Vision Logistics Enters Limelight with Award-Winning Year
Vision Logistics featured in T&L issue 261. Click to read
Coming away with wins at both the Logistics UK Awards, and Logistics Warehouse and Supply Chain Awards, Vision Logistics starts 2024 on strong footing. Founded back in 2000, Vision Logistics is an industry-leading specialist in the provision of bespoke logistics solutions for: healthcare, ecommerce, and experiential marketing; in particular, the company is known most for its work across the healthcare sector, handling deliveries into care homes and direct to patients.
Yet, despite achieving substantial success within the healthcare segment of the logistics market, Vision Logistics isn't a business we've heard all that much about over the years. Coming off the back of two landmark industry awards, and sitting within the Life Couriers global healthcare logistics portfolio since 2022, that's about to change. At present, Vision Logistics operates out of eight strategically-placed depots around the UK.
Operating on a national scale, the majority of the firm's activity is within: direct-to-patient deliveries, medical device distribution, clinical trial fulfilment, life science logistics, test kit fulfilment, and medication home delivery services. Able to transport safely and securely, the firm has become a trusted logistics partner for many clients across the sector, including the NHS. Yet, how Vision Logistics differs from your average logistics company is quite notable.
While Vision Logistics boasts all of the capabilities one would expect of a healthcare logistics specialist, including a modern fleet and expansive warehousing facilities (totaling in at 132,000 square feet of space, of which 3,500 is chilled and a further 1,500 is temperature-controlled), where the company truly adds value above that of its closest competitors is in the approach taken to service.
Indeed, taking its role as a supporting partner within the healthcare sector very seriously, Vision Logistics has increasingly made a name for itself in the professionalism, care, and courtesy offered to the communities that it ultimately serves. Across all jobs, Vision Logistics interestingly has a policy in place to allocate 10 minutes to each and every delivery. While this may understandably have an impact on productivity levels (and consequently, even short-term profitability), the company does this out of respect for the vulnerable position that many of the patients it delivers to are in.
Often in and around the homes of the elderly or those suffering from various conditions, Vision Logistics absorbs an aspect of responsibility for the care of such individuals, encouraging its employees to take their time and, if necessary, even sit down and have a relaxed conversation with someone who may appreciate the comfort offered. With this in mind, it's truly unsurprising that the company has struck a chord with so many across the healthcare logistics sector and, indeed, that the company is now facing such award-winning success. To learn more about Vision Logistics' recent success in the Logistics UK Awards, and Logistics Warehouse and Supply Chain Awards, we spoke with Peter Smith, Managing Director of Vision Logistics.
Joining the business approximately two years ago, Peter entered Vision Logistics not to overhaul the business or address critical operational faults (as is often the case), but instead to support the business in opening up new opportunities and shine a light on the hard work that the company's teams have been doing ever since the firm's establishment in 2000. Thus far, Peter's impact at Vision Logistics is relatively clear, with the company picking up the enviable award for Best Healthcare Logistics Provider in the Logistics Warehouse & Supply Chain Awards 2023, as well as being named the Last Mile Business of the Year in the Logistics UK Awards. These awards serve to recognise the exemplary work that Vision Logistics has been undertaking, often behind the scenes and unrecognised by the wider industry.
As such, it's fantastic to see a spotlight shined on the teams that have made such an impact on the lives of many vulnerable people around the country.
Peter Smith, Managing Director of Vision Logistics enthused: "When I came in two years ago, Vision was like a 'best kept secret' within logistics. We do a fantastic job and have service levels of around 99.9%, which is hard to believe. I come from an industry where 97-98% is acceptable, but because we're dealing with patients here we focus on zero failure.
A lot of what we do is delivered with care and is about enhancing a patients' life. A lot of people didn't really know about us in the industry. Since I've come in, it's been about working with the team to build that brand awareness.
That means making people aware of who we are and the level of service we can deliver, which is really important in the healthcare sector." "The award is testament to that. This is the best team I've ever worked with.
They genuinely 'get' the kind of people we're working with and the kind of service we have to offer. That's why we have a 99.9% service level, because these people simply do not fail," added Peter. "They've been doing this level of service for a long time and not really getting the recognition, perhaps not even wanting the recognition. But it's nice to get a pat on the back sometimes.
It's nothing to do with me, it's all about the guys on the front of the service who are doing these things every day." As for where Vision Logistics aims to go from here, predictions indicate that the company will have significant opportunities to grow in the coming years as the wider direct-to-patient market expands. No doubt, the company's recent success in the Logistics UK Awards, and Logistics Warehouse and Supply Chain Awards, will also serve as fuel for expansion within the market and in growing the company's client base, and the overall Life Couriers global footprint.
We look forward to reporting further as and when we know more.
Transport & Logistics - Driving the Industry Forward