According to Anglia the new service aims to help SMEs compete more effectively against high volume manufacturers.
The new service, Anglia 80/20, is able to offer SME’s far more flexibility when it comes to managing their supply chain, and a level of service currently only available to large volume users through consignment/Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI).
Free to use, there is no start-up cost with the new service participating customers will receive an agreed level of inventory on their regularly used commodity components that are held on their site. With instant accessibility, the level of inventory is scaled according to the customer’s forecast demand, and is only invoiced as it is used. Customers will be able to track component usage in real time through an intuitive web-based dashboard, without the need for manually updated usage reports. Inventory can be replenished daily, weekly or monthly with monthly consolidated invoicing if required.
In addition this simplified process is further complemented by a ‘single scan’ booking in system allowing users to book in a delivery containing multiple parts quickly and error free.
According to Steve Rawlins, CEO of Anglia, “Anglia 80/20 gives our customers zero lead-time, zero up-front cost and zero management cost. Using this new service, they will be able to grow quickly and scale rapidly to exploit demand spikes with an instantly accessible stock of commodity components on site without the need to commit valuable cash up-front. We manage the customer’s stock of commodity parts, reducing errors and streamlining the supply chain, reducing excess inventory and associated costs.”
The Anglia 80/20 web based management dashboard has been designed to help customers track stock and manage inventory in the light of changing demand patterns. High or low usage, leading to potential understock or overstock situations are flagged up using an intuitive colour coded system. An amber icon shows the customer that stock levels need to be reviewed and a red icon shows a potentially critical situation requiring immediate attention.
“Anglia 80/20 goes beyond VMI," said David Pearson, Technical Director of Anglia. "We track consumption and determine quantities and times of replenishment to make sure that customers’ production lines run smoothly, eliminating line stops and delivery returns. This is all supported with buffer inventories held in our UK warehouse and supplier pipeline. Customers get peace of mind, knowing that the components they need will be delivered at the right time in the right amount, to ensure that production keeps rolling without excess inventory.”
Features to support customers in managing their supply chain include an auditing and stock take mode, allowing customers to periodically verify the inventory held on their site. This information is then transmitted directly back to Anglia eliminating the need for onsite stock audits required with a traditional VMI system. A management-reporting dashboard is provided that can be customised to provide the information and reports required by each individual customer.
Anglia 80/20 offers full transparency across all aspects of inventory usage, down to individual part number level with full lot traceability. It also includes an audit trail of all user activity on each part.
Multi-currency, Anglia 80/20 covers all of the commodity passive, electromechanical, connector and semiconductor components on Anglia’s 800,000 strong component line card. Customers are issued with a free starter pack including a wireless 2D scanner and barcoded user cards for security, which allow selective authority levels and auditable user information.
