GXO, a spinoff of XPO, operates a major co-packing business for Nestlé out of its East Midlands flagship location.
Mark Catley, GXO’s director of business development, explains, “The investments are made to optimise the process, the flow of goods, and how we use technology to assess things like quality. Traceability is important in many fields, but it is especially important in the food industry.
Nulogy, a provider of specialised software for industries like co-packing, has been used by the organisation for some time. The programme ensures full transparency by doing QA tests at regular intervals throughout the co-packing process.
Three million items are fulfilled directly to customers every month, and co-packing is often a component of that process.
Typically, “our mission includes getting the product from the company, keeping it, selecting the product, wrapping and making sure it is in the correct packaging, making sure its secure, and then sending it over to the carrier.”
Most of the top 10 supermarkets in the UK are customers of the company, hence the returns department is quite large (predominantly warehousing activities).
That’s why modern conveniences are indispensable. Scanners, cobots, and other robotic assistance are crucial. We have a sizable presence in a variety of markets, and co-packing is a key component of our operations.
He elaborated by saying that the technology assists the department in assessing new methods for cutting down on packaging waste. We use technology to improve efficiency and cut down on wasteful packaging and distribution methods.