Introduced by Tony Bellott, chair of the Northamptonshire Logistics Forum and a freelance logistics consultant.
Tony Bellott is a career logistics professional with 40+ years supply chain and logistics experience in senior leadership roles, with a successful track record of running national transport and warehouse operations; including the delivery of operational efficiency programmes, service level improvements, cost reduction projects and transformational change in an omni-channel world. A leader and mentor dedicated to improving and raising the profile of the logistics sector.
Using technology to scale with eCommerce demand
Steven Hagan (James and James Fulfilment)
Direct-to-consumer eCommerce has grown fast in the last 10 years - and even faster during lockdown. How can technology help us meet this demand?
James and James Fulfilment was founded in 2010, when co-founder James Hyde struggled to find a new fulfilment provider for the online honey seller he worked for. Every provider ran on paper-based systems designed around traditional distribution processes. Nobody was using web-based technology to connect with eCommerce platforms like Shopify and process the orders automatically. James saw an opportunity to create that technology.
The result was ControlPort - a cloud-based order fulfilment platform that could: retrieve orders from online stores in real-time (rather than from a delayed CSV upload); manage the pick and pack process without paper (increasing accuracy and efficiency); and provide both online stores and their customers with live information on their inventory and orders.
In this talk, Steven will discuss how this platform has helped James and James become one of the fastest-growing organisations in the UK, with burgeoning operations in the US too. He'll discuss both the technology and the processes it underpins, which enable the company to scale with natural growth - and manage exceptional peaks such as those that the 2020 pandemic brought about.
Training parts other training systems fail to reach!
Mark Parrish (Cortexa)
Many organisations run large fleets of vehicles and reaching their drivers to include and train them can be a real challenge. Here Mark talks about his company’s experience of engaging with drivers.
Cortexa work with a range of businesses but have a deep and long standing connection with the Builders Merchants channel. All of their 40+ customers in this sector run large fleets.
The work and experience Mark will share includes online Driver/Operator training along with an “O” Licence course for managers and how learning through competitive self testing can be a good way to engage and connect with a particularly difficult audience.