IMI links warehouse data with wider UK supply-chain operations
Digital visibility across a distribution network is becoming more important as industrial and retail operators face simultaneous pressure on labour, freight and service levels. Swedish supply-chain technology provider IMI is responding in the UK by launching its full software portfolio after acquiring OMS Limited in January.
The acquisition brought IMI the Vitesse warehouse labour management system and an established British customer base. The company has since continued supporting customers such as Mountain Warehouse, Poundland and Morrisons. It reports 20% growth in its UK customer base and plans to expand its local team.
A broader digital operating layer
IMI’s UK portfolio now reaches beyond warehouse productivity. It includes inventory planning, order management, warehouse management, freight cost management and delivery management. The combination is designed to connect decisions that are often handled separately: how much stock is required, how efficiently orders are processed, how warehouse labour performs and what transport costs are incurred.
That joined-up view is particularly relevant to networks with several sites and differing procedures. Standardised information can support more consistent performance management, while giving operators a clearer basis for balancing margin protection against expectations for fast and affordable delivery.
Martin O’Grady, IMI’s manager of product and development, said UK operators were seeking improved visibility of warehouse productivity and labour expenditure. He highlighted labour and freight as major cost categories entering peak season, when operational variation can have a direct effect on capacity and service.
Scaling through local capability
IMI serves more than 400 European customers in e-commerce, retail, wholesale and distribution, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and third-party logistics. Its UK operation combines domestic resources with support from the wider IMI organisation.
CEO Niklas Rönnbäck said the OMS transaction had created a local foundation from which IMI could build. The company’s stated ambition is to develop a leading European supply-chain software suite, with continued investment in its British team supporting that objective.
For industrial users, the significance of the launch lies less in adding another isolated application than in bringing warehouse, inventory and transport information into one portfolio. That architecture can help organisations identify bottlenecks and cost drivers across the flow from stock planning to final delivery, although the value will depend on how effectively each site adopts common processes and uses the resulting data.
