How to achieve carbon neutral warehousing and storage

Even though the UK is at the forefront of the fight against climate change, decarbonisation needs to happen faster. Short-term and long-term storage, a common requirement for the public sector, are opportunities where introducing more sustainable solutions can reduce carbon emissions in the logistics sector.

In a previous article, I explained how the public sector, logistics industry, and providers can work together to cut transport-related carbon emissions. In this article, I narrow the focus to look more closely at the warehousing and storage aspect of the logistics industry. 

More efficient warehouse management systems can help shrink carbon emissions by reducing space waste, enabling more sustainable materials distribution, and minimising heating and cooling costs. 

Here are 5 innovative ways of reducing carbon emissions after the freight you’ve shipped is stored:

1. Seek out opportunities to switch oil-based plastics for biodegradable and non-fossil-fuel-derivatives

Conventional plastic used in traditional packaging is commonly produced from oil-based fossil fuel derivatives. However, new plant-based alternatives to traditional oil-based plastic consumables are gaining traction in the logistics industry. 

Made from plant-based sources rather than traditional fossil fuel-derived plastic, they are often designed to be biodegradable or 100% recyclable. Instead of releasing fossil carbon into the air, these consumables remove present-day carbon from the environment, representing a carbon-neutral alternative. Plant-based polyethene mailbags and pallet wrap produced from sugar cane are examples of alternative products in use today.

2. Switch to greener stacking and packing

The traditional wooden pallet has been largely unchanged for decades, but even this industry mainstay has a more sustainable alternative. Sustainable options include reclaimed and reformed wood pallets with load capabilities equal to their traditional counterparts. Protective packaging is also available in greener alternatives produced from starch, reformed wooden furniture, and recycled paper.

3. Build sustainable design into storage facilities

It’s no secret that warehousing real estate is currently in high demand with new facilities being erected along many motorways around the country. In many cases, developers are giving greater consideration to the green credentials of the new premises. For example, new builds include design elements such as improved insulation, solar and wind power-generation facilities, and heat pumps and charging stations that are eco-friendly and more cost-efficient. Older facilities can also be retrofitted with greener heating, cooling, and lighting components. 

Energy-efficient LED warehouse lighting is used in new builds and retrofitted in older structures. Linking LED lighting with motion sensors helps reduce energy consumption even further, ensuring that lighting is only ever used where needed.

4. Plug-in to greener energy

Efficiencies can be gained in cost and carbon emissions by powering lighting and temperature-controlled environments using alternative sources to fossil-fuelled gas or oil. 

Choosing a green electricity supply, either from your power supplier or opting for onsite generation, reduces emissions and enables large sites to generate energy to use or put back into the National Grid network. Warehousing facilities cover extensive square footage; in newer facilities, reinforced rooftops allow solar panel power generation systems to be installed. 

On a simpler level, using air-conditioning systems as a source of temperature control can act as an alternative to gas or oil-fueled heating. In addition, where the power supply is generated by solar or wind power, this then provides a 100% environmentally sustainable heat source.

5. Using green power for site machinery

In previous articles, I’ve looked at the use of alternative fuels for transport logistics, but the same principles are also being applied in warehouses. Electric pallet trucks, stackers and forklifts are not new technology, and many warehouse operators are using e-vehicles onsite as opposed to diesel or LPG-fueled models. 

Many thanks to Iron Mountain for supporting the content research for this blog. 

We are here to support your decarbonisation journey 

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) offers storage services through a variety of different framework agreements depending on customer requirements. In 2020, CCS launched its first-ever UK public sector Logistics and Warehousing framework agreement. 

Twenty-five suppliers were awarded framework agreements to provide a wide range of transport and warehousing services across 8 lots that were written to reflect the different categories of market specialism and public sector needs. Storage and warehousing are also available through:

Like many in the industry, our suppliers are working hard to implement new technologies and innovations to support the UK Government’s net zero pledge by reducing the impact of their warehousing activities. If you are interested in learning more about these approaches, contact the CCS framework category team to learn how to take advantage of new, greener packaging and storage spaces.

How to reduce the environmental impact of logistics in the public sector

The largest source of emissions within many supply chains can be attributed to logistics. It’s not hard to see why. 

Ours is a global economy. Many of our products contain components and raw materials sourced worldwide. The device you are using to read this article includes parts supplied by more than 200 companies in China, South Korea, Europe, Japan, India, and the United States. Often, these components must be shipped to a final assembly line – probably in Asia. 

The environmental implications of our global logistics, the transport and storage of materials and information through supply chains, cut across all sectors. Organisations committed to reducing their negative impact on the environment are looking for ways to reduce the polluting effect of their logistical operations. The public sector is no different. 

Incremental change is key to achieving environmental policy goals 

There are many ways the public sector can work with suppliers to introduce changes that lead to more environmentally-friendly operations. Fortunately, you don’t always have to make sweeping changes to see an impact. Technical innovations and expertise available now can contribute to achieving your environmental policy goals.  

This article is not an exhaustive list of suggestions, it’s a starting point. The aim is to offer some ideas to discuss with your supplier to help reduce carbon emissions in your supply and logistics chain. 

Five ways to minimise carbon emissions in public sector logistics contracts

1. Identify the carbon culprits in your logistical activities

A core principle of any procurement function is to minimise waste, which applies to carbon reduction as much as it does to finance. The ‘cost’ of goods and services is more than financial, and every product and service also comes with an environmental price tag.  

On the road to net zero logistics, buyers should consider where carbon waste can be minimised, substituting traditional products and services for alternative but equally effective, greener practices. 

Examine the different logistics and supply chain stages to understand where greenhouse gas emissions are highest. Doing so will help identify what practices and decisions are supporting that carbon price tag. For example:

  • what transport methods do you use that carry a higher emissions ticket? 
  • are there alternative ways to move pallets of supplies, materials, parts, and commodities, with minimal plastic packaging? 
  • how can you better optimise vehicle journeys when moving goods? 
  • what can you do to minimise the number of less-than-full containers and truckloads?
  • do your suppliers have carbon reduction plans in place?

A thorough audit of all stages of your supply chain can give you a more accurate figure of its carbon footprint. The good news is that minimising carbon-emitting inefficiencies often benefits the bottom line.

2. Incorporate consolidation measures

In transport, carbon efficiency goes hand-in-hand with cost efficiency. Making the most out of every mile travelled carries a cost saving in fuel and vehicle maintenance while also reducing emissions. For these reasons, simple consolidation measures are a good way for you to begin reducing your supply chain’s carbon footprint. 

There are many ways to introduce consolidation practices. The most straightforward approach is to allow the carrier to make the best use of their load space. For example, transporting a full truck, vehicle, or container load maximises value from each mile travelled, reducing overall emissions. 

Other ways you can achieve consolidation include: 

  • delivering larger full truck loads less frequently
  • reconsidering the need for dedicated transport
  • arranging to use a shared consolidation centre system with your supplier

Consolidation centres are offsite locations where inbound delivery vehicles are diverted so their cargo can be unloaded and consolidated into full truckloads or vehicle loads before onward delivery to the client. A consolidation centre decreases the volume of supply chain traffic into the delivery site and reduces the volume of congestion and associated pollution. 

Consolidation centres can be dedicated spaces or shared by multiple users. These places may also link to smaller inner-city hubs where loads are broken down before the final mile delivery, using low or zero-emission transport. As a result, you avoid additional pass-through of Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges.

3. Use different modes of transport

Every method of transport comes with a carbon cost: the faster the transport, the higher the carbon cost. In addition, different modes of transport produce different levels of emissions. For example, air and ocean freight can add more to your supply chain’s logistics carbon footprint. Even road and rail transport add up. 

While urgent services often require faster modes of transport such as road or air, advanced planning can allow more choice and a better balance of transportation methods. Planning ahead with your suppliers can make selecting alternative, lower-emission shipping methods possible.  

Slower and more eco-friendly shipping modes like rail and ocean freight can be considered by sharing forecast information and arranging a level of contingency stockholding. When combined with appropriate consolidation measures, the overall carbon cost is reduced further. 

4. Engage with your suppliers earlier: communication is key

In most cases, when asked, logistics providers will say the key to supporting the public sector in reducing carbon emissions lies in transparent collaboration. Opening up lines of communication early between you and your supplier can reap enormous benefits. 

Engaging with suppliers early on to communicate what service and policy requirements you need puts the supplier in a better position to prioritise your net zero ambitions. For example, bringing suppliers into early discussions before a final specification is written gives them more opportunity to suggest new technologies, innovations, and alternative approaches at a stage where more substantive operating model changes are possible and beneficial. 

Sharing your sustainability goals goes a long way to helping to dispel misconceptions that cost savings is the primary objective for the public sector.

5. Consider a longer-term contract

As a buyer, if you are looking to work with your supplier to start to reduce the negative environmental impact of your logistical operations, consider longer-term contracts. 

Longer-term contracts give suppliers more freedom and flexibility to offer innovative solutions, which may require more investment. In addition, a longer term enables the supplier to spread the expense associated with environmentally sustainable approaches. As a result, they can minimise the cost impact while ensuring the initial investment costs are recoverable. 

Longer-term contracts, as long as they are carefully managed, can offer more scope for continuous improvement and innovation, not least in achieving environmentally sustainable delivery aims. As logistics partners become more familiar with contract requirements, suggestions for further carbon efficiencies can be explored and tested.

Committed to helping reduce your logistics’ carbon footprint

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) works with a range of suppliers,  supporting public sector storage and transport requirements. These suppliers offer services to the health sector, central government, and wider public sector agencies. 

The services available from our agreements include:

Bring more power to your procurement

CCS offers you flexible solutions for public sector storage and transport needs. To find out more and take your next step, get in touch using our online form quoting ‘logistics and warehousing’ or call us on 0345 410 2222.

Explore how we can support your sustainability journey by visiting our carbon net zero page. You can also view additional articles about carbon-neutral warehousing and freight transport decarbonisation.

Keeping your fleet safe on the road this winter

As we move into winter, Fleet Managers need to ensure that their fleet is safe and ready for the upcoming cold and difficult weather.

According to the Met Office, the UK gets 23.7 days of snowfall per year. Without proper planning and winter provisions in place, this could result in a large number of vehicles being off the road at any one time. This presents a wide range of problems for fleets such as unsuitable tyres, cracked windscreens and faulty heaters. 

Our aim is to help you continue to deliver vital public services, regardless of what the weather throws at you. That’s why we developed our Tyres, Glass and Fast Fit Solutions framework; a full service solution for fleet maintenance that provides quality products and services at the best possible price.

What can you buy to keep your fleet safe this winter?

Tyres

Wet, icy and snow covered roads are problematic for all drivers, not least for fleets dedicated to delivering public services – which is why it is important that vehicles are equipped with tyres that can handle varying conditions. 

Our framework provides supply, fit, repair and management of tyres at short notice on a regional or national basis, and also mobile fitting services. Vehicles of all sizes are covered, from motorcycles to HGVs, as well as associated services, such as re-treading. 

Maintenance and Fast Fit

Perfect for ensuring your fleet is roadworthy during the winter period, you can buy a wide range of products and services to keep your fleet running efficiently and effectively such as fog lights, heating system repairs and wiper blade replacements. 

Glass Solutions

During the winter windscreens are under more stress than ever. As the cold temperatures on the outside of the vehicle clash with the warm temperatures on the inside, any chips in the glass could lead to cracks, resulting in time off the road. Our framework provides supply, fit and repair of vehicle glass products, as well as any other associated glass and windscreen services. Whether it be your standard passenger vehicles, larger commercial and operational vehicles or emergency response vehicles, we’ve got you covered. Additionally, our suppliers can provide repair and fit windscreens in just 2 hours.

Here to help your fleet this winter

Through our Tyres, Glass and Fast Fit Solutions framework, it’s easier than ever to keep your fleet in the best condition, whatever your requirement and location. To find out more: 

An introduction to technology product bundles

What is the technology catalogue?

Procuring technology products can often be a long process. The TOPC catalogue gives you real-time access to great prices on a range of ‘off the shelf’ technology products, such as laptops, mobile phones, software and accessories, ensuring a quick and compliant route to market.

The catalogue has an intelligent search function that compares and selects the best price for you. It also uses smart basket functionality at checkout to ensure the lowest price for the whole shopping basket is achieved, including the price of goods and delivery. This enhanced buying process provides assurance whilst saving you money and time. 

There are many advantages to buying technology products using the catalogue, including:

  • daily price and stock updates to ensure best value and availability
  • price comparison tool to provide you with at least 3 prices, as well as industry benchmark pricing
  • all firm quotes generated can have fixed for 30 days to allow for approvals

What’s new?

We have worked with current catalogue suppliers to create product bundles. These are a new,  full-service solution which collects multiple product requirements into one package, providing a cost effective way to meet your technology requirements. Current bundles include: 

Working from home bundle

This bundle contains products such as a laptop, laptop riser, keyboard, mouse, secondary screen and connecting cables. The purpose of this bundle is to ensure that employees are able to recreate an office environment at home. 

Laptop bundle

This bundle contains products such as a laptop, laptop riser and laptop case. The purpose of this bundle is to offer a ready made solution ideal for new starters.  

Meeting room bundle

This bundle contains products such as a projector, smart screen, speakers and cables. The purpose of this bundle is to provide a complete audio solution for meetings, ensuring clear communication and enhancing collaboration.

Remote working bundle

This bundle contains products such as a tablet, protective case, smart pens, screen protector, car charger and power bank. The purpose of this bundle is to offer a ready made device and connectivity bundle.

Smart phone bundle

This bundle contains products such as a smartphone, a protective case, screen protector and power bank. The purpose of this bundle is to offer competitive rates on all smart phone accessories, ensuring teams remain connected on the go. 

Coming soon

We also have some features that will be going live in the catalogue in the near future. These include:

Volume price breaks

  • live in April 2023
  • provides further discounts or price breaks for higher volume purchases.

Request a product form

  • live in April 2023
  • allows customers to liaise with suppliers directly when they are unable to find a product on the platform.

Let us add power to your technology procurement

We are here to help you select the most appropriate route to market for your individual  technology needs. 

For more information:

Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) access services: expression of interest

Get involved in a new aggregated competition under the HSCN Access Services DPS (RM3825) agreement. 

Background

In 2018, NHS organisations worked directly with NHS Digital, who provided specialised support around the transition from old to new technologies. Initial call-off contracts for Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) services are now nearing their end date.

Many NHS organisations will soon need to review their options and routes to market to re-procure these services. In collaboration with NHS England (which, as of February 2023, now incorporates NHS Digital), we plan to support customers through a new aggregated competition under the HSCN Access Services DPS (RM3825) agreement. 

Why join an aggregation?

We run free of charge aggregated procurements that help customers benefit from: 

  • price savings come from leveraging volumes
  • process cost savings (frees up customer resource)
  • support throughout the process (including transition to new contract)
  • expertise in both procurement and category

Who can join?

This aggregation is aimed at NHS organisations who need connection into HSCN.

Get involved

To register your interest in taking part in the aggregated procurement, please complete our online form, quoting ‘HSCN’ and one of our team will be in touch.

If you want to run your own call-off procurement or organise your own aggregated competition guidance and templates are available in the documents section of the RM3825 webpage.

Changes to our agreements in February

Welcome to our monthly framework update to help you with your procurement planning. We will publish it online each month and also share it in our newsletters and on our social media channels.

The update provides a brief summary of what has been awarded, extended or expired during the previous month. It also outlines what is due to expire in the next 3 months.

You can also get an overview of all of our live frameworks in our interactive digital brochure.

Agreements awarded in February  

  • No new agreements were awarded in February

Agreements extended in February

Agreements that expired in February

Agreements due to expire in the next 3 months

Further information

If you need further details about any of these agreements please get in touch.

You can also find out what new procurements we are working on by exploring our upcoming deals page.

If you don’t currently receive our monthly customer newsletter why not also subscribe to receive these updates and more directly to your inbox? Just fill in this short form.

How to build resilience and strengthen the cyber security procurement process

NB: This article was originally published on 1 March 2023. All information was correct at the time of writing, but may not be fully applicable following the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023.

Public sector data is a tempting target for cybercriminals. The following article includes our 5 top tips for building resilience and strengthening cyber security within your organisation.

An ever increasing threat

Britain has recently been named the ‘cyber attack capital of Europe’. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK’s technical authority for cyber security incidents. According to its 2022 annual review, over the last year the cyber security threat has evolved significantly and businesses and organisations in the UK reported hundreds of cyber incidents to the NCSC, 63 of which were significant enough to require a national level response. 

These attacks are predominantly ransomware attacks where cyber criminals use malicious software to block access to computer systems and threaten to release the organisation’s sensitive data unless the ransom is paid. The impact of a ransomware attack on public sector organisations can be devastating. Any data breach is not only a reputational issue but can cause real issues in the ability of organisations to deliver crucial frontline services. 

For example, Wannacry – one of the most well-known examples of a ransomware attack – cost the NHS £92 million in 2017 and brought the NHS to a standstill for several days, affecting more than 600 healthcare organisations. Not only were thousands of appointments and operations cancelled, but staff were also left unable to access the key systems that they depended on.

Cyber attacks are calculated. Criminals that target the public sector’s data, networks and systems are often politically motivated and looking to steal specific information. 

How to strengthen your cyber defences through the procurement process

With cyber criminals targeting supply chains and recent attacks such as Solar Winds, procurement can be an increasing concern for the public sector. 

For example, the NHS has an extremely complex supply chain and relies on a large range of suppliers. These companies are critical to maintaining our health service, however, with criminals often targeting the weakest link within supply chains, they also pose significant risk. 

How can the procurement process help reduce these risks?

One of the biggest supply chain challenges can be a supplier’s understanding or competence when it comes to cyber security. Accreditation is increasingly important in strengthening cyber defences within the procurement process. Buying through a framework ensures that your suppliers have had vetting checks for accreditation such as Cyber Essentials. 

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that allows organisations to carry out a cyber self-assessment and provides an understanding of the organisation’s security levels. This will mean that your supplier has taken steps to safeguard their business against cyber threats and will assist in strengthening cyber defences within your supply chain. 

A further step would be to request Cyber Essential Plus, which offers additional protections as it includes a technical audit of supplier’s systems as opposed to the self assessment in Cyber Essentials.

NCSC Assured Suppliers

When buying cyber security services, there are additional certifications you can look for from a supplier. The NCSC offers assurance for a range of services including consultancy, incident response and penetration testing.

The advantages of using NCSC assured suppliers to manage supply chain risk are that they will have:

  • met the NCSC’s standards and have a proven track record in delivering high quality consultancy services 
  • a defined process for working with customers to understand their needs
  • demonstrated a clear understanding of current and potential cyber threats and techniques and potential effective mitigations
  • been independently and rigorously assessed
  • shown that they act with integrity objectivity and proportionality
  • protect the customer’s confidentiality and integrity and comply with relevant laws and regulations
  • a commitment to continuously improve the services offered 

5 steps to building resilience to cyber attacks:

Building cyber resilience is about strengthening cyber security to increase confidence and ensure that in the event of an attack, not only can your organisation continue to operate, but you can also recover quickly. Resilience means continuous, uninterrupted access to data whilst remaining secure and protected.

As threats continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, so must your preventative measures, which should include:

  1. Understanding critical assets

The first step to building resilience is having a strong understanding of your organisation’s critical assets. These are resources that are fundamental to maintaining operations. Ask yourself: what impact would an attack have and what are your critical assets? 

For example, for local authorities, critical assets include essential data, which citizens rely on including housing benefit, voter registration, electoral management, school grants and the provision of social care. It is imperative that it is protected in the event of an attack. Managing back-ups is an essential part of this process – rapid recovery is dependent on how regularly these back-ups are carried out. 

  1. Developing an incident response plan

A thorough incident response plan is crucial to resilience as this will ensure that you can recover quickly from an attack. 

An incident response plan collects together the coordinating functions which guide, inform and support the whole response process. It encompasses a number of aspects, including triaging and categorising an incident through to your core response.

  1. Educating employees and building cyber resilience

Phishing emails, which dupe staff into opening them and exposing the organisation to phishing attacks, have become more frequent and sophisticated during the pandemic. This shows the importance of creating a strong cyber security culture. 

It is essential that your employees understand cyber threats, the potential risk, and their role in mitigating incidents. Educating your employees, increasing awareness and providing strong governance and training can all assist in building cyber resilience.

  1. Keeping up to date with emerging cyber threats

New advanced threats are being discovered daily. Resilience is also the detection of threats and increasing both your understanding of the threat landscape and threat intelligence. Taking a proactive approach to cyber security is essential in ensuring that organisations are aware of threats to allow for methods to be adjusted.  

  1. Developing a Business Continuity Disaster Recovery plan

All organisations should have sufficient business continuity disaster recovery (BCDR) methods in place to make sure they can resume normal operations in the event of an attack. It should include a complete approach to keeping your team productive during planned or unplanned disruptions such as a cyber attack.

The BCDR plan builds resilience by reducing the risk of data loss and enhancing operations, detailing emergency contacts and key staff. 

Learn more

The Cyber Security Services 3 dynamic purchasing system (DPS) is the official route to market for NCSC-assured services, covering a wide range of cyber services. All suppliers have Cyber Essentials as a minimum and other accreditations can be selected using the filtering options. Visit our Cyber Security Services 3 page or contact the team. 

Manage your resources effectively with asset tracking

Make sure you don’t lose track of important and valuable assets with asset tracking.

What is an asset?

An asset is anything that would be costly to replace, such as tools, IT kit, machinery, hospital beds, medical equipment or vehicles. You can also track people, for example, babies on maternity wards can be tracked as part of safeguarding procedures.

How do you currently manage your assets?

Are you using asset management systems or do you still physically check where your assets are?

If you rely on manual checks, then you are probably facing some of these common challenges:

  • time wasted searching for assets
  • struggling to locate items due for servicing which poses a safety risk if the necessary compliance checks are not completed
  • keeping back ‘spare’ items that could be better used elsewhere
  • wasting budget re-buying items

How asset management and tracking can help

An efficient asset management strategy will help you keep track of valuable assets and reduce the time and effort in trying to do it manually.

Tracking is an important part of asset management and there are different ways to do this, ranging from traditional barcodes or QR codes through to evolving smart technologies. Asset tracking can be implemented using Radio Frequency Identification (RFiD) tags (passive or active), GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology. Tracking devices are connected to tracking software or an IT platform to ensure you can locate your assets in real time.

For example, a hospital trust was struggling to keep track of T34 syringe drivers. By adding RFiD tags to them the trust has avoided having to spend £50,000 on buying replacements.

RFiD tags can track reusable uniforms too. For example, fire rescue services have a duty of care to  ensure that uniform is fit for purpose. By applying RFiD tags that can withstand high temperatures, you can:

  • track inventory to ensure that you have enough uniforms at any given time
  • remove the need to manually check that uniforms are where they should be
  • carry out wear and tear checks

Recently, the NHS has piloted reusable gowns and face masks to save money on disposal personal protective equipment (PPE). This is a great initiative and RFiD tags could be used to track the number of times an item has been worn and washed, as well as ensuring availability when it is needed the most.

How we can help

You can access a wide range of suppliers that will help you find the right asset management solution to meet your specific needs through lots 3a and 3b of our Storage, Kitting, Fulfilment and Associated Services agreement.

We’re planning a webinar in April to showcase the ways we can support your asset management and tracking needs. If you would like to join us register your interest by completing this short online form referencing ‘asset tracking webinar’ in the comments box.

If you would like further guidance or have a complex requirement, we’re here to help:

Business travel with CO2 Reporting

Our Travel Booking Solutions agreements can assist your organisation in not only managing your spend and adherence to policy but also in reducing your carbon footprint from business travel.

All booking suppliers provide online booking tools that not only enable speed and efficiency of use but can also assist travellers in making sustainable booking decisions.  Tools can be programmed to restrict travellers to a customer’s policy, for example not allowing air travel on UK domestic routes.

Booking tools are developing in the sustainability information they can provide to travellers.   Some can show a comparison in CO2 emissions between flight and rail on a given journey.  Many will show the CO2 value of flights and technology will develop so that in time travellers will be able to compare CO2 values by aircraft type.

All booking suppliers are required to provide customers with reporting, including the CO2 generated.  Suppliers can aid customers in identifying areas for improvement, perhaps even down to individual Cost Centre areas.

It is highly recommended to review the agreements and engage with the relevant suppliers to discuss how they can help you achieve your CNZ goals

Take a look at our agreements to find the full range of possibilities: 

Let us bring power to your procurement

To learn more about how we can help you reach net zero across your organisation, visit our Carbon net zero web page. If you have any questions, we are here to help – contact the team.  

The role of automation in kitting and fulfilment

In recent years, we have witnessed the collaborative efforts of suppliers who have come together to support organisations with the kitting and fulfilment of various home testing kits. Examples include Covid testing, bowel screening, diabetes testing and many more which are all available through our Storage, Kitting, Fulfilment and Associated Services (RM6282) agreement.

With the growing pressure on the health sector, these types of kits free up valuable time and resources. To help meet the increased demands for these services, we’re recognising a shift towards the use of automated processes.

What is kitting and fulfilment?

Kitting is a process that consists of compiling individual items to create a new single product or kit, which  is then packaged ready for shipment. Typically, the process involves an assembly line and, more recently, automation has played a part in the process.

Fulfilment in the logistics industry relates to the  provision of storage space for items, picking orders and sending them out for delivery.

What role does automation play?

Automation is used extensively in many industries, like the automotive industry which is delivering benefits such as increased productivity and expanding capabilities. Automation is now being introduced in other industries, including warehousing and logistics, to meet rising levels of demand and help suppliers to reshape their services. Some suppliers are in early stages of implementing automation or are fulfilling a semi-automated system. 

Automation can be incorporated during the kitting and fulfilment process to support the picking of component parts that have been barcoded and grouping them together to produce the final product, or kit, ready to be sent to the end user. 

This type of automation has many benefits, including: 

  • ensuring the completed kit can be uniquely matched and paired to the contents within it, allowing for full end to end tracking
  • the use of barcode technology enables the customer to trace information regarding the kits source and production dates. Barcodes also aid laboratories with expected returns, allowing them to scan returned kits and match them to the sender
  • automation also allows organisations to scale their resource to meet demands 

How can we help?

Under Lot 3b of our Storage, Kitting, Fulfilment and Associated Services agreement, you can access a range of suppliers that can provide kitting and fulfilment solutions and services. 

As some test kits are classed as a medical device, all suppliers under Lot 3b are required to hold ISO 13485 accreditation. This provides independent assurance of their quality management system.  

Services under Lot 3b include:

  • picking, packing and labelling of products and orders
  • unpacking received products into individual cases
  • preparing items for dispatch according to your needs
  • storage of the completed items
  • asset management, including audits and tracking stock

Let us add power to your procurement

Whether you’re new to CCS and require guidance or you want to discuss a complex requirement, we’re here to help. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements: