Ideas & Insights

News

Trade turmoil at the ports: What the US–China fallout means for UK & EU supply chains

Article

Top Strategies for Successful Early Engagement with Automation Suppliers

Article

Optimising logistics efficiencies: Insights from Formula 1 strategies

News

Hatmill supports Pause on Mother’s Day

News

Hatmill tops the UK’s Best Workplaces™ list

Article

Effective Business Forecasting: Bridging the Gap Between Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches

Article

5 ways to improve your logistics processes and reduce transportation costs

News

International Women’s Day 2025 – how we’re accelerating action at Hatmill

Article

Overcoming the barriers to becoming a data-driven organisation: Common challenges and practical tips for success

Article

The Strategic Importance of Supply Chain Leaders in Business Growth

Article

Selecting the Right Automation Solution – Common Mistakes and Top Tips

Article

The Challenge of Change: Why New Year’s Resolutions and Organisational Transformations Fail

Article

Eight Steps to Beat Peak Fatigue

Article

KPI Trees: The key to unlocking long-term sustainable performance improvement

News

Double shortlist success for Hatmill in Yorkshire Business of the Year Awards

News

Hatmill wins at Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards

Article

Greening the Supply Chain: The Route Towards Net Zero Logistics

Article

AMRs vs. ASRS: which are best for warehouse automation?

Article

Benefits of sustainable logistics for eCommerce businesses

Article

How to stop internet returns causing a Christmas nightmare for retailers

News

Hatmill becomes a Certified B Corporation

Article

How to identify peak trading issues early!

News

Hatmill is a finalist in Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards

Article

Do you know what your warehouse capacity is?

News

Hatmill joins The Greggs Foundation Charity Walk 2024

News

Hatmill’s Terry Murphy wins prestigious CILT logistics and transport award

Article

Has our healthcare and life science supply chain returned to pre-pandemic business as usual?

Article

Five common pitfalls when adding technology to transport operations

News

Hatmill marks World Duchenne Awareness Day with donation to Muscular Dystrophy UK

Article

Why is my sales forecasting not being run by Artificial Intelligence?

Article

The Do’s and Don’ts of Designing and Building a New Warehouse

Article

Is automation the right move for your operation?

News

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Hatmill’s Continued Commitment to Sustainability

Article

Inventory Management: The Secret Weapon of eCommerce Success

Article

Master data: The key to successful business change implementation

Master data is an often overlooked but key component to organisational efficiency and change. The term covers all core information essential to business operations, such as products, customers, suppliers and […]

News

Hatmill donation supports The Clothing Bank

Article

Warehouse automation start-ups – how to avoid the common pitfalls

Article

Teal organisations – what are they and how do they affect employees?

Article

Navigating the risks of changing warehouse service providers

Article

“The Click” – the moment your employees start embracing new warehouse processes

Article

A graduate’s guide to thriving at Hatmill

Article

Key performance indicators (KPIs): Do they drive companies in the right direction?

News

Hatmill donates to the MND Association to mark Global Motor Neurone Disease Day

News

Hatmill proudly celebrates being an employee owned business (EOT)

Article

Revamping outdated warehouse automation systems: the challenges and solutions

Article

Winning over the impatient: How to sell the benefits of process improvement

Article

S&OP in retail: Strategic superpower or operational overload?

News

Hatmill recognised in UK’s Best Workplaces for Development 2024 list

Article

10 tips to ensure your supply chain programme is implemented successfully

News

British Beekeepers Association ‘buzzing’ with Hatmill donation

News

Hatmill are moving for Mental Health Awareness Week

Article

Unlock the full potential of your supply chain with effective planning parameters

Article

The Herculean challenge of decarbonising long haul road freight

Article

Outsourcing: You get the 3PL arrangement you deserve

News

Marking World Earth Day at Hatmill

World Earth Day is celebrated annually on 22 April. We all have our part to play in protecting the planet and fighting for a brighter future. At Hatmill, we’re committed […]

News

Hatmill celebrates National Diversity Month

April is National Diversity Month and we’re proud to celebrate this at Hatmill. Research shows that diverse teams are better positioned to unlock innovation and drive growth as well as […]

News

Little Hiccups ‘thrilled’ with Hatmill donation

Hatmill has donated £24,000 to six deserving charities, chosen by the team. In the third of our blogs shining a spotlight on the charities we support, Rich Duffy, a consultant […]

Article

Top 10 tips for a successful WMS implementation

Amol Deshmukh and Alex Hirst, Consultants at Hatmill, share their top ten tips for a successful WMS implementation. Updating your Warehouse Management System (WMS) can provide significant operational benefits, including […]

News

Hatmill donates to St Peter’s Hospice

In the second of our blogs shining a spotlight on the charities we support, Rob Cottrell, a consultant at Hatmill shares more about the charity he put forward. St Peter’s […]

Article

International Women’s Day 2024: Why we’re really passionate about inclusion at Hatmill

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Inclusion, something we’re really passionate about at Hatmill. But don’t just take our word for it. We’ve been voted #1 Best […]

Article

A supply chain perspective: the dilemma with customer choice

Hatmill’s Toby Farrance and Liam Lindley discuss the impact of increasing customer choice and the perhaps surprising consequences it has on the supply chain. The Museum of Crisps states there […]

Article

Hatmill sponsors Generation Logistics

In early February, as part of National Apprentice Week, Hatmill’s Simon Dixon and Terry Murphy attended a Parliamentary Reception at the House of Commons to celebrate Generation Logistics.

Article

The critical imports and supply chains strategy: Brexit 2.0

Terry Murphy, a consultant at Hatmill, shares his views on the introduction of The Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy together with the impact of Brexit 2.0 and what it […]

News

Hatmill supports Read Easy UK

Hatmill, the employee-owned, Yorkshire-based supply chain and logistics consultancy, has donated £24,000 to six deserving charities.   

Article

Transport planning: ensuring stock is delivered on time

In many ways, logistics is like a theatre show, particularly when we think about operational and transport planning. Paddy MacBrant explains why.

Article

Fantastic soft skills and where to find them

The magical origins of my title might have evaded some readers, but I stand by the mythical analogy.

Report

2024: The opportunities & challenges in UK warehousing

Terry Murphy explores the opportunities & challenges in UK warehousing in our latest report.

News

Hatmill donates £24,000 to 6 charities as part of its commitment to giving back

Hatmill, the employee-owned, Yorkshire-based supply chain and logistics consultancy, has donated £24,000 to six deserving charities.  

News

Hatmill launches new sustainable logistics offering

Hatmill, the employee-owned independent supply chain and logistics consultancy, has launched an end-to-end net zero offering, supporting supply chain, logistics and warehousing organisations in achieving their sustainability goals.

News

Hatmill aims for net zero by partnering with net zero delivery firm Flotilla

Hatmill, the leading independent supply chain and logistics consultancy, has announced its commitment to net zero by partnering with Flotilla, the net zero carbon accounting, consulting and delivery firm.

News

Hatmill is voted one of the best workplaces in Europe

Hatmill is very proud to announce that we’ve been named one of the Best Workplaces in Europe.

News

Hatmill expands into North America to support clients’ supply chain challenges

Hatmill, the employee-owned supply chain and logistics consultancy, has announced its expansion into North America on the back of demand for its services.

Report

Warehouse operations development planning: getting it right

In our latest report Nik Pamplin and Tom McClinton, consultants at Hatmill explore how to optimise your warehouse operations with an Operations Development Plan.

Webinar

Hatmill Huddle: performance and the high cost of low morale

Hatmill’s Founder and CEO Simon Dixon and our organisational readiness expert Linzi Parry discuss the risks of low engagement and the value of a support network to boost your team’s […]

Webinar

Hatmill Huddle: Improve your supply chain project results

Hatmill’s Founder and CEO Simon Dixon joins our organisational readiness expert Linzi Parry to discuss the pitfalls of siloed working and the impact dislocated teams can have on your bottom […]

Webinar

Hatmill Huddle Replay: Improve your supply chain project results by focusing on capacity & capability

Hatmill’s Founder and CEO Simon Dixon joins our organisational readiness expert Linzi Parry to discuss how to improve your supply chain project results, exploring real world scenarios. Discover the pitfalls […]

Article

Leading change: how low morale impacts performance amongst teams

Effective leadership in sports teams makes them function well and develops confidence to compete as a single unit, united in their goal to do what it takes to beat the […]

News

Hatmill are finalists in the Everywoman Awards

We are pleased to announce that our very own Hazel Beasley and Naomi Harryman-Hassan are both finalists for Everywoman 2023 awards.

Article

Working in silos: Why businesses need to burst their bubbles

In busy operational environments, one of the challenges we see that hinders the speed and size of payback from new initiatives is teams working with their heads down. They are […]

Article

Flat organisational structure: our ethos is based on self-management and mutual trust

Hatmill is ranked the No. 1 Best Workplace™ in the Small size category. Founder Simon Dixon explains why.

Article

The journey to net zero is a marathon, not a race

Aaron Thomas, Consultant at Logistics and Supply Chain Consultancy, discusses the urgency of Net Zero, and how to achieve it.

News

Hatmill ranked first in the UK’s Best Workplaces™ survey

Hatmill has today been named as the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2023 (small business category) by Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture.  

Article

Focusing on capacity & capability to improve your supply chain project results

A vital, yet often forgotten, element of delivering benefits from a project is making sure the organisation as a whole is ready for it.  Projects can be compared to a journey, […]

Webinar

New Hatmill Huddle Series: Improve your supply chain project results

If you’re looking for efficiencies or payback on supply chain and logistics investment, you can’t afford to miss our new Hatmill Huddle series ‘Improve your supply chain results’.

Webinar

Webinar: The optimal organisational structure for consultancies

Watch industry experts discuss the optimal organizational structure for your consulting firm—and important industry benchmarks to evaluate your own consultancy against.

Article

Q&A with our founder Simon Dixon: Does an organisation without hierarchy really work?

Hatmill is at the forefront of automation in the supply chain and manages projects with a total CAPEX value of over £1.5bn. Clients include Asda, Greggs and Royal Mail. But […]

Article

Starting your career in a company with no hierarchy

Katie Nickmans, Consultant at Hatmill Logistics and Supply Chain, talks to some of the young professionals of Hatmill about their journey into the world of logistics, working at a consultancy […]

News

Hat trick of appointments for Hatmill boost automation and sustainability capabilities

Supply chain and logistics consultancy Hatmill has recruited a host of new industry experts to boost its automation and sustainability capabilities.  

News

Hatmill recognised in Financial Times’ Leading Management Consultants list

Supply chain and logistics consultancy, Hatmill, is celebrating after being featured in the Financial Times UK Leading Management Consultants listing.  

News

‘The Affordability of Warehouse Rents’ report by Savills and Hatmill wins award

We are delighted to announce that ‘The affordability of warehouse rents’, a report written jointly by Hatmill’s CEO, Simon Dixon and Savills, Kevin Mofid has won The Society of Property […]

News

Why now is the perfect time to invest in an electric vehicle fleet

Aaron Thomas, Consultant at Hatmill discusses why now is the time for companies to invest in electrifying their vehicle fleets and what’s next for electric fleets? 

Article

8 steps to beat peak retail fatigue

Nik Pamplin suggests eight steps to navigate the difficult peak period, and ensure a successful next season.

News

Video insights: Is it time to electrify your transportation fleet?

Hatmill’s Aaron Thomas’ joins Here360 and leading experts from the AA and PAUA Tech to discuss the challenges of electrifying vehicle fleets. 

Article

Peak trading: Nothing else can drive such terror into the hearts of logisticians

This month, it felt topical to share a couple of articles on the most dreaded of dark arts – planning for peak (and recovering afterwards!). Nothing else can drive such […]

News

Is it time to electrify your fleet?

The transport industry is overtaking the energy sector in being the largest contributor of greenhouse gasses in Europe. As a result, there’s significant pressure from both the policy makers and […]

News

Hatmill founder announced as a judge for Start Up Awards

Simon Dixon, Founder of Hatmill, has been announced as a judge for The StartUp Awards. The StartUp Awards National Series recognises the achievements of those amazing individuals who have had […]

Article

When business forecasts speak a different language

In the battle for top-down versus bottom-up forecasting, the victim is a pragmatic, planning forecast that helps to better plan labour, space and resource. The solution? Purpose-led forecasting.

News

Hatmill is officially a “Great Place to Work”

Our staff have spoken and after a rigorous survey process, we’ve been certified as a Great Place to Work.

News

Hatmill wins twice at the Supply Chain Excellence Awards

Hatmill is delighted to be part of the NHS England and Partners team that won two awards at the prestigious Supply Chain Excellence Awards. These were for ‘Team of the […]

Report

Preparing for peak trading: 8 steps to beat peak fatigue

The challenging economic environment has created the perfect storm for retail, with a combination of labour and goods shortages and periods of unprecedented demand. While supply chains, historically, are good […]

News

Hatmill wins at Yorkshire Business Masters

The Hatmill team are celebrating after winning the Small Business of the Year Award (up to 50 employees) at the Yorkshire Business Masters.

News

Hatmill is a finalist in the Yorkshire Post Excellence Awards

Hatmill is a Finalist in this year’s Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards. The awards, which recgonise the best in business in Yorkshire, is a calendar highlight for the region […]

News

Hatmill shortlisted for 6 Supply Chain Excellence Awards

Hatmill is delighted to be named as finalists in six categories for the prestigious Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2022. Winners will be announced at the award ceremony, taking place on […]

News

Choosing the right warehouse can help occupiers manage rising costs

Helen Price, supply chain & logistics advisor at Hatmill, joins Savills, Guy Ruddle and guests, Charlie Spicer, director in the national industrial & logistics team and Andrew Smith, strategy director […]

Article

Why delivery is key in the logistics and supply chain industries

Logistics and supply chain has always been focussed on delivery. As practitioners we are tasked with delivering to our customers on time and in full, within (and preferably under!) budget.

Article

What is the smart way to manage increasing supply chain costs?

Covid, Brexit and the war in Ukraine have brought about a perfect storm for supply chains. Covid has led to seismic changes in shopping behaviour, accelerating online sales by the […]

Article

Supply chains: “For people who don’t know which direction to go, there is only one direction: to stay where they are”

Mehmet Murat ildan is not a supply chain professional, and I doubt he’s been quoted in this publication before, but the contemporary playwright’s commentary on the folly of undirected endeavour […]

Report

Savills report: Balancing warehouse location and rent costs

Hatmill’s CEO, Simon Dixon, writes about selecting a warehouse site in Savills latest report ‘The affordability of warehouse rents’.   

Article

How to ensure valuable engagement with automation suppliers from the get-go

The white-hot warehouse automation market may have cooled slightly, but forecasters still expect significant growth – you will need to have a clear, well executed brief to get warehouse automation […]

News

Hatmill is helping to #GrowEO for UK Employee Ownership Day

The team at Hatmill is delighted to be part of the UK Employee Ownership Day (EO Day), run by the Employee Ownership Association (EOA), on Friday 24th June 2022.

Article

Change is a constant: speaking at the UKWA Conference

Linzi Parry, Hatmill’s change and transformation expert was asked to moderate the panel session ‘Change is a Constant’ at the recent UKWA Conference. Panellists included: Adam Jones, Carlton Forest Group […]

Article

5S and the warehouse: a practical 5S approach to deliver a best-in-class operating warehouse and workplace

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has put significant pressure on supply chains – forcing organisations to reassess their warehouse and estate strategy to meet unprecedented demand. Ensuring a world class warehouse […]

News

Hatmill supports the Greggs Foundation in providing free breakfasts at Colne Primet Academy

Hatmill is proud to announce a partnership with the Greggs Foundation to provide free breakfasts to a number of pupils at Casterton Primary Academy in Burnley. This healthy, nutritious start […]

News

Over 50% of Hatmill team trained in First Aid for Mental Health

Hatmill, the employee-owned supply chain and logistics consultancy, is proud to announce that last month, over half of its team have been trained in First Aid for Mental Health. In […]

News

Hatmill supports the Greggs Foundation in providing free breakfasts for school children

Hatmill is proud to announce a partnership with the Greggs Foundation to provide free breakfasts to a number of pupils at Casterton Primary Academy in Burnley. This healthy, nutritious start […]

News

Hatmill supports Burnley and Pendle Young Carers Christmas appeal

Hatmill, the employee-owned supply chain and logistics consultancy, has supported the Burnley Young Carers Christmas appeal. Earlier this year, the Hatmill team completed the 22-mile Chatsworth Challenge walk, raising over £2500 to buy Christmas gifts […]

Article

Warehouse automation – getting it right

Covid & Brexit are exacerbating labour shortages, companies are looking to automation as an answer

News

Hatmill founder shortlisted for the IoD Awards

Simon Dixon, the founder of Hatmill has been shortlisted for The Institute of Directors (IoD) Director of the Year Awards 2021 for Yorkshire and the North East. 

Article

Taking your people with you: Managing process change to accelerate ROI on supply chain and logistics automation

Adapting your supply chain to meet current challenges and be fit for the future is a significant investment; don’t let the change overwhelm your teams.  

Article

Flow rooms: getting more from warehouse automation

A high performing flow room brings rigour and confidence to all aspects of warehouse operations. 

News

Hatmill are ‘highly commended’ in the Medilink Healthcare Business Awards 2021

Simon Dixon, the founder of Hatmill has been shortlisted for The Institute of Directors (IoD) Director of the Year Awards 2021 for Yorkshire and the North East. 

Article

Ask the expert: building resilience in supply chains

Simon Dixon, CEO of Hatmill, looks at how to adapt supply chains and warehouse operations to build resilience in the wake of Covid and Brexit.

Article

Don’t plan warehouse automation in a silo – automation touches every part of your organisation

When you’re thinking about automating your warehouse or supply chain, you’re impacting every part of your organisation, says Terry Murphy, consultant at Hatmill.

News

Hatmill becomes employee-owned (EOT)

Hatmill has become an employee-owned business. The founder of Hatmill, Simon Dixon, has transferred 100% of shares to an Employee-owned Trust (EOT) for the benefit of employees.

Article

Greener transport logistics: 10 things to think about when making your transport logistics operation carbon neutral

Climate Change has been at the forefront of the conversation about transportation and logistics for some time. Change is coming and we all need to be ready for it. With […]

Article

Flexibility is the key to solving supply chain challenges

In conversation with procurement consultancy firm Proxima, Hatmill’s founder Simon Dixon discusses how supply chain challenges posed by COVID-19 and Brexit will continue into 2021. Embracing technology and automation, and […]

Article

How should businesses approach demand forecasting?

A few weeks ago, we published a series of LinkedIn polls to discover more about how organisations approached their demand forecasting.

Video

ILG Webinar: Are you ready for a no deal Brexit?

On Thursday 10th September, Hatmill’s Simon Dixon joined the ILG webinar to discuss the main areas of concern as the 31st December approaches.

Article

Pop-up warehousing – creating online shopping fulfilment capacity, and fast

Traditionally supply chains require large budgets and take time to build capacity, but online shopping demands are here with us now. Is this a short-term phenomenon or an emerging trend? […]

Article

Global M5 Competition: Are we forecasting for forecasting’s sake?

Can we apply outcomes from the M5 forecasting competition to real world supply chains?

Video

Supply Chain Webinar with Proxima

Watch a replay of the insightful webinar hosted by Hatmill & Proxima on the topic of building a modern playbook for supply chain and logistics stardom.

Report

A guide to: warehouse automation technology

Our experience in warehouse automation projects delivery and implementation means we’ve developed an in-depth understanding of the various warehouse automation technologies available. We can help you navigate the options to […]

Article

Building a supply chain network to deliver PPE to the NHS front line

I’ve just finished a 14-week spell working to build a network to deliver PPE to the NHS. I can honestly say it was the hardest yet most rewarding job I […]

Article

Preparing your supply chain for the logistics of Brexit

With many businesses still reeling from the impact of COVID 19 on their supply chains and their business, there’s another major wave coming on the horizon – Brexit.

Article

Demand forecasting after COVID lockdown

Supply chain forum, the Intent Group, held a Covid huddle on managing demand & supply as we move into the next phase of the pandemic and towards a “new normal”. […]

Article

Remobilise your supply chain after Covid lockdowns

There’s no doubt that businesses large and small have been reeling from the impact of COVID-19 and trying to manage the impact on their business. Many are now turning their […]

Article

Forecasting demand post Covid? 3 things management teams should do

Being prepared for life post lockdown is where forecasting becomes paramount. A few connections have been asking me “How can you forecast COVID19?”. And there’s one simple answer: “You can’t!” […]

Article

What is demand forecasting? Plus other common forecasting questions

Why forecast demand? How? And what’s the difference between forecasting and planning? Your questions answered…

Report

Logistics Automation: A guide for the savvy Supply Chain Director

The adoption of automation technology in logistics is on the rise. Our guide will help you consider if automation is the right solution for your warehouse.

Whitepaper

How much does demand planning cost?

You’re keen to reduce the number of lost sales and excess stock, and unlock precious working capital. But, what does demand planning cost? And what are your options?