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Maersk Infuses $600 Million into Nigeria’s Port Infrastructure, Bolstering Maritime Trade Expansion

Maersk global trade rate

Maersk Infuses $600 Million into Nigeria’s Port Infrastructure, Bolstering Maritime Trade Expansion

A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk) has unveiled a substantial $600 million investment geared towards enhancing Nigeria’s port infrastructure, marking a pivotal step towards fostering additional container shipping services within Nigerian ports. The announcement was made by Robert Maersk Uggla, Chairman of Maersk, during discussions with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 28th.

President Tinubu lauded the investment, emphasizing its synergistic alignment with the administration’s ongoing commitment to refurbishing Nigeria’s eastern and western seaports, already earmarked for a $1 billion investment. Furthermore, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering support for port modernization initiatives and the implementation of the national single window project aimed at streamlining port processes through automation.

Read also: Maersk Completes $3.6 Billion Acquisition of LF Logistics

Expressing gratitude for Maersk’s contribution to Nigeria’s economic landscape, Tinubu highlighted the nation’s receptivity to foreign investment, citing Nigeria as a prime destination for lucrative business ventures. He underscored the country’s potential for robust revenue expansion and emphasized the imperative to minimize trans-shipments from larger vessels to smaller ones.

Uggla echoed Tinubu’s sentiments, underscoring Nigeria’s strategic significance in accommodating larger containerships along the West African coast. Recognizing the burgeoning demand for expanded logistics services, particularly in Lagos, Uggla outlined Maersk’s commitment to fortifying port infrastructure and facilitating the seamless operation of larger vessels. He emphasized the immense growth potential inherent in Nigeria’s maritime sector and reiterated Maersk’s steadfast dedication to nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships with Nigerian authorities.

In light of recent developments, the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), operated by APM Terminals (APMT), has inaugurated a state-of-the-art four-lane in-gate facility at Onne Port, Rivers State, Nigeria, further augmenting the region’s maritime infrastructure and paving the way for enhanced trade facilitation.

cosco

COSCO sells shares in Duisburg new Terminal

Chinese carrier COSCO has given up its shares in the construction of the new Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT) in Germany.

COSCO’s share in the terminal amounted to 30 per cent, which have now been sold to Duisburg port operator, duisport.

READ: Ports of Rotterdam and Duisburg sign digitalization, sustainability agreement

The Duisburg port company took over the shares in June, but both sides have agreed not to disclose the reasons for the Chinese exit, as reported by German broadcaster WDR.

The project for the DGT was launched in 2019 for a total investment of €100 million ($100.4 million).

duisport and COSCO would have held 30 per cent of shares, and Dutch inland shipping group HTS and Hupac 20 per cent each.

The new terminal will be built on the Coal Island of the German port over an area of 220,000 square meters with 6 cranes, 12 rail freight platforms, 5 loading zones, 3 berths for barges and an area of ​​60,000 square metres for container storage.

Initial predictions estimated that DGT was supposed to handle 850,000 TEU per year welcoming over 100 weekly trains coming from the New Silk Road.

The news comes shortly after the German government has approved the acquisition of a minority stake of less than 25 per cent in HHLA’s Container Terminal Tollerort GmbH (CTT) by COSCO.

The sale had been debated for months, as Germany’s Economy Minister, Robert Habeck, disclosed that he was inclined not to allow the deal, arguing the deal would give China a stake in critical German infrastructure.

port

Guangzhou Splashes out $1 billion in new 500,000 TEU Berth at Nansha Port

The Guangzhou Port Group (GPG) has invested in a new berth in the Nansha port area to create an an annual additional capacity of half a million TEU.

The estimated investment stands at 7.472 billion yuan ($1 billion) and is still subject to approval by the company’s general meeting of shareholders.

The new berth will be able to accommodate six inland container barges at a time and process 15.5 million tonnes of bulk and general cargo per year.

The berth will add to the four berths that were opened in November 2021 and June 2022.

The company made the announcement in a filing submitted to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

READ: China ports volumes trend downwards as lockdowns make impact

The aim of the project is to bolster the economic and social development of the hinterland, speed up capacity building, improve the passing capacity of general and container terminals, and accelerate the development of the main port business.

The company has set up a wholly owned subsidiary with paid-up capital of around $210 million to invest in the construction and operation of the project.

The construction period of the project is expected to be three years.

In August, the Port of Nansha began operations of its fully automated terminal, the first of its kind in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area.

According to GPG, this is part of the fourth phase of the modernisation project at the Port of Nansha, combining multimodal services related to sea, river, and railway transportation.

AD

AD Ports Group Announced Its Financial Results for the Year’s Second Quarter, Seeing a 59 Per Cent Surge in Net Profits

Net profit growth accelerated to 59 per cent year-over-year (YoY), reaching AED300 million ($82 million) in Q2 2022, resulting in a 49 per cent YoY growth for the first half of 2022.

The Group’s revenue grew 35 per cent YoY to AED1.24 billion ($338.1 million) in Q2 2022 (a 25 per cent YoY surge H1 2022), achieving record results for H1 growth mainly driven by the Maritime and Economic Cities & Free Zones (EC&FZ) Clusters, and to a lesser extent by the Digital Cluster, AD Ports wrote in its statement.

Consolidated capital expenditure during Q2 2022 reached AED1.6 billion ($440 million) with the three main investments being the Maritime Cluster (vessel fleet expansion), the Ports Cluster (Khalifa Port expansion and Etihad Rail connectivity), and the Economic Cities & Free Zones Cluster (new warehouses, gas network expansion and infrastructure-related investments to unlock additional land).

Container volumes grew by 30 per cent YoY while Ro-Ro and cruise passenger volumes continued their healthy recovery post COVID-19 disruptions.

READ: Aidrivers and AD Ports Group conduct proof-of-concept exercise for autonomous transport solutions in port operations

In June 2022, AD Ports Group reached an agreement with National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) to launch a new JV, SAFEEN Surveys and Subsea Services.

In the same month, AD Ports Group announced its first international acquisition in Egypt with the purchase of a 70 per cent stake in International Associated Cargo Carrier (IACC), which fully owns Transmar International Shipping Company and Transcargo International (TCI).

In July 2022, AD Ports Group launched a joint venture with SEG, one of the largest oil and gas companies in Uzbekistan, to open new logistics and freight businesses and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a food storage and distribution hub to enhance Uzbekistan’s food trade across global markets and drive Central Asian food security.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said: “The momentum of our growth journey has accelerated throughout the first half of the year, and we anticipate continuing to deliver on our performance for the remainder of the year.

“We are grateful to our wise leadership for their unwavering support towards our endeavours that seek to drive the economic growth, diversification, and industrialisation of the UAE.”

NIIF xchange

DP World Divests Stake to Indian Infrastructure Fund in $300 Million Investment

India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) will invest a primary capital of INR 22.5 billion (close to $300 million) acquiring approximately 22.5 per cent of DP World’s subsidiary Hindustan Ports Private Limited (HPPL).

This transaction is subject to customary completion conditions and is expected to close by Q1 2023. This marks the Fund’s single largest investment.

NIIF’s total investment under this partnership will reach around $500 million according to DP World’s statement.

HPPL is one of India’s leading container terminal platforms, operating five container terminals with more than 5 million TEU of capacity and terminals in key locations – including Mumbai, Mundra, Chennai and Cochin.

The investment further extends the existing DP World and NIIF partnership formed in 2018 through the creation of Hindustan Infralog Private Limited (HIPL).

Since its inception, HIPL has made investments in rail logistics, multi-modal logistics parks, container freight stations, economic zones, cold chain infrastructure and contract logistics.

DP World noted that the primary capital raised through this transaction will aid new infrastructure development, drive supply chain efficiencies and support future growth initiatives of HPPL.

“The broadening of our partnership with NIIF to include our flagship India ports platform is a natural extension of our existing relationship and aligns both parties to focus on delivering end-to-end supply chain solutions,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World.

“Since the beginning of this partnership with NIIF, we have made significant progress in building an inland logistics infrastructure network of great scale that complements our container ports platform.

“Notably, the opportunity landscape in India remains significant and this transaction will allow us to accelerate investment across ports and logistics to drive returns for our respective stakeholders.”

DP World is expanding its landside reach in India, as it recently opened a new technology centre in Bangalore – the second office to be opened by the terminal operator this year.

costa carriers maersk LF

Maersk Turns the Tables on COSCO’s Container Liftings

Maersk has leapt above COSCO on container liftings in the final quarter of 2021 as numbers return to pre-COVID levels.

According to Alphaliner, the Asian carrier lost 13 per cent in container liftings year-on-year whilst Maersk has moved ahead after posting a much more modest fall at 4 per cent over the same period. The difference, however, remains marginal with 60,000 TEU only separating the two companies in the final three months of 2021.

Alphaliner has provided data for six other major carriers, which combined moved a total of 25.4 million TEU in loaded volumes during Q4 2021 – equivalent to an 8 per cent decline year-on-year.

As congestion issues continue to choke potential trade movements, published data show signs of a return to pre-COVID levels.

Total liftings for the eight carriers reached 103.6 million TEU in 2021, versus 100.8 million TEU in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic.

No significant change in rankings has been reported for the other carriers alongside Maersk and COSCO.

CMA CGM showed a year-on-year drop in liftings in Q4 but enjoyed a 2 per cent lift since pre-COVID levels.

Hapag-Lloyd follows in fourth place, with liftings of 11.8 million TEU in 2021 – showing no oscillations from the same period the year prior, but a drop by 1 per cent compared to 2019.

Among the smaller carriers, ZIM and Wan Hai Lines showed the most growth. Wan Hai recorded loaded volumes of 4.9 million TEU in 2021, up more than 10 per cent compared to 2019.

ZIM posted 3.4 million TEU in liftings for 2021, a sharp jump on the 2.8 million TEU posted for both 2019 and 2020.

© Alphaliner

Average rates per TEU rose for all carriers in the final quarter of 2021.

A majority of carriers earned over USD 2,500 per TEU in the period, with ZIM breaching the USD 3,500 per TEU mark for the first time. On average, revenue per TEU rose 13 per cent compared to the previous quarter as the rate momentum continued.

Alphaliner reported that early indications by carriers such as OOCL suggest another quarter-on-quarter increase in rates per TEU in the first three months of 2022.

revenue

Maersk Maritime, Logistics Businesses Deliver Record Q1 2022 Results

A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) has released the Q1 2022 financial results of its Ocean, Logistics and Terminals businesses, posting significant upsurges in revenue.

The Danish giant previously reported whole company total revenues of $19.3 billion for Q1 2022 (period ending 31 March), a 55 per cent year-on-year increase.

EBIDTA more than doubled to $9.1 billion and free cash flow also rose to $6 billion.

These record figures were driven primarily by higher freight rates and strong long-term partnerships with customers seeking end-to-end supply chain support.

“In Q1 we delivered the best earnings quarter ever in Maersk with growth across Ocean, Logistics and Terminals,” said Søren Skou, CEO of Maersk.

“The increased earnings are driven by freight rates and by contracts being signed at higher levels. While global supply chains remain under significant pressure, we continue to demonstrate superior ability to help customers overcome logistic challenges.

“In Logistics, we enjoyed strong demand for products and solutions across our portfolio leading to the 5th quarter in a row with organic growth of more than 30 per cent while Terminals presented its best quarter ever.”

Maersk’s Ocean revenue for the period rose 64 per cent to $15.6 billion. As a result of retail slack season, global demand has fallen 1.2 per cent. Due to this, volumes declined by 7 per cent, however, this was offset by strong rates.

Income for the full year is expected to continue to be strong as the increase in freight rates on Maersk’s long-term contract portfolio will add approximately $10 billion to its revenue in 2021. Maersk noted this will offset the recent 21 per cent rise in costs due to higher fuel and inflationary pressure.

The company’s Logistics business also saw a large upturn in revenue, rising 41 per cent to $2.9 billion. Maersk continues to invest in acquisitions including the recent takeover of Pilot Freight Services which was finalized on 2 May.

In Terminals, revenue amounted to $1.1 billion in Q1 2022, up from $915 million in Q1 2021.

Looking forward, Maersk foresees global container demand to fluctuate slightly between -1-1 per cent, down from an earlier expectation of 2-4 per cent. This comes as trade flows and consumer confidence in Europe is negatively impacted by the Ukraine war.

As previously announced on 28 April, the whole company now expects its EBITDA for the year to come in at around $30 billion, underlying EBIT to amount to $24 billion, and free cash flow to be above $19 billion. Previously EBITDA was expected to total $24 billion in 2022.

montreal

Port of Montreal Moves 1.7 Million TEU in 2021

The Port of Montreal moved 1.7 million TEU in 2021, despite facing several challenges and crises.

Driven by the changing consumer habits in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the port saw a 7.5 per cent year-on-year rise in container volumes.

Overall, the Port of Montreal handled a total of 34 million tonnes of goods last year, a 3 per cent decline compared to 2020.

Operating income also remained stable as it amounted to $117.7 million in 2021, up from $116.6 million the previous year.

Expenditures for the year came in at $104 million.

Keeping in mind the port’s financial income, its net profit was reportedly $19.7 million in 2021.

Last year, several of the Port of Montreal’s major infrastructure projects reached new milestones. These include the completion of the first phase of its Contrecœur terminal project and the start of the last major step in its vast rehabilitation project of the Alexandra Pier, which began in 2014.

These projects, amongst others, aim to improve the long-term performance and efficiency of the supply chain and port facilities.

In 2021, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) marked several sustainability achievements through the conclusion of major partnerships for the development of more low-carbon fuels and the move towards decarbonisation.

In June last year, the MPA signed a collaboration and development agreement with Greenfield Global in order to work on energy solutions.

Through these partnerships and the installation of digital solutions, the port has seen a 33 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 2007.

“The past year tells us one thing, and that is how necessary it is to know how to adapt, in all circumstances, to disruptions, unforeseen events and factors outside the normal course of operations that may affect the supply chain,” said Martin Imbleau, President and Director General of the MPA.

“As a public service, we are putting everything in place to ensure the future of the Port of Montreal. We do it for local businesses that import and export products that are essential to their operations and their vitality and, ultimately, we do it for the ultimate customer, the consumer, the citizen.”

The Port of Montreal also recently joined the United Nations Global Compact for the implementation and promotion of sustainable business development.

total spot

COSCO Shipping Ports Announces Q1 2022 Results

COSCO Shipping Ports Limited (CSP) has released first quarter results for 2022, posting revenues of $329.7 million.

The revenues are an increase of 24.2 per cent year-on-year.

Gross Profit increased by 30.5 per cent to a total of $80.9 million, while share of profits from joint ventures and associates increased by 1.9 per cent year on year to $82.5 million.

During the period, profit attributable to equity holders of the company increased by 2.6 per cent year-on-year to $74.9 million.

© COSCO Shipping Ports Limited

As a result of the global pandemic, for the three months ended 31 March 2022 the total throughput of the Greater China region decreased by 3.6 per cent to 22,520,167 TEU, accounting for 74.3 per cent of the group’s total.

Despite this decline, CSP total global throughput reached 30,291,588 TEU in the first quarter of this year, registering an increase of 0.3 per cent year on year.

The group said the growth was primarily driven by its subsidiary Tianjin Container Terminal. The port handled approximately 4.63 million TEU of containers in the first three months of 2022.

The total equity throughput from controlling-stake subsidiaries was 7,487,432 TEU, a 39.5 per cent increase.

Turning to overseas regions, the total throughput of Greater China increased by 11.7 per cent to 7,771,421 TEU and accounted for 25.7 per cent of the group’s total.

Due to the continuous congestion of major ports in northwest Europe, CSP has noted that the Zeebrugge Terminal NV became an important buffer port. The terminal increased its throughput by 24.4 per cent year-on-year to 272,344 TEU.

CSP has acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the maritime industry, declaring its intention to focus on improving quality and efficiency, control costs, and maintain a stable financial situation.

Last March, CSP announced its annual financial and operational results for 2021, posting a significant improvement in revenue.

tech

LEAVE IT TO TECHNOLOGY TO MEET MODERN CHALLENGES: PART I

To be honest, incorporating more technology into business as usual for logistics, supply chain and manufacturing entities pre-dates the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the U.S. in January 2020. But it did take the global pandemic to propel many in those industries to move unrealized digital transformation initiatives to their front burners.

In light of Industry 4.0, which places a high value on robotics, clean technology, renewable energy and transforming traditional factories into smart ones using the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, InfinityQS International announced the findings of its 2021 Customer Satisfaction Survey on June 1. 

The report from the Fairfax, Virginia-based authority on data-driven enterprise quality revealed that more than half of manufacturers now have their sights set on digital transformation to address concerns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Behold:

-52 percent of respondents reported they are currently exploring or already adopting digital transformation initiatives to enhance operational performance. 

-24 percent cited advanced analytics as their top technology priority.

“The pandemic exposed significant and often widespread operational weaknesses within incumbent manufacturing environments,” said Jason Chester, director of Global Channel Programs at InfinityQS. “It brought into sharp relief where legacy systems and outdated processes exacerbated the problems that manufacturers faced, alongside new challenges such as the rapid shift to remote work and supply chain disruption.”

Digital transformation is the key to addressing these new challenges, according to Chester. “Data, for example, is a great way for manufacturers to increase visibility into their operations as it can provide important insights into each stage of the production process. These insights can then be leveraged to make more informed and tactical decisions to secure long-term resilience and growth.”

In addition to advanced analytics, the other most popular technologies on the priority list for respondents included the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and cloud computing. InfinityQS notes that either technology supports anytime, anywhere access to real-time data for proactive decision-making, enabling manufacturers to maximize performance, respond to fluctuations in demand, ensure flexible operations and even build resilience for future “black-swan” events—all while maintaining high levels of product quality and safety.

“For manufacturers to stay ahead of competition and remain at the top of their industry, they need to constantly adapt to their environment by making tactical digital investments,” Chester says. “It is great to see the majority are rebounding from the pandemic and embracing digital transformation to increase their agility and maintain competitive edge. Companies that do so are better equipped to improve their operations at a faster speed and even anticipate changes before they occur.”

A clue that an impactful industry change was on the way happened during the March 2020 MODEX show in Atlanta, where attendees were warned they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Folks can be forgiven if they were too preoccupied with personal health to consider the findings in the annual Materials Handling Industry (MHI) Report that was released during MODEX. According to the report (which you can read more about in our Industry Expertise column):

-67 percent of survey respondents said they believed robotics had the power to disrupt their industry and offer a competitive advantage for their organization. 

-39 percent of surveyed companies said they’d adopted robotics and automation. 

-73 percent of those surveyed said they plan to add more robotics or start implementing robotics in the next five years.

For a look ahead of the curve, Global Trade identified industry players who confronted a recent challenge with the help of technological partners. Our case studies are arranged by the categories Global Trade covers on the regular, from 3PLs and e-commerce to intermodal and air cargo logistics. Read on for part one. 

3PL

Company: KSP Fulfillment of Fridley, Minnesota

Challenge: Rapid growth putting pressure on order fulfillment

Problem Solver: Softeon of Reston, Virginia

Solution: Cloud-based warehouse management system (WMS)

Founded in 2012 and headquartered near Minneapolis, KSP offers a broad mix of 3PL services to multiple industries, including medical, health & beauty, education, agriculture and pet care. The Verified Veteran Owned Business has realized rapid growth, with revenues jumping 296% in 2020. That is, of course, the goal, but … 

Why is there always a “but?” 

The mountain of increased orders drove the need for additional space, and KSP is set to complete construction on a new 182,000-square-foot facility in November. However, the KSP brass also realized they needed more than additional real estate. 

“The company determined it needed a new WMS with the ability to scale, more advanced features and a better platform for continuous improvement,” explains Dennis Nicholson, vice president, Business Development at Softeon. “KSP selected Softeon as its WMS provider to help power execution of their aggressive strategy, making their decision to move to Softeon in less than two months.”

KSP was ready to move even sooner, to hear CEO Rob Walters tell it. “It was obvious in the early stages of our WMS vetting process that Softeon was going to be the right fit for our short and long-term business goals,” he says. “It was incredibly important that we chose the right strategic partners to ultimately support our customers’ needs. Softeon offers a unique combination of rich WMS functionality, robust support for 3PLs and a collaborative partnership that matches well with our culture.” 

It’s not just smaller company cultures that Softeon meshes with, having also provided a WMS solution to Germany’s DB Schenker, which is, of course, one of the world’s largest providers of freight forwarding and logistics services

AIR CARGO LOGISTICS

Company: American Airlines Cargo of Fort Worth, Texas

Challenge: Expanding temperature-controlled shipments across the entire mainline fleet 

Problem Solvers: CSafe Global of Dayton, Ohio, and CargoSense of Reston, Virginia 

Solution: State-of-the-art packaging and temperature sensors

One lesson American Airlines Cargo learned from the pandemic was that operating one of the largest cargo networks in the world made one no more prepared to handle the huge demand for distributing temperature-critical vaccines, pharmaceuticals and other life science products than Uncle Eddie’s Crop Duster Inc.

Though the new normal is getting more normal currently (knock on Formica), the demand for temperature-controlled cargo solutions is not going away. That even newer normal propelled American to enter into a number of tests and trials in partnership with CSafe Global and CargoSense. The result: All of American’s aircraft offered ideal environments for passive temperature-sensitive shipments thanks to CSafe’s industry-leading packaging and CargoSense’s Temperature Loggers.

The even more amazing result: American’s ExpediteTC solution, which was founded in 2009 to provide active and passive shipping solutions as well as a global network of temperature-controlled facilities, can now nearly double its capacity. The airline has now extended its cold-chain solution network to 30 new stations, including in-demand cities such as Memphis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. 

“When it comes to cold chain shipments, reliability is crucial for our customers,” explains Roger Samways, vice president, Commercial for American Airlines Cargo. “By expanding our offering of temperature-critical shipping on all mainline flights, we are able to provide our customers with access to more than 180 markets, marking the largest cold-chain network in our history.”

During the trials, sensors monitored internal package temperatures while aircraft operated in various climates. Results proved that temperatures of each package stayed constant, despite changing conditions during transit, according to the partnership.

 “We are excited the pharmaceutical industry can now leverage American’s full fleet at a time that is critical for all of us,” says CargoSense CEO Rich Kilmer.

Added Tom Weir, CSafe Global’s chief operating officer: “It was a privilege to work with American to conduct these trials and leverage our innovative thermal shipping solution technologies to ensure even more temperature-critical shipments can travel effectively. Many sensitive, often life-saving goods travel the world thanks to effective cold-chain networks, and we are proud to play a part in that alongside American Airlines.”

BANKING/FINANCE

Company: Old Dominion Freight Line of Thomasville, North Carolina

Challenge: Streamline payments to improve satisfaction among 10,500+ drivers 

Problem Solver: Relay Payments of Atlanta, Georgia

Solution: Instant electronic payments 

Motor carrier and industry leader Old Dominion provides regional, inter-regional, and national services that include expedited transportation through an expansive network of service centers throughout the continental U.S. as well less-than-truckload (LTL), container drayage, truckload brokerage and supply-chain consulting across North America.

However, Old Dominion lived up to the . . . ahem . . . “Old” part of its name by, like many of its peers, relying on cash and checks to conduct business. With manual payment processes creating a sub-optimal experience for customers, OD turned to Relay Payments, which recently received a $43 million infusion from venture capitalists who share the fintech company’s vision of building an electronic payment network in the transportation, logistics and supply-chain industries.

“We strive to deliver best-in-class customer service and are always looking at ways technology can improve our offerings,” explained Todd Polen, vice president, Pricing Services, at Old Dominion. “Working with Relay Payments has allowed us to remove tedious and manual steps throughout the payment process and modernize the way we do business with our customers.”

Relay’s partnership with OD’s accounting, pricing and operations teams is paying dividends, thanks to the development of unique application leveraging data integrations and custom payment workflows for each department’s specific needs. “We have entrusted Relay to process millions of dollars in volume annually,” Polen notes, “and we’ve already been able to realize millions in savings through data integration, digitalization of receipts and simplified reimbursements. On top of it all, our customers are happier than ever which is the most important to us.” 

“Our goal was to design an end-to-end solution which eliminated the use of paper-based payments and introduced operational efficiencies and increased revenue for the organization,” says Relay co-founder and President Spencer Barkoff. “We’re excited to continue working together to change the industry and keep America’s supply chain running during a period of immense challenge.”

E-COMMERCE

Company: Hermes Fulfillment of Hamburg, Germany

Challenge: Incorporate state-of-the-art technology to legacy warehouse management systems

Problem Solver: ProGlove of Munich, Germany, and Chicago, Illinois, and Ivanti Wavelink of Salt Lake City, Utah

Solution: Wearable barcode scanners and backend digital systems

Hermes Fulfilment handles the entire shipping process—including customer orders, warehousing and returns—for parent company the Otto Group’s retail companies. Besides multiple locations in Germany, Hermes has logistics, e-commerce and distribution facilities across all of Europe.

After identifying the need to upgrade technologically, Hermes officials sought an “out-of-the-box” solution: 150 of ProGlove’s wearable MARK Display barcode scanners that are married with Ivanti Wavelink’s Velocity backend/warehouse management systems.

This combo platter allows for easy integration of Telnet and browser-based applications to communicate and deliver crucial information to and from workers’ rugged mobile computers and wearable devices. 

“ProGlove’s MARK Display is a giant leap forward in barcode scanning,” says Simon Storey, Ivanti’s Global VP of Strategic Alliances. “Their devices come with a unique form factor that is tailored to meet the needs of warehouse shop floor workers superbly.”

His company’s Velocity platform helps improve accuracy and efficiency without modifying or replacing legacy backend systems, all the while maintaining and improving worker productivity. This helps reduce picking errors, decrease downtime and increase productivity without frontline workers needing additional training as they continue to work with the tools with which they are familiar. 

“The cost, risk and time associated with writing new mobile applications to keep up with modern mobile operating systems just isn’t feasible,” Storey explains. “We make it easy for their customers to deploy next-generation mobility, minimizing the risks and dependence on IT resources.”

“Ivanti’s Velocity set of solutions is a mission critical engine to boost the digitization of the shop floor,” remarks Charlie Grieco, ProGlove’s chief revenue officer. “While many organizations recognize the need for more flexibility and adaptability, they cannot just shake off the legacy systems they have in place. Ivanti resolves this issue so that businesses can change gears and accelerate to warp speed in no time.”