Palletline - networking in action!

Back in 1992, the launch of the Palletline System represented the biggest fundamental change in UK-based haulage for decades, effectively revolutionising the market for palletised freight distribution with an innovative and highly efficient hub and spoke-based operation.

Exiting from recession at the beginning of the 1990s, industry in the UK had an opportunity to take a long, hard look at its requirements for the last decade of the twentieth century. Reducing order sizes and growing demand for JIT deliveries were bringing about a significant shift in focus within the distribution industry.

Alliances and partnerships were already developing to help individual companies to manage change. By successfully combining their strengths and facilities, the founder Member Companies of the Palletline System were able to offer their customers a true nationwide service - at competitive rates and providing advanced levels of performance and reliability.

Palletline today - a powerful partnership
Since then, Palletline has grown and developed into a highly professional distribution system which plays a vital role in the logistics solutions of many of the country's key manufacturers, distributors and retailers, transporting an infinite variety of goods in line with demanding production and supply requirements.

Widely recognised as the UK's leading specialist network, Palletline has grown steadily in line with increasing demand from industry and commerce. From inception, the Palletline System has been owned and managed by the companies who combine their resources and expertise to provide the service. Each of the participating Member Companies is a shareholder in Palletline Plc, with a financial, professional and personal interest in the quality of the service provided by the organisation. This approach to ownership - believed to be unique in the field of distribution systems - has made an important contribution to the growth and development of Palletline.

Investing in improved working practices
Investment in improved working practices has seen Palletline's Central Hub achieve accreditation to ISO 9001, swiftly followed in 2007 by OSHAS 18001 - the first pallet network in the country to attain this internationally recognised specification for occupational health and safety management systems.

With the UK's pallet networks now under close scrutiny by the Health & Safety Executive in line with the Moving Goods Safely 3 initiative, Palletline Plc has successfully demonstrated its commitment to the introduction and maintenance of professional quality systems designed to address changing legislation, protect the workforce and promote excellence in operation in all areas of the business.

Accreditation to OHSAS 18001 is a particularly important achievement for Palletline. Working towards this goal has enabled the organisation to promote an intrinsically safe working environment, operating within a clearly defined framework where risks to health and safety are identified and controlled.

Importantly, the criteria for OHSAS 18001 accreditation relies not just on production of the correct paperwork but also on showing evidence that the objectives of the standard are understood by the entire workforce. This called for the development of a step by step guide for all tasks, involving detailed consultation at all stages and total 'buy-in' of the concept by all Palletline employees.

Health & Safety Manager Ken Bell explains the impact this work has had across the entire operation. "Preparation for OHSAS 18001 was all about defining our processes in a more rigorous way, and has resulted in the creation of a safety culture throughout the organisation," he said. "We have demonstrated that you can take an existing facility and make it better and safer by applying documented management systems to plan for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control - with the structure and responsibility in place for real accountability."

OHSAS 18001 is also expected to impact at a commercial level, demonstrating to customers and partners that the business is innovative and forward thinking, managed efficiently and able to maintain a reliable, effective and compliant service and at times.

IT - the key to a competitive edge
Palletline currently operates with a web based consignment management system which integrates to Member Companies' traffic systems - probably the first in the industry - providing secure, flexible and reliable solutions with integrated POD image capture and management. The track and trace solution incorporates five scan points per consignment, with the number of tracking points for pallets soon to be significantly increased, giving a constant view of pallet locations. Simple yet powerful customer access includes label print and track and trace functions. All system consignment enquiries allow 'drill down' to individual pallet movements.

Future plans include digital signature capture, which will be in place in April 2008, plus PIN encoding of secure deliveries. Signature capture will be open system-based, allowing members to select the best solution for their own customers and then pass results back to Palletline. GPS location stamping of signatures is supported where available.

Integration to traffic systems is also being enhanced by web service-based availability of Palletline status records. This enables members to view the status of pallets in their traffic systems whilst the pallet is still in the Palletline network, enabling them to check the number of pallets actually loaded and scanned onto delivery vehicles against the number routed to the vehicle by the traffic system.

The management team at Palletline view the business as IT-led, with systems under continuous improvement. A new reporting environment is due shortly, and a stream of enhancements developed to simplify systems and processes for Member Companies.

From a bright idea to a market leading corporate concern, Palletline today is a vibrant structure and a model of cooperation supported by sustained planned investment. The organisation has been cited as an example of best practice in a White Paper on Sustainable Distribution produced by the DTR.

Palletline
Tel: 0121 386 2526
www.palletline.co.uk