The white glove logistics sector is powering a new wave of digital tech, as we move into a new dimension of digital development with the Internet of Things and the 10x speeds of 5G. Highly technical and complex equipment demands skilled handling and manufacturers insist on certified technicians to handle their products and who could blame them? An MRI scanner costs close to a million pounds and must be handled with great care and the white glove logistics company services many business sectors.
Technical logistics services
A leading white glove logistics company would offer the following services:
- Final mile delivery – When equipment is ready for installation, the tech logistics team takes possession at a pre-agreed location near the final destination. From this point, the white glove team is responsible for handling, installing, calibrating and testing the equipment, ready for use. In the UK, Rhenus High Tech final mile delivery services are used nationwide and with certified technicians, a smooth installation is assured. It takes a lot of planning to safely handle and install large equipment, which usually entails going up several storeys and through narrow corridors. The white glove team would first survey the installation site and create a plan of action.
- Asset recovery – This would typically involve the removal of redundant IT hardware, while disposing according to WEEE directives. A large corporation might require the replacement of all workstations, which would be a job for technical logistics. The project might include the installation of new IT hardware and there comes a time for every business to upgrade their computer hardware.
- Reverse logistics – When a piece of equipment reaches the end of its life or needs to be returned to the OEM for repairs, the white glove team would carry out the work and deliver the said equipment to the client’s preferred destination. A hospital, for example, might receive an MRI scanner as a demo and after a certain amount of time, the equipment must be returned to the manufacturer. Click here for information on growing your business with data integration.
- Value added services – Things like product cleaning and decontamination, patient data removal, equipment maintenance and repair, end-user training and pre-stage product configuration. There are many ways the white glove logistics company assists businesses and should you require such services, Google ‘white glove logistics firms near me’, which should put you in touch with the right provider.
- Product demo – In the event a product is to be installed as a demo, the technical logistics firm would handle everything and remove the equipment at the end of the trial period. This is normal practice in many industries, when equipment is extremely expensive and the buyer wishes to use the equipment for an agreed period of time before making a decision.
- Data centre relocation – Data centres often require relocating to larger premises and this is a job for certified technicians that can handle the project in its entirety. This includes climate control, calibrating the network and getting it online. Every business collects all of their data and it doesn’t take long before servers are full and eventually, a new home needs to be found.
- Secure telecommunications – When the government wishes to set up online video meetings that require top security, they would contact a white glove provider. Large organisations such as the UN and WHO would use secure communication platforms that are set up specifically for the event. Trading platforms also need secure networks, which is provided by the white glove team.
- Equipment maintenance – Every single ATM in the UK is looked after by a team of technicians and when a machine goes down for any reason, the mobile team is there within minutes and the equipment is repaired and put back online. When old machines are replaced by touch-screen devices, the white glove team handles the operation and they have a special security clearance to work with large amounts of cash.
All the digital advertising screens and touch screen vending machines are serviced by technical logistics teams, each working with specific equipment, which involves attending workshops to gain certification. A large part of the white glove logistic technician’s time is spent learning about new equipment, which leads to OEM certification.
Fuelling the future
Without technical logistics, we could never develop at such a pace and as their skills become more in demand, the sector will grow to cater for the many industries that need their specialist services. When the Internet of Things is up and running, the tech logistics sector will be very busy and if you are looking for a challenging and exciting career, technical logistics is a wise choice.
The UK government supports technical innovation of all types and with the help of tech logistics, a new level of digital development awaits!
