LPC have a long standing relationship, of over 20 years, with Alf Mizzi (AM), supporting the business over this time with continued development of their site at Zachary House, Marsa in Malta. With continued growth AM had acquired some additional land with a view to moving car parking and some goods vehicle staging off the main distribution site to allow for extensions to the warehousing to take place.

LPC was commissioned to develop a site master plan and comprehensive concept design for the new temperature controlled DC. This documentation was used as the ‘client’s requirements’ for the appointed design consultants who developed the specific details for construction including architectural requirements, structural requirements, mechanical services, electrical services and drainage etc.

ABI the soft drinks Division of SAB Miller has operated in much the same way from both their wet (production) sites and dry (distribution) sites for years and new management and customer requirements warranted a move away from only side loaded vehicles to a proportion of tail loaded box trailers.

LPC had previously worked with SAB / ABI developing site and facility blueprint designs for future beer and soft drinks depot.

LPC was appointed to review how the total EFS fleet (several thousands of vehicles and appliances) should be deployed to a number of regional locations around the United Kingdom, such that the appropriate numbers of each type of appliance could respond to different types of emergency (up to and including a nuclear attack) in any United Kingdom location within specified response times. 

The review of Automated System Logic and identification of the issues and proposed solutions.

The simulation and modeling study was commissioned as a result of the under performance in parts of the automated materials handling system. Underperformance was manifested for a number of reasons including:

• Late deliveries into customer RDCs
• Orders being delayed
• Incomplete orders being delivered

Problems were also being experienced in the late delivery of raw materials and packaging to Production; causing production delays and shortages that, in turn, had a knock-on adverse affect on the efficiency and timeliness of finished goods warehousing order picking and loading operations.

The study involved using Computer Modelling techniques (DiPS*) to build and evaluate alternative scenarios and to identify the comparative operational costs and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) associated with each.  DiPS is a purpose developed computer model which can be used to examine a wide variety of strategic and tactical questions in distribution and transport operations.

 

Whilst Calder previously operated regional distribution outbases, they were at the time distributing solely from the manufacturing plant in the North East. Calder’s distribution operation had been the subject of a management carrying out local deliveries themselves and subcontracting the balance. 

To this end LPC was retained to carry out a number of simulation exercises to determine the resource and financial impact that various scenarios would have on the distribution operation.

The simulation exercises were undertaken using Dips which is a purpose developed computer model which is very widely used for Facilities Location modelling and Transport Planning. It uses actual road networks, and can “self-optimise” location solutions as well as being used for the development and evaluation of optional scenarios. When being used for Location Modelling Dips can work either with individual collection and delivery points or with “clusters” of collection and delivery points.

A key feature of this project has been the level of integration of technology required to meet very demanding customer service requirements including accuracy and flexibility. The solution features 29 metre high bay storage, mini-load tote storage and picking using “pick-by-light” technology. Importantly, the client retained LPC International to undertake not only the initial conceptual planning study but also the detailed design, the tendering and selection of equipment suppliers and programme management through to completion.

LPC was retained by Nuffield Hospitals to develop a Dips model which is a purpose-developed computer model which is very widely used for Facilities Location modelling and Transport Planning. It uses actual road networks, and can “self-optimise” location solutions as well as being used for the development and evaluation of optional scenarios. When being used for Location Modelling Dips can work either with individual collection and delivery points or with “clusters” of collection and delivery points.