth, which will see pricing match values recorded in Q1 2022 by the end of 2024.

“Following a slowdown in investment activity over the past six months, new pricing benchmarks in H2 2023 will attract capital which has been sitting on the side-lines and promote strong investment activity for the second half of the year.”

Domestic institutions (listed and unlisted), often backed by offshore capital, were the most active buyers throughout 2022, according for 59 per cent of the assets sold by value nationally. Offshore groups remained active, headlined by ESR and Hines, and low vacancy levels attracted new market entrants such as Greystar.

According to Colliers’ Director of Research, Luke Crawford, groups with access to competitive offshore capital are expected to remain the most active when the pricing reset occurs

In the current cycle (since Q1 2022), industrial and logistics yields have softened by 85 basis points to date, while selected markets have experienced softening closer to 110 basis points and are predicted to soften around a further 50 basis points by mid-2023 before stabilising and taking national prime yield to just over 5.25 per cent. Prime yields in Sydney and Melbourne are expected to sit closer to 4.5 per cent and 4.75 per cent, respectively by mid-year.

Stabilising yields will boost the sector’s strong performance in 2023, which is currently underpinned by the occupier market, seeing vacancy rates average 0.6 per cent nationally in 2022, while gross take-up exceeded 4.85 million sqm – a new record.

Occupier demand has also ensured there is the potential for over 3.6 million sqm of new industrial space to be delivered in 2023, with multilevel warehousing now a reality in the Australian market.

Demand also saw prime national weighted rents increase by 21.6 per cent across 2022, which is over six times the 10-year annual average of 3.5 per cent.

“Investors have been motivated by the growth in rents and e-commerce, actively targeting conveniently located infill areas, which represented over

Gavin Bishop, Head of Industrial Capital Markets at Colliers.

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half the value of industrial asset transactions for 2022.

“The opportunity presented by imminent rental growth upside also saw the emergence of a two-tiered market last year, with sharper pricing occurring for assets with shorter lease expiry profiles.

“The average WALE in 2022 was 4.0 years, compared to 7.3 in 2021 and 9.9 in 2020, and for shorter WALE assets prospective purchasers have been willing to pay a low initial yield given the immediate upside in rents, which will ensure yields for these assets are expected to see more modest levels of softening over the next six months.”

The Leda Holdings portfolio in

Sydney, which offered a WALE of 1.4 years saw three assets sold on an initial yield of 3.05 per cent. However, given the growth in rents, the market yield was around 4.50 per cent. All these assets were in strong infill markets with very limited supply.

“ESG also remains a focus for all clients as a method to unlock investment from the majority of offshore capital partners, who are looking to park their wealth in transparent and sustainable sources.” Gavin adds.

Nationally for 2022, NSW took the lead in terms of overall amount transacted for industrial assets, trading $3.3 billion, followed by VIC at $2.3

CBRE PREDICTS A ‘RENT-A DEMIC’

CBRE’s Sameer Chopra, Head of Research, Pacific, and Tom Broderick, Head of Research, reveal some of their findings from the company’s annual Pacific Real Estate Market Outlook, including tight vacancy rates, weak values, and strong rental growth.

Expect a major shift in the Australian property market in 2023. After years of strong capital value hikes and relatively low-income growth, CBRE is forecasting the reverse in its annual Pacific Real Estate Market Outlook.

“We’ll see a reversion of history in 2023,” says Sameer Chopra, Head of Research, Pacific for CBRE. “We expect weaker values and strong rent growth, with tight vacancy rates likely to lead to a ‘rent-a-demic’ in the industrial and residential markets.”

Lower levels of new supply, following surging construction costs, will help drive the ‘rent-a-demic’ –a term coined by CBRE to depict the outlook for rising rents.

In the industrial & logistics sector, constrained levels of supply and a country-wide vacancy rate of 0.6 per cent – the lowest I&L vacancy rate globally – will help fuel high single digit rental growth in most

Australian markets in 2023, with 58 per cent of the 2023 I&L development pipeline already pre-committed.

CBRE’s Market Outlook report also highlights a range of emerging themes and opportunities in 2023, including falling construction costs, a resurgence in CBD markets and a shift towards premium assets, as well as the outlook for investment activity.

Easing Construction Costs

CBRE is forecasting construction costs to deflate by 10 to 15 per cent in 2023 as labour becomes more readily available and as raw material costs fall. This will help get development projects get off the ground in the industrial and residential sectors.

Investment Activity

CBRE is forecasting that the slowdown in real estate investment activity which began in the second half of 2022 will continue this year, with a mid-single digit decline in transaction volumes for 2023, before a circa 20 per cent rebound in 2024. While the cost of funding has challenged deal flow, activity is expected to pick-up as interest rates stabilise.

“With gearing in the commercial real estate industry below 30 per cent, forced selling is unlikely with

billion and QLD at $1.4 billion.

Higher-yielding regional areas benefitted from market conditions, with Newcastle, Mackay, Geelong, and the Sunshine Coast receiving a capital boost from investment groups that were priced out of core capital cities.

“Despite reduced activity, the second largest annual volume of industrial transactions on record was still achieved last year,” Luke says.

“Against a backdrop of an uncertain global market, Australia’s industrial and logistics sector is expected to remain the standout performer in 2023, underpinned by continued asset income growth, which will drive performance over the next 12 months.”

sellers instead likely to be motivated by needing funds for robust development pipelines,” Tom says.

“The current slowdown in sales activity is largely due to a lack of consensus on pricing between vendors and buyers. With rates likely to stabilise in H1 2023, investors will have more comfort around the cost of debt, which should mean deal flow will increase towards the end of the year.”

In the industrial & logistics sector, constrained levels of supply and a country-wide vacancy rate of 0.6 per cent.

TOLL GROUP ACQUIRES LEADING AUSTRALIAN DRONE OPERATIONS COMPANY

Toll Group recently announced the acquisition of Air Support Queensland Pty Ltd (ASQ), a leading Australian uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) flight operations and training provider.

ASQ has an extensive fleet of sophisticated uncrewed aircraft systems and runs drone operations and training services in Australia in the civil, commercial, government, defence and agricultural markets.

Toll Group Managing Director Mr Alan Beacham says the acquisition strengthens Toll’s capabilities and expands the company’s know-how with proven new technologies.

“The Toll Helicopter business provides life-saving emergency rescue and aeromedical treatment in eastern Australia. The drone technology opens up new ways for Toll to improve outcomes for patients and improve safety for our rescue teams in field.”

“The acquisition demonstrates Toll’s commitment to investing in Australia. We are excited about the opportunities the drone technology offers in other parts of our business, such as warehousing and delivery services,” Alan says.

“ASQ is a well-respected Australian

company with an impeccable safety record. We are pleased to welcome a company the calibre of ASQ to the

DHL OPENS NEW BRISBANE FACILITY

DHL Global Forwarding has opened its newest facility in Brisbane to meet the surging demand for Australian perishable goods export, with an investment of $17 million over 10 years.

Queensland’s total agricultural and food exports hit $10.72 billion in 2022, a steep 25.5 per cent increase from the previous year.

To cater to this growing demand, the newly launched 4880 sqm facility houses the largest international cold chain services in Brisbane at 1700 sqm, offering complete cold chain services for goods such as high-quality meat, fresh produce, and seafood.

It is at Brisbane airport with airside access – the first and only freight forwarder to have such access – and is

Toll family.”

The transaction was completed on 17 February 2023.

close to the Port of Brisbane.

“We built the new Brisbane facility to meet the fast-growing demand for perishables,” George Lawson, Managing Director, DHL Global Forwarding Australia, says. “The agricultural and fisheries sector is a key foundation of Queensland’s economy, and it has remained robust despite the disruptions caused by

ASQ has an extensive fleet of sophisticated uncrewed aircraft systems and runs drone operations and training services in Australia.

the pandemic.”

The new facility is aligned with the principles of Green Building Council of Australia 5-star Greenstar. A

combination of green practices will allow the facility to reduce yearly carbon emissions by 458 tonnes, equivalent to taking almost 100

GEOTAB PARTNERS WITH LOGMASTER

Geotab, the connected transportation solutions provider, has announced a partnership with Logmaster, an Australian provider of Electronic Work Diary and fatigue compliance management systems for the trucking and transport industry in Australia.

The partnership marks a major milestone in Geotab’s investment cycle in the Australian market and represents a commitment to delivering a world-class experience for every fleet type in Australia.

“Combining Geotab’s experience and expertise in the heavy truck industry and Logmaster’s commitment to safety compliance will allow us to offer one of the most comprehensive LTE-enabled

telematics solution to the Australian market,” Sean Killen, Vice President Latin America, Asia & ANZ at Geotab, says.

Through deep product integration and a collaborative marketing model, Geotab and Logmaster will create a complete telematics and Electronic Work Diary solution for Australian fleet and transportation companies of all sizes.

Geotab and Logmaster together will be one of the most compliant and feature-rich unified transport management platforms in Australia. This will also bring the entire Geotab ecosystem to the market, enabling fleet managers to future proof their long-term telematics approach ahead of the Telstra 3G network shutdown in June 2024.

passenger vehicles off the roads for a year.

It features solar panels, which allow for 35 per cent annual energy offset and batteries to store excess solar energy for night operations. The facility also utilises energy-efficient lighting with motion sensors, rainwater harvesting, and EV charging points.

“Queensland’s agricultural produce is renowned for being high quality, safe, and nutritious, which makes it very popular among global consumers,” Lachlan Elliott, Station Manager –Queensland, DHL Global Forwarding Australia, says.

“In fact, Queensland exports more than half of its agricultural output. The right supply chain solutions are critical to ensuring that these perishables can reach consumers in pristine condition.

“Our new facility in Brisbane will do exactly that, especially in our environmentally sustainable offerings, to help customers achieve a greener supply chain.”

The facility boasts an open design to facilitate collaboration and hybrid working, and large areas of natural light indoors with various green spaces for recreation, to create a more comfortable workplace for employees.

“This partnership with Geotab represents a significant step for Logmaster’s ambition to provide the best Electronic Work Diary to the most well-managed fleets in Australia,” says Josh Saunders, Managing Director of Logmaster.

“We are excited to deliver a worldclass solution that meets and exceeds the high standards of the Australian trucking industry.”

Geotab has more than 3.2 million connected vehicles globally, including 750,000 connected heavy trucks and some of the biggest fleet customers in the world.

This integration meets the EWD Standard of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, the government agency responsible for regulating heavy vehicles in Australia.

The facility boasts an open design to facilitate collaboration and hybrid working.

TOYOTA FORKLIFTS ENSURING HEALTHY HEADS

Nathan Horgan, National Safety Culture Manager at Toyota Material Handling Australia, and Naomi Frauenfelder, CEO of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds talk about the mental health issues facing the logistics, trucking, and warehousing industries – and how their organisations are helping to address them.

Nathan Horgan, National Safety Culture Manager at Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA), distributor of Toyota Forklifts, says that TMHA is making significant inroads in addressing mental health challenges among its workers.

This includes TMHA’s support for Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS), an organisation dedicated to improving mental health awareness and outcomes throughout the transport and warehousing sector (of which more later) – but it doesn’t stop there.

While COVID-19 has had a major impact on mental health in recent years, Nathan notes that mental

wellbeing has been a growing concern in the industry for at least the past eight years. As a result, many companies have begun implementing programs aimed at addressing mental health concerns.

Toyota has long been on the frontfoot in addressing broader societal concerns, and with mental health they’re ahead of the game again.

Nathan highlights two major TMHA initiatives that have helped provide mental health support to TMHA’s 800 plus employees. Around two thirds of this number are employed as Toyota forklift technicians or in service/parts departments.

The first is the completion of Mental Health First Aid training by TMHA managers, including senior managers. According to Nathan, this is a relatively new initiative in the industry and has been roundly applauded.

Nathan says the Mental Health First Aid course that TMHA implemented involves two days that give learners the skills to be aware of the signs of mental health conditions and concerns in their workforce – as well as how to respond and provide assistance in such situations.

The training covers a range of topics, including: what not to do, what you can do, and how to dispel myths

TMHA and Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds are working to create a better mental health culture throughout the trucking and warehousing industries.

surrounding mental health conditions. It also helps learners to understand the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions and how to approach them, as well as where to go for appropriate information and support.

The second TMHA initiative Nathan is proud of is making available a psychologist to all TMHA branches, whether on site or via technology.

Initially introduced during the Covid-19 period, the psychologist initiative has continued on, with TMHA commited to making workplace mental wellbeing support a normal part of its operations, rather than an add-on or exceptional service.

“I only joined Toyota relatively recently, but I’ve been really impressed with their mental health initiatives,” Nathan says. “When I joined I said to myself, ‘TMHA get it – we’re well on our way to creating a psychologically safe and thriving workplace.’

Nathan acknowledges that in the past the forklift and materials handling industry has been male-dominated, with many men being less inclined to seek help for mental health challenges. However, he believes that this is changing and mental health is being discussed more openly in society and workplaces.

“There’s a social aspect that’s really helping to break down those barriers,” Nathan says. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s still there, and it’s going to be a long time before it changes completely; I think it’s going to be a gradual generational change.”

While it might be gradual, he’s confident that mental health concerns will become more normalised in the workplace as time goes on.

In any event, TMHA is putting the structures in place to ensure that generational change has the best chance of being fulfilled, with a program in place for Toyota technician apprentices, which includes a one-day workshop on mental and physical health called ‘Best Life, Best Work’.

As Nathan notes, “We take them through all aspects of mental health and physical health as well. It covers off drug and alcohol, gender violence, and protecting their own mental health. By introducing these concepts early in their careers, we hope to create a culture where mental health is a priority, and it is normal to talk openly

about concerns.

Nathan is optimistic about the future and believes that, ultimately, people will be just as comfortable talking about their mental health as they are discussing their physical health. As he puts it, “Fifty years from now, 30 years from now, I think we’ll get to the point where I’m just as comfortable telling you about a mental health concern at work as I am telling you about a sore ankle.”

And while TMHA is doing great work of its own accord in the mental health space, Nathan says it’s vital that there be an industry-wide approach to the issues – and that’s why he’s a big supporter of industry mental health orgnisation and advocate Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds.

And given its substantial commitment to bettering mental health, it’s no surprise TMHA became a proud sponsor.

HEALTHY HEADS IN TRUCKS & SHEDS

Naomi Frauenfelder, CEO of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS), has made it her mission to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those working in the sector.

Naomi, who has more than a decade of experience in the rail industry, joined HHTS in January 2021, following its launch in August 2020. The organisation was established to take a national, cohesive, and holistic approach to improving mental health and physical well-being in the trucking and warehousing industry.

HHTS draws on the resources and funding of seven founding members: Coles, Woolworths, Toll Group, Linfox, Australia Post, Ron Finemore Transport, and Qube. It is funded by industry, including Premier Corporate Partner Toyota Material Handling Australia.

There is a psychologist available to all TMHA branches, whether on site or via technology.

“The industry faces significant mental health challenges, and there was recognition at a very senior level of how bad the sector fares when it comes to mental health and physical wellbeing,” Naomi says. “Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds was established to address these challenges with a national, not-for profit approach.”

HHTS has a small team of four people but draws on a senior board and four different working groups that the industry sits on. The organisation has three strategic ambitions: awareness, support, and advocacy.

“Our work program sits within these strategic ambitions,” Naomi explains. “In terms of awareness, we aim to address the stigma surrounding mental health in the industry by raising awareness and building mental health literacy. In support, we tailor existing resources from the mental health sector, partnering with organisations such as Lifeline, Black Dog Institute, and R U OK?, to provide support for those in need. In advocacy, we raise awareness of the mental health needs of the sector and advocate for solutions to improve mental health and well-being.”

A big challenge facing the trucking and warehousing industry is the stigma surrounding mental health.

As Nathan also pointed out, with a male-predominant workforce, workers aren’t always comfortable talking about mental health and well-being.

“We do a lot to try to address stigma in the industry,” Naomi says. “We aim to build mental health literacy and provide training and support for

those in need.”

Healthy Heads tailors existing mental health resources to the sector and pilots courses, such as Mental Health First Aid, to provide support to those in need. The organisation also advocates for solutions to improve mental health and well-being in the industry.

“The industry faces significant mental health challenges, but we’re committed to addressing them with a national, holistic approach,” Naomi says. “We aim to improve mental health and well-being in the industry, and we’re here to support those who need it.”

The postal, road transport and warehousing sector is ranked last in the Thriving Workplace Index score, and HHTS is tackling the psychosocial risks that come with the industry, says Naomi.

Long hours, shift work, contract work, time away from family, loneliness and social disconnection are some of the issues that truck drivers and people working in warehouses and distribution centres face.

While the pandemic exacerbated the existing mental health issues, it also highlighted the crucial role of truck drivers and warehouse workers

“

The organisation was established to take a national, cohesive, and holistic approach to improving mental health and physical well-being in the trucking and warehousing industry.

Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds has as its mission improving the mental health and wellbeing of those working in the sector – through advocacy and on-theground initiatives.

in keeping the economy moving. Naomi explains that companies and individuals were already beginning to take mental health seriously, but the pandemic made it a public national conversation, and there are now many chief mental health officers in organisations.

Naomi highlights that HHTS has seen strong engagement through its Road Show truck events. The truck travels to various states and reaches out to frontline audiences. With the program handing out mental health information and resources, in partnership with health check organisations, the event is a point of connection that provides free coffee, resources, and merchandise.

In 2022, the program reached 1000 people through 25 events, and the calendar for 2023 is already set, with the demand outstripping the supply. Additionally, HHTS partnered with R U OK? for a trucks-and-sheds-specific day, which saw about 60 events across the country in 2022.

The HHTS phone app, with about 3000 users, is another promising program. Through a partnership with BP, users of the app can access discounted healthier meal choices developed with Nutrition Australia. Naomi says that while they aim to increase the number of users over time, they have already received positive feedback.

The biggest challenge for HHTS is reaching out to the massive and diverse sector of approximately 570,000 people.

However, the organisation has a strong partnership network across the country and is constantly exploring ways to extend its reach, including through radio advertising and podcasting.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has also provided financial support, exemplifying a collaborative approach between industry and government.

“HHTS consults heavily with the industry and mental health sector to chart its course and deliver programs that meet the needs of the people they serve,” Naomi says.

“Our team is constantly striving to get in touch with those who may want or need support but are not yet aware of their services. While it is a daunting task, we also see it as a great opportunity for success.”

“Healthy Heads keep the conversation going and alive,” Nathan adds. “Not only that, HHTS has also developed a roadmap that provides organisations like ours with guidance on approaching and best assuring mental well-bring in our businesses.”

Nathan is also exploring ways to use HHTS as part of TMHA’s wellbeing program, including joint events and utilising HHTS’s resources and

language to ensure that they are all working towards the same goal.

“Part of my job is to continually refresh our approach and bring better techniques to bear on this vital issue, building on the great work we’ve done already. And partnerships like what we have with Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds go a long way to prioritising mental health and well-being in our workplace and the workplaces of the industry as a whole. In logistics, warehousing, trucking, and supply chain – it’s all connected – and we need to tackle these challenges together.” ■

TMHA is further exploring ways to use HHTS as part of its well-being program.

Naomi Frauenfelder, CEO of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds.

GETTING PROPERTY RIGHT

‘BBrownfield facilities’ are existing facilities that businesses move into, whereas ‘greenfield facilities’ refer to new facilities built from scratch,” says Peter Jones, setting the stage for an in-depth discussion with MHD about current property challenges, pressures, and opportunities.

“Brownfield facilities are obviously less perfect, but they’re ready now,” he says. “Greenfield facilities require a good two years’ lead time to go through all the design, construction, and commissioning phases.”

Opting for a brownfield or greenfield facility can have different, but significant implications in respect of cost.

“The rent on industrial property is directly related to the asset value, plus an element of market pressure,” he says. “The value, just like housing

property, is driven by supply and demand cycles as well as location. Mature and more desirable areas have higher asset values, which translates to higher rent costs. For instance, a 10,000 square metre warehouse in Port Melbourne or Mascot will be much more expensive than one in Broadmeadows in Melbourne or Eastern Creek in Sydney.”

Peter notes that the yield return to the owner of the property runs between 3.65 per cent and 4.0 per cent in most Australian cities. Therefore, if a property is worth $100 million, “the owner is looking for somewhere between $3.65 and $4 million in rent annually.

“The current occupancy rate for brownfields in Australian cities is at a historical low with all cities under one per cent vacancy rates, and Sydney at just 0.3 per cent, meaning there is very high demand on the limited supply.

As a result, and in the current market, brownfield facilities will often cost more than greenfield facilities by between $20 and $40/m2. Greenfield facilities however, have a two-year lead time, which makes them less attractive to businesses that require a quick move to resolve industrial infrastructure needs. In Sydney, for instance, businesses can move into brownfield facilities in 16 to 20 weeks, if you can find what is required.”

TOWN PLANNING

Peter stresses that town planning plays a significant role in property selection for both greenfield and brownfield facilities. Local and state government planning instruments can contain obstacles, some not obvious.

“You can look around Alexandria and Waterloo in Sydney as prime examples of this,” he says. “Go back

Peter Jones, Managing Director of Prological, explains some key considerations in property selection and development and how a holistic assessment of needs and challenges – now and in the future – is crucial to avoid costly mistakes.

Peter and the Prological team know that choosing the right property is rarely a straightforward affair.

20 years, and that area was full of light industrial, generally attached to the port or the airport type industries. And today, while it still that in part, everywhere you look, there’s new infrastructure, and all people-facing rather than industry-facing.”

Therefore, businesses that move into such areas may face constraints such as restricted hours for certain activities or road access limitations applying to the varying truck weights and lengths.

“Some focus needs to be on what may emerge in the future,” he says.

Moreover, Peter emphasizes that town planning considerations are not limited to brownfields. Greenfield options may present constraints as well.

One company in Melbourne known to Peter manufactures products with specific and unusual freight characteristics. These characteristics traditionally meant that freight costs were very high as a ratio to sales value.

Specialised transport equipment was developed for this business some years ago which mitigated some of the freight challenges. However, when the business moved into a new warehouse in another state, no one checked the planning instruments or gazetting of the road the new warehouse is on. The specialised transport equipment that provided so much advantage was not allowed access to the new warehouse. “Their options were now to either use sub-optimal linehaul equipment or ‘double-shuffle’ the goods in the receiving state onto allowable delivery vehicles,” Peter says. “Either way, lack of proper planning and due diligence led to an inbuilt structural cost of significance that was totally avoidable.”

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

In the case of the automotive industry, expedient delivery of parts is critical to providing excellent service to dealer and retail networks, as it is the long-term customer experience that drives future car/brand sales. In other industries, businesses are increasingly competing on their ability to offer later order cut-off times or shorter delivery times. Having distribution/fulfillment centres in proximity to transport partners or near to customer locations provides both commercial benefit and broader service options. Optimal location in these cases can support development of

competitive advantage through supply chain.

“A recent study showed that for one business who completes a high number of small orders each day, the location of their fulfillment centre for the city of origin made a $2 million per year difference in local delivery costs between the highest and lowest freight cost location out of the available options,” Peter says. “On the one hand, you might pay $10 extra per square metre for a 30,000 square metre facility in a superior location, which adds an extra $300,000 per annum in lease costs; but on the other hand, if the superior location saves you $2 million in local delivery costs, then the additional leasing costs become acceptable.” These are but a few examples of the necessity of taking a holistic approach to site selection.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

There are many elements to a greenfield development that can end up adding tens of thousands of dollars a year to leasing costs. “Just one of many areas is the GeoTech,” says Peter. “The geotech review will assess the ground on which a new facility will be built. When building a domestic house, the geotech report outcome can determine a price variation of tens of thousands of dollars, most times discovered well after contracts have been signed and building has commenced. For a larger industrial facility, the geotech outcome can swing the construction cost by hundreds of thousands or even millions

of dollars, especially if your facility has higher than ‘normal’ load bearing requirements. And no, as the tenant you are not paying the builder for the extra construction, but you will be paying approximately $40,000 per annum for each million in construction costs on your lease for the term of your lease.”

Power and data are two other critical areas that can derail a greenfield (or brownfield) project’s success.

“A recent example is of a large development being constructed in one of Melbourne’s logistics precincts. This facility also includes significant industry sector-leading automation. Following commencement of construction it was discovered that insufficient power was being provided to the site for the scheduled ‘go-live’ date. The required power supply was scheduled, but not for many months after commissioning. While this situation was redeemable it could have been avoided if addressed in the planning and detailed specification stages of the design work.

“Data and communication connectivity can be similar. On another site, the telco wasn’t scheduled to provide the necessary data infrastructure until six months following scheduled ‘go-live’,” he says. “However, this was not known until about 60 per cent of the way through the build. Again, stress induced demands and significant additional expense overcame this issue with creative and non-standard contingencies, but it is yet another example of what could have been avoided if it had been identified and addressed earlier.”

Years of experience have the team at Prological thinking holistically about property-related projects. The cost of mistakes is high and often long lasting. The investment required to have requirements specified and documented independently of the commercial stakeholders is the key to avoiding the types of issues discussed above. Choosing, developing, and transforming a property is a process that involves many invested entities. These invested parties, while essential for project execution are often not well positioned to provide holistic and fully objective property strategies for your business. The complication is many of those within the occupiers business don’t know what they don’t know. ■

“ Years of experience have the team at Prological thinking holistically about property related projects. ”

NAVIGATING A CHANGING WESTERN SYDNEY INDUSTRIAL MARKET

MHD sat down and spoke to Colliers’ Western Sydney Industrial agents about what’s happening in one of Australia’s largest industrial precincts, and how they assist their clients with leasing, selling, and sealing the deal on assets across western and south-western Sydney, including the new and highly sought-after locations such as Kemps Creek and Badgerys Creek.

Colliers’ Western Sydney Industrial team of experts specialise in leasing and selling industrial assets in all areas of western Sydney, including the new and emerging industrial suburbs of Kemps Creek and Badgerys Creek.

Matthew Flynn, Director, together with Peter Dale and Tony Durante, National Directors at Colliers, focus on all types of industrial properties located in western Sydney.

“Our focus is providing expert advice to our clients, to enable them to make informed property decisions,” Tony says.

“As a national business, we also work with occupiers across all size ranges, to source and secure property solutions whether that be on a lease or sale basis.”

Jock Tyson, Senior Executive at Colliers is an expert in the land market throughout western Sydney, including upcoming industrial supply in Kemps Creek and Badgerys Creek. Jock’s focus in recent years has been on unlocking land opportunities in these key growth markets.

CURRENT STATE OF PLAY

The Western Sydney industrial market is entirely different to what it was 12 months ago, notes Matthew, and it’s changing every month for occupiers and landlords.

In the second half of 2022, Peter says

the Western Sydney team met with more than 100 groups to run through a market overview and asked what the main challenges businesses are facing.

During and post-COVID, demand for industrial warehouse space rose sharply across western Sydney as many occupiers adjusted their business models to ‘just in case’ as opposed to ‘just in time’, forcing all to hold more inventory locally given supply chain challenges.

“Most businesses are holding in excess of 20 to 30 per cent more inventory than they were pre-pandemic, and that doesn’t appear to be changing,” explains Peter. “That’s partly the reason

why the vacancy rate is as low as it is.”

The disruptions to business supply chain networks have started to improve, including container movement reliability with the cost per container gradually decreasing.

However, the number one problem businesses are facing is the shortage of labour and limited availability of buildings to enable occupiers to increase their warehouse footprint.

BALANCING SUPPLY AND

DEMAND

Demand is continuing to outstrip supply following on from a record year of

Colliers is at the forefront of the industrial land market, with numerous sales in established and emerging markets across Western Sydney.

growth in 2022.

In 2022, Colliers’ data shows that approximately 1.6 million sqm of warehouse space was leased in Western Sydney, which the agents say is above the year-on-year average of 1.2 to 1.3 million sqm.

As the Western Sydney team looks further into future supply of new buildings in 2023, it’s forecasting approximately 385,000 sqm of speculative product (new buildings) to be delivered this calendar year, with some of this space already under negotiation.

Additionally with planning and/or construction delays, there’s a chance some of this ‘spec’ product may slip into 2024, which could further limit the supply of available warehouse space in 2023.

“Colliers is currently tracking lease expiry data for 2023,” notes Peter. “There is approximately 1.6 million sqm of leases expiring this year, but given the current supply/demand imbalance, renewal rates are now above 95 per cent.

“Therefore, even if five per cent of that 1.6 million sqm space becomes available, that only translates to about 75,000 sqm. When you add this potential supply to the new buildings, this totals

approximately 450,000 sqm of supply.”

Current demand levels are approximately 1.6 million sqm of space. There’s a clear deficit of space for the remainder of 2023, notes the team.

“The overall vacancy rate in Western Sydney is currently 0.1 per cent and 0.2 per cent across all of Sydney. This is what’s driving this phenomenal rental growth that we’re seeing,” adds Matthew.

“We’re working closely with occupiers to ensure they are well prepared six to 18 months ahead of time so they don’t miss out. With rising costs across all businesses, occupiers also need to engage with Colliers’ supply chain and advisory experts to drive operational efficiencies and optimise their property outcomes.”

INDUSTRIAL LAND

Colliers is at the forefront of the industrial land market, with numerous sales in established and emerging markets across Western Sydney.

“Working on the ground with purchasers and assisting them in securing their next landholding, we note that there is an emphasis on opportunities that can be delivered as soon as possible,” Jock says, who concluded in excess of $130 million land sales in 2022. Interest and demand for industrial land remained strong in 2022, driven by institutional investors who have a constant need to grow their development pipeline and cater to the polarising supply and demand imbalance.”

“Within the Kemps Creek precinct there have been strong levels of precommitment, with the average pre-lease size increasing from 15,000 sqm three years ago to 30,000 sqm in the current market,” adds Peter.

“Occupier demand looking to purchase is also increasing, with an emphasis on owning a property that they can control and not be subject to current market conditions,” explains Jock.

“However similarly to leasing stock, land is also in short supply, and we are seeing longer lead times for occupiers starting their search – which is crucial to source the best possible outcome.”

Existing locations such as Eastern Creek and Erskine Park are of great interest, although planning, staging, and construction delays are slowing the delivery of new product, resulting in a shortage of new stock becoming available in 2023.

Going forward, there’s potential relief approaching with the emerging precinct Kemps Creek providing 850 hectares of industrial-zoned land, however, there are planning delays that will gradually stage out this land release.

“We’re in a severe deficit of space this year and that’s not going to change,” Tony says. “There isn’t enough new product coming to market and it’s probably going to be similar next year, where supply won’t catch up with demand. By 2025, it might start to balance out, however it is imperative to start those discussions now.” ■

With a range of industrial services available, Colliers has an expert in every market for every outcome. Now is the time to reach out, start discussions, and access your integrated service offering with Colliers. See how we can maximise the potential of property for you.

Matthew Flynn, Director, Industrial at Colliers.

Peter Dale, National Director, Industrial at Colliers.

Tony Durante, National Director, Industrial at Colliers.

Jock Tyson, Senior Executive, Industrial at Colliers.

PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY

Project44’s visibility platform, according to Bart De Muynck, Chief Industry Officer at project44, is providing companies with access to data that has been previously unavailable, making it possible to track emissions more effectively.

Bart notes that while there has been significant progress in controlling emissions from manufacturing locations, transportation – which falls under scope three emissions – is an area where there is still much room for improvement.

“Sustainability is so important, especially in transportation,” says Bart. “Last year we received an investment from (former US Vice-President) Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management; and project44 is also working with UNICEF, the World Economic Forum, and Amazon’s

The Climate Pledge to create real difference.”

Through its platform and partnerships with these organizations, project44 has built the connective tissue to help effectively track emissions, whether it be from trucks, ocean liners, or airplanes.

“Our data connectivity provides us a gateway to also pull out some of that sustainability information.”

The platform uses telematics and engine computer map modules to pull real-time actual fuel consumption data for over-the-road transportation.

“Based on the model of truck and its fuel consumption you can see what your CO2, your NOx, and all those different emissions are and you can report that back to the customer,” Bart says.

Bart stresses that project44’s focus on sustainability is intended to help

companies make better decisions based on real data.

“The reality is that we’re mainly focused today around ocean emissions,” he notes. “We have a full digital twin there. So, if you’re doing container movements around the world and you’re doing visibility with us, we can give you actual emissions based on all that visibility data, and we’re sourcing some of the emissions data through a partner.”

Project44’s sophisticated algorithms provide data based on time, shipments per trade lane, per carrier, and other factors. “We have all the algorithms to be able to provide it to you based on time, based on your shipments per trade lane, per carrier, and so forth – which then helps you to understand which carriers may be better than others or which lanes are more fuel-intensive

Bart De Muynck, Chief Industry Officer at project44, talks to MHD about how project44’s cutting-edge visibility and data platform can – and is –making breakthroughs possible for real, tangible benefits in the domains of sustainability and ESG.

Project44 has built the connective tissue to help effectively track emissions, whether from trucks, ocean liners, or airplanes.

than others and helping you to make the right decisions that help you optimise.”

Additionally, project44 worked with the University of Tennessee to come up with the platform’s Fleet Sustainability Index, which captures 90 per cent of all carriers in the US and provides fuel consumption profiles.

This, says Bart, helps companies to better choose sustainable carriers that also offer best quality of service.

Bart acknowledges that while the platform provides customers with access to data that can help them make more sustainable choices in their supply chains, it is not a quick fix. He notes that the process of incorporating sustainability into transportation strategy takes time and requires companies to go beyond just measuring their emissions.

“Even with visibility, to go from access to real-time data to real-time decision execution to then really executing, based on those real-time decisions – very few companies are doing that,” he says. “That’s just on the regular visibility front; when it comes to sustainability it’s an even smaller percentage who are executing on the full potential of data for a sustainability agenda.”

Bart notes that while everyone is talking about ESG, very few companies are actually measuring scope three emissions in transportation and even fewer are using that data to make concrete changes in their supply chains. While some companies are taking steps to measure their emissions, they are not necessarily changing the way they make decisions based on that data.

“The reality is that although everyone’s talking about ESG, when it comes to ESG people are often operating only at the level of tactics rather than strategy,” says Bart. “Very few people are starting to measure scope three emissions in transportation; and then even from those that are starting to measure the emissions for transportation, even fewer are then using that to change the way they make decisions.

There are various reasons why companies may not be taking action to reduce their emissions, Bart says, including a lack of government incentives and infrastructure in some countries. However, he believes that more needs to be done to address the

issue, and that companies must take action to reduce their emissions sooner rather than later.

“In the US, for example, it’s because there is no carbon tax, because there are no incentives from the government to do things differently,” he says. “Whereas we see in Europe, especially in Scandinavian countries, government is providing tax incentives. They aren’t providing infrastructure, but they’re also putting in place very high carbon taxes that eventually will start charging those companies; so they have to react. And in the EU the European Commission has instituted mandates around sustainability reporting.

But where does project44’s sustainability capabilities help the Australian market?

“We have offices in Melbourne, and we are seeing that market, and Asia more broadly, growing very fast,” Bart says. “We don’t necessarily have the same number of companies doing visibility in Australia as in Europe or North America, but then there are also different challenges.”

Sustainability is a crucial issue for companies in every region, including Australia, Bart says. He notes that, “every single company that’s buying products from whoever it is, they’ll ask about one year ESG plans and how you are manufacturing your product sustainably, how you use sustainable packaging, and now – increasingly – also how you are shipping that sustainably.” In order to address sustainability and emissions, Australian companies need a base of data – and project44 is able to provide that.

Bart also highlights the importance of

having a local presence in each region, explaining that project44 has been able to succeed globally by being “glocal”. He notes that in order to build local carrier networks and understand the culture of truck drivers, it’s necessary to have people who speak the local language and understand the local market.

In Australia, for example, the transportation industry is quite different from that of North America or Europe. “Although in Australia, you guys speak English, we still need to have local people with local understanding, because Australian transportation is quite different than North American or European transportation.”

Regarding the issue of emissions, Bart says that the age of vehicles has a significant impact on sustainability. He provided examples of how emissions per truck can vary depending on the region, with North America having a lower average age of trucks compared to Australia and South America. Again, Bart stresses that to address emissions and sustainability, companies need to have real-time data and make decisions based on that data.

Although he admits much work needs to be done, Bart and the project44 team are only just beginning, emphasising project44’s commitment to sustainability and its ability to provide a solution for companies looking to address emissions and improve their sustainability practices.

“We have the funds to continue to grow in Australia and expand our people and partner network. And on top of that, we are providing solutions that people in Australia will find very useful, and very exciting.” ■

Bart De Muynck, Chief Industry Officer at project44.

consumed pretty quickly – because that’s how they generate their invoices,” he says. “However, if the location of the plastic tubs used to transport medical supplies is unknown, it becomes impossible to conduct a stocktake and generate an invoice. This has a direct impact on cash flow.”

With the cost of IoT technology decreasing, and the need for it increasing, it’s becoming a more feasible proposition for smaller and medium sized businesses. Today it’s not only the big players who can afford the benefits of IoT.

“The technology itself can drive operational efficiency and reduce costs, but you need to weigh up the benefits and costs of implementing it,” Nicholas says. “By carefully evaluating the potential benefits and costs, businesses can make informed decisions about whether implementing an IoT solution is viable and beneficial for their operations.”

MYRIAD APPLICATIONS

The benefits and impact of Massive IoT are proven within supply chain and logistics with compelling use cases such as CouriersPlease and Architectural Glass Products. However, other industries such as facilities and property management can also see significant gains. The rising cost of energy has led organisations to look for ways to reduce their energy consumption, and Nicholas explains that platforms are now available that can help organisations to understand their energy usage.

Nicholas cites Technopolis, a shared workplace provider with presence in six countries servicing 1500 companies and 45,000 employees. Within the first three months of deploying a Massive IoT solution they saw a 20 per cent reduction

in energy usage and over the first year of deployment they saw a reduction in CO2 emissions of 182 tonnes.

He adds that any organisation that operates in a building could benefit from this technology. This could be especially important for building developers and organisations that lease buildings out as they could use this as a competitive advantage. “The cost to run a building is 10 times the cost to build the building,” Nicholas says. “Therefore, any solution that can reduce costs, such as Massive IoT, can have a significant impact on the bottom line.”

TECHNOLOGY DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY

With the adoption of its technology steadily growing over the last year, Thinxtra has had triple digit growth and its network connections number well over hundreds of thousands.

“We’re seeing a real contagion effect happening at the moment,” Nicholas says. “People are obviously looking to

see how they can implement technology to drive these operational efficiencies and drive costs down. With wages and costs on the rise, organisations are under pressure to find ways to strip costs out of their business and remain competitive.”

Additionally, there is social and government pressure to ensure companies are complying with environmental goals.

“Massive IoT lends itself to the circular economy as it enables organisations to get the most out of their assets and to lose fewer of their assets,” he says. “The flow on effect of this is that fewer new assets are required to be produced, taking pressure off manufacturing and resources.”

Thinxtra has received interest from a number of organisations which believe they are losing assets, but don’t really know the extent of the problem until they conduct a proof of concept. Thinxtra’s technology has enabled companies to retrieve previously writtenoff assets and to locate lost or idle assets – increasing asset utilisation, reducing losses, supporting their ESG programs and contributing to a more sustainable world.

“It means organisations are able to do more with less, it means that their customer satisfaction increases because they’re able to fulfil more orders on time. It also means that they can show how they are having a positive impact on sustainability. And that’s what this technology is opening up or lending itself to for more and more organisations. As I said earlier – Massive IoT is increasingly contagious.” ■

Keg rental company Konvoy uses IoT technology to track the movement of its kegs for their customers.

Nicholas Lambrou, CEO of Thinxtra.

You can’t fix what you can’t measure

For most companies, 60% of CO² emissions are generated upstream in the supply chain, often from freight transport. As a result, emissions data tends to be costly, inaccurate and cumbersome to access, making it a challenge to improve sustainability.

Until now.

project44 Ocean Emissions Visibility provides:

Data

accurately quantifying emissions across your transportation network

Visibility

empowering you to minimise your carbon footprint

Workflows of where and how your emissions are generated

www.project44.com/sustainability

UNLOCK YOUR FULL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE WITH OMS

Today’s retailers and distributors understand that retail and supply chain solutions must integrate and digitise. As demand increases and consumer behaviours continuously change, the importance of an effective and efficient supply chain has never been more important.

The supply chain is under pressure to process more orders, offer omnichannel customer experiences, reduce the time of delivery, and coordinate with multiple parts of the supply chain without error.

As a business involved in the movement of goods, you should be introducing all of these things into your order fulfilment processes using a state of the art Order Management System (OMS).

INTRODUCING KÖRBER ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Recently, Körber Supply Chain acquired enVista – a leading OMS provider. The acquisition has strengthened Körber’s end-to-end supply chain portfolio enabling businesses to deliver upon ever-increasing consumer expectations in today’s highly competitive omnichannel landscape.

An OMS is the core commerce technology unifying customer-facing channels with back-end business technology systems and helping retailers keep the customer at the center of a brand’s experience. It coordinates all the essential functions of a purchase, spanning the entire buying journey from browsing to buying and un-boxing.

CONQUERING SUPPLY CHAIN COMPLEXITY

As commerce becomes more complex, the need for integrated, robust technology is more important than ever. Meeting today’s consumer expectations requires digitisation and integrated processes from order capture through to final delivery. The more complex your supply chain management process, the more an OMS can help.

There are several factors that make the supply chain one of the most complex cogs in the corporate wheel, these include: inventory sources, fulfilment processes, omni-channel requirements, third-party service providers, system integrations, product offers and more.

With the capability to manage the essential functions of an order; from

browsing and buying, to unboxing and beyond, OMS is key to unifying commerce and delivering seamless customer experiences.

Customers are more informed and hold more power than ever. Consumers demand agility and convenience from business at every stage of their purchasing journey. At its core, OMS technology unifies customer-facing channels with back-end business technology systems and helps retailers keep the customer at the centre of a brand’s experience.

Delivering customer-centric commerce requires a single enterprise view of inventory, orders, customers, shipments, and payments, along with the ability to deliver a five-star omni-channel process across the supply chain.

An agile OMS is integral to meeting

The key to unifying commerce and delivering seamless customer experiences is implementing a functionally rich Order Management System (OMS).

An OMS is the technology bridge that unifies customerfacing systems to back-end business/operational systems.

ever-changing consumer expectations and to make your organisation profitable. Once embedded in your organisation’s supply chain, a good OMS can require fewer resources and maximise ROI.

AN OMS BUILDS TRUST IN YOUR BRAND

When a customer purchases from a retailer or a brand, they indicate some level of trust with the retailer. Next, the brand must deliver on those promises to maintain trust with the customer.

A positive customer experience often results in repeat purchases, brand loyalty, and potentially brand advocacy. A negative experience – as research confirms – results in brand swapping, negative reviews, and potentially, a lifelong brand detractor.

The right OMS helps curate the best customer experience in the most costeffective way to earn and maintain the trust of your buyers, turning them into loyal brand advocates.

WHERE AN OMS FITS IN THE TECHNOLOGY STACK?

An OMS is the technology bridge that unifies customer-facing systems to back-end business/operational systems.

OMSs are also the core of your customer care processes as it’s the first line of defence for your customer service agents – highlighting the need for real-time information and accuracy to empower your team to provide the highest level of service.

For brands and retailers with brickand-mortar stores, an OMS should have an intuitively operable store app that enables associates to view store inventory levels, see all order history and fulfil orders – whether ship from store or buy online pick up in store (BOPIS).

STAND OUT AS A LEADER

Companies are yet to unlock the full competitive advantage that OMS can bring to their operations. An omnichannel OMS is the only solution that drives top and bottom-line profit while also putting the customer first.

Selecting the best OMS will lead to perfect supply chain performance, ensure you’re best-in-class when it comes to technology transformation and will drive profitability.

Exemplary order management is key to customer satisfaction, your company’s profits, and brand reputation. To futureproof the way, you serve your customers and fulfil their expectations, you must deliver a seamless and convenient customer experience.

It’s a critical business priority for organisations to simplify the process of order capture, order configuration,

The right OMS helps curate the best customer experience in the most cost-effective way.

We work in every dimension of industrial & logistics real estate, building successful outcomes for landlords, occupiers, investors, owners, and developers in New South Wales and across the Pacific.

With unmatched data and decades of experience, we’ll help you rethink your industrial footprint and rework your supply chains to help realise your asset’s full potential.

From instilling confidence in your business today to reimagining your space requirements for tomorrow, CBRE thrives in complex and everchanging environments.

Michael O’Neill

NSW Director Industrial & Logistics

+61 431 500 939 michael.oneill@cbre.com.au

Elijah Shakir

Head of Western Sydney

Industrial & Logistics

+61 404 102 274 elijah.shakir@cbre.com

William Gathercole

Head of South Sydney

Industrial & Logistics

+61 403 618 757 william.gathercole@cbre.com

Peter Mangraviti

Head of North Sydney

Industrial & Logistics

+61 413 750 350 peter.mangraviti@cbre.com.au

There’s potential in every space, you just have to know how to realise it.

TELEMATICS ADVANCEMENTS AND IMPACTS

Adam Welch, Manager Assurance Services at Bestrane, attended Geotab’s Connect 2023 conference in Orlando, Florida in early February. Following his return from the US, he spoke to MHD about which topics were covered during the two-day-long event.

Geotab Connect 2023 was the telematics solutions company’s first conference in three years. The event was hosted during early February this year in Orlando, Florida. Adam Welch, Manager Assurance Services at Bestrane, was one of more than 1700 attendees who attended the conference, helping to make it the largest of its kind in Geotab’s history.

More than 70 exhibitors showcased the latest industry technology and advancements. Adam says the conference showcased content, deployment, and industry technology that was “first class”.

Telematics has evolved exponentially over a relatively short period from “dots on a map” to integrated solutions that enable fleet managers to make effective decisions based on data-driven intelligence.

Geotab has grown to a level of critical mass with more than 3.2 million connected vehicles across the globe. This critical mass allows it to assist in benchmarking against some of the best fleets in the world and assists fleets to drive towards goals focused on safety, sustainability, and operational excellence.

USING FLEET DATA FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The primary messages that Neil Cawse focused on during his opening keynote were:

• Safety – of great concern for all businesses are the risks associated with employee personal injury or death from motor vehicle collisions. There’s also the financial impacts associated with collisions. Vehicle telematics is shown to reduce collisions by as much as 30 per cent.

• All socially responsible businesses have a focus on sustainability. Telematics has demonstrated the ability of fleets to cut their emissions by 20 per cent with the implementation of effective routing, using the most appropriate vehicle for the job, effectively managing aggressive driver behaviours, and reducing vehicle idling.

• The ability of fleet managers to benchmark their fleets against the best in the world through Geotab’s critical scale allows meaningful cost reductions to be achieved through maintenance practices, responding to vehicle fault codes appropriately and

actioning repairs identified during pre- and post-trip inspections in a timely manner.

Adam notes that continuous, unstoppable R&D was a key focus of the conference. The energy behind the R&D investment is the journey Geotab is on to become an “insights-first, AI-enabled platform to provide actionable insights to help raise the bar.”

An example of this journey becoming a reality includes enhancements such as peer-to-peer benchmarking to assist customers to understand how they are performing compared to like-type fleets.

A shift towards the MyGeotab platform becoming hardware agnostic is a further example. As more OEMs incorporate telematics into their vehicles as part of the manufacturing process, OEM connectivity becomes a “must have”.

Video continues to be tightly integrated into the MyGeotab platform. Both Surfsight and Sensata cameras deliver event footage that – as an example –

“In business today, so much of what we do is measured to ensure we operate better, faster, and leaner,” Neil Cawse, CEO at Geotab, says. “Telematics is crucial in this regard since you cannot manage what isn’t measured.”

Neil Cawse, Geotab CEO.

can be viewed in the same screen as the event detail for a harsh braking event. The integration with technologies such as video is a direct result of Geotab’s belief in the power of choice.

With a continuation of the data-centric theme, Geotab announced a number of new initiatives as part of the conference, including:

• A new electric vehicle range analysis which uses real world data to better understand the relative range impact of speed and temperature, to assist in building confidence in EV range.

• Data Integrator – an integrated intelligence tool which makes the accessing, analysing, and reporting on data insights easier. This solution bridges the gap between data silos and popular BI platforms, providing the power for data-driven decision making.

• Cummins and Geotab have integrated Over-the-Air (OTA) connectivity for Cummins ECU’s through a Geotab GO device. This allows for direct software updates “on the go”.

• As part of the commitment to being a sustainably responsible organisation, Geotab has joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative. This commitment highlights the desire Geotab has to operate responsibly, in line with universal sustainability principles.

• Releasing of the first State of Commercial Transportation Report which details how digital technology, AI and data intelligence are transforming the transport sector. The need for data to be of a high quality was highlighted. For businesses to make smart decisions and discover opportunities to be more efficient, reducing operating costs and carbon emissions, quality data is a primary requirement.

It can be difficult slicing through the piles of data to find the useful insights, however poor-quality data will lead to inappropriate and ineffective decision making.

To assist with highlighting this point, Geotab moderated a number of panel style discussions where major Geotab customers and OEM partners were invited to share their thoughts and views.

The insights were enlightening and the one that struck Adam as the most resonating was from Ed Peper, US Vice

President of General Motors Fleet, in relation to connected vehicles – “We are ‘all in’ on electric vehicles; we’ve bet the farm”.

IMPACTS ON THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET

Coinciding with the conclusion of Geotab Connect 2023, Geotab has announced its partnership with Logmaster. Logmaster is an Australian provider of an NHVRapproved Electronic Work Diary and fatigue management solution.

Geotab is committed to providing the Australian market with a “best of breed” telematics solution and this partnership is a testament to this commitment.

The combination of Geotab with Logmaster provides a feature-rich solution for the heavy vehicle market.

“Couple this with other ‘best in breed’ integration partners providing video technology, predictive maintenance management, trailer tracking, freight temperature management, etc., results in Bestrane being positioned to provide one of the most comprehensive LTE-enabled telematics solution to our local market,” says Adam.

TELSTRA 3G NETWORK SHUTDOWN

With the Telstra 3G shutdown of June 2024 fast approaching, now is the time for fleet managers to begin analysing their existing solutions and the future functionality they will desire.

“There isn’t a simple quick fix to convert 3G devices to be functional past June 2024,” explains Adam. “This is more than a software upgrade.”

The Bestrane team recommends fleet managers follow a step-by-step approach to understanding where they currently are and where they want to get to from a telematics perspective:

• Understand your exposure: How many 3G devices do you have in your fleet? Ensure for those vehicles that are planned to be utilised post-June 2024 have a device replacement plan in place.

• Reassess your needs: This is an assessment of your “now” needs and your “future” needs. While none of us have access to a reliable crystal ball, thinking through how video, AI, maintenance management, paperless, etc, may impact your business in the future will also provide some guidance for your near future telematics investments. You may not need all of the “future wants” now, however ensuring that when the time comes, these add-ons can be included in a seamless manner is a prudent approach.

• Plan the required hardware upgrades: No fleet manager can afford to have a large portion of their fleet off the road at the same time, so a well thoughtthrough plan staggering the required upgrades between now and 3G sunset will be advantageous. Hardware replacements coinciding with vehicle servicing is an effective approach.

• Set out a timeline and get underway: Following the above steps, you will have developed a clear picture of your current requirements and an understanding of the scale and scope of your replacement program. Knowing the sunset date of June 2024, begin now to phase the replacement program in a sensible, manageable timetable.

Adam says the team at Bestrane is well positioned to begin assisting fleet owners with planning for the future – both in regard to the 3G sunset of June 2024 and insights into what the future of telematic technologies may look like. ■

More than 70 exhibitors showcased the latest industry technology and advancements.

STOREPICK

Store-friendly deliveries and a redundant design

STOREPICK is a robotised, end-to-end automated case picking (ACP) warehouse solution that allows you to optimise the processes of your entire value chain. It effectively handles both incoming and outgoing goods, and guarantees store-friendly deliveries across multiple store formats.

Contact our Australian office at sales.au@vanderlande.com or call 1300 375 028 if you want to know more about our STOREPICK solutions

CONQUEST CLEANING EQUIPMENT FOR HIRE

MHD speaks to Dean Molander, National Hire Controller at Conquest Hire, a service providing specialist hard floor cleaning equipment to businesses in the supply chain and logistics space, to optimise presentation, labour efficiency, and safety.

Generalist hirers typically offer a limited range of solutions, supporting a near-enoughis-good-enough approach. While it may seem like the easy option for businesses needing to scale their equipment fleet fast, Conquest Hire says its specialty hire option offers a range of benefits from financial to occupational health and safety, to tailored operator training and the quality to which the machines are maintained.

The supply chain and logistics industry are seeing a shift towards specialty hire to ensure the right advice and appropriate cleaning equipment is recommended to meet the floor cleaning needs of the facility.

While cleaning of warehouses and DCs is a daily requirement for most operations, many businesses don’t recognise there are options for intermittent cleaning needs or turn to generalist hire solutions. The downside to these options is that they don’t fully address niche cleaning challenges such as dealing with dirty hi-vis yellow safety lines, and operators don’t necessarily have the expertise required to select the most efficient cleaning tool for the job.

Generalist hire offers only a handful of cleaning solutions which can only do part of the job while specialty hire features the full range so businesses can select the right equipment to get the most effective result.

EXPLORING SPECIALTY HIRE FOR DEEP CLEANING

“This isn’t the near-enough-is-goodenough solution,” Dean Molander, National Hire Controller at Conquest Hire says. “You’re getting the right equipment to get the task done in the most efficient manner possible, and

it includes operator training, delivery, and collection.”

It takes a level of expertise to understand the various product specifications to recommend the right solution to tackle unique challenges.

Conquest Hire has identified four primary reasons for hire of specialty floor cleaning equipment: deep cleaning, end of lease or building make-goods, seasonal scaling and events, and emergency cleaning.

Deep cleaning of facilities is common practice when preparing for an audit, after stocktaking, following construction of a new building, and before moving to another facility when a lease has expired.

Seasonal scaling tends to involve periodic planning in the lead up to, during or after peak trading periods such as Christmas, where they see an increase in vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

“Some of our customers prefer to wait and do seasonal cleaning each quarter or halfway through the year – it all depends on their budget,” explains Dean. “Our equipment gets the job done faster, allowing contractors or operations managers to temporarily scale their equipment fleet and in emergency planning.”

Emergency situations caused by mishaps at facilities such as triggered fire safety sprinklers, or extreme weather events such as flooding or dust storms – these situations are unfortunate, so it’s good to have an option readily available for a speedy recovery.

TRAINING PROMOTES SAFETY AND OPTIMISES RESULTS

Conquest’s nationwide team of service technicians fully maintain its cleaning

solutions from each of its depos to ensure the equipment continues to function optimally for every hire.

“The service technicians receive a lot of training,” Dean says. “The service technicians who go out to repair equipment on-site have the same training as those who maintain our equipment fleet, and they’re all trained to the best level. Customers will also receive thorough training from our onboarding team at time of delivery.”

The fleet of machines come with QR codes located on the operating panels. Users can scan the codes with their smartphones, linking them to soft copy PDF operator manuals and training videos that can be referred to in their own time, and resources to support troubleshooting. These backups are all conveniently positioned at the operators’ fingertips.

“We have three designated onboarders who deliver to operators a personalised service. Their job is to ensure the equipment is ready, training is adequate, and that the operators understand and the work,

Dean Molander, National Hire Controller at Conquest Hire.

health, and safety requirements,” adds Dean.

Training is paramount to guaranteeing operators achieve optimal cleaning results. “If operators are using a scrubber for example, it’s about ensuring they apply the correct down pressure for that specific floor type, so it’s cleaned properly, but also without causing any damage to the surface.”

Equipped with the know-how to minimise risks and to use the equipment safely, operators don’t pose risk or harm to pedestrians around them, or damage other equipment or fixtures. Many of the machines have specialty safety features such as flashing beacons, and you have the option of electric, diesel or LPG depending on your application.

BENEFITTING FROM HIRE

Two of the most appealing benefits of specialty hire for Conquest’s customers are that paying for the service is tax deductible, and often a more affordable alternative to purchasing capital equipment outright.

“Also, by hiring the equipment, you don’t need to worry about storing equipment in the back corner of your warehouse, gathering dust between use. Space is a commodity these days so why not just have the equipment onsite when you really need it?” says Dean.

“You can hire whenever you need for as long as you need – there’s not fixed or set term, and there’s no ongoing commitment. With shortterm hire periods, you get the right equipment for deep cleaning without adding pressure to your labour force.

“You’re better off having one operator using a machine to clean a facility rather than all 10 employees cleaning up with mops and buckets. The greatest asset you have with this service is versatility.”

In an emergency event, ready access to hire equipment can clean the facility easily and quickly, which means workers can return to the floor without significant downtime.

If a machine breaks down on site, Conquest is committed to having a replacement to you soon as possible and boast the largest fleet of hard

floor cleaning equipment in Australia.

Conquest Hire’s tagline is: “Don’t clean floors the hard way. Do it with Conquest Hire.” This has been inspired by occasions where they’ve witnessed operations send their entire work crew out with a mop and bucket ahead of an audit.

Some may also call external facilities and cleaners, which can really slow things down and can also be expensive.

Conquest has equipment which can clean a facility in as little as a quarter of the time that manual labour can –and achieve superior results.

It gives customers the flexibility required for the needs of the company for the four reasons of deep cleaning, end of lease or building make-goods, seasonal scaling and events, and emergency cleaning.

“The biggest hurdle for operations in terms of hiring specialty equipment is that they simply don’t know that the option to make their life easier exists,” Dean says. “At Conquest Hire, we offer that option to help them get the job done quicker and is more cost effective –because a mop and bucket can only do so much.” ■

“

Deep cleaning of facilities is common practice when preparing for an audit, after stocktaking, following construction of a new building, and before moving to another facility when a lease has expired.

There are four main areas of deep cleaning: deep cleaning, end of lease or building make-goods, seasonal scaling and events, and emergency cleaning.

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For large-scale cleaning anywhere, anytime.

The Innova range from Comac features three easy-to-use ride-on floor scrubbers designed for large-scale cleaning jobs that require manoeuvrability in even the most congested areas. Our range of expert cleaning machines has been used in many different applications across several industries, including retail, healthcare, hospitality, wellbeing, sports, industrial, automotive, public and transport.

ENSURING SAFETY COMPLIANCE

Tony Raggio, General Manager Sales – Dematic ANZ discusses how AGV and AMR safety standards have recently evolved, and how to ensure your warehouse investments are compliant.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), driverless robotic forklifts that operate autonomously to transport a wide range of materials within a facility, have been rapidly growing in popularity and becoming increasingly common in Australian warehouses.

Australian companies that have already invested in AGVs include Toll Group, Lactalis, Lion Beer Australia, Arnott’s, Asahi, Oxford Cold Storage, Bickford’s and Vinpac.

On top of the productivity and efficiency gains offered by AGVs, one

of the other significant advantages of AGVs is that they are safer when compared with other more manual methods of transporting materials within a distribution centre (DC), such as operator-controlled forklifts. Key to this are the safety systems and sensors central to their design, which mean they are much less likely to cause harm, injury or damage to workers or warehouse infrastructure.

These safety credentials are backed up by a number of safety standards that exist at an international and local level in Australia. These safety standards

dictate that in order to fully comply, any type of automated guided vehicle –including AGVs and AMRs (autonomous mobile robot) – must include certain safety sensors, devices and safe program logic to avoid and proactively prevent any risks in the workplace.

While AGVs overall run predictably, this ensures that on the rare occasion when something doesn’t go to plansuch as an unexpected hazard (material or human) getting in the path of an AGV - the in-built safety sensors will stop the AGV and avoid any accidents.

For any Australian business looking

AGVs are are safer when compared with other more manual methods of transporting materials within a DC.

to invest in AGVs or AMRs, it is important to properly assess that they meet safety standards. Meeting AGV and AMR safety standards is a complex matter, therefore it is vital you work with a qualified local supplier who is aware of and constantly ensuring their product meets all applicable safety standards.

SAFETY STANDARDS FOR AGVS AND AMRS

Installing the right AGV or AMR solution means delivering on employee safety and complying with safety standards.

AGVs and AMRs operating in Australia are covered under the Australian Standard - AS 5144-4, (equivalent to international standard - ISO 3691-4). This standard specifies a clear procedure for achieving safety on an AGV or AMR system, for both manufacturers and operators.

Dematic AGVs are designed to exceed Australian standards, with a range of safety features including:

• 360° collision avoidance system with automatic slowing and stopping.

• Easily accessible emergency stop buttons.

• Visual and audible warning and alarm lights.

• Redundant and safety-rated features.

• Compliant system and solution design

Dematic AGVs have a dynamic collision avoidance system that uses safety-rated laser scanners to detect obstacles. When an object enters the warning field, the AGV adjusts its speed accordingly. If the obstacle is still detected within the protective field, the AGV comes to a complete stop.

The AGV resumes operation after an appropriate delay once it no longer detects the obstacle in its protective field. Equipment left in the AGV path or people accidentally stepping into the path are protected from harm.

Dematic AGVs incorporate industry leading safety technology and components along with a comprehensive safety package that includes both in-depth personnel training and environmental awareness.

RECENT UPDATES TO SAFETY STANDARDS

Following the growth of the AGV and

AMR industry, a set of more stringent requirements have recently been added to the safety standards that apply to driverless systems.

The updated standards make it much clearer which functions of an AGV or AMR need to be covered by their safety systems, with increased safety requirements that ensure accidents are avoided. An example of this would be where an AGV or AMR needs to mute proximity sensors in order to place a pallet or to approach a pallet to pick it up; the new standard outlines the requirement for other safety measures to be in place during this activity, such as ultra-slow AGV or AMR movement, limits on how long the mute can remain in place and system and layout based controls.

Kion Group, of which Dematic is a member, was involved in the development of these updated safety standards globally and Dematic has now completed a safety project designed to bring its AGVs and AMRs in line with the updated safety standards.

THE RISKS OF NOT MEETING SAFETY STANDARDS

Safety standards need to be considered early in the planning and design phases of an AGV or AMR investment. By installing the right solution in your facility first time – one that delivers on employee safety and compliance over the long term - will protect your investment well into the future.

While safety standards in Australia provide thorough guidance that ensures the highest level of safety for workplaces and workers, there are companies supplying AGVs and AMRs in the Asia Pacific Region that don’t meet current safety standards.

THE DEMATIC SAFETY PROMISE

When designing and updating Dematic AGV systems, safety is the number one priority. Dematic AGVs are designed to meet or exceed all applicable and evolving safety standards, ensuring peace of mind for Australian businesses. With Dematic, you have the confidence in knowing that your products, equipment, and most importantly people are protected by a comprehensive range of safety measures and features built into your AGV system. ■

“ Dematic AGVs incorporate industry leading safety technology and components along with a comprehensive safety package that includes both in-depth personnel training and environmental awareness.

REDEFINING THE AUTOMATION LANDSCAPE IN AUSTRALIA

Leading global robotics company Addverb Technologies is set to launch in Australia. Here, MHD finds out more about the India-based organisation’s commitment to innovation, culture and people, as well as some of the secrets behind the disruptor’s large-scale success.

According to a recent study, the global warehouse robotics market size is expected to grow from USD$4.7 billion to USD$9.1 billion by 2026.

Here in Australia, retailers and 3PLs have been rapidly increasing their commitment to automation. Whether it be large scale ASRS systems, agile Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs) or automated forklifts – Australia’s appetite for innovative, automated tech solutions is continuing to grow.

One new market entrant is Addverb Technologies, a global robotics company based in India that is set to expand into the ANZ market.

Established in 2016, Addverb offers a broad range of intralogistics automation products and its commitment to innovation and investment in research and design has positioned the organisation as

a trailblazer shaping the future of automation solutions worldwide.

MOTION REIMAGINED

In 2021, Addverb established ‘BotValley’ in Noida, India. A world-class centre of innovation, Bot-Valley celebrates the company’s innovative culture. One of Addverb’s driving motivations is to enhance human lives through robotics that redefine motion, and Bot-Valley brings this ethos to life.

Not only a showcase of Addverb’s commitment to innovation, it’s also a facility designed to inspire innovation and boost collaboration among the best technopreneurs in the world.

For Sangeet Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of Addverb, Bot-Valley is a pioneering expression of Addverb’s DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and innovative culture.

Far from a typical lab, it features an experience centre, design, engineering and testing floors as well as ample opportunities for collaboration. It also boasts the ability to manufacture

Sangeet Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of Addverb.

Established in 2016, Addverb offers a broad range of intra-logistics automation products.

50,000 robots a year – a major part of Addverb’s expansion plans.

“Bot-Valley is an expression of what kind of an organisation we want to be and what kind of an organisation Addverb aspires for,” Sangeet Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of Addverb says.

“Through each of the creative expressions and themes that you see at Bot-Valley you will see us celebrating the passion we all have for our work and our customers.”

In addition to Bot-Valley, Addverb recently announced it will develop a new facility in Noida, which will see the leading intralogistics provider build the world’s largest robot manufacturing facility in Noida.

Spread over 60,000 sqm, the new plant will create highly-skilled job opportunities and lead to employment for more than 3,000 people. It’s ten times bigger than Bot-Valley and will position the company as the largest manufacturer of robots in the world, manufacturing more than 60,000 robots per annum at this new facility.

UNMATCHED CLASS, UNPARALLELED REACH

Established in 2016, by Sangeet Kumar – Addverb prides itself on manufacturing its own robots as well as developing its own software, which drives unrivalled efficiencies and innovation. By keeping all processes in-house, Addverb can be agile and roll out unique and innovative features regularly – passing on major advantages to its customers.

Addverb’s broad and comprehensive range of intralogistics automation solutions make its market proposition unique – and an industry

first in Australia.

“By building software in-house, Addverb is also able to offer a highly customised product that easily integrates with existing infrastructure and software systems,” Sangeet says.

Addverb has provided warehouse automation solutions to more than 100 companies including Unilever, Amazon, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and its wide range of products helps its customers unlock efficiencies across their operations.

From AMRs for picking and moving, to shuttle robotics that improve speed and enable density requirements, to full-scale ASRS systems – Addverb ties all of its product offerings together with its own innovative software capabilities.

“We’re bringing a completely new value proposition to the Australian market through our fully integrated approach,” Bir Singh, Co-founder at Addverb says. “We know that Australia is committed to automation in a big way, and Addverb sees this a major opportunity to introduce Australian businesses to a new way of thinking about intralogistics and automated solutions.”

Addverb also recently announced its expansion plans for the US market, and appointed Mark Messina as CEO of its US operations.

“Australia is a key market for us, but we’re also on a major global expansion drive,” notes Bir. “At our new manufacturing facility, soon we will be able to manufacture 60,000 robots a year and we are looking forward to servicing new clients around the world with our innovative intralogistics solutions.”

ALL EYES ON ANZ

While Addverb is relatively new to the Australian market, the intralogistics provider already has a major project underway for a global sporting retail giant in the region.

“Australia is a significant market for intralogistics providers,” Kumar explains. “It’s a mature market, with not only unique geographic challenges around long distances but also labour challenges. With its early interest in automation and appetite for innovative trailblazing solutions we think it’s the perfect market for Addverb to expand into.”

Ranmeet Singh has been appointed Head of Solutions Design, ANZ and will lead the expansion into Australia. Ranmeet has held the role of Chief Manager at Addverb for two years and prior to that, he was Automation Manager at Amazon.

“Typically, organisations in Australia have had to deal with an array of automation providers across a mixand-match product approach, slowing down the process and often resulting in inefficient outcomes,” Rameet says. “At Addverb, we can offer all of the solutions by one provider, which are also integrated with one overarching software solution. As a result, we believe our integrated approach is set to drive efficiencies for business in Australia. We are looking forward to redefining the future of intralogistics in Australia with our unrivalled automation solutions.”

Addverb will attend CeMAT in Sydney on 25-27 July 2023 to introduce and showcase its solutions and team to the Australian market. ■

Addverb has provided warehouse automation solutions to more than 100 companies helping its customers unlock efficiencies across their operations.

Addverb’s Bot Valley is a showcase of Addverb’s commitment to innovation. It is a facility designed to inspire innovation and boost collaboration.

LABEL PRINTING THAT’S AT YOUR SIDE

According to David Molloy, Mobile Print & Labelling Specialist at Brother International, the company has over 110 years of history.

The company was established in 1977 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Brother Industries, which was founded in 1908 in Japan. With a head office located in Sydney and State offices nationally throughout Australia, Brother has grown from humble beginnings to a diversified multinational corporation.

Brother is now a leading brand that produces quality innovative products for the print and imaging, labelling and sewing markets. Key products include laser printers, multi-function centres (MFCs), fax machines, labellers, label printers, and a wide range of home and industrial sewing machines. A trusted brand worldwide that believes in the “Customer First” approach in all aspects of its business, Brother meets the varied needs of its customers through a comprehensive range of quality solutions.

In recent years, Brother International

Australia has developed a range of products perfectly suited to the warehousing and logistics environment, starting with its range of portable, rugged label printers called ‘RJ’. Aptly named the ‘RuggedJet’, these mobile label and receipt printers were designed for mounting in vehicles, forklifts, and other industrial settings, making them a perfect fit for the warehousing and logistics industries.

Brother also offers the PJ (PocketJet) series, which is the smallest A4 thermal printer in the Australian market and is primarily used in service vehicles – including ambulances, delivery vehicles and aircraft – because of its small, compact footprint. The company has also ventured into desktop labelling solutions designed to help with office organisation, printing of shipping labels and barcodes.

“Brother’s first label printer featured labels that were tested to the extreme, can withstand temperatures from minus 20 degrees Celsius up to 150 degrees Celsius, making it ideal for a wide range of industries,” David says.

In recent years, Brother’s suite of labelling devices has become increasingly important, especially in the logistics industry.

“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of logistics labels, and as businesses move online to survive, they need labels to send parcels to customers,” David says. “This has resulted in a surge in demand for Brother’s products.”

But he notes that pandemic-era growth was part of a longer growth trajectory over the last 20 years in labelling technology.

“Physical labelling is still required for products, whether it is to list ingredients, provide barcoding for sales, or logistics labels for shipping,” he says.

“The pandemic has further highlighted the need for logistics labels as more businesses move online to survive. With this increased demand for labelling technology, it has become a necessity for every warehouse to have good labelling technology to remain competitive in the industry.”

One domain in which Brother

David Molloy from Brother International Australia discusses the growth and importance of logistics labelling technology – and why Brother is the way to go for reliability and customer support.

Brother International Australia believes in a customer-first approach in all aspects of its business.

sets itself apart, says David, is in its superior customer support, with people on the ground who can assist customers, resellers, and software vendors looking to integrate Brother’s products with their software.

“Brother’s support team can even make on-the-fly changes to incorporate Brother’s products into any software package quickly,” he says. “Brother’s at your side philosophy reflects the company’s commitment to providing excellent customer service and support. The Brother team is always available to help customers find the right products, drivers, and SDKs to meet their needs. In addition to its excellent customer support, Brother’s labelling products are built to last, and are a reliable, durable choice for warehouses and logistics companies.”

Brother’s already impressive national presence – stretching into all major localities – has been boosted by the ability to provide remote assistance using technology.

“One thing we’ve learned through the pandemic is I’ve been able to actually reduce my travel by being able to use Microsoft Teams and other tools to login and see what the customer is experiencing,” David says. “Quite often, it doesn’t mean I have to jump on a plane anymore to go out and troubleshoot. We can quite often do that in a call where they can share their screen and show me what they’re experiencing. And with the

camera, they can show me the results. Troubleshooting might only involve a 15-20 minute video call – which is a lot more convenient not only for us, but for customers who are trying to navigate a new technology or challenges.”

The most exciting recent development from Brother is the company’s latest product line – the Titan TJ range of label printers.

The range is tailored for highvolume customers who produce more than 10,000 labels a day. Though Brother is relatively new to this space, customers who have tried the products are happy with their performance.

The printers utilise ‘thermal printing’ which – according to David

– is the most “perfected” labelling printing engine around.

“In this space, everything’s thermal because customers can pump through 1000s of labels without worrying about the system falling over,” he says.

As distinct from other types of printers, in a thermal printer the pickup feed roller that pulls labels through the system is the only moving part, while the printhead has no moving parts – applying only heat to print with. This simplicity of the engine makes it more reliable than other printing technologies that require complex engine processes – and replacement parts are much cheaper.

But if your company is new to the world of labelling, or is seeking to optimise its print labelling capacity, David and the Brother team are there – whether through online enquiries or on the phone – to consult and help customers begin the process.

“We’re at your side. Brother is just a phone call away for customers who encounter any hiccup or struggle with their products. We can assist customers in getting their business up and running, and even direct them to the right product to match their needs.

“Being able to talk to an expert and be guided through the process is important, especially since every brand has a myriad of printers that can be daunting and intimidating for the uninitiated.” ■

To learn more, visit corpsolutions.brother. com.au/contact-us

The most exciting recent development from Brother is the Titan TJ range of label printers.

David Molloy, Mobile Print & Labelling Specialist at Brother International Australia.

NEW FACES AT FUZZY LOGX

After merging with Argon and Co, Fuzzy LogX continues to build on its already strong team. MHD caught up with the company’s latest recruits, who are bolstering the company’s automation capabilities.

Fuzzy LogX has a market leading proposition in intralogistics, with expertise in warehouse automation and technology, and a proven track record of delivering large client engagements. Its in-depth market knowledge has delivered process improvements and lasting results for clients around the globe. Despite its recent merger with the international consulting superstar Argon & Co, it’s not one to rest on its laurels, with the company deepening its bench with three new consultants.

ADDING EXPERIENCE TO WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION

Jai Grewal, a mechanical engineer with a background in manufacturing and project management, has significant experience in the the automation domain, having previously worked for Vanderlande and Dematic as a project manager. As a senior consultant at Fuzzy LogX, Jai provides expertise in the automation industry to clients who are looking to invest in automation systems. Jai’s role is to help clients identify the right solution for their needs and ensure that their expectations are met in terms of technology, budgets, and schedules.

Jai notes that clients typically are not automation experts, and therefore they may not know what to look for when choosing an automation solution. Jai’s role is to help clients navigate this process and ensure that they receive the right fit for their needs. Jai’s experience in project management has given him a keen eye for identifying potential gaps in the industry and mitigating any disconnect between client expectations and vendor delivery outcomes.

His background in the manufacturing industry helps him in his current role. He previously worked for a company that purchased existing or near-bankrupt facilities and analysed their processes for improvements.

The expertise and experience he brings to the table make him an invaluable asset to Fuzzy LogX, where the focus is on delivering the right solution to clients and ensuring that expectations are met. “We do all the hard work right up front to make sure that we can mitigate any sort of disconnect, any contractual misalignments, and to then track the delivery and implementation until go-live,” Jai says.

Pablo Palaez, a seasoned industry professional with over 14 years of experience, has worked in the supply chain industry in various capacities, from planning and warehousing to automation. As Pablo notes, “I started my career back in South America, coming as I do from Colombia. I started as a graduate and ended up as a production engineer.”

Pablo has had extensive experience in automation and optimisation processes. Prior career highlights include leading the optimisation process for all automation systems at Woolworths. He explains, “I was part of the team to make sure we tested properly, so that when it went live, we were able to ramp it up effectively with no stumbles.” Part of the Fuzzy difference has always been its hypercommitment to testing – and it’s a philosophy Pablo shares.

At Fuzzy LogX, Pablo works as an automation lead, where he serves as the link between clients and automation providers. “My role is more in the role in between designing

the automation, understanding client needs, and going to the market, all the way through to holding hands with the client to go through all the journey to commissioning, go-live, and ramp-up.

“The main thing I stress is that automation systems meet clients’ needs and are not simply sold for the sake of selling.”

Cameron Kriss, who is Fuzzy LogX’s first hire after the Argon merger, has had diverse experience in the automation industry since the age of 23. “I started off as an electrician and then moved into installation and integration management,” Cameron explains. “I was an installation supervisor and Integration Manager for six years before moving into project management.

After exploring new opportunities recently, he was drawn to Fuzzy as its first New Zealand-based expert, sharing the company’s values and ethos of diversity in skills and attitudes. “I was looking for a new challenge and based on my experience, Fuzzy seemed a good fit,” Cameron says.

Cameron emphasises that his colleagues’ background and expertise make a big difference to his work as well as the work of the clients. “Having people like Jai and Pablo on board – not to mention the rest of the Fuzzy and broader Argon team – with such a diverse range of skills and experience is really beneficial; we complement each other very well and bring a unique perspective to bear on client problems,” he says.

MERGING MINDS

In January, Fuzzy LogX and Argon & Co made public that the two consulting leaders were merging,

in a move that is amplifying the capabilities of each company.

They were in talks about a possible merger and acquisition back in 2019 and discovered they both had the same clients and were working on the same projects – but dealing with different aspects of them.

While Argon & Co focuses on supply chain, operations, and manufacturing, Fuzzy LogX primarily focuses on intralogistics – a key component which will add tremendous value to Argon & Co’s repertoire, explains Cameron.

“The merger obviously brings a lot more clients to the table for both sides,” he says. “Existing clients on both sides can benefit from different aspects of the company. Argon’s not so much the automation side, and are deeper into the broader consulting game, and vice versa. As

far as offerings and work that can come from the merger, it’s definitely a fairly broad scope. Argon and Co is such a well-established brand with an amazing international presence. Although I work from New Zealand, the work I do is not just New Zealand-focused; in this day and age all countries are connected. Working with the Fuzzy mindset yet with the breadth and reach of Argon is a terrific experience.”

Jai added that the Argon-Fuzzy merger has moved both companies much further towards being a truly end-to-end solutions provider.

“For clients to be able to just go to a one stop shop where we can help them from a macro- and specialist perspective is really great,” Jai says. “And one thing I’ve found really positive is just sitting in on each other’s conversations and learning

from each other. It’s a very reciprocal culture we’re building here.’

“From a client perspective it’s a real-plus because they don’t have to engage multiple consultants, who might each have their own axe to grind; their own agenda.”

Or as Pablo simply put it: “It allows us to connect dots that we couldn’t have connected before.”

Pablo adds that the merger with Argon and Co expands client interaction, allowing them to offer support beyond the automation integration with which he, Jai, and Cameron have experience. “Say a client has a problem with procurement, a problem with supply, or network restrictions: we can help them with the automation angle while being fully confident we don’t have far to go to find problem-solvers for all their other challenges.” ■

Jai Grewal, Senior Consultant at Fuzzy LogX.

Pablo Palaez, Senior Supply Chain Consultant at Fuzzy LogX.

Cameron Kriss, Intralogistics Consultant at Argon & Co.

REDUCING COST WITH ORDER ORCHESTRATION

TMX Executive Directors Craig Albiston and Associate Director Ajay Veeraraghavan explain to MHD why the latest management system capability called Order Orchestration can increase efficiencies and save money for retailers, suppliers, and distributors while dramatically improving the customer experience.

Order Orchestration (OO) is a supply chain management system capability which sits above traditional warehouse and transportation management systems (TMS), streamlining and the order management process across the enterprise while minimising costs, maximising efficiencies, and meeting customer SLAs.

As a capability that has evolved beyond Distributed Order Management (DOM), OO involves the process of coordinating and optimising the fulfilment of customer orders across various channels, inventory locations, and supply chain partners, such as marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, brick-and-mortar retail stores, and third-party suppliers.

DOM systems typically have a centralised view of all orders and inventory, allowing them to intelligently route orders to the most appropriate fulfilment location.

OO in the age of e-commerce is a broader concept within DOM. From a scope perspective, OO focuses on coordinating not only the various tasks, but also the systems involved in order processing, such as inventory management, order capture, payment processing, and shipping.

Order Management (OM) systems typically integrate with a variety of different systems and channels and use automation and workflow tools to streamline the order fulfilment process.

OO can help reduce errors and delays in order processing, increase efficiency and accuracy, improve visibility, and provide a more consistent customer experience.

It involves coordinating activities

such as shipping and fulfilment, cost optimisation, and order allocation, whereas DOM is broader in scope in terms of managing the entire order lifecycle from order capture to delivery, but within the enterprise.

In addition to B2C, DOM and OO are relevant for both B2B and wholesale retailers and suppliers.

FULFILLING ORDERS WHILE MINIMISING SHIPMENTS

OO helps businesses build resilience and deal with emerging and ongoing micro and macro problems, ranging from COVID-related issues to rising labour costs, worker shortages, geopolitical conflicts, and unexpected supply chain disruptions such as temporary closures of factories in China.

“Over the last 10 years, customer expectations have changed considerably,” Ajay Veeraraghavan, Associate Director Digital Supply Chain at TMX, says. “They want their orders faster and to have the choice to pick them up anywhere they want or buy them online or in store.

“A good OM capability allows an organisation to exceed customer expectations and improve staff

engagement without sacrificing speed, cost margins, and customer service.”

“Multiple consignments from multiple locations are often needed to fulfil a customer order,” Craig Albiston, Executive Director Supply Chain at TMX, explains.

“Fulfilling an order with one consignment instead of three for example, results in significantly reduced transportation costs. This can mean the difference between making money and growing as a business versus losing money and going out of business – especially in a rising freight cost environment.

“The other saving is from a fulfilment perspective. What’s the most efficient location to fulfil that order? Can I fulfil that from a better location instead of shipping it from an e-commerce fulfilment centre or a store?

“It helps with operational savings. And then the other commercial bottom line benefit is in terms of ensuring we’re not giving away margin. We can preserve our margin by moving product to an online customer at full price wherever they demand it versus having to mark down just to move it out of a physical store.

Craig Albiston, Executive Director Supply Chain at TMX.

Ajay Veeraraghavan, Associate Director Digital Supply Chain at TMX.

“The final area is working capital efficiency in terms of minimising the amount of inventory that we have in our network. We can get full visibility over all our inventory across the enterprise, and it allows us to optimise the inventory better to ensure we are not carrying too much or too little, or unable to respond to shifts in consumer preferences and demands.”

“Organisations may not have optimum inventory levels at certain locations and can potentially have excess inventory in one location. This may tie back to the planning strategy, but order management can help solve a part of that problem,” Ajay adds. “If they have higher stock at a store location, they can leverage it for e-commerce rather than marking down and selling at a much lower price in store.”

The OO solution helps minimise split shipments, reduce backorder costs, and automate the entire process.

CHANGING ORDER MANAGEMENT IN ANZ

Most of the OO examples are from Europe and North America. Super Retail Group is one of the first businesses in Australia to use this capability and cooperated with its software vendor to implement the solution.

Other companies across the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) region are using traditional OM and manual order orchestration processes instead, but this will quickly change with a shift to automated OO systems and capabilities.

“Transporting goods to a variety of locations in Europe and the US is easy

compared to somewhere like Australia where it’s hard and expensive and that’s why uptake of OO there has been slow,” says Ajay.

“Now a lot of retailers know it’s critical they move forward with OO to save as much money as possible. Canada’s population spread and its geography is similar to Australia’s. Some of the retailers there had an uphill task coming up with a good OO strategy but have eventually made it work.”

Inventory volumes increased exponentially over the past three years – mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and e-commerce has been on the rise until post-COVID life started and consumer behaviour changed as shoppers returned to in-store retail.

“The fulfilment landscape for traditional retailers is becoming increasingly complex,” Craig explains. “There are marketplaces like Amazon and eBay that they’re now competing with, but also looking to access for their reach and fulfilment capabilities.”

TRANSFORMING ENTERPRISES WITH OO

OO enables packages to be delivered in single consignments instead of multiple consignments. With consumers concerned about sustainability, it’s important the environmental impact is mitigated by improving delivery efficiencies.

Another benefit to delivering in a single consignment for customers is it means they only have to be home to collect the orders all in one delivery rather than in multiple deliveries.

OO is only one of several essential cogs in the wheel of OM. It’s also necessary to consider other aspects of OM, WMS, TMS, Planning and Procurement as a part of the overall transformation strategy, notes Ajay.

A strategic partner needs to be brought into these conversations when building this strategy to reduce costs and improve efficiencies because different partners –whether it’s a vendor or simply supply chain partner – bring all these different experiences, perspectives, and knowledge to help refine a strategy.

OM systems are not point solutions that live in one part of the business like a WMS lives in supply chain operations, or planning systems live in merchandise planning, or POS in store operations, says Craig. OM spans the enterprise, comprising store operations, supply chain, transportation, customer service, and digital and marketing, as well as third-party suppliers and vendors.

It’s an enterprise-wide transformation, requiring all elements or parts of a business to be part of that journey. So it’s not owned by one functional area and isn’t a point solution either. It therefore requires strong leadership from the top in terms of vision to strategy and the ability to execute on the change management challenge – requiring IT, operations, and most other parts of a business to make it work.

Ajay concludes: “I always say to my clients it’s important to first, transform your mindset, before you implement an OM strategy or solution to transform your business”. ■

Order Orchestration allows customers to receive their orders quickly while simultaneously being cheaper and more efficient than traditional Distributed Order Management.

SCLAA’S MENTORING PROGRAM RETURNS

The Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia’s renowned National Mentoring Program is returning in 2023 after another successful year in 2022. Learn what the benefits are of either being a mentor or a mentee, and what the latest iteration of the program has to offer.

SCLAA is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 National Mentoring Program. This year the program will be coordinated centrally through the National Mentoring Committee, a group of volunteers from the individual SCLAA State Chapters. This approach aims to improve the mentee and mentor experience and also offers greater access to mentors from across industry sectors to mentees, where the required pairing can’t be accommodated within the originating Chapter.

During the 2022/23 Mentoring Program we have seen great success of virtual mentoring, and again great

rapport and relationship build between mentee and mentor – another truly rewarding year for all of those that have participated.

So now more about the 2023/24 National Mentoring Program.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MENTORING?

Mentoring is a learning relationship where someone more experienced puts time and energy into another person’s development – it’s not new, and now due to popular demand and year-onyear success of the SCLAA mentoring program, we are excited to continue the annual Mentoring Program designed for

aspiring young professionals starting their careers in Supply Chain, or those seasoned professionals looking to further progress their careers.

Mentoring as we know it today is loosely modelled on the historical craftsman/apprentice relationship, where your people learned a trade by shadowing the master artisan.

In the last few decades, however, it has become more formalised and recognised as a valuable form of professional development. We know the benefits of mentoring are many, whether you are upper or middle management, prospective mentor, or mentee.

The core aim of this program is to widen professionals’ network and knowledge.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR THE MENTOR?

When you mentor others, you gain critical skills to improve as a leader. You learn to bring out the best in others, recognise strengths and weaknesses, how to be diplomatic while getting results, how to give sound advice and be supportive, and most importantly, how to look within to make changes.

As a mentor, you are both a leader and a role model for someone else, and that critical role often pushes you to strive for more, to be more helpful, and simply to be the best version of you.

If you can do that working with one person, you can do it with larger groups, and who knows, even whole companies. The skills you may inadvertently learn are applicable in life and professional situations, and the confidence you gain as a mentor is transferrable to leadership in the workplace

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR THE MENTEE?

While mentorship can be valuable at any stage of a career, it’s especially important when the mentee doesn’t have as much personal experience in the industry. Being mentored by a seasoned professional in your field of work is a valuable opportunity for development.

Not only does it help you better professionally, but it also gives you some rare insights into the field you’re in, that you otherwise wouldn’t have had access to.

Being a mentee exposes you to a new point of view, forcing you to think outside of the box and explore new

As a mentor, you are both a leader and a role model for someone else.

ideas. This is an invaluable asset that can help you hone your skills and grow comprehensively as an all-rounder.

As a mentee, you find that your confidence levels are higher than what they used to be when you had nobody to turn for guidance. You also find you are eager to perform better, so your mentor can be proud of you. There’s more scope for motivation, and this encourages you to give your best in all that you do.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

For most individuals, it can take months and even years to get to understand and develop core business acumen skills. Through the SCLAA mentoring program, a mentee can gain insights of the industry from a seasoned professional.

The core aim of this program is to widen professionals’ network and knowledge. We sincerely hope the pairs will continue the mentor and mentee relationship for lifelong.

Most mentoring programs are strictly guided with boundaries. The SCLAA has refined the mentoring program to adapt to new generational thinking and

learning parameters which allow our mentees to initiate their own direction or goals they hope to accomplish through the process.

By giving our mentees the ability to drive and take accountability of their own destiny. The mentoring program gives them more control over the direction of their career.

For more details on the program, go to: https://www.sclaa.com.au/ mentoring-program/ Or contact: mentoring@sclaa.com.au

WHEN DOES IT START?

Applications for mentees and mentors will open at the beginning of April. This will be published on our social media networks with links to register. If you are on the SCLAA mailing list, you will receive notification via eDM, or you can go directly to https://www.sclaa.com. au/mentoring-program/

The program will run from July 2023 till March 2024. We look forward to receiving your applications as mentees and mentors and appreciate your involvement and contribution to the program. ■

Mentoring as we know it today is loosely modelled on the historical craftsman/apprentice relationship.

DO YOU KNOW A DRIVER OF CHANGE?

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN. Now is your chance to nominate an industry leader who you believe is advocating for positive change and deserves to be recognised.

WOMENININDUSTRY.COM.AU

THURS 8 JUNE 2023

The Women in Industry Awards recognise outstanding women leaders from across Australia’s industrials sector.

GEOTAB’S GO9 DEVICE

Completely redesigned and enhanced, the Geotab GO9 device is optimised for the collection and analysis of near real-time vehicle data. The GO9 features a faster processor, more memory, and a gyroscope. Expanded capacity allows even more and ongoing vehicle support, including better fuel usage support, and increased electric vehicle compatibility. Using Geotab’s patented tracking algorithm, the GO9 accurately recreates vehicle trips and analyses incidents. The GO9 also offers in-vehicle alerts to instantly notify drivers of infractions and – with hardware Add-Ons – provides live coaching for driver’s on-road performance.

For more information visit www.geotab.com/au/vehicle-trackingdevice

THE NEW COMBI-MR4 WITH DYNAMIC 360° ™ STEERING

Since Combilift launched its first C4000 model in 1998, multidirectional capability has been one of the major hallmarks of the company’s wide range of handling solutions. 24 years and thousands of R&D hours later, its latest product takes multidirectional capability to the next level. The Combi-MR4 is a 4-wheel electric powered multidirectional reach-truck, which incorporates Combilift’s new Dynamic 360° ™ steering, which provides rotation on each wheel, enabling seamless directional change of the truck while on the move. The system allows this extremely agile forklift to work in forward, sideward and crab steer mode, guaranteeing swift operation and excellent manoeuvrability. Hence the full name of the new model: the Combi-MR4 Dynamic 360.

For more information visit www.combilift.com/combi-mr4

PROJECT44 OCEAN VISIBILITY

Poor ocean visibility puts a strain on global supply chains, logistics costs, and customer service. At the root of the issue is low-quality data that hinders personnel productivity, streamlined operations, and proactive exception management. Today, more than ever shippers and 3PLs need global ocean visibility with the data quality, intelligence, ETAs, and proactive exception management that ensures efficient, costeffective, reliable, and sustainable global transportation. Project44’s Ocean Visibility solutions is here to help, with a suite of solutions that uses first-in-class data and analytics to improve personnel productivity, allow for proactive exception management, reduce logistics costs, improve customer service, and empower users for agile transport planning and procurement.

For more information visit www.project44.com

DEXION HIGH DENSITY STORAGE (HDS) SHUTTLE

The Dexion High Density Storage (HDS) Shuttle offers high density pallet storage without the use of forklifts.The shuttle unit travels on support rails, transporting pallets within the system by retrieving and depositing pallets, controlled by the user via remote control. The HDS Shuttle incorporates various features to ensure safe handling, high reliability and low energy consumption.This solution makes the most use of limited space and provides quick access to stocks. It is scalable according to the warehouse operations, throughput and goods volume. Reach out to a Dexion Supply Centre near you for more information or visit dexion.com.au.

For more information visit www.dexion.com.au

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

A monthly wrap up of the latest appointments in the supply chain, materials handling and logistics industry.

NEW EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AT E2OPEN

e2open has announced the appointment of Jennifer Grafton as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, succeeding Laura L. Fese, who retired from e2open on March 1, 2023. Fese served as e2open’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for six years, overseeing the company’s global legal affairs. Jennifer has all the skills and expertise to step into the role and lead the team, with more than 10 years of public company experience, and having learned the industry and business over the last two years at e2open.

CONQUEST EQUIPMENT APPOINTS NEW CFO

Eyad (Eddie) AlBahsh brings with him more than 25 years local and international experience in accounting and finance across diverse industries. CPA & CMA certified, he has previously held a number of strategic roles within corporate, multinational and SME organisations, and is excited to leverage this experience to lead comprehensive transformation in his new role as CFO at Conquest Equipment.

DIRECTOR OF RTL AT DEMATIC NOW HEAD OF DSED

Lee Koutsos, the Director of the Real Time Logistics division at Dematic, will now also head up the Dematic Storage Equipment Division, which is best known for the local design and manufacture of Colby Racking and Storage Solutions. Since joining Dematic in 2021, Lee has driven a number of impressive growth and productivity improvements within the RTL division, which focuses on Voice, RF and Wi-Fi enablement in warehouses and distribution centres. With a strong background in operational and manufacturing management complimenting his business oversight, Lee will lead an experienced SED team focussed on growth through the nationwide network of Colby Storage Solutions Distributors.

Do you have career news to share? Email Edward Cranswick at Edward.Cranswick@primecreative.com.au to be featured.