Nisa pioneers new pallet tracking technology

CHEP’s digital tracking solution has been offered in partnership with BXB Digital, a sister company in the Brambles family. Nisa, which serves around 4,000 independently owned stores across the UK and distributes daily around 220,000 ambient cases and has been a customer of CHEP for over 5 years. The long-standing relationship has allowed CHEP to support Nisa’s longer term digital vision through the implementation of this technology.

The Flow Illumination digital tracking solution delivered Nisa data and intelligence on the movement of pallets which enabled them to improve processes and reduce costs and inefficiencies. This digital solution development is part of an investment over the last three years by Brambles, which has been focussed on developing and driving efficiencies for its business and its customers. Launched in 2016, BXB Digital is building solutions that illuminate the supply chain and deliver visibility into the movement of goods and assets with seamlessly integrated digital devices and cloud-based software.

Nigel Mitcheson, facilities manager at Nisa, says: “The technology is helping us to be more efficient and sustainable when it comes to using pallets for our distribution requirements. It’s also helping us to make significant cost savings, by enabling Nisa to improve delivery accuracy when servicing Nisa Partners.

“The technology helps reduce this risk by allowing us to trace pallets from when they leave the depot to when they reach their final destination, so we can prove orders have been delivered.”

Helen Lane, VP for Northern Europe at CHEP, adds: “Our new digital tracking technology allows customers to pinpoint inefficiencies, reduce waste and conserve resources when it comes to the use of pallets. This pilot project is the first of its kind for CHEP UK, and using this collaboration with Nisa as a blueprint, we hope to partner with other companies in the future who wish to innovate with us. It’s part of a major investment programme by the business to help our customers move more with less.”