Mayflex is a leading distributor of converged IP solutions including infrastructure, networking and IP security solutions. Using their specialist knowledge and experience they bring together ‘best-in-class infrastructure, networking and IP security solutions to create a compatible, feature-rich, value for money offering to meet the demanding needs of business types and sizes across all sectors.

Mayflex engaged Supply Chain Network to conduct a strategic review of their business evolution with a focus on their warehouse business operations. The existing Mayflex warehouse solution was fragmented and consisted of limited pallet capacity in wide aisle racking, significant stock in outside storage locations, and shunting raw materials and finished cabinets for despatch between their two existing facilities, Environ House (cabinet assembly facility) and Excel House (main warehouse).

Mayflex operations required re-alignment to meet industry best practices, including layout design, operational processes, and execution systems (WMS). Critical space constraints also needed to be revised in line with future business growth. Mayflex sought a single facility future-proof design that could improve current operating practices and systems, reduce overall costs, and increase performance efficiency.

Mayflex knew a move to a new warehouse was out of scope in the short/medium term. Supply Chain Network, therefore, provided future proof designs for the new Mayflex buildings knowing these would prove critical to Mayflex positioning itself for forthcoming growth and establishing improved operating practices.

Under the project scope, the Supply Chain Network team assessed Mayflex’s warehouse footprint, and storage and throughput capabilities, alongside their optimal use of manual, automation, and technology investments. A structured review of all Mayflex’s operations ensured that wherever possible industry best practice could be adopted. To ensure that the operation remained cost-effective as it evolved, the Supply Chain Network team implemented a culture of continual improvement. This also guaranteed Mayflex could continue to provide a commercially competitive service to its customers throughout the re-design.

“I found during the delivery of the project that Ian possesses a very deep & broad domain experience in warehouse business operations across multiple business sectors, regions, and business models. His background and approach are built upon years of experience, know-how & knowledge of operational best practice, with a capability to propose innovative, business unique, applicable outcomes, and not one size fits all!”

Andy Cooper, Chief Operating Officer – Mayflex

Suggesting both options of either a phased build or a single fit-out, Supply Chain Network ensured Mayflex’s new facility had the capacity to both maintain the current pallet storage levels, as well as increase it fivefold, to allow for all component parts and flat pack cabinets to be stored and processed in a single facility with capacity for higher than forecasted growth.

Advocating significant efficiency gains in picking productivity, Supply Chain Network suggested introducing a Swisslog Autostore – with the capacity to store around 25,000 toted products across all storage types – to improve inventory rationalisation and leaner stockholding disciplines whilst potentially extending the current site capacity to 8 years and increasing the lifespan to 9.

Supply Chain Network proposed to greatly increase Mayflex’s new production facility’s pallet storage capacity by introducing a combination of different storage types to collectively facilitate the production processes from end to end. Utilising separate growth assumptions for UK and Export, Supply Chain Network created a high-level forecast model to predict Mayflex’s volume growth across 5 years.

Introducing gravity racking provided Mayflex with bulk storage of up to 72 different SKU lines of assembled cabinets with scope for this to be extended by an additional 42 lines. Supply Chain Network ensured Mayflex could extend the capacity life of their gravity rack by either increasing the size of the rack, adding to it later, or utilising additional capacity in narrow aisle pallet bulk storage.

“Following the site re-design, our business now has a strategy to deliver growth in the current warehouse beyond 2030.”

Andy Cooper, Chief Operating Officer – Mayflex

Conducting a thorough evaluation of their storage capacity growth with detailed volumetric analysis, Supply Chain Network greatly increased Mayflex’s storage capacity through a combination of storage types, including tote mini-load systems, pallet shuttles and a mixture of narrow aisle, wide aisle, and in-aisle cable storage & cutting. Supply Chain Network aligned a solid development and deployment proposal to provide Mayflex with the foundations for business improvement opportunities with an optimal warehouse footprint and layout material flow.

The final delivery of the project provided Mayflex with the design and fit out of a new Environ Warehouse for their cabinets, whilst keeping their supplies in Excel house, and extending their facility’s lifecycle to 2030 and beyond.

The support and engagement from the Supply Chain Network team has accelerated the transformation of Mayflex’s warehouse operations, with the developed solution allowing Mayflex to subsequently overlay technology developments such as WMS solutions to further enhance their warehouse teams’ operational capability and efficiency.

Gardiners Bros and Footsure is the UK’s leading distributor of global footwear and workwear brands to the retail trade. Established in 1860, Gardiners has over 140 years of experience in providing the best possible service levels for the sectors within which they are involved.

In August 2019, Gardiners’ business was growing rapidly and was running short of space within existing facilities. To this end, In October 2019 Gardiners approached Supply Chain Network Ltd (SCN). Gardiners wanted to accurately confirm whether they could improve upon the efficient utilisation of space in their existing facilities, and if not, to instead plan designs and feasibility supporting the build and acquisition of a new warehouse.

From these options, Gardiners did begin to negotiate the purchase of a new facility in Spring 2020. However, then the Coronavirus pandemic struck, and plans were momentarily delayed. At this time, it was decided to review the purchase, and a build and rent deal was instead agreed upon with St. Modwen for a bespoke facility to be built. 

Following this, Gardiners engaged SCN in October 2020 to conduct an initial warehouse evaluation study, to advise on the right size warehouse, and to design the Fit-Out. This preliminary assessment developed into a detailed design phase for a new build warehouse which Gardiners commissioned based on SCN’s designs. This initial design phase involved SCN in all 3 workstreams concerning warehouse design, a suitable WMS, and the implementation of materials handling equipment and operational systems.

“Ian feels like part of the team, he is passionate and invested in the project. He combines clear knowledge, expertise, and attitude, with a genuine willingness to discuss and really understand what his clients want to achieve. The SCN team reject rigid preconceptions, rather they gather information and are happy to be challenged with data, rewarding their clients with bespoke and durable facility solutions.”

 James Gardiner – CEO – Gardiner Bros & Footsure

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SCN’s data-driven and common-sense approach to this project followed several clear stages. To begin this project, SCN acquired Gardiners’ current facility product flow movements and pick speed and questioned this data to sanity check it. SCN further used this data to formulate predictions for the next 5 years, to understand where Gardiners’ business could develop.

SCN used Gardiners’ forecast data to create accurate warehouse designs and built a model of implications around requirements for warehouse space, compiling a tender for the materials handling and Fit-Out kit for the new facility. The SCN team produced budgets for the various items of equipment that Gardiners would require including physical racking and mezzanines, in addition to the associated Materials Handling Equipment including Forklift trucks.

To date, SCN is leading the tendering process to select vendors to Fit-Out all aspects of the site operation. SCN is also involved in the operational transition planning through to Spring 2022 as the principal operations consulting partner.

The next and final stages of this project will involve SCN implementing the tendered materials handling and Fit-Out kit within Gardiners’ facility and delivering any post-project modifications which may occur because of unseen changes in the economic or business climate. SCN continues to advise on all aspects of the build – including the detailed design of the narrow aisle racking, intelligent conveyor systems throughout the mezzanine floors, and order packing areas – whilst also being involved in the selection process for Gardiners’ new WMS.

Based on Gardiners’ consistent figures for the last 2-3 years, Gardiner’s business and facility growth plans are forecast to more than double – over the next 5 years – at a rate of 20% annual growth in volume. Deeply integrated within the successful management of this project, with SCN’s support, Gardiners’ new facility should be up and running at the beginning of 2022.

“The SCN team and Ian provide a brilliant independent sounding board, which when combined, Gardiners trusts to give them an honest opinion and to be able to confidently discuss ideas with. Gardiners can comfortably examine solutions with Ian, and the SCN team works flexibly to work through the best solutions to benefit Gardiners as a business, now and in future. Working with SCN has changed our views and has saved us time and money all while guiding Gardiners in the right direction.”
 

James Gardiner – CEO – Gardiner Bros & Footsure