Huge distribution warehouse with boxes on high shelves

We have quality, vetted warehouse space available near you!

Finding quality warehouse space with 3PL services tailored specifically to your requirements is a challenge.

Searches based purely on geographic location produce a wealth of results most of which after many wasted hours of phone calls turn out to be wholly unsuitable, leaving you back at square one.

At Les Flanagan Logistics Services we do things differently.

We offer a tailored, personal service drawing on nearly 40 years’ experience of implementing, managing and utilising warehouses throughout the UK and Ireland.

When we present you with a list of suitable warehouses you know

  • They have been personally vetted.
  • They have been recommended because they complement your specific needs.
  • They deliver the best results for you.

Our service

  • Saves you the hassle of unnecessary phone calls and wasted time.
  • Delivers a choice of solutions for evaluation and comparison.
  • Provides you with an insider’s confidence in the ability and suitability of the recommended matches.
  • Is personal, targeted, professional and courteous. All enquires are handled with the utmost confidence.

We currently we have a number of quality solutions available for ambient, chilled, frozen and haz chem goods.

Specifically there is significant capacity in Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, East Anglia, Northampton, Warwickshire, South Yorkshire, East Midlands, Nottingham, North Lancashire, Liverpool and South Wales.

For more information on the solutions available to you please contact.

Les@LFLS.org.ukcall 07768 148208 or visit our website.

pallet header

Why the wooden pallet is King!

Pallets are the supply chains key ingredient worldwide. Millions of them are used daily to transport goods from manufactures to warehouses to retailers.

Where would we be without them?

Did you know they first came into use in the 1920’s and were in widespread use by the 1940’s.

That’s nearly 100 years of use. No wonder we all have a soft spot for them.

Every year 1.5 billion pallets are manufactured worldwide, that’s an astounding 60 million cubic metres of timber. In Europe we produce 350 million, 20 million cubic metres of timber annually. (www.timcon.org)

There has been much discussion recently about the environmental impact of the traditional wooden pallet and the numbers I’ve just quoted may have set a green flashing alarm bell off in your head.

Well don’t panic. The pallet that all logistics professionals regard so fondly is actually still one of the most environmentally friendly options available.

Wooden pallets are largely made from the sub-standard off cuts from the furniture and housing industries. So rather than adding to deforestation pallet manufacture is ensuring that nothing goes to waste.

International standards for wooden packaging (ISPM15) help to protect and encourage the safe use of timber packaging worldwide.

Less than 5% of timber pallets end their life at landfill. That’s 95% of what we manufacture being recycled and reused.

Any pallets that are beyond repair can be shredded to provide wood chips for fuel.

There is also a wealth of pallet pool options that keep pallets circulating in the system and many pallet providers repair and recycle on a regular basis.

And let’s not forget the pallets greatest gift – its ability to be recycled and upcycled into some amazing objects.

I bet every single one of you has something in your home or garden that you have made from a pallet!

As this week kicked off with Blue Monday and has continued to be grey and dreary I thought it would be fun to put a smile on our faces by taking a quick peek at some of the best pallet transformations I have seen.

In at number one are these great staircases.

staircase

Followed by these two brilliant ways to organise your garage.

Garage Tidy

How about a revamp of your office space with these filing cabinets.

office

Or perhaps your kitchen needs a tidy.

kitchen tidy

The fact is wooden pallets are the lifeblood of our industry.

They are environmentally friendly.

They could be the most versatile recycling material out there.

And they have a very special place in all logistics professionals’ hearts.

Long live the wooden pallet!

prod-2

Are you facing a labour productivity challenge?

Labour is generally one of the biggest costs for most companies, sometimes as much as 50 – 70% of annual budget. Managing and reducing labour related expenses while maintaining robust customer service levels can seem like a never ending challenge that many companies struggle to tackle or maintain.

The benefits for those companies who accept the challenge are far reaching; cost reductions, improved productivity, increased customer satisfaction and more streamlined efficient processes.

In short, a distinct competitive edge.

If you are thinking of tackling labour productivity Les Flanagan Logistics Services Ltd provide a full project management service that delivers significant results fast.

Our most recent project in a manufacturing warehouse, employing 90 staff, delivered annual savings of over £300k.

We have more than 4 decades of experience in management consultancy and business development within warehousing, distribution and logistics.

We have worked both large and small organisations including Sainsbury’s, Wincanton, M&S, Tibbett & Britten, Dairy Crest and Neals Yard Remedies. We are supply chain specialists with in depth experience in warehousing, labour relations and performance management.

The benefits of working with us are;

  • a bespoke, tailored project management approach that works with your business. We are big enough to be the best at what we do but small enough to offer a personal service that makes you our top priority.
  • a comprehensive work rate analysis of every measurable task based on professional work measurement and method study techniques. The analysis highlights inefficiencies, duplications, double handling and lost time allowing you to make focused changes swiftly.
  • a detailed work flow evaluation which identifies the speed of movement of key lines and makes smart, achievable recommendations that will reduce travel time, eliminate congestion and streamline the process flow.
  • an examination of your labour management techniques and structured training for all management levels on how to maximise labour force productivity.
  • a thorough investigation, feedback and training on organisation and work load planning with a real focus on managing avoidable peaks, troughs and bottlenecks that impact efficiency.
  • ongoing support, training and guidance that ensures you implement the recommended changes and reap the rewards.

If labour productivity is your challenge for 2017 then get in contact now and let us help you get that competitive edge.

Please email Les@LFLS.org.uk or call 07768 148208.

We are a small team which allows us to offer a real personal and tailored project management package but it does mean that we book up fast so we would advise you to get in contact quickly to guarantee our help this year.

success

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS in 2017

The relative quiet during and after Christmas and the New Year affords a good opportunity to review our performance during 2016.

The benefits of looking in detail at what worked and being honest about failures and disappointments is of huge value.

It’s from these conclusions we are able to plan for 2017 and drive our businesses forward.

So, while you’re recovering from too much turkey and one to many eggnogs start reflect on the successes and failures.

What were your biggest achievements this year and why?

What strategies led to real results?

Which were the least and most profitable services?

What did you not do so well and how can you change things to make improvements?

Did you provide consistent excellent customer service to all customers?

Where can you improve your service?

What do you need to invest in to improve operational and financial performance?

What do you need to do you attract more customers?

Is your marketing timely and relevant?

Do your services compliment your customers’ requirements?

On your return to work in the New Year it’s time to formalise the review with your management team and workforce.

Your review should conclude with a comprehensive business plan for 2017 complete with financial targets, customer account plans, people development goals and operational improvement objectives.

The work doesn’t stop there though.

Monthly reviews throughout the year should keep your plan on track.

Look out for these tell-tale signs that things might be going wrong.

Sales figures drop – stop and analyse why this is happening immediately. It could be your service levels have dropped and you have unhappy customers. It could be your products aren’t meeting your customers’ expectations. You could have a problem with quality or may be your marketing lacks relevance and you aren’t attracting the new customers you expected.

Employee morale drops – your biggest asset is your workforce. Low morale leads to mistakes and a lack of attention to detail. It doesn’t take long for this to translate into a drop in service levels which are clearly visible to and felt by your customers. Get close to your workforce to understand potential frustrations and issues.

Costs rise and revenue falls – this is often really difficult to see as the movement tends to creep over time rather than stand out as a dramatic change. The key to staying on top of this is regular key performance indicator reviews and robust financial management.

Competition increases – keeping an eye on your competitors is essential. If you see a sudden increase in the market then it’s time to stop and review what you are doing. Making sure you are always at the top of your game and able to offer something different to your competitors is key to maintaining growth and achieving your goals.

Important customers leave – losing key clients tends to be a sign that something isn’t right. Proper account and relationship management should be an early indicator. Take time to understand what has gone wrong and address the issues quickly to avoid future losses. Proactive communication to customers is key. Keep the customer at the heart of your business.

Growth is quick and exceeds expectations – now don’t get me wrong this is a good thing; but don’t be caught out by it. Rapid growth can put serious strain on your people, systems and resources. If you’re pulling in the cash make sure your infrastructure can sustain the growth long-term.

Quality time spent reviewing and planning has a direct relationship to your company’s success.

I wish you all a wonderful New Year and a 2017 filled with growth and prosperity!

christmas-feature

THE LOGISTICS OF CHRISTMAS

It’s time to get the log fire burning, mull some wine and settle down with a mince pie or two and watch a feel good Christmas movie.

But before you switch off completely I thought it would be fun to take a look at some mind boggling Christmas logistics facts and figures.

First we must pay homage to the ultimate King of Christmas Logistics, Father Christmas himself. While we are all still trying to find solutions to the ever changing supply chain, he has been quietly providing the definitive next day timed delivery for hundreds of years. Maintaining exceptional customer service and 100% delivery accuracy means his place as King is guaranteed for some time to come.

Do you know he flies 317 million miles on Christmas Eve. That’s 1800 miles per second!

Recently he has reacted to customer demand and now offers a track and trace option through his Norad Tracks Santa Site

norad-stanta-tracker

The most amazing thing is his charges have never been subject to any kind of increase. He still does all this work for a glass of Sherry, a mince pie and a carrot for Rudolph!

All of our businesses have been affected by the growth in B2C and it’s easy to see why when you take a look at how the value of online Christmas shopping has increased since 2012.

value-of-online-christmas-shopping

Online sales are showing no signs of slowing down. In fact online spending is forecast to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

growth-in-online-sales

As the amount of money we are spending online goes up so does the number of parcels we are expected to deliver.

number-of-parcels

More parcels means more vans and light delivery vehicles.

the-rise-of-the-van

And let’s not forget all the extra picking, packing and deliveries means a substantial increase in workforce over the festive season.

Here’s how Christmas affected a few of our major players last year.

staff-increase

So, if you are feeling exhausted and ready for the holiday now you know why!

Happy Christmas and a relaxing New Year to you all!