Successful trials were run with Dick Cotterell, perishables manager at Spar KZN DC, and consequently over 300 units have been ordered to replace the dry ice, resulting in significant cost savings for Spar.

The Eutectic Holding Plate is similar to a cooler box ice brick filled with a solution which freezes at a predetermined temperature (temperature can be set to customer requirements). Once frozen, the plate can hold the temperature for up to 24 hours.

Among the advantages of using the Eutectic Plates are that they are maintenance free, re-usable, eco-friendly resulting in a reduction in CO2 emissions, durable, easy to handle as you don’t need gloves and the solution can be set to a range of temperatures while dry ice offers only one set temperature.

Although there is an initial cost outlay, the Eutectic Holding Plate systems easily pays for itself in a matter of a few months as there is no consumable cost attached.

Xolani Sele of Spar inserts a chilled Eutectic plate into the holding plate system in the vehicle prior to loading stock for delivery.

“Global pressures remain to reduce logistics costs, while increasing emphasis is being placed on providing quality service and adding value. Furthermore, in line with global trends, the drive towards a more sustainable logistics system is gaining prominence,” says Hans Ittmann, CSIR Built Environment Executive Director.

He adds that this year’s edition, themed ‘logistics value and costs – driving macro and micro-economic change towards global competitiveness and sustainability’, emphasises the critical economic value that should be derived from logistics. “The real mitigation of risk and realising sustainable logistics solutions can only, however, be generated through effective collaboration between private and public sectors, process improvements and structural changes,” Ittmann says.

The survey finds that though South Africa saw an increase of 6,9% in logistics costs compared to the previous year’s R317 billion, 2008 costs are at their lowest since 2004, totalling R339 billion or 14,7% of GDP. However, when compared to other countries’ logistics costs, e.g. the USA’s 9,4% (2008), domestic costs remain too high.

During 2008, the recessionary global oil price positively impacted industry costs, whereas SA’s higher-than-normal transport demand and poor network configuration, rising bad road conditions, radically increased storage and inventory costs, need for increased funding to bolster capacity and consistently increasing road corridor traffic had a negative effect. For example, the percentage of bad roads in SA’s secondary road network increased from 8% (1998) to 20% (2008) with significant deliveries routed via this road network.

“IMPERIAL Logistics is continuously working with our customers to implement sustainable solutions and, for me, that’s one of the positive things that one has to take out of the recession,” says Marius Swanepoel, CEO of IMPERIAL Logistics. “Our customers and companies in general are increasingly more interested to find better ways of doing things, which allows us to work closer with them to create more sustainable and cost effective solutions. It is more about taking waste out of the supply chain and I think this is what we’re seeing now.”

According to Dr Jan Havenga, Director at the Stellenbosch University Centre for Supply Chain Management, certain aspects of South Africa’s logistics cost situation still require significant attention. However, it is heartening to note that wide consensus exists among logistics stakeholders on many important initiatives.

Havenga says, “The challenge however remains: Although consensus exists around issues such as regeneration and use of rail capacity, not enough has been done yet. The competitiveness and sustainability of South Africa’s logistics system remain at risk and moving from consensus to action is long overdue. Public-private partnerships are a key success factor.”

Dr Sibusiso Sibisi, President and CEO of the CSIR, concurs and adds, “The State of LogisticsTM survey highlights the importance of the critical area of logistics and supply chain management in the global market. Since its 2004 maiden issue, it has aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the state of logistics in South Africa through adopting a collaborative approach to knowledge generation. We believe the surveys open the way for further discussions, interactions and dialogue on various logistics and supply chain management issues.”

“This publication has become one of the premier references for logistics in South Africa through benchmark-driven research and long-term partnerships with IMPERIAL Logistics and Stellenbosch University,” concludes Ittmann.

Read the 6th State of LogisticsTM survey at www.csir.co.za/sol or www.imperiallogistics.co.za/sol.

ISO 17367:2009, Supply chain applications of RFID – Product tagging, defines the basic features of RFID for use in the supply chain when applied to product tagging. In particular it makes recommendations for:

* Encoded identification of the product
* Additional information about the product for inclusion on the RFID tag
* Semantics and data syntax
* The data protocol to be used to interface with business applications and the RFID system
* The air interface standards between the RFID interrogator and RFID tag.

Craig K. Harmon, Chair of TC 122/WG 10 comments: “ISO 17367:2009 will provide higher level security of products worldwide using RFID technology. It will enable easy and efficient exchange of commodities in international trade and logistics. ”

ISO 17367:2009 is applicable to a wide range of industries and it has been elaborated in order to ensure compatibility at the physical, command and data levels with four other International Standards under the general title: Supply chain applications of RFID. International Standards within this suite are interoperable and non-interfering:

* ISO 17363:2007, Supply chain applications of RFID – Freight containers
* ISO 17364:2009, Supply chain applications of RFID – Returnable transport items (RTIs)
* ISO 17365:2009, Supply chain applications of RFID – Transport units
* ISO 17366:2009, Supply chain applications of RFID – Product packaging.

These International Standards define the technical aspects and data hierarchy of information required in each layer of the supply chain. ISO technical committee ISO/TC 122/WG 10, Packaging, in collaboration with ISO/TC 104, Freight containers developed this series of standards.

TC 122/WG 10 has undertaken a revision of this suite of standards to provide better clarity to the encoded methods to be utilized and support for sensor technology

Where: Sandton Sun Hotel, Johannesburg , South Africa

Warehousing and physical distribution practices are changing dramatically. New approaches and methods offer opportunities to cut costs substantially while improving overall operations. In addition, many organisations are now focusing on the impact of warehousing costs on their bottom line and are trying bring warehouse operations more closely in line within their operational objectives

This interactive and practical training workshop has been designed very specifically for warehouse personnel and serves as a step-by-step guideline towards improving your day-to-day warehouse optimisation. Throughout the workshop, many examples of case studies will be woven into discussion and these, together with the hands-on training style of your course trainer, promise to make this workshop a valuable and realistic learning experience for each delegate.

This exciting two-day training workshop provides an integrated and logical approach to help you successfully navigate decision-making in today’s dynamic manufacturing industry

Key Topics

· Addressing demand management and forecasting

· Benchmarking and efficiently automating your warehouse to increase efficiency

· Managing the three P’s of Warehousing storage and Planning

· Looking into strategically outsourcing your warehouse operations to increase business performance

Key Features / Key Benefits

· Improving your process partnership performance

· Designing the right warehouse by taking into account your objectives, risks, challenges as well as flexibility

· Exploring the do’s and don’ts in a warehouse

· Comparing WMS (warehouse management systems)  versus WCS (warehouse control systems)

· Implementing innovative solutions for a more productive and efficient warehouse

For more info please click here.

ISO technical specification ISO/TS 22002-1:2009, Prerequisite programmes on food safety – Part 1: Food manufacturing, sets out requirements for prerequisite programmes needed to realize safe products and provide food that is safe for human consumption. It is intended to be used in conjunction with, and to support, ISO 22000:2005 which gives requirements for a food safety management system.

The new technical specification has a huge potential impact since at least 8 206 organizations in 112 countries were independently certified to ISO 22000:2005 at the end of 2008. (This is an increase on the figure announced in The ISO Survey of Certifications – 2008 as fresh information has allowed the total for France to be updated from 18 to 122.)

ISO/TS 22002-1 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing and maintaining prerequisite programmes designed to help food manufacturers be able to control:

* The likelihood of introducing food safety hazards to the product through the work environment
* Biological, chemical and physical contamination of the product, including cross contamination between products
* Food safety hazard levels in the product and product processing environment.

Jacob Faergemand, Chair of the subcommittee which is responsible for the ISO 22000 series, comments: “As the introduction of food safety hazards can occur at the manufacturing stage of the food supply chain, a hygienic environment is essential. That is why this ISO technical specification is very useful to reduce the likelihood that products will be exposed to hazards, that they will be contaminated, and that hazards will proliferate.”

The new technical specification applies to all organizations involved in the manufacturing step of the food chain, regardless of size or complexity. It is not a requirement of ISO 22000 and may be used in parts or in its entirety, depending on the nature of food manufacturing operations.

“ISO 220002-1 is the first technical specification in a series planned for relevant food sector PRP. It is expected that other parts of the food chain will over time ask for specific PRP based on the same model. This proves that ISO has now established the structure to help and facilitate the future needs for the worldwide food industry,” further notes Jacob Faergemand.

They have contracted with Pragma Products for the implementation of On Key on a single data base to have centralised standards and control between their three abattoirs in Botshabelo, Tigane and Mafikeng.
On Key implementation commenced in September and a total of 2500 MSI’s will be maintained via the Asset Manager, Maintenance Manager and Materials Manager Modules.

Gert Diedericks and Samuel Smith will also see to the training of all staff utilising the system, ensuring that they use the system to its optimum for the improvement of their asset performance.

SYSPRO optionally allows specific traceable components to be reserved for specific work-orders, as well as providing the flexibility of specifying the parent traceable numbers at the beginning, during or the end of the manufacturing process.

SYSPRO lot traceability and serial tracking functionality afford extensive visibility up or down the chain, as well as providing specific component to parent tracking, thereby providing the means to expedite recalls, should the need arise.

According to SYSPRO USA President Joey Benadretti, “Safety remains a serious concern, and SYSPRO will continue efforts to enable its software to assist customers by providing users greater visibility and control over quality and tracking in industries such as food, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, where quality and regulatory conformance are particularly crucial.”

SYSPRO’s more thoughtful approach to adopting new technology also reflects the desires of its buyers who are driven by business needs and not by the latest headlines, executives that are driven by a desire for smart, but aggressive market growth. This exemplifies SYSPRO’s ongoing strategy of helping to simplify the success of its customers.