He says: “Historically 3PLs have worked on short term contracts with their clients and have not been able to justify a move to automation on the basis that they would need to generate a return on their investment within a couple of years.

“But, the changing face of the retail sector driven by the sustained boom in online shopping has meant that many third party logistics companies are processing smaller orders with higher values. Some form of automation is ideal for these kind of operations.

“It is easy to put forward a very strong case  for automation at any operation where high value goods are stored or where a high level of security and product traceability is required.

“In fact, any storage operation that is operating multiple shifts should consider automation,” he says.

About Jungheinrich UK Ltd:
Jungheinrich UK Ltd offers Pallet Trucks, Stackers, Counterbalance Trucks, Reach Trucks, Order Pickers, Very Narrow Aisle and Stacker Cranes in more than 600 truck variants. As well as this, Jungheinrich provide an extensive Aftersales Support Network, Rental and Financial Services, Racking Systems and Warehouse Planning. The company is a division of the Jungheinrich Group, which has manufacturing facilities Worldwide.