ukwa 2 cover - United Kingdom Warehousing Association

10 Business News
INBRIEF
Data capture
ATMS has launched
a new data capture
terminal. The
ATMS DataStation is
a Windows CE based
device that can be
used in both mobile
and static applications.
The unit has a
7 inch colour touch
screen, SD memory
card socket, and
audio and video
inputs/outputs.
USB communications
is included as standard,
allowing the
unit to be linked to a
whole host of peripheral
devices including
keyboards, scanners,
RFID
readers,
printers, network
adaptors and mobile
communication adaptors.
The unit is
priced at under £500.
Fire seminar
Fire Safety in
Warehouses, a one
day conference
organised by the Fire
Industry Association
Ltd (FIA) and BAFSA,
takes place on
Wednesday 8th of
July at Westt
Midlands Fire &
Rescue Training
Centre. The seminar
is free to attend and
includes lunch and
refreshments
throughout the day.
www.fia.uk.com
SURVEY
Protectionism adding to gloom
More than 80 per cent of
supply chain managers
recently polled at manufacturing
companies
involved in international
trade expressed concern
that growing protectionism
could sink the world into a
global depression.
Respondents also
feared the current economic
downturn could
result in a prolonged
reversal of world trade,
according to BDP
International, the logistics
and transport services
firm, which conducted the
survey of 596 supply
chain executives around
the world.
Three-quarters of them
believed the recession
MATERIALS HANDLING
would not last more than
another 12 months.
"With supply chain professionals
on the front
lines of international trade
experiencing the impact of
the global recession and
growing protectionism, the
timing was right to learn
how they are aligning
their priorities to manage
the crisis," said Richard J
Bolte, Jr, President and
CEO of BDP.
"The fact that 17 G20
members and other countries
have implemented
nearly 50 measures
restricting trade since last
November has dramatic
implications for global
supply chains.
We wanted to get a
better understanding of
what the implications are
for our customers and
others, and how they may
play out in the coming
years."
Significantly, 84.2 per
cent of the respondents
agreed that a rise in protectionism
could turn a
global recession into a
global depression, with
60.3 per cent agreeing it
will cause a collapse of
globalization.
In terms of its impact
on their own companies,
20.7 per cent
said it would result in a
significant reduction in
export activity and an
even deeper slowdown in
business.
Forklift users looking to
short term rental deals
One of the many implications
of the credit crunch
for the forklift truck industry
is an upturn in the number
of companies looking to
acquire trucks on short
term rental contracts.
“We have seen a noticeable
increase in demand
for trucks on short term
deals,” reports Neil
Warren, Jungheinrich
UK Ltd’s Used Equipment
and Short Term Rental
Director.
He continues:
“Traditionally truck users
have turned to short term
deals to cover peaks in
demand – such as
Christmas or Easter – but
we are experiencing a
growing number of
enquiries from companies
seeking short term rental
machines because they
have a need for a truck, but
a permanent addition to the
fleet is not in the budget.”
The obvious advantage
of a short-term rental
agreement is that, because
it's temporary, users get
instant availability without
committing to a purchase.
As an alternative to owning
a forklift truck through outright
acquisition or a lease
agreement, a short-term
rental deal allows users to
meet their temporary materials
handling needs for a
low monthly or even weekly
rate.
“Renting forklifts on a
short-term basis can provide
much-needed flexibility
and save costs at the same
time,” says Neil Warren.
“Users are seeking agile
solutions for their handling
requirements and short
term rental deals are one
of the options to help
companies to budget more
easily during the current
climate.”
April 2009
www.ukwa.org.uk