Owner Peel Ports Clydeport welcomed guests to the port for a ceremony to celebrate the biggest-ever investment in Greenock’s container facilities.

The west-facing freight port’s new infrastructure is already benefitting customers, with one vessel recently departing 13 hours earlier than planned because of the quicker turnaround time.

Port director Jim McSporran, says: “We believe the new cranes will be transformational for our port, and it’s incredible the impact they are having already.”

Owen Griffiths, logistics director at drinks group Diageo, adds: “We welcome the investment made by Peel Ports, who are an important partner to Diageo, in delivering resilience and capacity to our network out of Scotland, enabling our goods to reach our customers around the world.”

Craner Swift

A naming competition for the 72m tall cranes was launched by Peel Ports Clydeport in partnership with Inverclyde Council, with the winners announced earlier this year.

Avaleigh Lang, 10, of Lady Alice Primary in Greenock, chose Craner Swift as a nod to the US pop icon Taylor Swift, while Frances McFadden, 10, of the town’s St Mary’s Primary School opted for U-Crane Bolt as a tribute to Jamaican gold medallist Usain Bolt.

AUTOMATION IS a disruptor. It changes how things have been and, in doing that, gives opportunity for further change. Logistics is very male-oriented and, in certain roles, very white and middle-aged. It tends to be low margin. And diversity is provably good for business. A combination of these factors made me interested in this important topic: the impact that automation can have on our sector.

By the time you read this, I will have spoken on behalf of Women in Logistics on this topic at least twice. The first time at Tomorrow’s Warehouse in Coventry, organised by Western Business Media, the publishers of Logistics Matters including this annual guide. The second time at CILT’s annual conference, invited after speaking at Coventry.

Twenty minutes hasn’t been long to cover everything that needs to be explored (understatement!). And there’s some really interesting material on the impact of automation out there, and there are also lots of gaps. But first, diversity provably good for business?

The importance of diversity

Diversity is important for business as it encourages innovation (a group of different types of people is more likely to come up with more and better ideas), widens talent-attraction (younger people don’t want to work for companies where they don’t see leadership walking the walk with respect to diversity – and there’s plenty of evidence that many older people don’t want to either) and sharpens decision-making (avoiding group think), which all then play into improved financials. The organisation Catalyst has a multitude of analysis and reports supporting this.

In my presentation at Coventry, I also mentioned a report that I had only heard about by chance. I happened to be in the car the day before, tuned into Women’s Hour on Radio 4, and heard that hospital teams with 35%+ female participation (could be anaesthetists as well as surgeons), were associated with the patient having measurably better post-operative outcomes. I’ve included a link from a similar piece in the Guardian.

Back to automation

There are different definitions of automation. Which aspects should be included and which not? How far are we already through the journey? This is actually one of the more difficult questions to answer. How many engineers work in logistics operations right now? I don’t know the answer to this one either as the statistics published about the number of engineers working in this country are by type: mechanical, electrical, electronic and so on, rather than by industry.

Automation will change the number and type of jobs, and the types of job that we have currently in logistics will be particularly affected by this change – according to some analysis published by the ONS, to a much greater extent than that UK as a whole. The flip side to the increased number of engineers required in logistics, many of whom will be male, is that potential jobs for young & low-educated men are at high risk from automation according to a report by PwC. One of the areas where I believe logistics is a positive force for good outside of its primary role, is the sector’s ability to take people who have not fared well in the education system, and to recognise and nurture individuals who will sometimes end up heading up major logistics functions and companies. It would be a shame if that aspect got lost in any change.

Don’t underestimate the importance of STEM skills going forward – for men and women, young and old. The PwC report, in thinking about the implications of increased automation, says: “Government, working with employers and education providers, should therefore invest more in the types of education and training that will be most useful to people in this increasingly automated world… more focus on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) where countries like the US and the UK tend to lag behind...”

Changing roles

One of the graphs that I’ve used to demonstrate the impact that automation is due to have on our workforce shows the number of people that worked in a variety of roles in logistics in 2017 (blue for men, pink for women) and the impact that automation is predicted to have on those numbers (shown in grey). But if logistics grows at 4% per year, by 2040 the total number of people employed will be about the same as now, but with a completely different mix of roles.

Not just gender

An earlier paragraph referred to ‘men and women, young and old’, and it won’t be lost on the reader that diversity is not just about gender but also a range of other factors. One of the areas where automation will help logistics is in making the sector attractive and accessible to a wider range of people:

• Those who are older or less physically fit
• People who don’t mind routine and may even find it comforting
• Those (like me!) who don’t want to get dirty and break their nails
• People who don’t speak good English for whatever reason

And so on, you get the picture.

Nothing to do with automation per se, but GXO employs more people with Downs Syndrome than any other company in the UK. There is evidence in the most recent Prologis report, published in July, that seems to point to larger warehouses having a larger proportion of women. Newer distribution centres often have prayer rooms and other facilities that help to attract a more diverse workforce.

When I asked Chatbot Pro about the impact of automation on diversity and gender mix, it came up with an aspect I hadn’t thought of: “Automation can increase economic inequality if benefits are disproportionately directed towards those already in higher-skilled, better-paying jobs, which may favour men. This can further stratify economic sectors along gender lines.”. PS I had to correct the chatbot’s spelling for a UK audience!

Cranfield MSc thesis

Given that this topic is bigger than a twenty-minute presentation or a two-page article, “How automation is changing the demographic mix and pay in UK logistics” will be the subject of a Cranfield Supply Chain Management MSc thesis project, starting Spring 2025, initiated & supported by Women in Logistics.

To do this, the student will need to carry out interviews with representatives from logistics providers, and manufacturers and retailers who are carrying out their own logistics, to understand the impact, and future impact, that automation is bringing to their businesses “on the ground” and how that will affect demographics, positively or negatively, in both existing and newly-established locations.

If this is something that your company would be interested in supporting, please do get in touch!

Kirsten Tisdale, Women in Logistics UK

Links to articles and reports referred:

Catalyst on importance of diversity and inclusion: https://www.catalyst.org/research/why-diversity-and-inclusion-matter/

Guardian article on impact of having more women in hospital surgery teams: https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/15/hospital-surgical-teams-with-more-women-improve-patient-recoverystudy-finds

ONS analysis: Which occupations are at highest risk of being automated: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/whichoccupationsareathighestriskofbeingautomated/2019-03-25

PwC report: Will robots really steal our jobs? https://www.pwc.co.uk/economic-services/assets/international-impact-of-automation-feb-2018.pdf

Prologis research on logistics employment: https://www.prologis.co.uk/news-research/global-insights/critical-infrastructure-driving-employment-growth-within-uks

ONGOING OPERATIONAL adjustments, handling delays and complex import/export rules have hampered the trade, particularly the movement of temperature sensitive goods, such as food exports which dropped 17 % in 2023, compared with 2019.

Companies have had to adapt quickly, often at significant expense, to maintain the flow of goods between the UK and the EU. While some of these challenges may diminish over time as businesses adapt, the long-term effects of regulatory divergence and labour shortages will likely continue to shape the logistics landscape into 2025 and for many years to come.

Brexit-related regulations have introduced a range of challenges for the freight and logistics sector, from increased paperwork and border delays to regulatory changes and cost pressures. 2025 will see more changes to rules and regulations, as well as procedures.

Delays, disruption as well as customs and regulatory amendments have all added cost increases to the supply chain. Brexit has contributed to fluctuations in the value of Sterling, which has impacted the cost of goods and services. Overall, the financial impact of Brexit on the freight and logistics sector and BIFA members has been multifaceted, involving increased costs, operational challenges, and strategic adjustments.

Operational barriers

Several areas within the supply chain have been overlooked or insufficiently addressed when considering Brexit regulations. These include services related to goods; digital services and data flows; specialised goods and niche markets; transportation of goods across multiple borders; the Northern Ireland Protocol and intra-UK trade; short sea shipping and smaller ports; as well as supply chain resilience and contingency planning. 

These gaps have created significant challenges for businesses, leading to disruptions and inefficiencies in the logistics and supply chain sectors. 

These challenges have been particularly detrimental to SMEs, which often lack the resources to absorb the additional costs and complexities. While larger firms may be better equipped to navigate these challenges through investment in technology and infrastructure, the overall financial burden on the industry has been substantial, leading to long-term implications for competitiveness and market access.

An area that requires more attention is e-commerce, where increased costs have reduced competitiveness in the global market. Also specialised sectors such as perishable/pharma and specialised sectors have seen added regulatory processes that cause potential delays.

Support for the sector

While Brexit has introduced significant challenges and barriers that may have lasting effects on the UK's logistics sector, there are also opportunities for recovery and growth. The UK's ability to rebound will depend on government policy decisions, investment in technology and infrastructure, and the resilience and adaptability of the logistics industry. 

By focusing on simplification, harmonisation, and cooperation, politicians in the UK and Europe can significantly reduce the friction caused by Brexit in the logistics industry. These efforts might include measures that simplify customs procedures; mutually recognise trusted trader schemes; improve border infrastructure, harmonise regulations; address labour shortages; facilitate digital and technological cooperation; promote dialogue and cooperation; revisit the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA); as well as engage in constructive diplomacy. 

Such measures would not only ease current challenges but also build a foundation for more resilient and efficient cross-border trade in the future.

The UK government has now indicated a desire to invest in developing more skills in the UK, which we welcome as a longer-term solution. We have been banging this drum for many years and have an array of training courses and initiatives to encourage youngsters to consider and train for a career in the sector.

There are several political steps that could be taken to facilitate smoother operations in a post Brexit landscape. These include the streamlining of customs and regulatory procedures, infrastructure investment at key entry points and a mutual recognition of standards to name a few. 

That being said, ultimately it requires political will on both sides, despite the damage that has been caused, to reach agreement.

Plans for 2025

In addition to helping our members negotiate the post Brexit landscape in 2025, BIFA will continue to support its members through a variety of services and initiatives aimed at enhancing their professional capabilities, advocating for their interests, and ensuring they remain competitive in the logistics and freight forwarding industry. 

We will continue to enhance membership engagement in the new year. That will mean continued strengthening of its policy groups, including the recently established Sustainable Logistics policy group, which was created in 2024 to provide guidance on environmental issues that are likely to have an ever-increasing impact on members’ businesses.

In addition to our regular regional members meetings across the UK and Northern Ireland, and our quarterly Business Leaders Forums, which were established in 2023, the new year will see us hold our first national conference for many years. At the time of writing, we were in the early planning stages but it will take place at the Warwick Conference Centre on the 14th and 15th May 2025.

BIFA has partnered the organisers of the Multimodal exhibition and conference since its launch over 10 years ago. It is the main event in the calendars of most businesses involved in the UK freight and logistics sectors and attracts around 10,000 visitors. Our Forwarders Village will be centre stage once again in 2025. We will also continue to be very active within FIATA.

In 2025, The British Freight Service Awards will celebrate it 37th year recognising excellence and innovation within the industry, thereby motivating members to strive for high standards.

There will also be ongoing development of our training department  as part of the evolution BIFA will go through in order to best support our members and the industry. This will include career services to help members find qualified talent and support career advancement within the industry; as well as opportunities to attract young talent and provide hands-on industry experience

By offering these comprehensive services, BIFA will support its members in enhancing their professional capabilities, staying informed about industry developments, and navigating the challenges of the logistics and freight forwarding industry.

Steve Parker, director general, British International Freight Association

THIS GAP between recognising technology’s potential and practically implementing it was identified in the Attitudes to Innovation report, commissioned by supply chain consultancy TMX Transform. 

The research surveyed more than 250 global supply chain and logistics decision-makers.

Of the business leaders questioned, the majority are on board with technology in the supply chain. Three quarters have implemented innovative technology within their organisation and of these, four in five (80%) say their organisation is set for growth in the upcoming year, compared with just under 3 in 5 (59%) who have not implemented new technology.

The most implemented tech solutions are predictive analytics (62%), sustainable tech to reduce carbon footprints (59%), and the Internet of Things (52%). According to the data, predictive analysis has had the greatest impact on businesses, with 94% citing the technology has had a positive impact on their business.

Digital twins

When asked about the technologies that organisations have not implemented, but plan to, simulation/digital twins was the most common response, with 44% of respondents planning on adding the solution to their supply chain capability.

Yet nearly a quarter of respondents (24%) are unsure about AI/Machine Learning capabilities, while 60% are uncertain about what simulation/digital twins technology is, or does.

TMX Transform executive director - supply chain Tom Fitz-Walter, says: “Automation and technology are crucial in addressing the pressing issue of labour shortages in supply chains. However, experiencing the biggest benefits of technology hinges more on people than the technology itself. As organisations face challenges like high staff turnover and a lack of experienced leaders, nurturing and retaining skilled personnel becomes essential to successfully implementing technology solutions and driving innovation.”

To read the full Attitudes to Innovation report, click here.

THE ORGANISATION, which represents the UK pallet repair and reconditioning industry, says the availability of lower specification pallets has declined as they are reused more often. It wants users and manufacturers to push for higher specs that will support increasing reuse – which will decrease costs and increase the overall sustainability for supply chain businesses.

NAPD chairman Paul Tait said: “Lower spec pallets, including class B and C, are currently going short as more of them are used multiple times and reaching the end of life and failing. There is a clear need to increase reusability by boosting the lifespan of pallets, which we can do by manufacturing with the goal of reconditioning a repair from the start.

“Wooden pallets are a naturally sustainable product, and the more supply chains can reuse them, the better the environmental benefits – and the lower the costs.”

Forthcoming sustainability legislation, including the Sustainability Disclosure Standards (SDS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the UK, and CSRD in Europe, mean reuse is becoming an obligation for business.

THE CERTIFICATION affirms the company’s ability to meet rigorous industry standards for medical devices.

Smith’s operational headquarters in Houston, Texas, previously received accreditation in December 2017.

Obtaining this certification further demonstrates Smith’s ability to properly source, inspect, test, store, and distribute components that meet its medical-manufacturing customers’ stringent requirements for quality assurance.

By Liza Helps Property Editor Logistics Matters

THE ARRAY has been built for tenant GEODIS, which occupies a 96,562 ft2 unit. It consists of 1,750 PV panels with installed capacity 700 kWp. The energy produced is equivalent to powering 75 homes and saves as much carbon annually as planting 5,445 trees.

The project aligns with the Responsible SEGRO commitment to champion low carbon growth and requirements of the Heathrow supply chain, where businesses are expected to demonstrate low-carbon building practices to support the airport's sustainability goals.

As part of the initiative, SEGRO was able to secure a Power Purchase Agreement that enables the customer to benefit from cheaper electricity.

GEODIS, Managing Director Chris Packwood, said: “We are delighted with the evolution of our facility, to now harness the power of the sun. This further strengthens the GEODIS commitment to sustainability, by having confidence in the origin of our power supply and the associated REGO certificates.”

The installation is linked to GEODIS’ recent lease renewal and as part of the agreement, SEGRO installed six electric vehicle charging stations, furthering the sustainability credentials of the development.

By Liza Helps Property Editor Logistics Matters

KNOWN AS  Greenbox Darlington, the ESG-led development will provide three state-of-the-art, Grade A industrial and warehouse units on a 24-acre site, delivered ready for occupation in December 2024.

The units will target BREEAM Excellent and EPC A+ ratings and will also aim to achieve Net Carbon Zero in Operation. They will have 12.5 - 15m haunch heights, 50m yard depths, 50Kn per m2 floor loading, 3.5MVA power capacity, a mix of ground level and dock loading doors and high-quality office space. The roofs will be 100% photovoltaic panel ready, 10% of parking spaces will be for electric cars (future-proofed for all spaces), and CAT-A fitted office space is proposed with LED lighting and air-source heat pumps.

Construction of all three units is well advanced and is on schedule for completion in December 2024. Winvic, the UK’s leading industrial and Net Zero specialist in the sector is the main contractor for the scheme.  Savills and HTA Real Estate are joint agents.

HTA Real Estate Director Nick Atkinson said: “Darlington and Tees Valley is desperately in need of new high specification industrial development to compete with other regions and attract high quality employment to the North East.”

Greenbox Darlington follows on from the platform’s debut acquisition, Greenbox Thirsk, a development in North Yorkshire  with outline consent for the whole, proposing three new industrial warehouse units delivering to the same sustainability standards and totalling 825,000 ft2.

By Liza Helps Property Editor Logistics Matters

THE COMPANY is carrying out a public consultation for the 107-acre development just off Junction 3 of the A14 motorway regarding its proposals for the greenfield site whioch it acquired in 2021.

Harworth Group are proposing to build up to eight Grade A warehouses targeting the highest BREEAM and EPC ratings. The development would see a new roundabout built to access the site.

Harworth Group said: “Our proposals provide an opportunity to deliver a range of new high-quality skilled jobs for the local area, whilst also providing a range of enhancements to local infrastructure and biodiversity."

There will be open space with new woodland and habitats to help local wildlife thrive’ and a ‘focus on enhancing walking, cycling, and public transport connectivity’.

The scheme is expected to provide up to 3,000 full time equivalent jobs and generate £238.2 million in annual economic output once operational.

By Liza Helps Property Editor Logistics Matters

BRC RESEARCH suggests that retailers are paying 7.4% of all business taxes despite accounting for just 4.9% of the UK's total economic output in 2023.

The Retail Rates Corrector – a 20% downward adjustment in business rates paid on retail properties - aims to redress the imbalance. This tax burden holds back investment in people and places – directly affecting the 3 million people employed by the industry, and the 2.7m additional people employed within the supply chain. 

According to the BRC, the UK has been losing shops at a rate of over 1,000 a year, and research suggests that without action a further 17,000 shops could close over the next decade. The Retail Rates Corrector aims not only to stem this tide of shop closures, but to unlock new investment in jobs, shops and communities.

The 71 CEOs, covering groceries, fashion, furniture, electronics and more, came together to write to the Chancellor. The open letter notes: “We believe now is the time to level the playing field between industries with a retail adjustment to rates as this is the best way to achieve this manifesto commitment. We are writing to ask you to use the Autumn Budget to apply a Retail Rates Corrector, a 20% reduction to rates bills for retail properties of all sizes in all locations”.

British Retail Consortium Chief Executive Helen Dickinson, said: “Retail has been the golden goose, generating tax revenues far beyond the industry’s size, but the current situation is not sustainable. The government should act to rebalance the system and ensure all industries are paying their fair share. This in turn would drive increased retail investment in people, places and communities. The Budget is the perfect opportunity to lay the groundwork for local investment that delivers for retail’s customers, delivers for its employees, and delivers for the economy.”

However, this could add fuel to the fire that warehouse operations could be made the scapegoat and see a further increase in the business rates burden. The Labour  manifesto included a commitment to replace business rates with a new system which would raise the same revenue while levelling the playing field “between the high street and online giants’. There is a fear that Government will make no distinction between online giants and UK retailers carrying out omnichannel operations or indeed take note of the distinction between  online giants and the supply chain SMEs who through the very nature of the business work out of larger buildings.

Last year the UK Warehousing Association was lobbying  the then Conservative Government to make the case that warehouses should qualify for support on business rates following the 2023 Business rates Review which saw some UKWA members’ business rates bill increase 70%.

“In March [2023] we wrote to the Chancellor highlighting the unfairness of the proposed increase in business rates for warehouses and challenging the assumption that businesses with larger buildings require less support, a view that fails to recognise the reality of low-margin SMEs operating within the warehousing sector.”

Last month the UKWA wrote to the Chancellor reiterating the issue and requesting that she addresses the ‘unfair and punitive’ basis for assessing business rates, which has put warehousing at a significant disadvantage’.