Ford Performs On Parts Distribution

The Ford Parts Distribution Centre at Daventry, Northants, has achieved a record ‘first-time order fill’ rate of 96.1 per cent for the year to date, an increase of 2.5 percentage points on 2001. This means that over 96 per cent of orders can be fulfilled immediately from existing stock.

"This is great news for Ford dealers, independent garages and motorists, as first-time fills help to ensure efficient workshop throughput as well as minimising vehicle downtime for private and fleet customers," said Simon Psaila, Director, Ford Customer Service Division.

The Parts Distribution Centre houses 100,000 different product lines, including parts for Ford vehicles up to 10 years after model run-out. The top 500 fastest-moving parts – a mere 0.5 per cent of all product lines – account for 25 per cent of the centre’s business, and the first-time order fill level for these highly popular parts is almost 98 per cent.

Strict criteria dictate that even if a part becomes available just a few hours after the order is received, the order is not counted as a first-time fill.

Andrew Blaber, manager with overall responsibility for the Parts Distribution Centre, said: "Benchmarking against other major manufacturers shows that we are among the industry leaders when it comes to first-time order fill. These are the best results in the centre’s 30-year history and we aim to perform even better in 2003 by achieving best-in-class levels."

Ford dealers order parts direct from the centre, while independent garages and bodyshops order through Parts Plus, Ford’s 160-strong national network of parts wholesalers for the independent motor trade. Parts that are vital for rush jobs can be ordered as late as 6pm, for delivery to Ford dealers and Parts Plus suppliers the next day before 10am.

Operating around the clock, five days a week, the centre employs 450 staff and uses state-of-the-art information systems, warehouse technology and logistics processes to ensure that orders are handled with speed and accuracy. Each day, 40,000 orders are despatched, comprising a quarter of a million parts. Of these, 75-80 per cent go to customers in the UK, while the remaining 20-25 per cent are shipped to continental Europe, the Far East, South America and Australia.

As a testament to its rigorous quality standards and energy efficiency, the Ford Parts Distribution Centre is fully accredited to the ISO 9000-2000 International Quality Standard and the ISO 14000 International Environmental Standard.