Product Plus strategy in vogue
January 1st 2012 Choosing the correct material handling products and solutions has never been more important as we head into what looks to be a challenging year. Generating value for money in purchasing is absolutely critical and we hope HSS can act as a launch pad in your quest to narrow down the right solution for you.
A good example is the forklift round-up on pages 10- 11. Here UK suppliers offer insights on the technology and product innovations to look out for in the coming year. And product does still matter. People have been over-egging the commoditisation argument, a truck is a truck is a truck, they say. Nonsense. If you ever get stuck with a dog of a forklift or one that’s good but not quite suited to your situation, you will soon know about it. But of course the metal is not the end of the matter. It’s just the beginning.
Product Plus
There has been a lot of talk about the economy and the need for a ‘Plan A Plus’ to cut flab in some areas while investing in others to boost growth. Closer to home, we’ve noticed what we call a ‘Product Plus’ strategy. This involves suppliers investing heavily in the business service dimension of what they do.
A prime example of this is Toyota’s ‘Taking Care with Toyota’ campaign, in which Toyota gives safety and service central emphasis. As Tony Wallis, operations director at Toyota Material Handling UK explains “promoting safety in the workplace goes beyond providing our customers with the safest trucks, it also requires that we demonstrate to companies the benefits of training their people and putting processes in place to create a culture of safety.” This is a quite a step change from the traditional transactional relationship between supplier and customer and while it certainly isn’t entirely new, it is gaining increasing traction.
Another interesting example is the article on page 20, which explores how John Lewis Partnership has used intelligent management of its Magna Park warehouse trucks to keep costs to a minimum. John Lewis used the EnerSys PowerNet battery and power management system to make sure batteries are used in a balanced way, and do not draw too much power and disrupt other services. This means John Lewis is able to keep the trucks going without investing in additional electrical infrastructure. A good example of Product Plus, a smart implementation of technology tailored to the customer.
This helps suppliers stand out from the crowd. I am often asked what makes HSS stand out from other media offerings.More than anything else I would say it is because we have the most comprehensive range of top class solutions for you to peruse. Let me throw some numbers out there - there are 24 forklift suppliers highlighted in this issue; there are 12 articles from different Goods in & out suppliers; and 11 product stories and case studies from different automation suppliers.
That’s a lot of kit and a lot of suppliers highlighted as potential partners for you.Warehouse managers can use this information to make truly informed buying decisions. Now that’s what I call value - both for readers and for advertisers.
Simon Duddy, Editor More articles from Handling & Storage Solutions: | 
