Metro Archives | Page 14 of 33

IT platform developments: Enhancing customer experience

Aug 19, 2024 | Metro, MVT, Technology

We are committed to continuously improving the services we deliver to our customers, with significant IT developments, which will give them greater visibility, faster access to critical information, and a more seamless experience in managing their supply chains.

Our current roadmap focuses on enhancing our customer-facing platform, MVT, which serves as the backbone of customer visibility into their supply chains. By prioritising agility, integration, and data-driven insights, we aim to create a more seamless and efficient experience for our customers.

Agility and efficiency
To ensure our systems remain adaptable and ready for the future, we have moved from a single, all-in-one system to a more flexible, modular approach. This change allows us to update and improve specific parts of our platform quicker, making it easier to respond to customer needs and industry changes. It also sets the foundation for growth, ensuring our platform can continue to evolve as customer demands and technology progress.

Integration and collaboration
We are focused on ensuring seamless integration between our core operating system, third-party applications, customer systems, and our MVT platform. This integration provides a unified view of the supply chain, allowing customers to collaborate more effectively and make faster, better-informed decisions.

Data-driven insights
Data is at the heart of our strategy. We have invested heavily in improving our data infrastructure to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance across all data assets. These enhancements allow us to transform raw data into actionable insights, empowering customers with advanced reporting and analytics.

Looking ahead
Looking ahead, our future development pipeline includes the launch of several new applications designed to further enhance customer interaction and data accessibility, including the integration of in-App reporting and analytics.

In September, we will hold our annual Blue Sky Thinking Development Day, where we will define the roadmap for 2025 and beyond. The core focus will be on identifying key supply chain challenges and translating them into technical solutions that enhance the capabilities of our existing MVT application, delivering even greater customer value..

As we roll out these updates and continue to build upon our platform, we are confident that these advancements will significantly enhance the value we deliver to our customers.

Key application developments

Application | Upgrade | Status

For further information on how our technology platforms can help enhance and simplify your supply chain EMAIL Ian Powell, Customer and Technical Solutions Director.

Metro expands Great Place to Work Certification globally

Aug 19, 2024 | India, Metro

Metro has reached a significant milestone by extending its Great Place to Work (GPTW) certification to its Chennai office, reflecting the hard work and dedication of the Metro India team and affirming the company’s commitment to creating a supportive and fulfilling work environment across all its offices worldwide.

The Great Place to Work certification is a globally recognised symbol of excellence. Awarded to companies that excel in providing a positive employee experience, it is based on anonymous employee feedback and a rigorous audit of workplace practices, which ensures that only companies truly committed to fostering a great work culture achieve accreditation.

In the recent audit, Metro received impressive feedback from its employees, with 93% affirming that Metro is a great place to work. Further highlights include 95% of employees stating that they felt welcomed upon joining the company, 97% expressing pride in telling others they work for Metro, and 96% commending management for their clear vision and ethical business practices.

Metro’s Managing Director, Grant Liddell, praised the achievement, saying, “This is another important milestone for Metro, becoming the employer of choice in our industry in both the UK and India. I am personally delighted to know that my colleagues enjoy our work culture, feel safe, valued, and treated fairly.”

Grant also highlighted the certification’s role in attracting top talent globally, giving Metro’s HR team a recruiting advantage with a research-backed verification of the company’s positive employee experience.

The GPTW certification not only helps Metro recruit top-tier talent, it builds pride among employees and places Metro in a community of other great workplaces, sharing insights and practices that help strengthen its work culture even further.

As Metro continues to expand globally, this recognition as a Great Place to Work further solidifies its position as a leader in the logistics and supply chain industry. The company’s dedication to creating a supportive, ethical, and engaging workplace ensures that it remains competitive in attracting and retaining the best talent worldwide.

If you, or someone you know, would like to work with a progressive colleague-focused business, please EMAIL Paul Moss a CV, with covering letter.

European market review and group developments

Aug 7, 2024 | 4PL, Automotive, Chemical, Exports, Foodstuffs, France, Hazardous, Intermodal, Logistics, Metro, News, Project, Rail, Retail, Road, Short sea, Supply Chain

The European freight market continues to face a complex landscape, characterised by fluctuating demand and evolving capacity challenges. In this review, we examine the current state of the road freight market and highlight recent group developments, including the acquisition of a Portuguese intermodal specialist and the launch of a new container shipping service.

Road Freight Market
Despite some positive economic developments, the road freight sector remains challenged by uncertain demand, with no indication of a trend reversal over the summer. This persistent issue is also evident in the capacity trends reported by TIMOCOM’s index. Significant capacity bottlenecks were noted in the first quarter, primarily due to reduced truck fleets.

This trend persisted into the second quarter, with the ratio of freight to cargo space standing at 77:23, dropping further to 73:27 in July, which is typical for the summer months. Despite these challenges, freight rates remain high. Although diesel prices have moderated, other costs, such as driver wages, continue to rise.

The TEG Index tracked a 6% year-on-year increase in haulage prices in July 2023, reflecting the rising costs that hauliers face. This index typically shows prices stalling over the summer before recovering in September, indicating that current trends are in line with historical patterns.

Acquisition of Portuguese Intermodal Specialist
We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Portuguese intermodal specialist KLOG. This acquisition allows us to enhance our intermodal transport capabilities, particularly for customers with significant continental volumes or those aiming to meet decarbonisation targets.

KLOG is renowned for its efficient, reliable, and cost-effective intermodal services to and from the Iberian Peninsula, serving some of Europe’s largest retailers, brands, and manufacturers. Their established rail services to and from Germany and Poland, via hubs in Spain and France, present significant opportunities for shippers trading between Northern Europe and Iberia.

KLOG currently operates two block train departures a week to and from their Portuguese rail hub to Poznan in Poland and Duisburg in Germany, routing via France and Spain.

These services are complemented by short sea/rail connections. Additionally, four block trains run weekly between Entroncamento (Portugal) and Tarragona (Spain), with a further three block trains operating weekly in Spain between Tarragona, Bilbao, Valladolid, and Sevilla.

A wide range of 45’ equipment is available for all services, including curtain-side, dry container, and refrigerated containers, as well as 20’ ISO tanks. Last-mile delivery and/or collection from the Tarragona hub is available with e-trucks as an option.

Key Benefits:
– 24/7 Control Tower Service
– High rail frequency with daily departures
– Reliable lead-time comparable to road transport
– Sustainable solutions available year-round
– Reduction in truck usage and reliance on scarce driver resources
– CO2 emission reductions of 90% compared to road alternatives

New container shipping service connecting Spain, Portugal, and Northern Europe
Ellerman City Liners, a group container shipping line with over 120 years of history, has introduced a new joint service with CMA CGM, connecting Spain, Portugal, and Northern Europe. This service aims to address ocean freight capacity shortages on key trade lanes, providing speed, service, and certainty to supply chains.

The first vessel of the new iNEX service departed Rotterdam on 9th July 2024. This service enhances efficiency, expands geographical scope, and reduces the carbon footprint for shippers. Operated with two 1,400 TEU vessels, the weekly sailing schedule includes the ports of Cadiz, Setubal, Leixoes, Ferrol, Tilbury, Dunkirk, and Rotterdam.

By working closely with partners Ellerman and KLOG, we are expanding the intermodal options available to our customers, delivering cost-effective and sustainable services as part of our commitment to decarbonising the supply chain.

Metro’s integrated transport services streamline import and export product flows across Europe, North Africa, and Turkey. By combining road, intermodal, and short sea modes, we ensure more efficient cargo transportation, reduced delivery times, and cost savings.

Our extensive partner network, multi-modal transport solutions, and MVT supply chain platforms are designed to meet even the most complex requirements across multiple regions, vendors, and customers.

Discover how we can enhance your trans-continental trading. EMAIL our Chief Commercial Officer, Andrew Smith, to arrange a consultation and scoping discussion.

3rd Metro Partner Golf day

Jun 27, 2024 | Metro

Metro’s golf day planners once again selected a perfect day for the annual Metro customer golf tournament. Low winds, plenty of sunshine and highs of 20°C provided the ideal conditions for the day’s competitors to enjoy The Belfy, the world-famous golf resort, which has hosted the Ryder Cup and will host the British Masters 2024 in August.

The Belfry is synonymous with golf, having hosted the Ryder Cup four times, more than any other venue in the world. It has served as the headquarters of The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) since 1977 and houses the PGA’s National Training Academy.

The 3rd Metro golf day started with breakfast and practice on the driving range, providing participating customers, partners and Metro colleagues an opportunity to chat informally, ‘break the ice’ and start the good-natured banter, that was a feature of the day.

Moving to the Par 70, 6,099 yard Derby course, the players tackled strategically placed bunkers, water hazards and risk and reward holes. Designed by Peter Alliss, the Derby course was a real challenge for all the players, demanding accuracy right from the 1st tee, good club selection, and intelligent course management.

After a competitive round of golf, with some very creditable performances, the eventual winner of the Metro Jug and our 2024 champion was Ben Dewar, while Tom Fernihough’s team were triumphant with the best combined score.

Congratulations to Ben for a fine performance! Congratulation too to the runners-up and to the winners of all the day’s competitions, including the Nearest the Pin, Longest Drive, Nearest the Pin in 2 and Wooden Spoon, who were announced over dinner at The Belfy.

The golf day goes from strength to strength and has proven to be a popular way to mix business with pleasure and given the overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers, the event will be repeated in 2025.

If you enjoy a round or two of golf, please EMAIL Tom Fernihough, who will share opportunities for future client-oriented events.