Contents
Featured on the cover: Cover Story Green Supply
4 Beating Space Costs 27 Beet the Biofuel Dilemma
Goscor Lift Truck
31 Ground Zero
Company Forklifts
Tel: 011 230 2600 7 Advantages of Gas Who Exactly Does What?
Fax: 011 976 2176 9 Image Lifted 33 Illogical Logistics
Email: Market Forum — Supply
lifttrucks@goscor.co.za Barcoding, Labelling Scanning &
36 Market Forum
www.goscorlifttrucks.co.za RFID
11 Bar None
Endorsing Bodies
Afritag (div of Smart Card Society)
Sensitive Cargo
13 Flying Horses CGCSA (Consumer Goods Council of SA)
CILTSA (Chartered Institute of
Market Forum — Unit Logistics & Transport: SA)
18 Market Forum SAEPA (SA Express Parcel Association)
SAPICS (The Association for Operations
Security & Theft Management of Southern Africa)
23 Highway Robbery also mailed to:
CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain
Management Professionals)
O
ur success is based on a bouquet less than two years ago, is a perfect example of
of interrelated activities carried out such a solution.
in a coordinated and professional “As the cost of space spirals, there is an increasing
manner,” says Darryl Shafto GLTC. demand for narrower aisles and the Bendi, with its
“One of these activities is a conscious effort to unique ability to articulate and operate in narrow
always be looking for innovative solutions for aisles and spaces is helping to make a significant
our clients.” difference to our clients’ bottom line.
An extra 40% storage space has been achieved Even in widths of just 1.8m, the Bendi articulated
forklift helps the operator work faster, safer and
Fortklifts to fit anywhere more accurately. We have also had reports from
The revolutionary Bendi range of narrow aisle our Bendi users here and overseas that racking
forklifts, which GLTC brought to the country damage is significantly less,” says Darryl.
He adds that the Bendi, because it can pick
indoors and load outdoors with equal dexterity,
precludes the requirement for two machines thus
enhancing efficiency. “The Bendi can load a
truck straight from the rack avoiding the double
handling of pallets,” says Darryl.
Outdoor use also
“The typical reach truck requires aisles of 2.5 to
3m for storage and racking, but reach trucks typi-
cally have small, harder wheels and low ground
clearance, making outdoor use impractical. But
the Bendi, because of its unique counterbalanced
design and its ability to articulate, is able to
handle a similar load to a common forklift truck
and work in aisles that are much narrower.”
Another advantage of the Bendi is the speed that
it can transfer from aisle to aisle. Darryl explains,
“Obviously, very narrow aisles (VNA) machines
make efficient use of narrow aisle space, but
they need large areas and longer times to transfer
between aisles. However, the Bendi behaves like
a VNA but moves like a conventional forklift.”
Benefits noticed
Several high-profile retailers have seen the benefits
of the Bendi including Makro and Spar. In the
process of narrowing its aisles in various stores,
Makro has taken delivery of a fleet of Bendi trucks
from Goscor and the retailer’s Alan Walker says
that the trucks have performed according to spec
and that he is pleased with their overall effect.
“Not only have the trucks performed to our
expectations but also, as usual, we continue to
receive professional backup and service from
Goscor which helped us considerably in introduc-
ing these revolutionary articulated forklifts into
our system,” says Alan.
The Bendi articulated forklift Another good example of the benefits of Bendi
technology is at Spar Eastern Cape where, through Animal’s global distribution centre in Poole says
innovative design, an extra 40% storage space that Bendi products have helped the company
has been achieved at its 9 000m² ‘slow-mov- significantly reduce warehouse costs including the
ing’ off-site warehouse in Port Elizabeth. Two efficient use of space, reduced lighting, heating
Bendi 318 articulated forklifts were bought to and building maintenance. They have also helped
operate in the narrower aisles. These were the overcome a difficult building structure to achieve
first Bendi forklifts to be used in the Spar Group maximum storage and distribution efficiency.
nationally.
As the cost of space spirals there is an increasing
GLTC Eastern Cape branch manager Mike Burley
says the main challenge in this facility was the demand for narrower aisles
utilisation of space as it is a long and narrow
building. “The task was to help increase the stor- Animal operates with 4 636 total bulk pallet
age capacity and the Bendis, with their unique positions up to 7m high, with 12 755 pick faces
capability to articulate and operate in very narrow and 1 203 full pallet pick faces. A fleet of Bendi
spaces, were a part of the solution,” he says. B313 articulated trucks is used to remove pallets
Spar Risk & Maintenance Manager at the facility, from the marshalling areas and place stock in
Julian Koutsouvelis says that apart from their predetermined pallet positions. The three-wheel
ability to work in the facility’s narrow 1 950mm trucks maintain excellent stability in the narrow
aisles, the versatility of the Bendis with respect aisles with up to 1.35ton lifting capacity at heights
to their ability to work both inside and outside of 7.2 m with no special floor requirements.
was important in the decision to buy them. “It’s Darryl says that he is pleased that Goscor is once
all very well having machines that can work in again at the forefront in offering groundbreaking
narrow aisles, but if one had to then transfer to technology to the materials handling industry.
another machine to load onto the outside vehicles, “We are dedicated to maintaining and improving
the advantage would be lost,” he says. our world class service levels for our customers
and Bendi contributes significantly to our ability
Great overseas demand
to do this,” he concludes.
South Africa is not the only place where demand
for Bendi is burgeoning. It is the case in Europe Goscor Lift Truck Company, Tel: (011) 230 2600,
and especially in the United Kingdom where Fax: (011) 976 2176, Email: lifttrucks@goscor.co.za,
technology is in great demand. www.goscorlifttrucks.co.za
COLD CHAIN
the ' a oki
sta nd s ng
nda ave
rd up
pri
ce
Ticky Raubenheimer John Ackerman Dr. Jean-Antoine Zinsou Dr. Iain Barton
Chairman Chairman General Manager Executive Director
Collaborative Centre for South African Refrigerated Sanofi Pasteur RTT Group
Cold Chain Management Distribution Association
• Find out how Kirk Nash, Head of Logistics at Adcock Ingram is achieving optimal
validation and temperature control through innovative packaging Book now for the three
• New technologies in pharmaceutical storage and distribution will be addressed by workshops that will
Mathias Hoewer, General Manager (Automation) Middle East and Africa, address validation and
SSI Schaefer Systems International DWC LLC auditing as well as
best practice and cold
• Abrie Potgieter, Supply Chain Manager at DairyBelle will be giving the FMCG chain shipping
perspective on cold chain management on how to identify risks
To register or for more information about this conference, please complete and fax the form below to +971 4 363 1938
Advantages of Gas
Nobody needs to be told about electricity prices, however there are many other valid busi-
ness reasons to run a fleet of forklift trucks on gas.
F
or example, the main advantage
LPG has over electricity is that
it is more suitable for use both
inside and outside and allows
for less downtime.
Gas-powered forklifts provide consistent
power for longer periods and are effective
on any surface. Moving heavy loads is
not possible for forklifts powered with
electricity and, the power output is re-
duced as the battery discharges.
Less downtime
Because an electrically powered forklift
needs to be recharged for between 6 – 8
hours for an equivalent working period,
it increases downtime and means more
batteries are required for continuous
operation.
It takes approximately five minutes to
refuel a forklift running on gas which
obviously increases productivity – a vital
benefit to businesses whose margins
depend on getting the most out of every
working day.
Reduced costs
Electrically powered forklifts require extra
equipment such as batteries, chargers
and hoists and, additionally, ventilated
space in the form of charging and wash
down rooms. There is no need for any
of this with gas powered forklifts and
there is no risk of a power cut.
Gas-powered forklifts have longer service
intervals than their electrically powered
counterparts while labour costs are re-
duced due to the elimination of charging
operation management.
Simply put, electrically driven forklifts
are best suited for indoor operations.
Gas-powered units are suitable for both
indoor and outdoor usage.
Easigas, Tel: 0800 001 504, Email: info@
easigas.co.za, www.easigas.co.za
Image Lifted
Leading international logistics specialist, Jungheinrich AG, has teamed up with newly-
formed local company, JHR Equipment SA, to re-launch its brand of materials handling ma-
chinery in the South African market.
G
erman-based Junghein- software to deal with any technical problems.
rich is internationally- Such software is only available to authorised
recognised as one of partners and is not universally available.
the world’s top three
Access to a full range of spares
leading manufacturers of forklift
“Thanks to this new partnership, we have access
trucks and materials handling
to the full range of genuine Jungheinrich spares,
equipment, employing more than
and we offer top-quality maintenance services.
8 000 people in over 100 countries.
While a number of local companies may service
However, during the number of
our machinery, they do not have access to the
years it has been active in South
latest diagnostic software that is exclusive to
Africa, the company has not met
JHR Equipment. By using laptops and advanced
its South African market projec-
computer programmes, we are able to digitally
tions as a result of insufficient
diagnose a fault in most machines and rectify it
representation.
with minimal downtime. Another added benefit
It was for this reason that JHR is that we have qualified technicians in Germany
Equipment SA was set-up as the who are on-call, should we be unable to deal with
exclusive regional partner to of- a particular problem,” Colin adds.
Alan Keschner fer the complete range, as well
The company offers all popular methods of en-
as provide backup service and
gines, from petrol to diesel to gas. In addition,
spares availability.
they are world leaders in state-of–the-art electric
According to JHR Equipment SA
chairman, Alan
Keschner, “In the
past, a few local
distributors sold
other brands of
standard forklifts
as well, and were
thus only able to
sell specialised
Jungheinrich
warehousing re-
lated machines,
Colin Govender
effectively reduc-
ing the ability for
clients to select and standardise
on the our brand.”
Have access to the latest authorised
software to deal with any technical
problems
Unrealised potential
Colin Govender, managing direc-
tor of JHR Equipment goes on to
explain that JHR Equipment is the
only local company that employs
technicians that are fully-trained
by Jungheinrich, and who have
access to the latest authorised
Bar None
Some industries are regularly in the headlines by virtue of the fact that they often experience vast technologi-
cal advances, but for the most part change comes incrementally. However, it is these small changes that add
up to big improvements in the long run.
W
hen “Supply want to scan and identify the item and 1D is
Chain Today” fine for this.1D is also driven by industry as
speaks to Nico a way of being interoperable. The GS1 global
Scheepers, standard is another factor for the 1D prevalence
technical manager at iData in the market.
Distribution, he explains
Far-Near
some of these improvements
“Strides have been made regarding Far/Near scan-
to us. Nico’s track record in
ners with new scanners being able to scan from
the industry has given him
both very near and very far with equal efficiency.
hands-on experience with
Some can even scan 2D from seven metres away,”
most of the large players from
Nico continues. “Years ago everyone was using
a barcoding and scanning
laser engines but new imagers use raw process-
perspective.
ing power for increased functionality in a wider
Stable technology range of situations.
“The technology has stabilised “There are various versions of these imagers avail-
to a large extent and not able, with varying levels of speed and accuracy.
Nico Scheepers much appears to be moving Some only do 1D, but they do it very fast. New
forward dramatically,” he tells us. “This doesn’t generations are more aggressive and do 1D and
mean that things aren’t changing for the better. 2D at the same speed.”
Usually it’s more a matter of getting users to take
advantage of them more fully. Great strides
Functionality has also made strides. “Many read-
Some can even scan 2D from seven metres away ers having the same imaging capabilities as a
movie camera,” he says. “This has nice spinoff
benefits. For instance EMDI allows document
“For instance, barcoding has evolved to some
scanning similar to what you’d achieve on a
degree from one-dimensional to 2D technology,
document scanner. Devices are so feature-rich
which has been touted as the next big thing. But
they can do more than a Smart Phone, like your
1D is still the de facto standard in the industry
Blackberry or iPhone.
because many users haven’t fully embraced the
extra functionality offered by 2D. Most simply “Essentially, the guy delivering Coke has this
level of sophistication at his fingertips,
combined with the advantage of rugged
usability. Many of these clever scan-
ners have high IP ratings and can be
dropped from two metres, or survive
1 000 tumbles from one metre. These
ratings also give assurances of operation
even when exposed to dust or water
ingress. Some can operate after being
submerged for an hour.”
Systems are failing
According to Nico, Smart Phone manu-
facturers have been trying to move into
the scanning market, but with limited
success. “The brands were aimed at
sales reps going into supermarkets and
similar applications,” he explains. “A
year later, these systems were failing.
They’re simply not tough enough. In the
case of one Smart Phone, the back would
Rugged usability is a key feature in most environments fall off and the battery would fall out.
DC Picking up
Picking has also seen improvements, with
voice technology gaining more ground. “In
many instances, companies are going all
voice; they barely even look at a barcode
anymore,” Nico goes on. “A lot of retail chains
have taken this route. The system allows
pickers to be hands-free, while ensuring
accuracy. Ease-of-use and swift training are
other attractions. Pickers can be operational
after 20 minutes of training.
Voice picking has taken off as an accurate, hands-free “In many installations I see a combination
option of technologies, however. Receiving and put
away is still done using scanners because
of accuracy, while voice picking rounds the
system off.”
For most systems, the race has always been
on to keep the processors up to speed. This
is teamed with accuracy of scan, keyboard
accessibility and ease of use, along with
sophistication of operating software. Nico
tells us that Microsoft still rules the envi-
ronment.
RFID stall
In response to our questions about RFID,
Nico is stoic. “I don’t see it ever replacing
barcoding,” he assures us. “It’s still too
expensive to match a barcode, which comes
in at less than a cent. Even the Walmart
test model hasn’t taken off yet.
“RFID has, however, found a place in closed
loop environments. One of the biggest suc-
cess stories I’ve been aware of is with Chep’s
pallet tracking, where they’re able to track
pallets from DC to DC. For the most part,
it’s a technology that is complementary to
barcoding.
“Actually, this sort of thing probably defines
the industry; finding suitable technologies
that work hand-in-hand to provide the most
effective system in an environment which
can throw a thousand challenges into the
mix on a daily basis,” he smiles.
Nico Scheepers, iData Distribution, Tel. 011 391 3779
Fax. 011 397 3867 Email. nicos@idatadistribution.
New scanning technology puts increased levels of accuracy in the hands co.za, Website. www.idatadistribution.co.za
of forklift operators
Flying
ten specialised charter flights over
a 14 day period. While equestrian
flights aren’t a new concept, it was
the first time a commercial airlift
of this size has taken place for an
Horses
international event.
Class systems
Much like conventional air travel,
the equestrian flight offered three
different classes, with the entry
level Economy Class priced at 8
500 Euros, followed by Business
and First Class with prices going
up to 13 000 Euros.
While human First Class may boast
champagne service, the main dif-
ference for equine passengers came
in the form of space, with class
determining how many horses
were allocated to each ‘air stable’.
Economy Class catered for three
horses per stable, Business Class
had two, while First Class allowed
maximum space with just one horse
per stable. While most traveled
Business Class, rumour has it that
only one horse was allocated a First
Class ticket, but its identity remains
a mystery.
Having been separated by class,
organisers also kept specific types
Fedex provided transport for nearly 450 horses from Europe to the Altech FEI World Equestrian
of horses together, with stallions
Games in Kentucky, USA
kept separate for safety reasons and
they arranged the travelers accord-
The Altech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) held in Ken- ing to their various sporting specialities, such as
tucky in September last year drew considerable attention from eventing, jumping and dressage.
the riding community. The Games, which hold similar prestige
Up, up and on board
in riding circles to the Olympics, are held every four years Competent animal handling was a vital cog in
with numerous countries vying for the privilege of hosting the the process and from the time each horse ar-
event. In fact, the Games were the largest sporting event in rived in its pre-boarding paddock to the time it
the US in 2010. reached its temporary stable yard in Kentucky,
it was escorted by an experienced handler. Each
S
upply Chain Today” was curious to learn flight had a crew of 24, including attendants,
how WEG’s equine contestants arrived vets and grooms, many of them professional
on the scene. With over 800 horses and flying grooms.
riders competing in the Games, 445 of With horses being highly sensitive to disruption
which were based in Europe, organising logistics it was essential that each individual be moni-
was a job best left to the experts. So the horses tored carefully throughout the trip to ensure that
were Fedexed. they arrived in optimum condition to compete.
Fragile limbs and finicky digestive systems can
Entry level economy class priced at 8500 euros, result in disabling or even fatal consequences.
followed by business and first class with prices going up All qualified personnel accompanied the horses
to 13000 euros from their country’s particular Equestrian Federa-
tion to monitor signs of trouble. In the case of a
Utilising wide-bodied modified jets carrying 50 Federation not having a vet, a vet from another
horses per trip, Fedex managed the tricky task Federation monitored their charges.
of loading and shipping its equine passengers From the pre-loading paddocks, the animals were
LindeMaterialHandling
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16 Supply Chain Today Feb 2011
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Highway
Robbery
South Africa’s motorists are at the mercy of
a multitude of criminal activities and those
who use the roads most, namely the coun-
try’s transport companies, are hardest hit. In
many cases these crimes invariably extend
beyond the tarmac.
S
for inexplicable ‘services’.
upply Chain Today” recently attended the
first RFA Fraud Forum, aimed at identifying It is important to note that a labour case is faster
areas of concern and providing possible than a criminal case and it’s not necessary to
solutions. The Forum was led by Bakkies await the outcome of a criminal case before taking
Buitendach, Executive Director of the Forensic up a labour matter. In addition, unlike criminal
Response Group, along with Brian Peters, CEO. cases, labour cases do not require guilt to be
The company specialises in crime investigation, proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Bakkies adds
forensic accounting, procurement consulting, that by enforcing disciplinary and criminal action,
labour consulting and security services. management not only sends a clear message to
other employees, but also stands a better chance
of recouping some losses. Section 300 of the
‘Investigators’ appearing to charge random sums for in- Criminal Prosecution Act dictates that criminals
explicable ‘services’ must reimburse a portion of stolen property.
Fraud and theft takes numerous forms, from overt Bad company
hijackings to white collar crime. Although violent Another problem brought up by members in the
activities often take centre stage, profit margins audience pertained to fraudulent companies of-
and productivity can be seriously eroded by petty fering supply chain services. Unscrupulous freight
theft, often managed by widespread syndicates brokers were a bone of contention, but while some
who operate ‘below the radar’. Clearly, all of advocated the implementation of a blacklisting
these situations require different approaches, system, it was agreed that apart from the legal
however both Bakkies and Brian stress that the issues involved, this would merely compel fraud-
best weapons in a company’s arsenal against sters to resort to other forms of crime.
crime are vigilance and an understanding of both Bakkies and Brian added that companies should
criminal investigation and labour relations. also be wary of labour brokers. In some instances,
Information systems
Generally it helps to be a step
ahead, and here, accurate informa-
tion is key. Those in the know are
able to spot common indicators
of fraud, or the potential for it.
High personal debts, living be-
yond means, gambling problems
and drug or alcohol addictions
can all lead an employee to dip
into company coffers. Research
indicates that it is possible to
bribe a high-earning employee,
for instance someone who earns
between R800k to R1mill per an-
num, with as little as a thousand
rand. For others, a few cigarettes
will suffice.
It’s a mistake to overlook petty
theft since sometimes this can
be a means for syndicates to test
security systems. It is also unwise
to assume that low-earners are
stupid. A menial job may be the
perfect cover for a lucrative role
as an inside contact. Hijackings
are a good example, particularly
when they occur with a low injury
rate. Sometimes it’s as simple
as stopping at the roadside and
waiting while a second truck
arrives with a forklift to unload
goods and drive off.
Be aware that syndicates can
be all-pervasive, and implement
measures to determine whether
your company is a target. Under-
stand that syndicates can be as
interwoven as a family, with some
including initiations, identifying
tattoos and even blood ties.
Companies at risk are those
with a lack of competent per-
sonnel, as well as those with a
rapid turnover of key employees.
Criminals invariably exploit tran-
sition periods. It is a good idea
to be vigilant during quiet times
or year-end phases which may
On the topic of tills, one interesting case study be used to mask duplicate invoicing or unusual
showed the lengths miscreants will go to earn a transactions.
dishonest buck. An audit of a store showing a steady
stock loss uncovered that someone had set up an One or two members may end up contributing while
additional till point and not even the supervisors others benefit without making any effort
had realised that there were nine stations instead
of eight. This point highlights an issue in many Some staff will ingeniously manipulate the sys-
companies: management has to have control over tem to their advantage. For example, by delay-
their systems. It’s not enough to put a system ing delivery of a large order and then rushing it
in place and expect it to fix everything since the through security to meet deadlines, items may
information entered may be incorrect. slide through the system unnoticed.
E
urope has given the matter
much attention, and Swe-
den has been leading the
pack with its strong focus
on environmental sustainability. Rynoux du Preez of Silversands, Winston Muir of Scania and Eugene Beetge
The country managed to reduce of Silversands
dangerously high air pollution levels
in Stockholm over just a couple of decades by Africa. “Johannesburg’s air pollution is currently
implementing strong carbon emission controls. three times higher than Stockholm’s was when
When “Supply Chain Today” chats to Winston authorities there deemed it hazardous,” Winston
Muir of Scania, along with Eugene Beetge and warns.
Rynoux du Preez from Silversands Ethanol, they Sweet deal
have a lot to say about the fuel situation in South In spite of these words, he’s optimistic about the
situation on the home front, citing the proposed
Johannesburg’s air pollution is currently three times Metro bus tender as evidence of Local government’s
higher than Stockholm’s was when authorities there commitment to the process. “Joburg Metro’s op-
deemed it hazardous eration of our demonstration Ethanol buses is a
Scania’s Ethanol buses have drawn increasing support on the local front
work with it,” says Eugene. “If you produce the every city could run a fleet of ethanol buses,”
fuel from anything else the cost would double; says Winston, with Eugene agreeing.
sugar beet makes bio-ethanol competitively priced
compared with diesel.” There are numerous stumbling blocks to biofuel
acceptance, the main one being acceptance from the
The growth phase is five months and harvesting
takes around a month, with local labour being
fossil fuel suppliers
employed for the task, further enhancing the
job-creation facet. “It’s a large underground plant “You’d be looking at 500 buses in 12 year replace-
that needs to be dug out,” Eugene explains. “It ment cycles, which is ample to keep our business
can be done using specialised equipment, but lucrative. Best of all, estimates anticipate that we
this would negate the labour advantage without could create two to three jobs for every ethanol
significantly increasing output.” In order to ensure vehicle on the road. And there’s the additional
supply security, various farmers are contracted advantage of accruing carbon credits to boot,”
into the project to counter the problem of supply he concludes.
interruptions due to bad crops. Winston Muir, Scania, Tel. 011 661 9600, Email. winstonm@
Once harvested the plant is crushed, boiled and scania.co.za, Website. www.scania.co.za
distilled to 96% alcohol. At this point, the additive
is put in, after which it is tested. “The process is
actually quite straightforward,” continues Eugene.
“However there are numerous stumbling blocks
to biofuel acceptance, the main one being ac-
ceptance from the fossil fuel suppliers.”
Fuel monopoly
Traditional bioethanol has a blend of 10% ethanol
to 90% fossil fuel, with the ethanol used invari-
ably being a bio source or synthetic product
manufactured by the fossil fuel company. These
are unfriendly to the environment and limited in
terms of job creation. Apart from that, due to the
99% ethanol needed for a blended product, the
specific ethanol is also the most expensive fuel
source available.
Without government financing, the project has Abundant crops can be harvested from small areas
had numerous challenges to overcome, however
Winston and Eugene are confident that the partner-
ship between Scania, as the technology investor,
Silversands as the producer and Metro City as
the consumer will result in a winning formula.
Although vocal in its support of green fuel initia-
tives, there appears to be minimal government
support of such ventures. South Africa will this
year host an international Biofuel Summit attended
by global green decision-makers, at a stage when
the country has only one active project.
“We are the only ongoing biofuel producer in
South Africa right now,” says Eugene. This is
not from lack of interest; investors are regularly
picking up on new fuel trends but many fail to
meet expectations. Gas was touted to be a likely
contender but came with too many limitations
to make it viable. Sweden’s investigations into
Compressed Bio Gas, creating methane from sew-
age, established that the whole of Stockholm only
produces enough raw material for 110 buses.
Nationwide production
On the other hand, sugar beet’s tremendous flex-
ibility makes it very accessible. It can be grown
almost anywhere, with the result that a plant can
be set up outside every metropole. “Ultimately Biofuel could be the answer to South Africa’s increasing air pollution problem
Supply
beyond the call of duty to
enhance the environment in which
they operate.
Awards
by those in 2010, enjoyed a wonderful
response from the supply chain
community and everything is on track to
make the 2011 event one of the
industry’s most prestigious accolades.
Ground Zero
When it comes to CO2 emissions, scoring 0% means achiev-
ing 100% success. TNT’s Planet Me campaign and Drive Me
challenge aim to help stop pollution by curbing their own emis-
sions into the environment.
A
challenge
s a major player in the global transport footprint and set about managing these aspects
field, TNT’s fleet of delivery vehicles, with a view to reducing emissions.
cargo planes and various buildings play
a part as a key contributor to many CO 2 Code Orange
emissions. Recognising the responsibility to combat The actual management process forms part of the
the problem, the company has implemented two second arm of Planet Me, namely Code Orange.
campaigns to reduce emissions. “Supply Chain “Each area of our three focal points has specific
Today” had a word with Mary Mashiane, Corporate needs,” continues Mary. “Vehicle management
Responsibility Manager of TNT Express, SA. involves network optimisation in terms of ra-
tionalising loads and reducing milage. Driver
Turned to government and aeronautical companies to behaviour is also a contributing factor and our
fast-track research into issues such as fuel consumption ‘Drive Me’ challenge is instrumental in instilling
effective driving habits with the help of a national
Zero tolerance competition in which the winner and runner up
“Planet Me is aimed at cutting our carbon emis- are entered into TNT’s international challenge.
sions down to zero,” Mary tells us. “This goal will Our fuel choices can play a significant role too,
cover every aspect of our business from operating as well as the choice of technologies we make.
buildings and depots, to the vehicles we use.” Finally, we have extended these principles to our
The campaign adopts a three-pronged approach subcontractors, our ‘Orange Network’, encour-
incorporating Count Carbon, Code Orange and aging them to adopt similar carbon reduction
Choose Orange. practices.”
“Count Carbon involves calculating and manag- Air travel receives equal attention, with a focus
ing our CO 2 performance,” she explains. “Since on route optimisation for fuel efficiency. Most
carbon monitoring is a relatively new area, it importantly, however, TNT has turned to govern-
has been necessary to implement some novel ment and aeronautical companies to fast-track
systems to handle the process.” Following an research into issues such as fuel consumption,
audit which began as far back as 2004, TNT routing and alternative energy.
determined that its vehicles, aircraft and build- The company’s Building Initiative is ambitious
ings were the primary contributors to its carbon and involves some radical steps. Occupying
Illogical
Logistics
The life of a “Supply Chain Today”
writer is not an easy one. Amidst the
glamour of launches and functions,
there’s a lot of trudging through mud
and dodging oil slicks to track down
news and meet deadlines.
A
either. Or even very merry.
ll of this is exacerbated by the fact that
good stories are hard to find. Apart from This is not an isolated conversation. We speak to
running the gauntlet of educated execs people like this all the time. The term ‘logistics’,
with well-rehearsed PR pitches designed according to Wikipedia ‘involves the integration
to deflect any real investigative journalism, there’s of information, transportation, inventory, ware-
housing, material handling, and packaging, and
Organisations offering ‘logistics’ when clearly there isn’t occasionally security [and] is a channel of the
a soul in the company who understands the concept supply chain which adds the value of time and
place utility’.
the even more frustrating task of dealing with the No party
uneducated ones who have no idea what they’re We’ve discovered that it is applied to everything
talking about. from smoking bakkies to crumpled boxes and
Providing some insights into her plans and vision for the With this dynamic tool you can run reports and create
new year, Desai says that from solid foundations estab- dashboards quickly to detect things like market changes
lished in the company’s 8 year history in Southern Africa, and product sales in real time. This allows your sales-
it intends to grow rapidly. “With a sound and expanding people to immediately respond to new opportunities
partner base, we will look to aggressively advance the and improve business performance.
profile of our solutions. That includes attention to channel FlowCentric Technologies South Africa. Tel: 012 665 2591, Web:
and end-user marketing, where emphasis will be placed www.flowcentric.com
on cost-competitiveness in terms of the complete pack-
From:.........................................................................................
Title: ..........................................................................................
Company: .................................................................................
Address: ..................................................................................
....................................................................................................
......................................................................Code: ..................
Fuso 16, 17
Goscor Outside Front Cover, 21
Interrol 12
IQPC 6
Linde 14
Nissan Forklift 10
Paul Steyn 28
Lee-Ann Colyn Denise Howard Proscan Inside Back Cover
Denise Howard has been appointed as Sales Manager Psion 20
at TNT Express for the Durban and Port Elizabeth re- TNT 8
gions.
Toyota Forklift Inside Front Cover
Lee-Ann Colyn has been appointed as Sales Manager
at TNT Express in the Western Cape office. Universal Storage Systems 34
www.continental.co.za