Yusen Logistics - Derby

The Brief

Yusen Logistics was founded in 1955 as Kokusai Ryoko Kosha which focussed on handling general travel and air cargo. From there it became in Yusen Air & Sea Service Co. Ltd. in 1961 then merged with NYK Logistics in 2010 to become Yusen Logistics The company has grown exponentially and is now recognised as one of the largest global logistics firms.
The Yusen Logistics site in Burnaston, Derbyshire has been a main tributary for the UK Toyota site, located just minutes away as well as a wide range of other customers. Like Toyota, Yusen Logistics have adopted the Japanese ethos of Kaizen and Gemba which, in its basic form, is a process of continual improvement in all aspects of their work. The ideology starts with Gemba which requires a walkthrough of all points of the operation to identify areas of improvement and Kaizen principles manage and improve processes. The streamlining of working methods benefits their customers directly in financial savings.
Through regular analysis and evaluation of the site through the Kaizen and Gemba process Yusen saw that their warehouse space could be used more efficiently. Yusen had identified areas for development which included reordering the warehouse to allow for an additional 14,500 pallet allocations.
Yusen Logistics asked us to revolutionise their lighting solution in the distribution centre to accommodate the layout, improve working conditions and energy usage.

The Solution

We conducted an extensive site survey at Yusen Logistics and gathered the plans for the new layout to assist in completing our site recommendations. The existing lighting scheme was not suitable for the new layout because it would have been located at the top of racking and leaving some aisles in complete darkness, the fixtures themselves were dated and the whole operation would be improved by a state-of-the-art LED solution.
Our approach to business analysis aligned with their Kaizen and Gemba ethos. We got under the skin of the company and the building to fully understand the objectives and uses of each area to get a clear picture of how the space was used. Using this information, we were able to deliver a turnkey solution that met and exceeded each area of the initial brief.
The site is in constant operation and our site inspection revealed that the existing lighting solution was constantly on, 24 hours a day. A standard, like for like LED lighting solution would have been energy efficient, but we were able to suggest additional savings by recommending a lighting control system. This ensured that the lights are only on when needed and they turn on instantaneously.

The Product

We created a lighting solution which incorporated motion sensors, daylight harvesting and optically controlled luminaries. Reducing the amount of time that the lights are on means that the lights have an increased life and optimised energy savings.
Our Nuvo Racking Lights were selected for their durability, longevity, efficiency and coverage. The LED Nuvo includes optics which reduces glare which makes the workplace. The Nuvo also guarantees light uniformity throughout the aisles. The motion sensors allowed for intermittent use which saved energy and increased the life of the fixtures.
By manufacturing a wide range of products in-house and, because of this, we were able to deliver the fixtures as quickly and efficiently.
We delivered 200 lux in the aisles doubling their previous level of 100 lux. The high spec LED lighting solution guaranteed lighting levels at the warehouse attracted a diverse range of clients who require the best in brand to detailed audit regulations.

The Results

‘BB Lighting did a great job in understanding the business and delivered on each of the regulations. Saved on our energy bill too!’