Chris joined Forward Solutions in March 2022 and has over 30 years of experience in the freight industry.

He started his career at MAT Transport working as an Export Clerk/Supervisor. During his time here, Chris became the company’s Forward Office ‘super user’.

After a 17-year stint at the business, he became an IT Manager at International Forwarding, where he specialised in network and software support.

Chris was eager for a new challenge and wanted to secure a role that was local to his home in Nottingham, which led him to join Forward Solutions as a Customer Success Manager.

His main priorities consist of helping his customer portfolio get the best out of the products, by taking on feedback and optimising their experience. By doing this, he helps to improve the capabilities of the system.

Chris said:

“The freight sector is something I have an extensive amount of experience in, and I am glad I can bring that knowledge to the team at Forward Solutions.

“I enjoy my time here and the different teams work so well together – it’s a perfect dynamic. With the roll-out of exciting software this year, such as Forward Vision, I’m looking forward to seeing what else we can help provide our clients with in 2024.”

In the future, Chris wants to continue helping the team service its existing client base, while also playing an integral role in supporting the company’s growth.

Outside of work, Chris keeps himself very busy: he is a fencing coach in Nottingham, alongside being a touch rugby referee. He is also involved in community allotment projects and enjoys hiking around the countryside.

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Kevin joined Forward Computers in 1998 and has over 25 years of experience in the freight industry under his belt. 

His first introduction to Forward Solutions was when he worked as a Technical Director at Ecotrans Ltd in 1986. The transport and logistics service were one of the first customers of Forward Office, with Kevin becoming hugely familiar with the capabilities of the software during his 12-year stint at the business. 

In March 1988, Kevin was eager for a new challenge. After his experience with the system at Forward, he applied for a position at the company and took on the role of Project and Implementation Manager. In this role, he was provided with his own set of clients to look after. His skillset is focused mostly on Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and he created documents for the external and internal use of EDI for a selection of customers. 

After progressing into an Integration Specialist role, he has recently transitioned into a training-focused position alongside Nigel Smith, with the pair looking to share over five decades of their combined knowledge.  

Although he will be helping the internal team and customers with different modules of the system, he will be specifically positioned to ensure that his knowledge of EDI is passed on to them.  

Kevin added: 

“As I have been at Forward for over 25 years, I have seen massive changes in the way the business operates. I used to deal with a lot of face-to-face communication with customers and the internal team, but now I will be hosting training sessions, both online and in-person.  

“I am eager to share my knowledge with our people, especially when it comes down to EDI. The staff at Forward always need to have lots of knowledge of all the systems, but It’s great to be an expert in an area as specific as EDI. It means I can give confidence to the next generation of our staff who are coming through, and we, as a business, will retain this information.” 

Outside of work, Kevin is a huge music fan and aims to attend up to 50 gigs each year! His favourite song is Sweet Little Mystery by John Martin. He is also into lots of sports and is a supporter of Manchester City FC.  

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Nigel, who hails from Maidstone, Kent, joined Forward Computers (as the company was then known) in 1996, before it rebranded in 2021 as Forward Solutions. He primarily looked after Forward’s Southern client base, before he recently transitioned into his new training role.

Before joining Forward Solutions, Nigel worked across numerous firms within the freight sector. He began his career after having various clerical positions at Overseas Containers Ltd, before joining P&O Containers Ltd in 1987, where he progressed to the position of Operations Supervisor.

It was at Oceanlink Ltd, whom he joined in 1990, which led him to discover a new career opportunity. Oceanlink was an existing customer of Forward Computers, and Nigel’s interest in the company was piqued.

He quickly became interested in how the software worked at Forward Solutions, as he worked so closely with it, and as a result an opportunity to join the business as a Project Manager in 1996 became available.

In this new role, he focused on applying the various systems Forward work with to customers across the UK and Europe. He went on to add many other roles and responsibilities in his time at Forward and is about to enter the next stage of his career.

After over 27 years at the company, Nigel is now transitioning into a training role providing training for customers and helping with recruitment and inductions.

Nigel added:

“After being in the industry for over three decades, I’ve seen a huge change in the sector. I’ve always had the mindset to move with the times and it’s so important to be open to new ideas and challenges – I even worked from home before it was fashionable! You must always be adaptive and forward-thinking, and that’s why we are constantly pushing our products forward.

“I am excited to share my experience and knowledge accrued over the years with the team at Forward Solutions, while also recruiting the next generation of IT specialists.”

In his spare time, Nigel likes to spend time with his grandchildren and is a big fan of sports, regularly watching F1, football, cricket and rugby. He has also taken on the mission of carrying out DIY tasks around the house!

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Tony, who hails from Little Eaton in Derbyshire, returned to Forward Solutions in November 2022 and has over 35 years of industry experience under his belt.

He started his IT career as a developer at Evets Computers Limited.

After several years, he joined Forward Solutions which led to five years with the business, until he ventured out to explore other pathways. Tony left to become self-employed, starting his own business in 2004, known as ‘Tec IT’ and for the next 20 years built a skilled team.

Tony worked with a range of huge customers, such as ITV and Manchester City F.C. providing business intelligence and reporting, data migration, global web and mobile application support, as well as financial statistics analysis.

After hearing that Forward Solutions were recruiting, in the post-pandemic landscape, Tony decided to re-join the business as a Development Manager. Tony works on co-ordinating his expanding team to develop the company’s products and push them forward, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the industry. He is currently involved with a web interface project and is eager to work with his team to progress it further.

Tony added:

“One of my favourite parts about working at Forward Solutions is that we are always pushing the boundaries and looking to utilise new technology.

“Forward has been around for a number of years, and our customers want us to continue to provide our services for many years to come, which therefore means we must ensure our technology remains at the forefront of modern industry standards.”

Tony has a love of football and enjoys following Derby County F.C. while also being a regular supporter of Holbrook Sports Football Club, a team that his son manages in the Central Midlands South Premier League.  He also has a passion for cars and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

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Tom Donnelly becomes Manager of Operations, which will see him play a crucial role in driving the company’s strategic initiatives and advancing its work in providing the freight industry with cutting-edge technology. Tony Eley has also re-joined Forward Solutions, as Development Manager, bringing with him many years of industry experience from across the sector.

Tom has been at Forward Solutions for over 19 years, and has worked his way through the ranks at the Nottingham-headquartered firm. His time at Forward Solutions has seen him work as both a Software Support Engineer and Product Specialist, making him perfectly placed to help oversee the strategy for the business.

Tom said: “I’m delighted to have been made Manager of Operations at Forward Solutions. It has been a great journey for me at the company. It’s a fun prospect to be managing more of our fantastic team.

“We want to continue improving our team and ensure we are working together as effectively and efficiently as possible. Through working with Tony, we will ensure that we are on-track with projects and helping customers continue to improve their own services.”

Tony re-joins Forward with over 30 years of experience, having provided services for organisations such as ITV and Manchester City FC. Tony had previously worked for Forward under its previous guise, Forward Computers, as a Senior Developer.

Tony said: “It feels fantastic to be back at Forward House after 18 years away! It has been great to meet the new members of the team, as well as those who’ve remained here.

“I’m excited to get going in my new role and take a wider overview of the company, which will be critical to our delivery moving forward.”

Richard Litchfield, Forward Solutions’ Managing Director, added: “Tom and Tony are the future management team of Forward Solutions, and I have great confidence in both of them to do a fantastic job in their new positions.

“For Tom, this promotion is well deserved, he is a critical part of the makeup of our team here at Forward, and we can’t wait to see him grow further professionally. We welcome Tony back, some 18 years after his previous stint with us, his impact upon our team has been fantastic already and he will be key to the growth of the company.

“For us, these moves are about consolidating our high levels of customer service and delivering of our products, which truly do make a difference to our customers. Tom and Tony will help ensure that the Forward Solutions customer experience is as smooth as possible, which is what enables us to stand out, in a hugely competitive market.”

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Scott, who is from Belvedere in Southeast London, has worked extensively in the IT sector over the last decade, providing him with a huge amount of industry experience, before he joined the team in April 2022.

Scott kick started his career after signing up for an apprenticeship scheme with a London charity called Skills for Growth, which landed him a job with their partner at the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment. Here, he started as a 1^st Line Support Technician, where he developed a passion for IT Support and gained essential business skills.

After three years of expanding his IT knowledge, the opportunity arose to become an IT Technician at leading logistics firm Europa Worldwide Group, which turned into an eight-year career. Scott rose through the ranks, eventually becoming IT Support Manager.

His focus consisted of not only tech support but supporting the businesses’ own internal software development.

Scott was then offered the position of Customer Success Manager at Forward Solutions, which was the starting point for the latest stop on his career journey.

Within his role at Forward Solutions, Scott’s main priority is engaging with customers and developing an understanding of the support they require. He will resolve their queries, enhance products on behalf of them, and be the reliable communication line between customers, the internal support and software development team.

Scott added:

“I have been working at Forward Solutions for over a year now, and I enjoy the fact that no two days here are ever the same.

“Our software platform is so advanced and intricate, that you are always working on a new part of the system, which is especially true for someone like me who is fairly new to the business. Still to this day, I am working on things that I have never seen before, which I find interesting as it keeps the role fresh.”

Richard Litchfield, Managing Director at Forward Solutions added: “Scott is a highly valued member of Forward Solutions and it is great to have someone of his calibre on the team.

“Having previously worked with him at Europa, I was well aware of his experience and capability to help our business thrive – and he has certainly helped us develop since joining us last year.”

In the future, Scott wishes to simplify and automate processes across the business. Coming from a large enterprise background, he is eager to use these ideologies and integrate them further into Forward Solutions. So far, he has worked with the accounts team to make the expenses process simpler, as well as overhauling the rollout procedure at the business for new customer integrations.

Outside of work, Scott enjoys fishing and playing video games, as well as socialising with friends and family.

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Dan joined the team in August 2022 at our Nottingham headquarters and comes with a rich background of IT sector experience.

After completing his A-Levels, Dan originally planned to head off to university to secure a degree, although these plans swiftly changed after he got in touch with a careers advisor.

Instead, he pursued an IT apprenticeship at his old high school, which gave him industry standard qualifications to help him excel further in his career. From there, Dan became a 2^nd Line IT Engineer at Pall-Ex, a recognised leader in palletised freight distribution, until a career diversion later down the line saw him become a Project Manager at Task Corporation, specialists in bespoke manufacturing of joinery fabrications.

This role provided Dan with skills in managing projects which diversified his portfolio, before he returned to his roots and continued pursuing his passion for IT, gaining a further 6 years’ experience as an IT engineer at two different organisations.

Now working at Forward Solutions, Dan’s role is focused on working closely with Forward Office, our freight management system which is made up of eight different modules which all provide a unique function.

His team works from a technical end, providing the infrastructure and platforms that allow applications to function optimally and effectively, by supporting the rest of our applications, including the physical and virtual hardware.

The main responsibilities within his role consist of designing and maintaining system architecture, monitoring the performance of servers and network devices, utilising Red Hat Linux and Windows environments to provide the platform with software to run on, proving consultancy and technical support for their customers.

Dan added:

“When I joined the team, I felt a strong sense of belonging, which allowed me to settle in quickly. The work environment is great, and I have found myself challenged in all the right ways, enabling me to grow both personally and professionally. The team are highly collaborative, fostering a growing sense of camaraderie, that is enhancing our collective productivity.

“One aspect that particularly stands out is how Forward leverage my existing skillsets, while also providing opportunities to acquire new skills by providing the training I need, which has equipped me with the tools and knowledge I require to execute my role efficiently and contribute significantly to the company’s success.”

In the future, Dan wants to develop his skillset at Forward Solutions to enable him to move into a more senior role, with further ambitions to become a Consultant/Architect in the industry at some point.

Outside of work, Dan keeps busy by focusing on his goals by keeping active in the gym, hiking, playing golf and basketball as well as pursuing other interests like improving his ability to play acoustic guitar, attending gigs and music festivals when they are in season.

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The leading technology provider (previously known as Forward Computers) has launched Forward Vision – a web-based portal allowing customers of Forward Office users to manage their entire supply chain, from purchase order to delivery.

Forward Solutions is one of the foremost suppliers of software to the multimodal sector, providing specialist IT systems for leading players across air freight, sea freight, road freight and rail freight.

The Forward team is led by logistics specialists with technology expertise, so understand the operational challenges faced by freight operators. Therefore, extending into the wider supply chain was a natural progression.  The new product was developed in partnership with Ceedbox Ltd and is a highly intuitive digital supply chain platform that provides real time control and processing of transactions, offering complete end-to-end visibility.

The creation of the new product means that for the first time Forward Solutions’ operators will be able to offer their own customer true visibility within their own supply chain.  The system offers dashboards and detailed reports that will monitor required KPIs and ultimately offer greater ability to meet delivery targets and more transparent communication, reducing errors.

Forward Solutions’ Managing Director Richard Litchfield comments “Following the huge pressures caused by the Covid pandemic there has been a massive growth in the need for more effective supply chain management.  Goods need to be successfully managed, stored and dispatched. Efficient and effective management of all these business functions is critical for any successful freight operator today.”

This new highly intuitive front end solution Forward Vision meets the rapidly growing need for digital platforms that can provide fast and UpToDate management information, providing instant access to all elements of the client’s supply chain.  Forward Vision’s insights means that customers can track, analyse, and provide real time data.

Richard added “The last 18 months has driven the need and expectation for highly powered data so that freight operators can offer the best service for their customers.  This is the first time we’ve been able to provide a total end-to-end supply chain management from purchase order to delivery on one platform.  The new product is highly intuitive, ensuring training is minimal. Those who have seen the solution are already beginning to roll it out to their own customers.”

This is the latest ambitious step from the firm who recently announced half a million-pound investment in redeveloping and reengineering its product portfolio. Forward Solutions is developing an additional User Interface (UI) to utilise the existing feature rich solution which will be rolled out in 2022.

Forward is one of the longest established freight software development companies, providing end-to-end solutions for a wide range of operators in the UK, Europe, Asia and the US.

Forward Solutions is also revamping the presentation of its Forward Office software to a suite of eight products designed to meet different customer needs.  Packages now start from a Forward Core – essential services package with additions such as integrated customs clearance, mobile apps and API integration.

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