|
|
|
Acco
Pan-European office equipment supply chain planning
Acco UK Limited, a subsidiary of Acco World, is the UK’s largest manufacturer and distributor of office products, business machines and fine art products. From office furniture to business machines, computer accessories to stapling and punching equipment, document management tools to presentation and planning supplies, Acco leads the way with quality products that reliably help keep the wheels of commerce turning.
Davies & Robson was asked to review Acco Europe’s European logistics infrastructure to establish whether there was a more appropriate design for mainland Europe than was currently employed. Product is manufactured at several sites in the EU, Eastern Europe and the Far East with Acco distribution warehouses in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Ireland serving their own markets and providing distribution support to sales operations in Benelux, Poland and Sweden.
In order to evaluate different options, Davies & Robson prepared a detailed supply chain model that determined the logistics cost of all products within a single order for all customers. The model incorporated the actual transport, administrative and warehousing costs incurred by Acco in receiving, picking and delivering each individual product. In addition to evaluating the costs of different infrastructure solutions, the model has enabled Acco to evaluate the financial effects of changing manufacturing source points and identifying the true logistics costs of individual products, product ranges, customers and customer groups. The model is now being used to assist with logistics and commercial planning on a Pan European basis.
Graham Warren, Acco’s Financial Director said “Acco Europe's company, customer and product structures are complex with over 7000 products being distributed throughout Europe and exported to many other countries. We needed to review our complete distribution infrastructure across Europe with the objective of reducing our supply chain costs while still maintaining customer service levels. Davies & Robson successfully modelled the existing supply chain infrastructure and made various recommendations for improvements, their honest and frank approach to the project prompted us to think "outside of the box" and review other areas of our business. We continue to work with Davies & Robson in order to look at customer and product profitability taking into account supply chain costs in order to gain a better understanding of our distribution and business strategy.”
www.acco.co.uk
|