Technical Logistics: The White Glove Treatment

We all associate logistics with the transportation of things and when ‘white glove’ is added to the word ‘logistics’, it is referring to the transportation, placement, installation and configuration of technical equipment. The list of business sectors that rely on white glove logistics is indeed a long one; banking & finance, medical, retail, IT and even the manufacturing industry, all require specialist logistics.

Range of White Glove Services

Let’s take a look at one of the UK’s leading white glove logistics companies, www.tecdisnetwork.com, who offer a wide range of specialist services for their clients.

• ATM Installation & Maintenance – If you have ever wondered who installs and repairs ATMs, it is the white glove technician, who is approved by the banks to handle such equipment. They also install and maintain other equipment used by financial institutions, such as passbook updates, cash deposit machines and even Bitcoin ATMs.
• Access Control Systems – Installation and maintenance are carried out by a team of white glove technicians and these systems are found at sports arenas, as well as bus and train stations, where they facilitate admission and crowd control. Ticket barriers are installed and the system is fully automated, while the white glove team would be on call around the clock to carry out speedy repairs, should there be a breakdown.
• Asset Recovery – Known also as ‘reverse logistics’, this occurs when a technical piece of equipment needs to be disassembled and transported either to the manufacturer or a named facility. A classic example of this would be when a large company wishes to replace all of their office workstations with up-to-date IT hardware and as well as installing and configuring the new hardware, the white glove technicians are able to dispose of IT hardware in a responsible manner, according to WEEE directives. In the event a large item malfunctions and needs to be returned to the OEM, this is a job for the white glove team. If you are looking to reduce your business expenses, here are some great tips.
• Data Centre Relocation – All businesses store their data and after a few years, the data centre might not be able to accommodate the increasing number of servers and needs to be relocated to a larger venue. The white glove team are also capable of installing a data centre from the ground up and the technicians are approved by the server manufacturer to work with the equipment.
• Final Mile Delivery & Full Technical Installation – A good example of this would be a new MRI scanner, which is large, delicate and extremely expensive; the white glove team would take possession of the scanner close to its final resting place (inside the hospital) then maneuver it through the doorways and corridors, before securing the equipment at the placement site. This is only part of the project, as the scanner must be installed, configured and calibrated, then testing can begin.
• Demo Installations – In many cases, an item of technical equipment would first be tested by the customer and this would involve the white glove team transporting and installing the equipment and when the demonstration period is up, they would reverse the process, returning the equipment to the seller. Complex robotics, for example, might be set up for a customer to use in their factory for a week or two; only then can they really test the equipment and the white glove team would facilitate this.

Indeed, much of the digital equipment we see when out and about is installed by white glove technicians and a major aspect of their work is to obtain critical certification, which means attending workshops and seminars. Click here for UK government information about certification and standards.

These people are very much the unsung heroes who work tirelessly in the background to ensure that vital equipment works properly.