Aramex is gearing up for growth. The courier business in Sydney is laying the foundation for a 300 per cent increase in capacity with an investment in innovative, high-tech equipment.

And in Brisbane, a mega development will take the logistics business to the next level [artist’s impression above, and below].

The company’s growth strategy for the Queensland capital is focused on an exciting new facility.

Aramex‘s 26,120sqm office and warehouse will sit on a mega site the size of more than three-and-a-half rugby league fields. There will be space for pallet racking, freight sortation and a customer collection zone.

In a move to greater sustainability, the development will also feature about 1,000kW rooftop solar panels.

Brisbane boosts delivery capabilities

More than 120 courier franchises will operate from the Brisbane site on its completion in mid-2024.

Aramex Brisbane general manager, Jacob Marsters says the new facility will boost parcel delivery and logistics capabilities.

“In our business, speed and efficiency are critical. That’s why being located at the Brisbane Airport precinct and connected to major arterial roads were key factors in our decision-making.

“The quick access to the northern, western and southern distribution networks, along with multiple access points in the precinct will be an advantage for our operations,” he says.

Aramex Sydney invests in tech innovation

In Sydney a ground-breaking automated sortation system, the first of its kind in Australia, will transform the courier business.

Aramex Sydney general manager Jason Bovis explains how the innovation will help the business scale up.

“The automated system will sort up to 13,000 parcels an hour which is a significant increase on the 4,500 we can do on our current manual sort.

“We operate 24 hours a day, but not at full capacity. This Aramex tech innovation means we can run most of our parcel sorting, at full speed, over four or five hours a day. That leaves another 20 hours a day we could operate at that level,” Jason says.

“This is an opportunity for growth in volume without increasing costs. We will be able to reduce sort time to seven or eight hours over a number of courier shifts,” he says.

Courier franchisees benefit from time-saving initiative

The result is good for the business, and is good for couriers.

Courier franchisees arrive early each day at the Sydney distribution centre to collect already-sorted parcels before heading off on their rounds. They return later to the hub with new parcels to be on-delivered.

The new sortation system promises a big time-saving. Instead of manually offloading and sorting their parcel pick-ups in the afternoon for another courier to deliver they can simply offload items on to a mechanised belt.

“This process gives them more time to spend at home, or on the road building up their business,” explains Jason. “Our new system allows courier franchisees to be more productive.

Accuracy and speed give the business a competitive edge

“The value of this system is more accurate sorting,” Jason points out. “The master data put into the system delivers about 99 per cent accuracy.”

This smart system also has innovative technology so if a parcel’s bar-code is faulty, the machine will read the address written on the label.

“While the system is setting up, we are adding master data for address validation,” he says.

So, when a customer signs up to an Aramex service, a unique API code (an application programming interface) populates the system and bar-code information is already captured.

“Sortation will improve our service and visibility to our customers who can track freight more accurately, and our courier franchisees can grow their run on the road and get extra business,” says Jason.

Automation brings opportunity for growth

“We assist franchisees to scale their businesses; they can sell off some of their dense runs and get more pick-ups and deliveries in a smaller area.”

This process also boosts the courier footprint, allowing Aramex to bring in new franchisees.

There are 220 couriers in Sydney, and with the new system sorting up to 350 runs, there is room for further substantial growth.

“We look after all of the corporate-owned Sydney business; our depot represents about 30 per cent of national volume,” Jason reveals.

“Aramex is on an aggressive growth path right now. The speed, scanning and accuracy of this new system really set us apart.”