Brexit Uncertainty Causing £40bn in Stockpiled Imports

Warehouse Stockpiling Leading to
Pre-Brexit Planning Headaches

 
In order to maintain uninterrupted supply chains a BBC report* estimates that there is currently approximately £40bn of stockpiled imports being held in warehouses caused by the uncertainty of border disruption as a consequence of Brexit. This is creating a headache for management and staff in accommodating and scheduling for these unplanned increases.

The report also states that other sectors, including cold storage and frozen foods, are worst affected as space in these tends to be in shorter supply. It states that some leading frozen food supply chain logistics specialists have reported receiving Brexit related demands for space, including from food companies wanting to increase their stocks.
 
 

How Some of our Warehouse Clients are Preparing for Brexit

Much work is taking place in adding and re-planning warehouse layout designs as Brexit contingency planning takes hold. For example, our client Rick Bestwick has doubled its blast freezing capacity adding 12 additional units across its sites.

Another client using In-DEX WMS Warehouse Management Software is Telford based chill food distributor CML F & L who are building 11 additional loading bays and creating a new service yard for one of their hubs. And, CWT Commodities, another In-DEX WMS user, and one of the UK’s largest importers of cocoa and coffee beans, is building a new 36,000 square foot facility to expand its current 8 warehouse Port of Liverpool site to accommodate growing demand.
 
 

“Brexit is just one of many threats facing the logistics industry in the UK but it should also be viewed positively as a driver for increasing efficiencies.”
Joe O’Shea, Director, Principal Logistics Technologies
 
 
  

Examples of Warehouse Functionality In-DEX WMS Software is Supporting

As well as expanding facilities, many customers have engaged with us to assist in optimising and increasing throughput within their existing facilities by adding functionality including:

• System Directed Put-away
• KPI Dashboards
• Wearable Label Printers
• Load Bay Scheduling Software
• Task Interweaving
• Voice Directed Tasks
• Enhanced Customer & Supplier EDI’s
• Damage Image Capture on Handheld Units

Eliminating Loading Bay Congestion

Recently a client business, a global one-stop shop for packaging and hygiene needs with sites located in multiple countries, was experiencing loading bay congestion during the peak night shift due to increase in stock volumes. The company had a very tight window to pick over 1,500 orders into approximately 30 vans post client order cut-off time.

In-DEX WMS Warehouse Management Software had been in use for many years operating a pick-by-route methodology and we recommended some innovative cloud-based Delivery Planning & Multi-drop Optimisation Software from a UK-based provider. While we interface throughout the day, at order cut-off time we despatch the remaining orders to be picked to this software.

The application builds the delivery schedule in a matter of seconds while automatically considering numerous user-definable constraints. We then simply re-import this, now optimised schedule, and release the orders to the pickers in an optimised sequence. This has eliminated the client’s loading bay congestion.

Our customers rely on our robust, modular and patented In-DEX WMS Warehouse Management Software suite to run efficient and revenue enhancing operations. They have direct access to an industry and technology expert pool spanning over 25 years operating across multiple business sectors.
 
 

READ MORE ABOUT HOW IN-DEX WMS WAREHOUSE
MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IS HELPING