logistics Archives

Delivering Better: Technology to Improve Your Fleet’s Efficiency

Logistics is the management of the flow of goods from the point of origin through to the point of consumption according to customer or corporation demand. It incorporates the management of raw materials, the production and storing of goods, transportation to the point of consumption and also after-sales.

With the growth and globalisation of companies, technology is becoming increasingly important as it has totally changed the ways in which businesses operate.

Import & Export Tax For Business: The Regulations

Leave a Comment

If you are importing goods into the UK and/or exporting goods overseas, there are a number of important regulations to understand in terms of VAT and duty. To complicate matters further, these rules vary depending on whether you are dealing with another EU country, or with the rest of the world.

The details can be complex but, in general, you need to ensure that you pay or charge the correct amount of VAT, and you may also need to pay import duty.

EU Countries

The first thing to check is whether you are dealing with another EU country.

Currently, the 28 EU member states are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Romania and the United Kingdom.

Importing Goods

You are usually responsible for clearing goods through UK customs and paying any tax, and there are three key import taxes to consider: import VAT, import duty, and excise duty.

The Basics of Supply Chain Strategy

Leave a Comment

Developing a solid supply chain strategy is essential for companies to succeed. But what is supply chain strategy and how can you develop one that meets the needs of your company?

What Is Supply Chain Strategy?

Supply chain strategy is often confused with supply chain management, but in reality they are different beasts. Supply chain management is the management of supply chain activities with the aim of maximising customer value and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.

Supply chain strategy is much broader. It’s a formal written plan, covering multiple years, that defines how a chain needs to operate in order for the company to be competitive.

Supply Chain Cost Savings: How To Improve Efficiency

Leave a Comment

At Marpak, we are always looking at ways in which we can work with our clients to reduce the cost of their operations. Our packaging solutions are designed with quality and efficiency as a priority, and this ultimately helps our clients run a more efficient supply chain.

In order to maximise profits and improve your efficiency, it is best to identify which areas you can make savings in without compromising your ethical responsibility at the same time. A good financial team should already be doing this, but there can always be a few alterations.

A Brief History of Container Shipping and Logistics

Leave a Comment

Where would globalisation and import-export trade be without the invaluable shipping container? Data from 2009 indicates that 90 percent of all non-bulk cargo worldwide was moved by use of containers. China accounts for 26 percent of all container shipments in the world.

European Trade & Logistics: The Development of the International E-Road Network

Leave a Comment

The Development of Global E-Roads

In these times of economic difficulty in Europe, it is essential to maintain the essential trade routes through the continent. We have previously discussed the importance of rail freight on the Marpak blog, and in this article we are examining the development of the all-important International E-Road Network, and its impact on global trade.

As a company specialising in packaging for the transportation of goods, we maintain strong links with the logistics and shipping industry. The International E-Road Network is of central importance to those organisations that ship goods worldwide.

Is High Speed Rail The Future of European Freight?

Leave a Comment

HSR & Freight Benefits

There has been huge debate about high-speed rail in the past couple of years, with the proposed construction of HS2 between London Euston, the Midlands, and Scotland. Many argue that the UK lags behind in terms of its rail network, and HS2 is put forward as a development that will bring Britain into line with much of Europe.

The government argues that HS2 will bring multiple economic benefits to many areas of the UK, but there has been strong opposition from environmental groups, local landowners, and economists across the country. This opposition is being stubbornly fought off in the courts, with the view that high-speed rail is the way forward and should spearhead the UK’s economic push into the coming decades.

The Importance of Packaging Processes

Leave a Comment

Logistics is in the news, and for good reason. In the new global economy, large international corporations can transact business in an instant in small communities millions of miles away. Logistics is what enables businesses large, medium and small businesses to participate in this incredibly active marketplace.

WikiAnswers describes logistics as: “The complete process involving planning, managing and controlling the flow of goods and services, information, real-time data and human resources from the point of origin to the point of destination. There is hardly any manufacturing or marketing activity that can be achieved without the support of an effective logistical department.”

To be effective, a logistics department must engage a number of important aspects:

Material handling
Warehousing
Information
Transportation
Packaging
Inventory management

“The primary duty of an effective logistics system is to ensure geographical repositioning of unfinished goods, and it is also concerned with the finished inventories of the organization being at the required place at the lowest possible cost.”

Tag: logistics

EU Countries

Importing Goods

What Is Supply Chain Strategy?

The Development of Global E-Roads

HSR & Freight Benefits