When posed with the question, “What does the term ‘white glove services’ mean to you?” You might be thinking table service and an image of a waiter bringing a delicious meal to you… Close but no cigar!
In the logistics world, the terms ‘white glove services’ or ‘final mile services’ are used to describe the impeccable level of service that you can expect to receive from your provider. If you have seen these terms before then the likelihood is that you operate a business within a specialist area, using equipment that requires a pretty unique level of care when being transported.
Bob and Dave round the corner with the flatbed truck just aren’t going to cut it.
If you are in need of technical logistics then you may wish to speak with Rhenus High Tech, a leading white glove logistics provider. A full layout of what they can offer is on their website.
If you haven’t seen these terms before, you are not alone. They are reasonably new terms of service created due to the high level of demand for a specialist logistics services in a wide range of business sectors. They do however have one thing in common… The machinery or equipment they work with is either delicate or extremely valuable.
When looking into providers of ‘white glove services’ or ‘final mile services’ we found that the most comprehensive companies cover the following markets.
- Banking (for some tips on managing big data for small businesses you might find this informative blog of use.
- Power systems and plant
- Access control
- Gaming or vending machines
- Print and imaging
- Robotics
- Retail
- Telecommunications,
- IT and data
- Fitness or gyms
- Medical care
- Digital signage & kiosk vendors.
Furthermore, the companies that we looked into were specialists with the ability to not only transport and store your equipment with the highest level of care, some were even able to offer setting up of medical equipment and other specialist machinery. Who would have thought?
The great thing is that there a lot of options to choose from and with the ‘white glove services’/’final mile services’ market becoming ever more popular it means that service levels and pricing are competitive.
To help you with your choice of supplier we have taken what we deem to be the business-critical areas of interest for anyone looking for a specialist logistics company. It will give you some pointers to consider when making those initial enquiries.
- White glove services/final mile services – This is a must and not really an option if you are in need of transporting or storing highly valuable or delicate equipment. You should expect the following.
- Transporting customer product to/from site on specialist transportation vehicles
- Moving the equipment through the site using floor protection and specialist handling equipment
- Unpacking the equipment
- Positioning the equipment into the final resting place
- Performing value added services such as system setup and end user training
- Removing the packaging from site ready for recycling
- Removal of old equipment to be refurbished or disposed of in accordance with WEEE regulations.
- Qualified for the job – make sure to enquire about the companies experience and what they are qualified to do within your business sector. Here is a list of some of the qualifications and licences that you might expect to hear or see.
- NQA ISO 9001:2015 certificate
- NQA ISO 14001:2015 certificate
- NQA ISO 45001:2018 certificate
- Waste Carriers Licence
- RISQS – Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme
- Registered to work with X-ray devices
- VOSA’s Operator Licence (authorised to run a commercial fleet in excess of 3.5 tonne)
- FORS – Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme
- If you are in the high-tech industry or use high tech equipment then you should ensure your provider covers the following service areas.
- Data and asset recovery
- Data centre relocation
- Final mile delivery and positioning
- Full technical installation
- High tech warehousing
- Equipment configuration
- WEEE recycling
Remember, you are employing the help of a ‘white glove service’ provider so we already know that your equipment is going to be in safe hands, however depending on your area of specialisation making enquiries about the above criteria really could make all the difference.
After speaking with consumers, we found that some ended up using 2 or 3 different providers for different tasks through-out transportation. The most satisfied tended to be those who found a service provider who could take care of everything including making sure the equipment is disconnected properly and set up at the other end.
In light of world affairs, please remember to stay safe and follow health guidelines. Use this link for more information about Covid-19 restrictions that are easing across the UK.
All the best with your future endeavours, hopefully we will have helped you move one step closer to your goal.