As the world becomes digital, logistics is constantly evolving and with hi-tech equipment coming onto the market, this requires a specialist form of logistics to handle and maintain complex technical equipment, namely white glove logistics. Of course, logistics means transporting the equipment to its final destination and this can present quite a challenge in itself. Imagine having to manhandle a large MRI scanner into a hospital, up several floors and then secured at its final resting place! This is the kind of challenge the white glove technician has to deal with, using special tools to assist in the handling of the equipment.
Meeting the Challenges
Take a company such as Rhenus High Tech, who are a leading UK white glove logistics provider, offering final mile delivery and full technical equipment installation services to a wide range of industries. The technicians must spend a lot of their time attending workshops at manufacturing plants in order to gain the necessary certification to work with the technical equipment. A team of white glove technicians would specialise in certain types of equipment and they would only work with this type of equipment.
Healthcare
The medical profession has an urgent need for this type of logistics, with MRI and CT scanners that require specialist handling to reach the final resting place. When the OEM makes a sale, they first contact an established white glove logistics firm who can plan the installation and they would take possession of the equipment outside the hospital, then carefully handle the equipment into its final resting place. X-Ray machines are another area for the white glove logistics, which are only handled by certified personnel.
Touch-Screen Technology
It isn’t just our mobile phones that use touch-screen technology; indeed, many devices have touch-screen interfaces and this equipment needs specialised handling. Information boards now incorporate this technology to provide essential information for members of the public in places like museums and shopping malls and the equipment is also maintained by the white glove provider. Click here for tips on enterprise knowledge management system.
Reverse Logistics
This is required when a piece of equipment malfunctions or has reached the end of its lifespan; the white glove team disassemble and transport the equipment to the destination of the client’s choosing, which might be their factory or a waste disposal facility. If a new unit is to be installed, this would also be handled by the white glove technicians, who are qualified to install such technical equipment.
Data Centres
Every business must store all data and for a large company, that can quite a lot. It is often required to relocate a data centre, or design one from the ground up, which happens to be a speciality of the white glove provider. They can replace old units, add extra racking and servers and configure the equipment ready for use. Here is some up to date information about UK logistics, which highlights the importance of this growing sector.
Digital signage is appearing everywhere and this is another area that white glove technicians are involved, with transportation, installation and maintenance carried out by specialist teams.
