Corporate Express awarded for its impressive supply chain models at the nation’s preeminent logistics achievement awards
November 13, 2009
Office supplier Corporate Express has been awarded for its impressive supply chain models at the nation’s preeminent logistics achievement awards.
The company’s supply chain team (pictured) took out two gongs at last week’s Australian Supply Chain and Logistics Awards, which also honoured Coca-Cola Amatil and Queensland Health.
Corporate Express opened a new 43,000 square metre warehouse at Erskine Park in Sydney, which includes innovative storage and handling systems and operates to sustainable environmental standards.
The Storage and Handling of Materials Award recognised what judges called “high-quality solutions” including mobile carts for batch picking, carton live storage and carton erectors. The company reports a 20 percent lift in productivity at the new facility.
For the Environmental Excellence Award, judges recognised the site’s Green Star accreditation, calling the distribution centre “a leading example of sustainable development for the industrial sector in Australia”.
New business Polar Fresh Parkinson Cold Chain Services beat several government-backed training bodies to win the Training, Education and Development category. Since operation started in February 2009, Polar Fresh Parkinson has been labelled “the best ‘go live’ the Coles network has seen”.
“One of the primary contributions to its success was the quality of training provided to existing staff and new staff,” judges said.
“Their comprehensive program included an extensive one-day induction process followed by a two to three-week program that gave all employees a detailed understanding of all the operational aspects to Polar Fresh’s business.”
NQX’s National Learning and Development Manager Bill Potter was also recognised for his commitment to human resources, winning the Industry Excellence Award.
Potter leads the company’s in-house college, which judges said provides NQX with the “capability to establish the safest work environment possible by offering the most experienced employees”.
“Bill’s concept will also allow experienced workers at NQX with the capability to manage the development of skills and knowledge in all regional depots across Australia, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” they said.
“Bill has been a strong supporter of the changing culture in T&L to recognise training as a critical part of the future to ensure the long-term sustainability of our industry.”
Coca-Cola Amatil won the Manufacturing Logistics Award for its Project Jupiter initiative, which has consolidated order fulfilment in two “world-class” distribution centres.”
A 55,000 pallet facility alongside its production plant at Northmead in Sydney handles large quantity orders for retailers and high-volume customers, while a new facility at Eastern Creek has been designed to optimise efficiency for New South Wales route trade.
“Project Jupiter has greatly simplified CCA’s supply chain and logistics network as well as their manufacturing operations in NSW,” judges say. “This re-modeling project has eliminated the inefficient trans-shipment of stock between locations and improved the overall sustainability of their manufacturing operations.”
The Supply Chain Management Award went to Queensland Health’s Northern Area Supply Services (NASS) division, which has used a hub and spoke model to improve the quality and efficiency of delivery across central and northern Queensland. The government department reports savings of $1.19 million annually and some 523 hours per week.
“The nature of their achievement was that in a very short timeframe Queensland Health has moved from a disparate, non-standardised supply process across 40 sites to a single supply chain approach,” judges say. “NASS have managed to significantly alter the methods of this very large and geographically spread organisation.
“The achievements of NASS have been progressed as one of the critical components of end-to-end supply chain reform, which addresses information and control systems as enabling requirements.”
Ged Halstead from CH2 (Clifford Hallam Healthcare) – Australia’s largest wholesaler and distributor of medical products and pharmaceuticals – won the Information Management Award for leading “success in eliminating error-prone manual processes through the automation of all warehouse functions”.
The company’s Chief Information Officer reports inventory accuracy and pick rates have improved by at least 94 percent while slashing inventory holdings by 15-20 percent.
For her “competency, flair and enthusiasm”, Jodie Collie was awarded the Future Leaders Award. Collie is the Group Purchasing Officer at Collins Food Group in Brisbane.
“Jodie has an infectiously positive personality that spills over into every part of her professional life,” judges say. “She has developed a reputation amongst her clients and colleagues as a ‘can do’, ‘go to’ person when any operational hiccup is experienced in servicing fresh food businesses all over Queensland.
“More recently during the Queensland floods this year, Jodie (in the absence of her State Manager and CEO who were both interstate) single handily propped up the operations of Collins Food Group by thinking quickly on her feet and developing numerous supply chain strategies to continue to service those clients in rural Queensland most isolated by the floods.”
2009 ASCL WINNERS:
FUTURE LEADERS AWARD
WINNER: Jodie Collie, Collins Food Group
HIGH COMMENDATION: Matthew Kellythorn, Mrs Crocket’s Kitchen
2009 ASCL T&L INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARD
WINNER: Bill Potter, NQX College
HIGH COMMENDATION: Dirk Wagensveld, JJ Richards & Sons
STORAGE & HANDLING OF MATERIALS AWARD
WINNER: Corporate Express Australia
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AWARD
WINNER: Ged Halstead, Clifford Hallam Healthcare
TRAINING, EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT AWARD
WINNER: Polar Fresh Cold Chain Services
HIGH COMMENDATION: NQX College
MANUFACTURING LOGISTICS AWARD
WINNER: Coca-Cola Amatil, Project Jupiter
ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
WINNER: Corporate Express Australia
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AWARD
WINNER: Queensland Health
HIGH COMMENDATION: Barminco Limited and Supply Chain Services Australia