As a leading expert in supply chain logistics consultancy, Industrial Logistics Systems represent the pinnacle of prosperity and achievement in their field. Offering a comprehensive repertoire of services to a customer base that are elite in their own rights, ILS ensure that their clients’ businesses and reputations thrive alongside their own. In exploring this success, Enterprise Africa takes a closer look at the company and speaks to Director Clayton Thomas.
Within an environment wrought with fierce commercial competition, it can be very difficult for a company to stand out of the crowd. Here in South Africa, a country currently developing in terms of business and trade, consumers are becoming a powerful force, able to demand what they want and when they want it. In doing so, a huge responsibility has fallen on all retailers and service providers to ensure flawless production and supply of their wares, a challenge that is being met by many with the aid of ILS. With the development of over 500 warehouse and distribution facilities under their belt and a client base spanning industries and indeed continents, ILS have undoubtedly marked themselves as South Africa’s most prolific player in the world of supply chain logistics.
For Director Clayton Thomas, the raison d’êtrebehind the business is important yet simple: “Anybody that’s moving products, anywhere in the world, we’ll assist them in doing that…It’s about ensuring availability – whether it’s a bearing or a can of baked beans.”
To facilitate the movement of goods in a proactive and cost-effective way, ILS offer consultancy and practical input throughout the whole process of warehouse distribution; from planning and building, right through to maintenance and organisation. Consistently adhering to a tried and tested regime of consultancy, the company being their work by fully familiarising themselves their clients’ business; general operations, budgets, spaces, equipment and even storage solutions and furniture. Once this has been achieved, ILS move on to more external research, providing in depth data analysis of sector-specific business trends and practices, arming their clients with the knowledge they need to anticipate and sate consumer demand. It is this comprehensive service and acute attention to detail has enabled ILS to rise to the forefront of supply logistics and gain contracts from some of the biggest players in South African retail including Woolworths and Shoprite.
Although primarily involved in the retail sector, Thomas reveals that ILS have further stakes in a diverse range of other industries, also providing their services to mining, petro-chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Similarly, their reach is not just limited to South Africa, with the company having completed projects further afield in The Middle East, Europe and Australia. In the United Kingdom alone, supermarket giants Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are all clients to ILS and Thomas and the other directors regularly travel internationally in order to solidify bonds with the UK and keep up to date with global standards and trends.
In staying on trend, the influence of internet technology has also been vital to the work of ILS, providing them with a means through which they are able to maintain close contact with their international customers, regardless of the restraints of distance and time differences. Thomas muses how when they first began trading, international business was practically impossible, but the company’s willingness to continually adapt and integrate the latest technology has allowed their presence to infiltrate markets that were previously completely impenetrable.
These geographical issues are not the only challenges that ILS has had to face and overcome. As with all economies, the South African market is continually changing and some companies can be hit hard if demand wanes, prices increase or the market becomes saturated with competitor products. However, regardless of the unrepentant ebb and flow of the marketplace and consumer reactions, ILS have managed to seamlessly cultivate and maintain an outstanding market position throughout their 22 year existence.
As Thomas states: “When things are good, we’re building new facilities, when things are tough, we’re helping our customers to be leaner and cleverer in the way they’re doing things.” Evidently then, ILS’s success can largely be attributed to the fact that in delivering to their clients, it’s not just about the physical processes and elements of business, but the fact that company also strives to help companies on an intellectual basis; a wonderfully holistic and admirable business strategy.
This genuine care for their clients is also apparent when looking at the key tenets that ILS conducts their business under. Of great importance is consistency, whether this be in the form of procedure, service or even down to staffing. ILS have around thirty members of staff and although the work is coming in thick and fast, clients can rest assured that their cases will always be dealt with by the same people. Furthermore, the forging of good business relationships is key to ILS and they actively promote the fact that they view their business as an extension of their clients’. A rarity for such a prolific company, this decisive business tool allows ILS to negate any hierarchal relationships that may be perceived as intimidating or exclusive. As such, ILS clearly strive to put their clients’ interests at the very heart of any projects, forming business partnerships based on mutual understanding and respect. Furthermore, ILS highly value the fact that all of their clients – whether large or small – expend an enormous amount of trust in the company and so this should be met with a service that both represents value for money and provides all of the necessary tools for success.
It therefore comes as no surprise when Thomas declares that the company is still going from strength to strength. He makes it clear that the business currently has more work on its hands than they have ever had and this momentum does not seem to be slowing down any time soon.
Taking great pride in their work, a flawless operation and a reputation that spans the globe, ILS is undoubtedly an industry leader, aiding their customers to stand and deliver in the competitive arena of supply and demand.