Page 7 - Case Study Annual 2015

companies use to create more efficient economies of
scale and we as logistics providers should use these
opportunities to partner with our customers to grow
as they grow. Imagine if this pressure were to develop
collaboration on an industry level, it would drive
standardisation and achieve a level of economies of
scale that we have never seen before.
This collaboration would involve looking at the
situation from a ‘what the equipment does’, not ‘what
it costs’ perspective. We would identify all the touch
points in a supply chain and develop a model that
incorporates suppliers and retailers with the idea of
pooling resources together on a non-competitive basis.
The collaboration would create a synergy of sorts where
companies work together to create a system that flows
throughout the industry. This method would mean that
there would be fewer empty trucks on the road and
product and companies could reach their full potential
providing a more cost-effective solution.
Project Moduluscha and the Physical Internet
CHEP is currently involved in Project Moduluscha
and the Physical Internet (PI), which is a European
Community funded project, closely co-ordinated
with North American partners and the international
Physical Internet Initiative. So what is the PI? The
short explanation is that the Physical Internet would
mimic the way information and objects are packaged,
distributed and stored in the virtual world to improve
processes. The group has a manifesto Transforming
the way physical objects are handled, moved, stored,
realised, supplied and used towards global logistics
efficiency and sustainability. While at first it seems a
little far-fetched – or a little like an academic exercise that could change the way you view your industry.
– the academics have also been joined by a number
of noteworthy retailers, manufactures and transporters.
For more information on Project Moduluscha view
full article on pages 54-58.
National waste recycling
September is Clean-up SA Month and as part of that
drive CHEP ran its second national waste recycling
campaign that focuses not only on paper recycling, but
also on other waste streams such as plastics, tins and
cans, cartons and Tetrapak, glass and electronic waste.
The campaign involves staff bringing in recyclables
from home and placing it in recycling bins at work and
this year an amazing 34 tonne of recycling materials
was collected by 12 CHEP service centres. This kind
of collaborative campaign gives us the opportunity to
become involved and partner with several recycling
associations to create awareness of the importance
of reusing and recycling and are indicative of
how partnerships and expertise can work together
successfully to save waste costs in the supply chain and
reduce companies’ carbon footprints. CHEP’s expertise
in greening the supply chain is gathering momentum,
not only with platforms that replace traditional
disposable containers, but also in the ability to map
customers’ supply chains for maximum sustainability
efficiencies. Logistics companies can equally benefit
from assisting load efficiencies, space saving and
cost reductions via collaboration with CHEP and our
partners in green solutions. But do not just take our
word …
CHEP’s expertise in greening the SC is gathering
momentum, not only with platforms that replace
traditional disposable containers, but also in
the ability to map customers’ supply chains for
maximum sustainability efficiencies.
“CHEP helped RCL Foods reduce cardboard
consumption by 13 tonne and polyethylene by 1 tonne,
in a recent sustainability and efficiency project in South
Africa. By using CHEP green crates instead of shrink-
wrapped corrugated boxes, our carbon footprint and
land fill waste reduction was improved significantly”
– Ettiene Thiebaut, group sustainability manager, RCL.
I would like to identify a personal experience
For CHEP, the line between what CHEP does as an
organisation and what it does not do has been erased,
we provide for our customers’ needs. Essentially we
provide solutions, the face of logistics is changing and
we must be ready for these changes or be left in the
midst of what was.
CHEP is proud to be associated with the Logistics
Achiever Awards and is committed to supporting
logistics excellence, which is closely aligned to CHEP’s
business model and vision. We firmly believe there
is great value to be unlocked by such initiatives and
congratulate those companies that have agreed to
share their successes. •
the logistics news case study annual 2015 5