Future shock in distribution: Anticipating the inevitable

“Inevitable and profound” are the changes in the distribution world which John Harvey foresees for the rest of the decade. The number of operators in both the own‐account and public sectors will decline; there will be increasing polarisation between the small, local distribution company and the national network companies. Enhanced service levels will inevitably arise as a result of pressure from both manufacturers and their customers. Significantly, John Harvey visualises, in the short to medium term, an inhibition on investment in high technology materials handling, automation, and hardware; he sees more future for the pallet and picking truck than he does for automated warehouses and retrieval systems. SPD is of course one of the leading companies in the distribution sector; it employs nearly 8,000 people with a turnover of £175m from express parcels, haulage, warehousing and distribution and other functions. John Harvey gave this paper at a conference sponsored by Rolatruc Limited of Slough, and it was held in London in February.