The Knowledge Centre and Webshop Open Day - Testimonials

Knowledge Centre and Webshop Open Days

This is a unique opportunity and an open invitation to visit The Knowledge Centre at the Institute's main offices. Learn about all the information resources that are available to help you in your work and study.

Open to both members and non-members, this event will provide an insight into how The Knowledge Centre and the Webshop can help you save time and money when sourcing information.

Presentations for the day will focus on:

• Online Library Catalogue
• Business Intelligence Service
• World Newspapers Today
• Newsdesk
• Corporate Business Review
• Legal and Compliance Service
• Carbon Active

Speakers:

Peter Huggins - Knowledge Centre Manager

Lynn Mentiply - Webshop and Knowledge Centre Senior Executive

Carbon Active Speakers:

Vincent Reulet and Heinrich Van Der Westhuizen

Visitor Testimonials

When I first joined the CILT, I assumed the knowledge centre was 'just a library' for people to use whilst doing their professional qualifications. How wrong could I have been. On a tour of the centre arranged by one of the forums, I learned about the wealth of services on offer and have been a regular customer of information services ever since.

For business development, I am always after more company background information on prospects. The MINT database is an invaluable tool for which CILT has a corporate licence and any member can access it via the knowledge centre. I just send Lynn an email with a request for a particular company and she has e-mailed the report usually within an hour. The reports contain the accounts, names of directors, subsidiaries etc which is invaluable information.  I can also search online for particular articles on subjects if I need to send companies any further information on a particular topic, and all for free.

Additionally to the content, I have been most impressed with the high level of customer service attitude by all of the staff in the knowledge centre. All members are treated as customers, and nothing is too much trouble. A lot of organisations could learn from their attitude to achieve best practice in customer service. I can only compare it to going to a really high quality restaurant where the level of service is so good that you hardly notice they are there. It is definitely not "just a library", but a little goldmine of high quality content and information service.

Cathy Humphreys, UK country manager, INFORM Advanced Planning software.

The CILT Knowledge Centre provides tremendous benefits for researching & developing new markets for all service and equipment providers in the Transport & Logistics industry.

I have used the Knowledge Centre for many years to research new markets for Supply Chain Technology specialist, ATMS Plc, and Materials Handling Equipment provider AMH Group.   There is a huge amount of up-to-date information readily available online, which can be accessed quickly, and the Knowledge Centre team is always available to assist with more complex and challenging searches.

I have found Mint and Datamonitor to be very useful in generating and qualifying leads across a wide range of sectors.  The Business Intelligence Service database is a very comprehensive resource, providing access to a huge range of articles, journals and information sources on all areas of Transport & Logistics.  I recently found this very useful in locating information on freight market trends, regional airports, locations and major players in developing European markets.  Today many companies are looking towards exports and international partnerships and the Business Intelligence Service database is a great starting point to gather background information on overseas markets.

The Business Intelligence Service also provides the facility to set up a personal account so that one can save searches and set up search alerts for the future, tailored specifically to your organisation's information requirements, which are sent to your own folder on an ongoing basis. A very effective, convenient and time-saving information system can be set up.  The Knowledge Centre team are always very helpful over the phone or when visiting Corby.

Guy Rogers

The CILT UK Knowledge Centre has been an invaluable aid for me in my current role as consultant and trainer.

When I was asked to produce a Warehouse Management course for CILT my first port of call was the Knowledge Centre to gather as much information as possible from books and periodicals. I was able to access the information on line which was very convenient and I was also able to have the books delivered to my place of work.

I've recently been commissioned by Kogan Page to write a book on Warehouse Management and again the Knowledge Centre team has been able to assist with my research and update me on current, relevant literature.

With regard to my consultancy work, I have undertaken a number of benchmarking projects recently and the Knowledge Centre has again been able to provide me with background data for the specific market sectors in which I have been working. Research can be very time consuming and I find that being able to call upon the assistance of the Knowledge Centre team can significantly reduce my workload.

I also know from first-hand experience that other CILT members have contacted the team with logistics related queries and they have been put in touch with relevant members who can assist them.

Gwynne Richards, Apprise Consulting Ltd

I recently commenced a major research project for a potential sector entry strategy. The information requirements were onerous, particularly given the complexity of the sector and number of players involved. I sent my request to the team at the knowledge centre and within hours reports were dropping in to my inbox. To describe the service in the parlance of our industry, Exceeding expectations, responsive, agile and on time in full

Joe Fogg, GM Business Development, Norbert Dentressangle Logistics UK

The Knowledge Centre has been excellent. I am in the process of setting up my own  business and I needed help with information about my target market. I recently attended an IOM course. During the lunch break I just happened to mention this to the course tutor, Dr Tony Wild, and he said that I should use the Knowledge Centre because the databases were great. I did went to the Knowledge Centre to ask for a demonstration and Tony was right the databases are great! For example you can get access to most of the UK newspapers on line everyday. Just think about it, how much would this cost you on a daily basis if you were going to finance this from you own resources? This is available for the price of the membership fee. In addition you also have access to company and industry information produced by Datamonitor, the market research company. This means that when speaking to clients  you will be able to sound knowledgeable about the clients business and industry.  In a work environment this research could make presentations more interesting because it would be up to date and relevant. Also, it can be an invaluable tool if you are job hunting. I am a fan of the Knowledge Centre and I recommend it to all members. Everyone should use its services.

Keith Edwards

The Knowledge Centre is one of my key CILT membership benefits, along with networking opportunities at Institute events. I help corporate clients turn business strategy into reality, and it's an invaluable source of background information for projects, for researching potential clients and updating myself.

Its three elements are the Corby "library", the website Knowledge Bank and the staff. Not just books and journals, the library also gives access to additional web-based services - but it's the staff who bring these resources to life and I can't recommend them highly enough.

Discover what's available at one of the open days. They really know what they've got in their treasure trove, and a call or email quickly establishes whether a visit is worthwhile - it invariably is. If you're a regular visitor, they'll actively flag up a recently sourced report or an update in your field, and they've a huge list of relevant websites - when they find something a member might find useful, they save it or print it out.

I've sometimes kicked myself after realising that the Knowledge Centre should have been my starting point, and when other consultants ring or email me with questions I often point them to the service that, as members, they've already paid for!

Kirsten Tisdale, Aricia Limited

It is not just a library, but much more; a depository of information networks which the staff know intimately well and are able to confidently guide you through quickly and effectively.

The knowledge centre has proved to be vital ground in the development of my career; an overall invaluable resource supporting my professional studies. The greatest value add being the way in which the centre is personality driven by Peter and his team, who have gone out of their way to support my often demanding and "lastminute.com" requests! 

The range of literature whether journals, books, lecture notes or information held online have provided me with a significant capability support during many of the projects I have been working on home and abroad.  The flexible nature of the centre has allowed me to study across the globe, during operations, and has even seen Lynn scan articles for subsequent email to Cyprus and Iraq in support of projects and posting books to the Falkland Islands for my degree studies!  Often I have found the centre will even buy literature in to meet a capability shortfall.

I have found the new online resource extremely useful when dis-located from the UK, in particular the global newspapers which I have used in a more diverse manner when analysing international events as part of my work.  I can't commend the knowledge centre enough to the members; it really is a terrific resource and has made both my work and studying so much easier. I would like to thank the centre for everything over the years; the centre really is why I renew my membership each year!!

Richard Clarke

A suspect like many long standing a members of the CILT we have read our Focus magazine, attended the odd event and occasionally used the knowledge Bank's on-line service and taken for granted the obvious benefits of being able to show you are a member of a respected logistical institute.

That was until a few weeks back...................

I was preparing to do a piece of research on new business prospects and was faced with the usual long haul via Google or paying extravagant charges to a research house.

By good fortune, I came into contact with Peter Huggins and his team down in the Corby office and with the very capable Lynn Mentiply and Nichola Keane they produced the backbone of my research using the member resources, which up until that time I was completely unaware of.

The quality speed and accuracy of the work was astounding and resulted in several requests for further work all completed within hours of the request.

This prompted my first visit to the Corby office and was driven by two objectives;

• To understand the mechanics and what other "gems" were available
• To understand how I may become more self sufficient as it was clear this facility and access was becoming a powerful tool in the armoury.

The centre is very well run, the staff accommodating and always-on hand to help.

I strongly urge any member to take advantage of the open days, make contact with the team and as I and my company have done take advantage of this very special member service.

Roy Herley

We are a sales and marketing organisation that supply solutions to warehousing and production.

I have been a member of CILT for around 4 years and over the last two have discovered the Knowledge Centre.

I don't go there for books rather I go there for databases for sales and marketing purposes.

Essentially The Knowledge Centre holds the MINT Database which is a Database for all companies in the UK.

Therefore when I am going to do a campaign to target say Automotive in a certain area or nationally then I ask the team at the knowledge centre to get me the specific database.

Within a maximum of 2 hours or so the data comes back. The team at The Knowledge Centre are extremely helpful and know the database backwards.

They have certainly helped my organisation gain new business.

Tim Roberts, Director, Ark Trading Online

When are the next open days? 

When:		19th Jan 2012 - Booking Form 19th April 2012 - Booking Form 19th July 2012 - Booking Form 18th Oct 2012 - Booking Form
Time:		10:00 (for 10:15) and 13:15 (for 13:30)
Where:		CILT(UK), Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, Northants, NN17 4AX
Speaker:		Peter Huggins, Knowledge Centre Manager, CILT(UK)

  

Short information presentations over the morning will show you how to use the online resources and you will also have the opportunity to purchase books at discounted prices on the day.

This event is FREE OF CHARGE, and light refreshments will be available throughout the day.


This event is free of charge, however you must pre-book your place.  Bookings to be made via Membership Services, tel: +44 (0) 1536 740104 or email: membership@ciltuk.org.uk.