New 3PL Distribution Warehouse for Major Chilled Foods FMCG

Project Summary : Operational & Technology Set Up & Migration Planning for a New 3PL Distribution Warehouse

Project budget : £500k

Business case : Confidential

Business Sponsor : Supply Chain Director

Customers Included : Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Hendersons, Musgraves

Client Website : https://kerrygroup.com/consumer-foods/

Since the UK’s decision to leave the European Union following the referendum on 23 June 2016, there has been a degree of uncertainty about what that means for businesses who trade across the borders between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

That includes East/West trading routes between R.O.I. and G.B., as well as North/South trading routes between R.O.I. and N.I.

As a business with manufacturing centres in R.O.I., G.B. and N.I., the Kerry Foods business had potential exposure to new trading tariffs on consumer dairy and meat products, which due to an efficiently rationalised manufacturing and supply chain base, crossed these borders regularly prior to delivery to customers and consumers.

To mitigate the financial risk of any tariffs, a project was initiated to create a new distribution warehouse in Belfast, N.I., in addition to the continued distribution operations based in Dublin and G.B.

Vitally, this would also allow Kerry Foods to continue to guarantee the flexible delivery of fresh chilled produce to their customers, regardless of any delays that may have been caused by creating customs and veterinary paperwork, or undergoing customs inspections at land or sea border crossings.

In my role as Project Manager, I was accountable for the smooth delivery of this initiative, with a broad remit across the following areas:-

• Ensuring the project followed all standard project governance and management processes as laid down by the Kerry central PMO
• Working with Kerry Supply Chain teams to define the scope, detailed deliverables, resource plan and schedule
• Leading a business process mapping exercise to define current state vs future state
• Working with the selected 3PL to ensure all deliverables were adequately defined and could be met
• Liasing with internal and external ICT suppliers to define and co-ordinate the deployment of all communications networks, warehouse management software and associated hardware
• Liasing with external suppliers of racking, labelling, pallets & haulage providers to ensure all requirements were delivered
• Co-ordinating a project team across multiple business functions – Supply Chain, ICT, Commercial, QHSE, HR, Central Admin Services, Legal & Factory Operations to ensure smooth delivery of all tasks and deliverables
• All project communications to the wider stakeholder groups.