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14<br />
Efficient Unit Loads generate transport and storage<br />
savings.<br />
Unit loads are involved in every step of the supply<br />
chain, moving product from the production line<br />
through to the retail shelf and sometimes beyond into<br />
the consumer’s home. Developments such as roll<br />
cages, and more recently, dollies, have improved retail<br />
handling efficiency, and automation has improved<br />
handling efficiency in the factory. However, these<br />
developments highlight the traditional unilateral<br />
approach to supply chain management, where every<br />
player has optimised handling and storage in his part<br />
of the supply chain. Although roll cages reduce retail<br />
handling, particularly at the store, they are unsuitable<br />
for manufacturing operations. Similarly, pallets used by<br />
manufacturers are only appropriate for a few high<br />
volume products within the retail part of the supply<br />
chain. As a result, additional, non-value adding steps<br />
are required, in particular at the manufacturer/<br />
retailer interface where unit loads are reassembled as<br />
products move towards the consumer.<br />
Figure 4: Pan-European factories supplying different markets<br />
With emerging ‘European’ supply chains, unit loads proliferation is a major issue,<br />
also gaining further importance as the trade goes international.<br />
MDC RDC<br />
Source: A.T. Kearney<br />
MDC RDC<br />
RDC<br />
Country I Country II Country III<br />
MDC<br />
Europlants<br />
Consolidation points<br />
Outlets<br />
The Efficient Unit Loads Report
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