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DISTRIBUTION
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Founded in 2000, ByBox started
a revolution in field services by
delivering parts and tools overnight
to a network of lockers for engineers
to pick up in the morning. Today, its
locker network comprises over 1,800
locations nationwide.
Managing Director Mark Garritt says
that ByBox’s network has significant
benefits for the printer industry.
“An outsider looking in might think
the set-up (in the printer channel) is
convoluted, with dealers and distributors
sitting between the OEMs and end
customers. But those on the inside – the
vendors, buyers and dealers – appreciate
the added benefits that this supply chain
provides, especially in instances where
OEMs have a centralised European
warehouse model,” he said.
For such a model to work – and for the
channel to provide the service levels end
users expect – Garritt says it is vital for
engineers and dealers to be able to source
the parts they need without delay.
“In today’s digitised world, providing
strong support services to keep equipment
up and running should be one of the
main priorities for all involved in the print
industry. After all, dealers need to ensure
that their service is up to scratch, not just
to keep those who buy from them happy,
but also to ensure good relationships with
their product providers. In order to do
this, the easiest method is to construct an
all-in-one engineering and delivery supply
chain,” he said.
This is just what ByBox makes possible.
Its technology runs throughout the entire
supply chain, from delivery planning through
to locker design, to ensure that stock and
replacement parts are distributed from
OEMs to customers as efficiently as possible.
“Typical distribution networks require
large amounts of warehousing on the part
of the OEM, covering all the parts that may
be required at one time, and also have
inefficient delivery systems to customers
and engineers, as parts are dropped off
one-by-one. Yet new technology is helping
to streamline this model. New software
that can locate a specific piece of inventory
in any part of the supply chain means that
OEMs no longer need to have such large-
scale storage operations,” Garritt explained.
Instead, parts and equipment can be
held either by the distributor or the OEM
and automatically routed through the
network to wherever they are required,
reducing turnaround times and negating
the need for large stockpiles.
Delivery has been improved, too, with
locker technology replacing the ‘classic’
model that requires engineers to drive to a
warehouse to pick up inventory and then
go direct to the recipient.
“Locker pick up points improve
efficiency by the simple virtue of location,”
said Garritt. “They are closer to the
engineers, thus reducing the time spent
travelling. They also provide set delivery
locations rather than a plethora of
individual drop-off points, reducing the
time and fuel used in getting parts to
engineers. These two simple factors allow a
dealer to sell to a wider area, as engineers
are less constrained by their pick-up and
drop-off locations, saving costs while also
opening up avenues for new business.”
As ByBox opens a new local distribution centre
in Coventry (see box), managing director Mark
Garritt explains how the company has brought
greater efficiency to the printer channel.
Revolutionising
the print channel,
one supply chain
at a time
Garritt says that such a multi-faceted
supply chain should be high on the list of
any dealer looking to develop its services
in today’s highly competitive environment.
“Digital requirements are only going
to increase, so dealers will naturally be
competing with each other to ensure
their service is the pick of the bunch. The
back room logistics behind the business
should be the first area to be looked
at, as developing and modernising this
can revolutionise the service provided,
helping to retain customers, build OEM
relationships and create a rock-solid
enterprise,” he said.
...it is vital
for engineers
and dealers
to be able to
source the
parts they
need without
delay.
ByBox opens
new Coventry
distribution
centre
ByBox has opened a new local
distribution centre in Coventry to
increase capacity and support the
company’s record growth over the
past six months.
The facility in Rowley Drive, Coventry
is being used as a local distribution
centre and maintenance hub, processing
deliveries and returns going through the
supply chain.
The Coventry site is in addition to
existing ByBox distribution centres in
Milton Keynes, Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow,
Haydock, Thetford, London, Newcastle
and Doncaster.
Mark Garritt, Managing Director, ByBox
