Technical distribution involves moving complex assets, such as printing and imaging devices, ATMs, safes, and medical equipment, from A to B. The process has many requirements, including precision, the complex mobilisation of teams, and strong relationships with third-party logistics on a national level. But a truly successful rollout hinges on one thing — trust.
Here, Steve Harding, technical services director at Business Moves Group, tells FM Director about the importance of trust when it comes to successful technical distribution and how it can be developed.
A recent survey found that 20 per cent of executives overestimate the trust in their supply chain. If trust is not prioritised and nurtured, supply chain performance may be negatively impacted.
That overestimation can be especially detrimental in sectors with diverse property portfolios, like the public sector, which is estimated at £187 billion. Government properties can include high-security sites, specialist healthcare centres and buildings operating in high footfall areas.
All these locations have specific requirements that suppliers need flexibility to meet. At a time when businesses need to choose where they spend wisely, working with a trusted business partner can increase efficiency and alleviate stress on stretched budgets.
The foundation of trust
In the past year, 77 per cent of Deloitte survey respondents acknowledged supply chain adversity. With the foundation of trust in place, efficiency easily follows. This is especially important in highly regulated environments, where a fundamental requirement for suppliers and their third-party logistics (3PL) clients are the disclosure and barring service (DBS) and baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) checks. There are also circumstances where more in-depth checks are required, often using a national security vetting solution (NSVS) which is essential for accessing clients’ secure environments.
Allowing these checks to be conducted by a trusted partner can save money and time. Beyond the required health and safety grounds needed to perform physical tasks, BMG conducts NSVS checks,
including BPSS and DBS checks with fully enhanced identity and background assessments. We review criminal histories and assess any issues, such as whether candidates are vulnerable to bribes.
These processes can be time-consuming for organisations, often taking months to ensure that all people mobilised on a project are correctly cleared. A trusted supplier reviewing these processes reduces that stress on the client. Regular client contact should also be prioritised; suppliers should host weekly security screening meetings to keep them in the loop.
We’ve been working with clients with specialist requirements for over 25 years and in the last 12 months have increased our number of BPSS and NSVS cleared personnel by 50.
This has given us access to more than 330 high security locations throughout the UK with teams of up to eight people at sites, providing organisations fluidity and flexibility to react to the end customer requirements.
Specialist equipment
In technical distribution, teams work with a range of sensitive and valuable equipment that need to be handled with extreme care. Specialist services are required for each move, like trained heavy lifting teams, stair walker operators and heavy-load lorries.
Beyond that, suppliers need to understand clients’ wants and needs to meet high expectations of quality and care. That means integrating with client culture and empathising with their problem points to offer suitable solutions that will alleviate stress for their teams.
Mass-mobilisation
Technical distribution is predominantly a two-person activity at the points of delivery and collection. In the preparation for delivery, larger team coordination needs to take place. Every business has unique needs surrounding security clearance, as well as the communication and information shared with teams, for both 3PL clients and their partners on customer sites.
Beyond the typical two-man or four-man white glove services, distribution for larger and more complex deliveries often requires more people on the ground. In some instances, we’ve mobilised over fifty staff members to complete projects. When client warehouses are spread nationally, we also mobilise a nationwide fleet of vehicles to complete rollouts seamlessly.
Offering flexibility
Depending on the amount of client sites and unique assets needing to be moved on any given day, a moving partner needs to bring flexibility – that can mean a crew of three on a Friday, and a crew of eight on the next.
It’s not uncommon for Government or healthcare sites to need thousands of devices moved, stored and delivered at short notice. This is where a trusted partner is especially valuable – people who know your organisation and can get straight to work.
The expertise to oversee complex mobilisations, efficient moves and strong relationships throughout your supply chain are fundamental factors, so no matter the assets or property portfolio in question, the job gets done.
