< Previous20 Business Link www.blmforum.net MATERIALS HANDLING B usinesses across all sectors have had to become leaner in recent years, as problem after problem hits the economy. The lockdown played havoc with distribution centres in the region because of how integral staff are to their day-to-day operations. Delays from distribution inevitably cause delays further up the line, which leads to more and more problems. This was even harder during lockdown because of the reliance on deliveries for food and goods direct to homes, which pushed the country’s supply chain to the limit. The most obvious benefit of a materials handling system is it eliminates the damage and loss caused by human error. Yet, beyond this, a truly well managed system can increase efficiency, reduces handling costs, and facilitates stock management and process flow. Understanding how to increase efficiency with materials handling is useful to know, even if you intend to use a third-party warehousing partner, so as to make an informed investment. Key efficiency indicators include time sensitivity, storage temperature, the sealants utilised and accessibility of stock. All of these combine to determine the speed at which the materials can be processed, Rising pressure The region’s many distribution centres rely on efficient materials handling to see goods shipped out across the country but rising costs have placed more pressure on the supply chain than ever before. 22 Á 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:59 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 21 MATERIALS HANDLING © stock.adobe.com/ Алина Бузунова 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:59 Page 222 Business Link www.blmforum.net MATERIALS HANDLING and the quality of the end product. Given that Unplanned Downtime, Yield, and Inventory Turnover are amongst some of the most common Key Product Indicators measured by food and drink manufacturers, it can be seen how efficiency with materials handling can improve these indicators. The concept of materials handling is traditionally about safety but has expanded to efficiency with the advent of technology that has further increased how much any one human can move at a given time. Forklifts, pallet trucks and fully automated conveyor systems have removed the human element, and the human limit, and continue to be attractive in a post-lockdown economy. Automated materials handling systems allow for flexibility within the supply chain, as when a new product is introduced, it is merely a case of recalibrating machinery. If flexible walls were installed in conveyor belts, this would allow for easy manoeuvrability around the warehouse if operations were to be moved, scaled up or scaled down, without significantly increasing downtime. Given the exponential demand for consumer goods direct to our supermarkets, or even our doors, this has necessitated efficiency within materials handling, as the long-lasting nature of some of these products means that businesses can expand their operations. With increased operations, increases the need for accuracy, safety, and cost-saving process. AGVs are expected to reduce workplace accidents significantly, as driving automated paths and the ability to inter communicate with other AGVs reduces likelihood of collisions. It is © stock.adobe.com/Kadmy 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:59 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 23 MATERIALS HANDLING © stock.adobe.com/xiaoliangge estimated that 25% of injuries in the workplace are caused by contact with objects and equipment and reducing the need for manual handling across the production process, underscores the impact of automated vehicles in reducing these incidents. Warehouse software and SCM (Supply chain management) software has also been under scrutiny of late, with lessons learned from the pandemic being that warehouses need ways to operate on skeleton staff and shortages. This has been a timely lesson, since the great resignation and a dearth of skilled workers has caused the problem to grow. Using computers alongside machines for materials handling purposes has long been the dream of companies operating warehouses, as it removes the risks for accidents and scandals, and machines can work longer hours with less breaks. However, the technology has always been inhibitive in the past compared to the traditional workforce, and however efficient machines may be, humans are more flexible, able to adapt to changes without the need for programming and keep working. This has slowly begun to change in recent years with robots becoming more affordable and widely produced, and employee wages have risen alongside this, slowly closing the gap between investment cost and sustained wages. The cost of living has put a stop to wage increases sadly, as the economy and many businesses are struggling to afford them, but it is unlikely to be something that continues. Once the economic troubles are over, whether it be through a recession or not, it is likely that employees will demand higher wages, and that the national wage will increase once more. With that in mind, it might be worth looking at automated materials handling sooner rather than later. At some point, it might be mandatory, or even the industry standard. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:59 Page 424 Business Link www.blmforum.net WATER AND WASTE MANAGEMENT Water treatment is in the spotlight in recent times, as raw sewage dumped into UK rivers shows the darker side of the industry W ater being a keystone of life makes the industry important, and it is that same commitment to life that led water companies in the UK to agree in 2020 on an ambitious plan to make the water treatment industry net zero by 2030, twenty years ahead of the Government’s 2050 deadline. Water UK estimated that the pledge could lead to a saving of ten million tonnes of greenhouse gases. That is because water treatment and transportation is energy intensive, which is very expensive in today’s economic climate especially. Government projections put water supply as becoming scarcer in the future as demand on limited supplies increase, which is why businesses are being tasked with becoming more water Investing in water 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 10:00 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 25 WATER AND WASTE MANAGEMENT © stock.adobe.com/freeman83 efficient, and why water treatment is so integral. The cornerstones of water treatment involve the treating and safe release/disposal of water used in business processes back into the environment. This can have major ecological impacts when handled ineffectively, harming biodiversity and causing ecological, as well as environmental, damage. We live in a world where these factors are prized more than ever by consumers and customers who, in a more digital world, are quick to find fault and criticise companies who cause damage to the landscape. Wastewater – and waste management in general – represents not only copious amounts of greenhouse gas, but damaging environmental waste that can impact entire ecosystems, changing concentrations of animals, pests and insects in ways that can upset natural habitats. One doesn’t have to look far to see timely and topical examples of water treatment done wrong, as the Government was recently highlighted for decisions that allowed treatment works to 26 Á 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 10:00 Page 226 Business Link www.blmforum.net WATER AND WASTE MANAGEMENT pump raw sewage into the UK’s rivers which, a new report has found, was known to be happening by the Environment Agency ten years ago. The report found that in 2012, it was known that United Utilities were dumping raw sewage into rivers in north-west regions and were failing to treat the required amount of sewage as agreed by their permits. The fact it has only come to light now has led many to anger and will place more attention on water treatment and wastewater disposal going forward as the Government, and concerned groups, try to limit the damage. Since then, Anglian Water have been fined over £800,000 for breaches and pollution incidents in Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, which has led for calls for their other sites to be investigated as well. One incident was said to have caused the deaths of every invertebrate in the river for 1.5 kilometres, which will have disastrous knock-on effects for all animals for which they were a part of the food chain. Is accurate and adequate water treatment just about complying with environmental demands and avoiding criticism, however? No. It is important that good water treatment in any business be viable as well as environmentally sound, and thankfully water treatment can help to reduce energy costs if it is implemented correctly. The process itself is very energy intensive, which is why it stands that greater savings can be made. A 10% increase in energy efficiency, for instance, will have a much greater financial saving on an energy-intensive process as opposed to an energy-light process. The amount of savings that can be made will depend on factors such as the size and age of existing water treatment facilities, how outdated they might be and the sewage inflow and effluent quantity. In the case of Anglian Water, it was stated that old technology and poor maintenance practices played a part in their failure. The lessons to be learned from this are that water treatment and disposal is a story of two halves – the first is that the water be treated and made safe as efficiently and affordable as possible, but the other half is that efforts must be taken to have a conscious awareness of what impact the release of such waste will have on the local environment and ecological system. This may not be as immediately profit-oriented as the former, but the hefty fines faced by companies who failed this, and the reputational damage, will have long-lasting implications on their brands, and may well lead to many job losses among high ranking individuals who were found to have allowed this to happen. As the population in the country continues to grow, water will become increasingly precious. We have already begun to see droughts in developed countries such as America, and there are many of the attitude that this could not possibly happen in the UK. The reality is less certain however, which is why continued investment and development in water treatment facilities is so important. 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 10:00 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 27 WATER AND WASTE MANAGEMENT © stock.adobe.com/creativenature.nl 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 10:00 Page 428 Business Link www.blmforum.net TRAINING AND EDUCATION S o, why is there a skills shortage? COVID, furlough and Brexit is the short answer, as approximately a million EU workers have left the UK and simultaneously a record low number of immigrants have arrived. Alongside this, COVID and furlough made many question their ‘meaning of life’ and ultimately leave their jobs….and, as the economy now tries to reboot, there just isn’t enough workers available. This has been dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’. It’s an ongoing economic trend where employees have voluntarily left their jobs en masse, starting in early 2021, with most citing reasons for resigning being wage stagnation amid rising living costs, hostile, uncomfortable working environments, limited opportunities for career advancement, poor benefits, inflexible remote- work policies and overall job dissatisfaction. The Governments’ Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Strategy Report 2021-2023 states that, of 1,200 regional businesses approached, 35% were having difficulty filling vacancies and that this was mainly due to skills shortage, especially as Lincolnshire, in relation to the UK, has a huge employment requirement in food & Keeping hold of the good ones How many employees have said, “I’ve had enough, enough of the endless Teams calls and emails, enough of putting my career on hold, of feeling stressed out and overlooked by my employer and I’m not paid enough!?” All these comments are more relevant than ever as they are currently leading to a major skills shortage in the region, and throughout the UK. 30 Á 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 10:02 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 29 TRAINING AND EDUCATION © stock.adobe.com/Anton Gvozdikov 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 10:02 Page 2Next >