Neal’s Yard Remedies and Wincanton have won ‘Best Use of Robotics’ at the 26th annual Supply Chain Excellence Awards.
The event, which took place last night [08 November 2022] at the London Hilton on Park Lane, saw the health and beauty retailer and its supply-chain partner scoop the trophy for a collaborative and cost-effective e-fulfilment solution that combines robotics, wearable technology and artificial intelligence.
The trophy was presented to individuals from both organisations by John Thornton, editor of Robotics & Innovation, during a glittering gala dinner ceremony attended by nearly 800 logistics and supply-chain professionals and hosted by comedian and actress Kerry Godliman.
The award judges recognised Wincanton’s innovative use of robotics to deliver fundamental changes to logistics and supply chain operations at Neal’s Yard Remedies, particularly ‘productivity-as-a-service’ and improved working practices.
Donna Toye, operations account manager – UK home and e-commerce, at Neal’s Yard Remedies said: “We are so pleased to have been able to work alongside Wincanton on a project that has not only improved the efficiency of our operations but created a safer working environment for their warehouse staff too.
“The cobots Wincanton now deploy have had a positive impact on pick accuracy, given us the ability to flex to fluctuating sales volumes, and provide us with accurate automated data on a daily basis that reduces the amount of queries from our call centre team to the warehouse.”
Read more: Wincanton set for e-commerce expansion following major AMR investment
Supply-chain resilience at Neil’s Yard Remedies has also been improved thanks to the solution’s ability to handle significant seasonal fluctuations in demand and volume.
What’s more, Wincanton has increased staff retention and reduced risk exposure to reliance on short-term seasonal labour to fulfil peak order periods.
Carl Moore, managing director of e-fulfilment at Wincanton, added: “Wincanton’s partnership with Neal’s Yard Remedies has all the ingredients for success – innovation, collaboration and sustainable solutions – so I’m delighted to see the team win yet another prestigious award.
“The project is a great example of the use of robotic innovation to drive efficiency and productivity, alongside sustainable solutions that contribute to our net-zero goals. Well done to everyone involved.”
The winning entry staved off competition in the hotly contested category from fellow shortlisted organisations BotsAndUs and Church Pharmacy with Kardex Remstar & UpSTEAM.uk.
To learn more about the Supply Chain Excellence Awards and see the full list of this year’s winners, as well as those shortlisted, please visit www.supplychainexcellenceawards.com
