COVID-19 – Bibby Distribution: Keeping Britain moving and supplied during the pandemic

• Customers quick to thank BDL team for going above and beyond

• Public offer thanks to drivers with coffee and chocolate

• Buddy system set up to protect vulnerable colleagues

 

As you will be aware keeping the country moving during the pandemic is vital, and Bibby Distribution has stepped up to provide an essential delivery and logistics service to the nation’s supply chain.

 

Supporting Customers

With well over 80% of customer volumes coming from food retailers, food manufacturers, food ingredients, cleaning and packaging manufacturers, BDL are proud to be playing their part in keeping the nation supplied.

Customers have been hugely complimentary of how the team have supported them in such challenging times, with thank you letters and calls coming from customers such as Sainsbury’s , Jordans Ryvita , PAD (People against Dirty) and even a video thank you from one of their customers Propercorn.

Sadly, Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) drivers are often unfairly maligned by the public.

However as the company plays its part in keeping the nation supplied, they have seen a massive swing of support towards LGV drivers.

Members of the public are now saying thank you! and buying drivers coffees and chocolate bars to express their gratitude.

Often overlooked, this crisis has shown how important drivers, warehouse colleagues and operational teams are on a national level.

 

Supporting Colleagues

Planning for COVID-19 began in January. A core working team was set up and Pandemic Coordinators appointed at each site.

BDL’s key priority has been to keep line managers and depots up to date with clear guidance.

BDL have ensured a constant flow of communications on what the business is doing, and more importantly why.

They have seen the membership of their company Facebook page grow, with over a third of colleagues engaged on that platform. CEO Richard Morson also posts his weekly update videos via Facebook.

BDL is also prioritising protecting their ‘Extremely Vulnerable’ and ‘Vulnerable’ colleagues including encouraging working from home and assigning each EV colleague a ‘Buddy’ from the HR team to maintain contact and support at such a challenging time.

Other innovations include:

• Enhanced site hygiene controls, and restricted access to all but essential visitors
• New measures for social distancing and new signage
• Challenging long established H&S rules and finding new safe ways of working
• Fast and agile decision making
• Operations, Fleet and Procurement and SHEQ teams working together to ensure we secure PPE supplies and get them out to the operating sites.
• Working with friends at Garic to help source PPE supplies

 

 

Protecting the business for the future

Like so many businesses in the UK, BDL are protecting the long term future in the face of reduced volumes or customer shutdowns by reducing cost wherever possible, including furloughing colleagues.

This has been difficult for everybody but the reaction of those affected has been magnificent with many volunteering and leaders at every level doing an outstanding job in consulting with all of those affected and ‘doing the right thing’.

Impressive SHEQ and operational standards are also being maintained, with video conferencing software playing a key role.

And in the midst of the pandemic, BDL were also proud to report:

• Several key customer contracts renewed
• A major new customer secured
• Opened a new regional planning and operating centre at East Kilbride in Scotland
• Reduced lost time injuries by over 70% over since 2015
• Awarded the British Safety Council Merit Award for the third year running
• Achieved the RoSPA Gold Sector award for the business again
• Corby Max Park, Avonmouth and Droitwich also achieved individual RoSPA Gold Awards
• Shortlisted in the prestigious annual Motor Transport Awards in two categories

 

Richard Morson, BDL CEO was keen to pass on his appreciation to colleagues:

“If ever there was need for us to be led by our values that time is now. I’m so proud of the entire logistics industry right now and especially our BDL team.

“Our colleagues are out and about as key workers keeping the nation’s supply chain running in these challenging times. Internally our top priority is keeping all of our 1,400 colleagues and their families safe whilst ensuring we keep the essential products flowing to where they need to be.

“Agility has been key with volumes fluctuating across the business from levels into retail that we only normally see at Christmas to individual industrial contracts ceasing all output. Our entire SSC and support functions have operated remotely now for over a month and have embraced the whole challenge.

“What stands out for me is how our teams  have innovatively changed pretty much all of our ways of working almost overnight, continued to improve our service to our customers in exceptionally challenging circumstances whilst doing the right thing for our colleagues and customers against a backdrop of some very difficult decisions that we’ve had to make to protect the future of the business in an uncertain world. 

“There are definitely going to be some positive lessons learned out of the whole experience.”

(Photo credits: Robin Dearden)

Read more about our companies response to COVID-19

Costcutter Supermarkets Group

Bibby Marine

Bibby Financial Services

Garic

BLG Head Office