What aspects are important to consider when building new logistics facilities?
PostNord TPL has more than 20 years’ experience of planning and building logistics facilities. Bengt Ydebäck, KMS and Property Manager in Region East, has been involved in project management at TPL for many years. He is currently the project manager for the construction of Randmärket, which will be completed in May 2024.
The construction of a new warehouse is usually due to the need for more space for an existing customer assignment or a completely new customer assignment. What aspects are important to consider when building new logistics facilities? Bengt Ydebäck has the answers.
– If you are building for an existing customer assignment, you largely keep to the customer's requirements. For new customer assignments, a standardized logistics facility is usually built,” Bengt explains. Standardized logistics premises have just over 11.7 m vertical clearance and columns at a given separation to allow racking to be installed in a smart way. Standardized construction makes it easy to get different types of goods into the warehouse and the building is flexible enough to allow it to be rented out in the next stage. A newly built logistics facility has a lifespan of at least 30-40 years, and the first lease is normally for 10 years.
Bengt Ydebäck, KMS and Property Manager in Region East
Bengt explains that PostNord TPL has built many logistics facilities and the organization therefore has great expertise in this area. In his opinion, the right skills in all relevant areas, such as IT and security, are crucial to success.
– Our Malmölandet logistics facility, which was completed a few years ago, served as a reference building during the construction of Randmärket. There's a lot there that we've been able to reuse. Just like its reference building, the focus is on sustainability, and the environmental aspects are central throughout the construction, from planning to implementation. All to create the right conditions from the very start. Randmärket will also have a solar cell system on the roof, just like Malmölandet, Bengt says.
Selecting the right building partner is also an important part of the project. Bengt says that the building partner they chose for the construction of Randmärket has built several logistics facilities for PostNord TPL.
– They are used to building these types of buildings. They know exactly what the result should be and we have a good working relationship. It is important to have the right skills in the right place.
Bengt says that an active presence in all parts of the work makes the process much easier.
– Presence and participation are crucial throughout the entire process. We participate in project meetings, construction meetings and are on site to monitor the work. Being active at all stages makes things simpler, making it easy to identify deviations from the drawings, to answer questions and to ensure that everything is on track from the very start. Building projects usually stick to a tight schedule, which means it is easy to interpret drawings differently and come up with your own solutions. By being onsite, you can give direct feedback, which the builders are happy to receive because you are showing your commitment, Bengt says.
Want to know more? Get in touch with us at PostNord TPL and we'll tell you more.
