November 2023
Welcome to November. We've had Bonfire Night and at the end of the month we have St. Andrew's Day to look forward to for our Scottish friends. For most of us, November brings darker nights, colder weather and the onset of Winter. But it also brings a freshness to the air, and the promise of cosy winter nights at home. This latest Granby news update warms us all with news of Victoria's visit to the House of Lords in her role with the UKWA, as well as the launch of the UKWA Year of Warehousing in 2024. We also reveal just why our Head of IT, Paul Dunleavy, sees Fleetwood Mac as inspirational and that a Time Travel machine may be next on his tech development agenda. This month's picture shows us the seafront at beautiful St. Anne's on the Lancashire coast. We love a seafront in the winter but the beach huts here tell us it won't be all that long until Spring is back. Happy November and we'll see you again in December.
Leadership Team get ready for 2024!
Our Granby Super 6 leadership team put their trust in each other this month as part of the business’s strategic planning for 2024. At an end of October Away Day, they came together to plan for the year ahead, tackle challenging tasks and strengthen existing bonds. The team focused on strategic planning for 2024 before getting into outdoor gear. Just as at Granby HQ, the positive and supportive atmosphere was clear. But talking the talk is one thing, walking the walk, or in this case, climbing the climbs is another! Caroline Noblett was particularly pleased. “Of course, we expected to be able to communicate well, after all, it’s what we do each and every day. But what was a real eye-opener for me was just how well we were able to communicate whilst under a deal of physical and mental pressure.“
Granby at House of Lords as UKWA Year of Warehousing is launched
Last month, Victoria Pittman had the opportunity to participate in a round table discussion on the future of warehousing in the UK, alongside other members of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA).
This event served as a platform not only to launch the Year of Warehousing but also for the UKWA to highlight current industry issues and advocate for action in a convivial setting. It brought together members, logistics sector representatives, MPs, peers, and key policy makers.
IT Team Paul Dunleavy Super 6 Questions
As part of an ongoing series of micro interviews, one of our two interviews this month was with our Head of IT, Paul Dunleavy. We are asking 6 questions to give us all a greater insight into just what makes each of our teams at Granby tick.
Who would have thought Fleetwood Mac could be inspirational for our IT Team? Well, Paul clearly does! Choosing their song, ‘Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)’ Paul says his team are always thinking about what comes next, “It’s all too easy when developing an IT solution to just provide exactly what the customer asked for. However, this can lead to inflexible solutions that are costly to rework as business needs are constantly changing. So we try to apply principles of design to allow for growth and provide the users with the facilities to self serve.”
Click on the link to see why his next R&D project may just be a Time Machine.
WrapUp UK Granby partnership
As the winter months kick in, Granby are pleased to share some wonderful news with you. We are proud to announce our partnership with the incredible charity, Wrap Up UK. This collaboration aims to provide coats to individuals in need across the UK who struggle to keep warm during the winter months.
Victoria and her team of Superfast Super Solutionisers
We promised two interviews in our Super 6 Questions series this month and here’s the second. This time, Victoria Pittman, our Head of Client Services and Business Development answers questions about her customer facing team. In answer to the question, if your department could have a superpower, what would it be and how would it benefit the team? Victoria offered this “Everything we do, every job, every challenge we face, is ultimately about finding solutions to client challenges. I already think we are Super Solutionisers. So, I’m going to say, Superfast Super Solutionisers.”
If you are interested in finding out what theme song Victoria suggests for her team, and teh answrs she gave to the other Super 6 questions, follow the link below.
We’ll have more Super 6 interviews next month!
SCOPe Batch Control & Product Recall Strategy
There have been some calling for more information on discrete areas of Granby operation, so this month we’re putting a focus on just how we handle product recalls. Thankfully, these are rare occurrences for our customers but we still have to ensure strategies and systems are in place.
Having a robust product recall strategy is crucial for brands. It helps control costs and minimise disruptions. Without a proper strategy, recalling a package can be like finding a needle in a haystack. And not having a strong product recall strategy could lead to financial disaster. At Granby, we use a bespoke technology called SCOPe, which facilitates fulfilment campaigns and provides a full end-to-end audit trail. Our product recall strategy can identify affected component batches, track recipients, and recall only the packages with faulty components.
And finally ...a nice picture of our pets
At the start of the month we recognised World Animal Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about animal welfare and celebrating the incredible diversity of species that share our planet. Here at Granby, we took a moment to appreciate the beauty and importance of the animals in our lives. They bring us joy, companionship, and so much more. We feel it’s worth sharing this pic of just some of our Granby team’s pets. From tropical fish to guinea pigs, they are all close to our hearts.
So, here’s to Gucci, Daisy, Bonnie, Luna, Tiddles, Zena, Lola, Kevin, Leon, Ossie, Jurgen, Markey, the fish and…of course, dear Reggie. Had to name check them all.
See you all next month.