Leading palletised freight distribution specialist Palletline has joined forces with one of the UK’s top universities to give students an insight into the sector and to help drive innovation within the business.
Palletline has partnered with WMG, at the University of Warwick, and is playing host to 90 MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management students to demonstrate its operations and share the journey of a pallet through its network.
An intensive course over a 12-month period, the MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management programme currently has a cohort of 180 students; many of whom are international students and possess a range of prior work experience. The course has recently been recognised for its excellence in the Eduniversal Best Masters Ranking 2022, where it is ranked Number 1 in the UK and Number 29 globally for ‘Supply Chain and Logistics Management’.
Aimed at students already working in the industry and those looking to advance their careers, the course’s vast remit includes best practice techniques, tools and frameworks that enable sound business decisions, value added services for the customer, latest trends and the impact of the latest technology on supply chains.
The first group of 30 students recently joined Palletline’s nightshift teams when they met with a number of senior staff including Harpreet Sohal, Head of Business Information, Richard Southern, Head of Hub Operations, and Andrew Loughlin-Smith, Operations Manager Nights.
During the course of the evening students were divided into groups of 10, each of which were given a tour of Palletline, with more of an in-depth focus on every stage of the pallet journey within the hub.
Harpreet said: “The students’ visit was a very positive experience on both sides.
“Every student was really engaged, asking lots of questions and even asking to see the paperwork from scanned items so they could get a full picture.
“They made lots of observations as they made their way around the hub, with questions about what we as a business are doing now and how we’re planning for the future. They seemed impressed with our environmental management, how we’re reducing our energy usage, and there were lots of comments about our forward-thinking approach which is more in line with that of a parcels company than a pallet company.
“It was a fantastic two-way learning process. As well as learning from us it was interesting for us to hear their ideas. They raised ideas like automation and blockchain technology which is something we’re already working on so it was reassuring to know we were on the same wavelength.
“We benefited from the visit as much as the students, so much so we’re looking to invite more of our teams, including finance and IT, to take part in the next round of visits.”
Gari Bilsbarrow, of WMG, said: “These collaborations between ourselves and local businesses are hugely successful.
“We organised a night-time visit to Palletline between 8pm and 11.30pm as operations are in full flow and it’s atmospheric, giving our students an excellent insight.
“The students are then actively encouraged to look at problem solving and improvement opportunities as part of their dissertations which are essentially critiques with observations and recommendations.
“Business partners reap the benefit as they are gaining an outside perspective - it has been known for our students to present their ideas at board level and to then find themselves with a job offer!”
The remaining two groups of students are set to visit Palletline in January.
As part of its partnership with WMG, the University’s Supply Chain Research Group recently undertook a thorough audit of Palletline’s Cost-To-Serve model, the process in which annual network tariffs are reviewed, measured and set.
The outcome was positive; rubber-stamping the model as well-executed, comprehensive and robust, with just a handful of minor recommendations that could further enhance the process for its shareholder members.