ADS Spearheads Post-Pandemic Innovation Initiatives to Drive New Outcomes
Leading Provider of Technology and Engineering Solutions Partners with UK-based Bytronic Vision Automation Lands New Project to Harness Pandemic Technology Lessons
Washington, DC - June 15, 2021 –Acquired Data Solutions (ADS), a leading-edge technology and engineering solutions provider, announces its new partnership with Bytronic Vision Automation, born from collaboration across the pond and an innovative approach to leveraging the technology lessons learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to drive new outcomes.
ADS' collaboration with Bytronic bolsters its expansion into North America following approval of a new project with a worldwide beverage packaging line supplier. ADS' technology leadership in the U.S., combined with Bytronic's expertise as the U.K.'s leading integrator of machine vision and automation, creates a robust approach to use the technological knowledge gained during the pandemic in new and different ways. The project will be undertaken as part of ADS' ReEmagineering division, a consortium of highly successful engineering executives focused on improving business and engineering performance in global businesses.
ADS is working with Bytronic to streamline production and improve the quality of beverage packaging to enhance shipping integrity and outcomes. Throughout the pandemic, the beverage industry has continued to see sustained increases in demand that necessitates improved packaging processes to keep up with bringing the supply to the market. Tools such as body temperature elevation measurement and metrics that gained widespread use to screen for COVID-19 are now being used in combination with HotSpot, a fully integrated, contactless quality control system designed to test the integrity of the hot glue used in cardboard and paperboard packaging, to achieve the required outcomes and results.
● A FLIR thermal imaging camera is used to ‘see’ heat from the glue allows the HotSpot system to check the temperature and application of the seal itself, and then use optical
● cameras to ensure flaps are folded correctly.
● This new automation capability enables packaging providers to maximize time on the production line and ensure each item produced is structurally sound to prevent stock losses and damage.
● The HotSpot helps manufacturers increase their green footprint by allowing them to move away from plastics.
“This cross-Atlantic partnership with Bytronic demonstrates the significant value in connecting technology and business outcomes in new ways in the post-pandemic era,” ADS’ CEO, Steve Seiden said. “The lessons we have learned over the past year, and the technologies and tools we have created to mitigate COVID-19 risk and spread are now being applied to address new challenges in the commercial sector and beyond. We are achieving goals we couldn’t have imagined before.”
"We're pleased to be collaborating with ADS to expand our HotSpot solution to North America," Dr. John Dunlop, Founder of Bytronic Vision Automation said. "Post-COVID, we're seeing a trend for thermal inspection technology being used in different ways - including production lines and packaging. Thermal inspection is not only for monitoring body temperature, it's now becoming vital for production processes and supply chains. It's allowing facilities to monitor things the human eye can't see to guarantee the reliability, increase efficiency and prevent costly stock losses."
About Acquired Data Solutions
Acquired Data Solutions has over 20 years’ experience providing Engineering & Technology Solutions in Test, Automation, Integration, and Cybersecurity for the engineering life cycle to government agencies and the commercial sector. To learn more visit www.acquiredata.com.
About Bytronic Vision Automation
Bytronic is the UK’s preferred system integrator for FLIR thermal imaging cameras and in 2013 became the UK’s first Gold Partner Systems Integrator (PSI) for Cognex, followed by Platinum PSI a year later. For more information visit www.bytronic.com.
About ReEmagineering
ReEmagineering is an international consortium of highly regarded engineering executives that have been helping commercial and government customers such as Amazon, Northrop Grumman, US Department of Defense, and Coca Cola to improve their business and engineering performance. For more information visit https://www.reemagineering.com/.
Economic activity in the logistics industry continued its expansion streak in October, growing for the 11th straight month and reaching its highest level in two years, according to the most recent Logistics Managers’ Index report (LMI), released this week.
The LMI registered 58.9, up from 58.6 in September, and continued a run of moderate growth that began late in 2023. The LMI is a monthly measure of business activity across warehousing and transportation markets. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.
October’s reading showed the fastest rate of expansion in the overall index since September of 2022, when the index hit 61.4. The results show that the industry is continuing its steady recovery from the volatility and sluggish freight market conditions that plagued the sector just after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the LMI researchers.
“The big takeaway is that we’re continuing the slow, steady recovery,” said LMI researcher Zac Rogers, associate professor of supply chain management at Colorado State University. “I think, ultimately, it’s better to have the slow and steady recovery because it is more sustainable.”
All eight of the LMI’s indices grew during the month, with the Transportation Prices index showing the most growth, at nearly 6 points higher than September, reflecting increased activity across transportation markets. Transportation capacity expanded slightly during the month, remaining just above the 50-point threshold. Rogers said more capacity will enter the market if prices continue to rise, citing idle capacity across the market due to overbuilding during the pandemic years.
“Normally we don’t have this much slack in the market,” he said. “We overbuilt in 2021, so there’s more slack available to soak up this additional demand.”
The LMI is a monthly survey of logistics managers from across the country. It tracks industry growth overall and across eight areas: inventory levels and costs; warehousing capacity, utilization, and prices; and transportation capacity, utilization, and prices. The report is released monthly by researchers from Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and the University of Nevada, Reno, in conjunction with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).
The port worker strike that began yesterday on Canada’s west coast could cost that country $765 million a day in lost trade, according to the ALPS Marine analysis by Russell Group, a British data and analytics company.
Specifically, the labor strike at the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Fraser-Surrey will hurt the commodities of furniture, metal products, meat products, aluminum, and clothing. But since the strike action is focused on stopping containers and general cargo, it will not slow operations in grain vessels or cruise ships, the firm said.
“The Canadian port strike is a microcosm of many of the issues that are impacting Western economies today; protection against automation, better work-life balance, and a cost-of-living crisis,” Russell Group Managing Director Suki Basi said in a release. “Taken together, these pressures are creating a cocktail of connected risk for countries, business, individuals and entire sectors such as marine insurance, which help to mitigate cargo exposures.”
The strike is also sending ripples through neighboring U.S. ports, which are hustling to absorb the diverted cargo, according to David Kamran, assistant vice president for Moody’s Ratings.
“The recurrence of strikes at Canadian seaports is positive for U.S. ports that may gain cargo throughput, depending on the strike duration,” Kamran said in a statement. “The current dispute at Vancouver is another example of the resistance of port unions to automation and the social risk involved with implementing these technologies. Persistent disruption in Canadian port access would strengthen the competitive position of US West Coast ports over the medium-term, as shippers seek to diversify cargo away from unreliable gateways.”
The strike is also affected rail movements, according to ocean cargo carrier Maersk. CN has stopped all international intermodal shipments bound for the west coast ports of Prince Rupert, Robbank, Centerm, Vanterm, and Fraser Surrey Docks. And CPKC has stopped acceptance of all export loads and pre-billed empties destined for Vancouver ports.
Connected with the turmoil, Maersk has suspended its import and export carrier demurrage and detention clock for most affected operations. The ultimate duration of the strike is unknown, but the situation is “rapidly evolving” as talks continue between the Longshore Workers Union (ILWU 514) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), Maersk said.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Mode Global said it will now assume Jillamy's comprehensive logistics and freight management solutions, while Jillamy's warehousing, packaging and fulfillment services remain unchanged. Under the agreement, Mode Global will gain more than 200 employees and add facilities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, and Ontario to its existing national footprint.
Chalfont, Pennsylvania-based Jillamy calls itself a 3PL provider with expertise in international freight, intermodal, less than truckload (LTL), consolidation, over the road truckload, partials, expedited, and air freight.
"We are excited to welcome the Jillamy freight team into the Mode Global family," Lance Malesh, Mode’s president and CEO, said in a release. "This acquisition represents a significant step forward in our growth strategy and aligns perfectly with Mode's strategic vision to expand our footprint, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the logistics industry. Joining forces with Jillamy enhances our service portfolio and provides our clients with more comprehensive and efficient logistics solutions."
In addition to its flagship Clorox bleach product, Oakland, California-based Clorox manages a diverse catalog of brands including Hidden Valley Ranch, Glad, Pine-Sol, Burt’s Bees, Kingsford, Scoop Away, Fresh Step, 409, Brita, Liquid Plumr, and Tilex.
British carbon emissions reduction platform provider M2030 is designed to help suppliers measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions. The new partnership aims to advance decarbonization throughout Clorox's value chain through the collection of emissions data, jointly identified and defined actions for reduction and continuous upskilling.
The program, which will record key figures on energy, will be gradually rolled out to several suppliers of the company's strategic raw materials and packaging, which collectively represents more than half of Clorox's scope 3 emissions.
M2030 enables suppliers to regularly track and share their progress with other customers using the M2030 platform. Suppliers will also be able to export relevant compatible data for submission to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global disclosure system to manage environmental data.
"As part of Clorox's efforts to foster a cleaner world, we have a responsibility to ensure our suppliers are equipped with the capabilities necessary for forging their own sustainability journeys," said Niki King, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Clorox Company. "Climate action is a complex endeavor that requires companies to engage all parts of their supply chain in order to meaningfully reduce their environmental impact."
Supply chain risk analytics company Everstream Analytics has launched a product that can quantify the impact of leading climate indicators and project how identified risk will impact customer supply chains.
Expanding upon the weather and climate intelligence Everstream already provides, the new “Climate Risk Scores” tool enables clients to apply eight climate indicator risk projection scores to their facilities and supplier locations to forecast future climate risk and support business continuity.
The tool leverages data from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to project scores to varying locations using those eight category indicators: tropical cyclone, river flood, sea level rise, heat, fire weather, cold, drought and precipitation.
The Climate Risk Scores capability provides indicator risk projections for key natural disaster and weather risks into 2040, 2050 and 2100, offering several forecast scenarios at each juncture. The proactive planning tool can apply these insights to an organization’s systems via APIs, to directly incorporate climate projections and risk severity levels into your action systems for smarter decisions. Climate Risk scores offer insights into how these new operations may be affected, allowing organizations to make informed decisions and mitigate risks proactively.
“As temperatures and extreme weather events around the world continue to rise, businesses can no longer ignore the impact of climate change on their operations and suppliers,” Jon Davis, Chief Meteorologist at Everstream Analytics, said in a release. “We’ve consulted with the world’s largest brands on the top risk indicators impacting their operations, and we’re thrilled to bring this industry-first capability into Explore to automate access for all our clients. With pathways ranging from low to high impact, this capability further enables organizations to grasp the full spectrum of potential outcomes in real-time, make informed decisions and proactively mitigate risks.”