MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM ALL THE TEAM AT THISTLE SYSTEMS GROUP

But the real secret of our success is that we can not only pinpoint each factor and the role it plays in our performance, we also measure our progress on a monthly basis in each of the 10 pillars.

So what is it that makes Thistle Systems, the preferred partner for thousands of companies?

1. Experienced People That Are Focused on Developing Solutions

We believe that the products we sell are simply the tools that we use to deliver our service and it’s the skills and experience of our people that set us apart from the competition. Not only do we have over 160 years of combined experience in developing storage solutions, we have established the Thistle Academy which takes raw talent and continues to produce some of the finest designers, project managers and installers in the industry.

2. Inspiring Design Solutions That Improve Operations

Thistle is recognised as one of the UK’s market leaders for quality design solutions that maximise the capacity of every millimetre of floor space whilst ensuring that the efficiency of your organisation is enhanced by the accessibility and efficiency of our design.

3. Comprehensive Accreditations For Complete Peace of Mind

We know that quality is important to our clients, which is why we are accredited under all the major programmes including CHAS, SEMA, SEIRS, Constructionline. We were also the first company to offer a design service that meets the European norm. And as you would expect, our products also conform to ISO14001 standards.

4. Tens of Thousands of Installations

We have quite literally carried out tens of thousands of installations across the UK from installations of a few bays of shelving to large warehouses and for all levels of clients from small owner managed business to PLCs to the public sector and the NHS. All our installations are carried out by SEIRS qualified installers with a minimum of 5 years experience. This enables us to carry out even the most complex projects quickly and efficiently.

5. Extensive Sector Experience

We have worked in every conceivable sector and storing every product from medical records to muesli and from tyres to tank tops. If you are looking for more information on any of those featured on our website or if your specific area is not featured, just give us a call.

6. Unrivalled Guarantees for Total Confidence

We are so confident in the quality of our products and service that we offer some of the most comprehensive guarantees on the market. All our installations come with a full manufacturer’s guarantee and the backing of SEIRS accredited installers. We are the only company to offer a zero defect guarantee on all our installations which enables our clients to relax with the knowledge that the project will be handed over on time, on budget and to our superior standards of finish.

7. Uncompromising Approach To Health and Safety

Whether it’s record storage or dynamic storage, health and safety is our primary concern from our design solution through to our onsite activities. Our exemplary health and safety record is largely down to our extensive experience and our meticulous attention to detail as described in our onsite operations manual.

8. Quality Systems and Processes from Initial Order to Final Sign Off

To ensure we continue to deliver our awesome levels of service, we operate to strict internal processes and procedures that enable us to consistently deliver our world class service. An experienced project manager will take responsibility for ensuring the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the project, communicating with you at every step of the way.

9. Extensive Supplier Base for Innovative Solutions and Awesome Service

We have scoured the world to establish a supply chain unlike any other. It enables us to offer some of the most innovative solutions on the market incorporating superior products with unbeatable guarantees.

But our supply chain isn’t just about great products. We demand a service level from our suppliers that matches our values and beliefs so that we can deliver a speedy and responsive service. This responsiveness proves invaluable when trying to organise those all too often last minute changes to specifications or additional components to accommodate additional solutions.

10. Highly Satisfied Clients That Keep Coming Back

It’s a fact that 95% of our business comes from repeat business and word of mouth recommendation. It’s a figure we are incredibly proud of and one which we work extremely hard to protect.

That’s why we focus so much of our attention on providing our awesome customer service. And, as a result, we have established a fantastic portfolio of case studies and testimonials – a sample of which can be found on our website.

This is the Thistle Way and this is why we have such an impressive reputation in the market.

To discuss your project requirements or indeed to simply chat through your ideas call Alan Scott today on 01236 453888.

The client was horrified to find out that we had to de-rate the load of the entire run of racking because of an innocent action which had a major effect on the safety of the system.

But did you know that by raising the beam level of your racking system, you could be reducing your load capacity by as much as 80%?

Moving beam heights to accommodate new products or facilitate new storage configurations is common place in many warehouses up and down the country, however very few people are aware of the impact that even small changes can have on load capacities.

Consulting the design guidelines and it is clearly stated that a beam pitch of 600mm in standard medium duty system with multiple racking bays will offer a maximum frame load of 8618kg. Raise this beam pitch to 3750mm and the maximum load capacity is reduced to just 1760kg.

Clearly this is a fairly radical change in beam pitch but even when you raise the beam pitch from 600mm to 2400mm for example to facilitate a door way, the maximum load capacity is reduced to 4044kg – which is some 50%.

The problems are compounded when the lowest beams are removed completely and the operators expect to be able to store the same materials on the beam above.

The figures are staggering but it’s all down to the laws of physics and the impact that the load has on the upright.

The promotion of easy clip racking systems may be partly to blame for the problem however it is vital that every company consults with the original designer of the racking system to check the impact of any proposed change in configuration.

One solution is to ensure that effective racking signage is clearly displayed to show the maximum load levels of each racking bay, however these must be updated with every change.

So before you contemplate making what you believe to be a minor change to your racking system, a simple phone call to the original installer will ensure you protect yourself, your employees and the future of your company.

If you have already carried out minor changes, it is vital that you contact your supplier today to check on potential implications. If you are unsure about the original manufacturer or the installer is no longer in business, we also offer a free racking identification service.

Alternatively call us on 01236 453888 and we will be happy to discuss any issue or why not take advantage of our exclusive half price offer on Racking Inspections.

But as they say – capacity isn’t everything.

We were recently approached by a client who asked us to remove an electric mobile shelving system that held an impressive 3500 linear metres of record storage capacity and replace it with static shelving.

Why?

Because accessing the records via the mobile shelving system was just too slow and was causing major problems for the organisation as its key people were unable to get the information they required when they needed it.

Clearly the client had been sold on the huge amounts of records that could be stored by this monster of a mobile system – probably by someone who knew their own range of products inside out but had no idea of what was right for the client’s business and didn’t take into consideration any future growth.

When we analysed the system and carried out a full site survey, we found that despite the impressive storage capacity only 15% of the records could be accessed at any one time and, as is the nature of mobile systems, could not cope with more than one person accessing the system.

And as if that wasn’t enough of a hindrance, the mobile was having some reliability issues causing major accessibility issues and the cost of repairs was growing year on year.

Working closely with the records team and following a full survey of the available space, we designed, supplied and installed a static shelving solution that provided an impressive 2750 linear metres of storage with 100% accessibility.

This was achieved by designing a static shelving system which squeezes six shelves into the available height as opposed to the maximum of five featured in the mobile due to the space required for the tracks and electronic gearing.

Clearly every storage system has its lifespan however it is a sad truth that Thistle  are receiving more enquiries from clients who experiencing premature operational inefficiencies which are quite simply down to a badly designed storage system on the part of the previous supplier.

An effective storage solution has to achieve the fine balance between capacity and accessibility whilst always taking into consideration the future growth and the potential demands that will be placed on the system.

This is by no means an easy task and it can only be achieved by a project team that has the experience and works in conjunction with the client and the actual end users of the system.

However before you start ripping out your mobile shelving system, there are ways in which you can improve the accessibility of files in a mobile.  By splitting the runs of the mobile system with static bays, you can create multiple access points which can double or treble the accessibility levels however it is always at the expense of some level of capacity.

To discuss your storage requirements contact Thistle Systems now on 01236 453888 or visit www.thistlesystems.co.uk for more information.

As a company that aims to deliver ‘awesome customer service,’ Thistle focused all our efforts in ensuring that defects were kept to an absolute minimum. But that wasn’t enough. We believed that we should be able to hand over a job with zero defects.

This has required a complete change in thinking throughout the organisation and a retraining of our entire team from director level to the tradesmen on site.

We are now proud to be the first contractor in the UK to offer a zero defect guarantee on all our interior fit out projects.

But what does this guarantee mean to the end client?

We guarantee that when you accept hand over of the project, there will be absolutely no defects of any description.

We only use the very best of tradesmen and sub-contractors to ensure a superior finish on all our contracts, however all tradesmen (both our own and sub-contractors) receive intensive training to reinforce the zero defect guarantee.

Any tradesmen or specialist contractors that fail to achieve the standards are re-trained or re-deployed.

We believe that it is not the job of the end client or their appointed representative to identify defects in the unlikely event they happen.  Our project managers are trained to carry out the most ruthless and uncompromising pre-handover inspections to identify and rectify every possible defect prior to the client taking ownership of the finished contract.

Of course we understand that more and more projects are taking a more collaborative approach and we always welcome ongoing feedback on the quality and progress of ongoing works.

We also understand that on occasions a defect can appear after the handover takes place or a client identifies an area that does not meet their standards. When this happens we mobilise all available resources to rectify the problem immediately.

Now that is awesome service.

Placed in front of open shelves or incorporating our lockable slide opening doors into existing tambour cabinets, the surface mounted tracks can allow further units to be mounted conveniently in front and pushed effortlessly to access stored items behind.

With six heights of tambour cabinets available as standard and a superb choice of colours and finishes, the opportunity to increase your office storage capacity tastefully and cost effectively has never been so attractive.

Contact us now on 01236 453888 and find out just how easy and cost effective it can be

Let’s be honest we have all done it for items such as photo copiers, computers and office furniture where we thought we could survive with the cheapest option. Unfortunately whether it is through expensive consumables or inferior quality products that do not stand up to the rigours of work, the decision often comes back to haunt us.

But when it comes to items that can have potential health and safety dangers, such as racking, it is essential that we take into consideration the potential impact of problems caused by inferior products.

Second only to used racking systems which is inherent with potential quality issues, the major concerns in the racking sector surround the growing number of distributors who are offering racking that is imported from non EU countries.

These imported racking systems can provide a degree of cost savings at the outset however the problems arise when the client is looking for replacing parts, additional bays and safety accessories that either cannot be sourced or do not match their existing material.

But by far the greatest danger is that is overlooked by clients and in some cases the distributors, is that of Product Liability Insurance.

Product liability insurance is a key element in racking as it provides you, the client, with the peace of mind that if an accident occurs which can be traced back to a problem caused by the manufacturer, it will be their responsibility to finance any losses or claims awarded.

Manufacturers out with the EU do not have to provide product liability insurance which means that any indemnity is passed to the distributor of the system.

Unfortunately many distributors do not have the necessary insurance to protect their business and rather than bearing the financial cost of any claims held against them, will simply opt for voluntary insolvency.

So when you are considering your racking solution, it is vital that you ask your distributor to provide evidence of the product liability insurance as well as full details of the original manufacturer.

If you have any questions or are in any doubt as to the origins of your racking system, contact us today for a no obligation discussion.

As a result, our interiors team experienced a surge of enquiries from clients who recognised our expertise at maximising workspace whether is space planning for a new office or looking at ways in which existing offices could be reconfigured to make better use of the space.

Many were surprised at how little work was involved and how quickly they could capitalise on their underutilised space.

In one such project, our Interiors Project Manager, Paul Hayes, was asked by one of his former clients,  a business management consultancy practice with offices in Glasgow and London to explore the options for transforming three of their meeting rooms into an independent suite of offices.

With full details of the existing plans already on the system, Paul was able to quickly determine that the work involved to divide the space was fairly minimal and could be achieved by partitioning the open plan office space to create a new reception area.

The Thistle team also advised that a small change in floor heights from reception area to the existing offices meant that a plinth would need to be created to meet the DDA regulations and Building Regulations.

However the overall cost of the project could be offset by a few months rent and could also be achieved in such a manner that the area could be returned to its open plan design with minimal disruption.

When companies are looking at these kinds of projects, it can appear to be very straight forward however it pays to look at all the options available and ensure that you meet all of the legislative requirements in terms of DDA and Building Regulations. Our design and build experience means that we can provide you with the right advice to ensure your project always meets current guidelines.

A key issue consideration in any office development is the level of office storage required by the team and when it comes to consolidating office areas, this can prove to be a real challenge. However Thistle’s office fit outs team has a superb solution to ensure no compromises need to be made.

One of the methods we have used to great effect in many projects is the installation of a fully fitted storage wall to form the partition. The modern and flexible storage walls that are now available on the market can make a huge difference in maximising office areas without sacrificing valuable storage space.