COVID-19 – update from LSi
Following the UK Governments guidelines, I wanted to take this opportunity to re-assure all our clients and suppliers that LSi will continue to operate in a COVID-secure way throughout the pandemic as we have done since June.
We have the luxury of being able to spread our staff over 3 buildings Braemar, Northfield and Print Works, which ensures social distancing can be achieved, as well as allowing them the opportunity to work effectively and safely within their respective teams or at home if necessary.
We appreciate this is an extremely difficult time for many of our suppliers, customers and friends and as a supplier of merchandise & clothing to the hospitality and events industry - we feel your pain as we have also been greatly affected by the pandemic. However having seen at close hand how the team at LSi have performed together over these past few months, I am confident that our British Grit and resolve will help us all through this difficult period and back to some normality very soon.
Staff
Back in June 2020 we conducted risk assessments across our 3 sites and made each one a COVID secure workplace with temperature checking, hand sanitising and mandatory face mask-wearing in all offices and warehouse. We also have the luxury of spreading our employees across the 3 sites so have reduced the number of people working in our offices and at a distance of more than 2m in most cases. Everything we do is in line with Government guidance. We have reduced the number of meetings between staff, reducing the amount of cross-contamination between the 3 sites to ensure continuity of the business.
Homeworking
Homeworking has been operational throughout the pandemic with all staff now been back in the office. Whilst our immediate consideration is the safety of all our staff, therefore we consulted with them recently in light of the lockdown announcement, and the majority of staff said they would prefer to work as normal for as long as possible. Homeworking will be made available should it be deemed necessary, but as a creative company, we feel the daily interaction and normality that office work brings, ensures our creative spark is not diminished and keeps all of us focussed.
Warehousing/Despatch/Print
Our warehousing operatives, print and despatch are based 2 miles away from our Head Office. There is limited face to face meetings between the sites. Sample prints will now be photographed and emailed to clients for approval.
New shift patterns are in place and print and engraving operations are separated to avoid long term personal contact with others. I thank all the production staff for their commitment and support shown at this challenging time.
Stocks
LSi is unique in that we are one of only a handful of Merchandise Distributors in the UK that holds a large stock of our own products – notebooks, gift boxes, powerbanks and general promotional items. We are not overly reliant upon external supplier networks. This allows LSi to provide merchandising solutions quickly and efficiently and for us to be able to react to unforeseen circumstances.
For example - following a recent cancelled event, one of LSi's clients asked us to send out their gifts directly to their delegate list. If you encounter a similar issue, please do not hesitate to speak to us, we offer fulfilment, storage and distribution services.
We do have large stocks of gift boxes that can be personalised with your client's details (GDPR compliant), we can also pack, and distribute your gifts directly to your clients through our new website www.eventgift.co.uk.
Online ordering
We have multiple standalone retail sites – www.personalisedpowerbank.co.uk, www.personalisednotebook.co.uk, www.personalisednotebook.co.uk and www.addapersonaltouch.co.uk where customers can design their own merchandise samples or buy as gifts, these will continue as normal until further notice.
Increased Hygiene
The whole of the LSi team have been following strict guidelines and additional sanitisation supplies have been supplied to all staff since early February. For the past week, all staff have had their temperature checked upon entering the building and each person was required to divulge any symptoms.
Meetings
We are now hosting customers and suppliers who wish to visit their sales rep and the LSi Promotional Office Showroom. Numerous safety measures are in place to ensure all parties stay safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This includes the use of face masks, hand sanitising regularly, 2 meter distancing and a negative home covid test.
Corporate Schemes
All corporate scheme clients should continue to place orders through the normal way and through the normal channels, despatches, for now, are unaffected out of LSi, however, we are being advised to allow more time by our shippers as their staff numbers will be affected due to lockdown restrictions. Should there be a need to close the warehouse and isolate staff, you will be notified immediately.
We have staff at Head Office that are trained and skilled in all areas of print and despatch and following a deep clean of the premises, would be able to step in and resume this service within 48hrs if required.
Restrictions of movement – the Government has not ruled this out, but should restrictions on the movement of cargo, as we have witnessed in other European Countries, take effect in the UK, then we will advise our position at that point.
I firmly believe the above points are well measured in response to the level of threat we currently face from the virus. But with the situation changing daily, our main priority is not to compromise the safety of our staff, customer or suppliers and appreciate your understanding of that fact.
We will continue to provide regular updates, but you can be assured of our best attention at all times.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Lloyd Simpson,
Managing Director
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