TVS Supply Chain Solutions has donated 70 modern PCs to the Computers 4 Africa charity, to be used in schools, colleges and selected community projects throughout the African continent.
The Kent-based charity receives working computers through collections and local donations from around the UK where each computer is data-wiped and re-purposed, before being sent for use in Africa.
Jonathan Rothwell, IT Director for TVS said: “Computers 4 Africa do amazing work in some of the poorest regions of Africa, providing millions of children with access to modern IT equipment which helps to revolutionise schools. We are very privileged to support such a worthwhile charity and we look forward to seeing the case studies of how our computers are being used to help improve the education and life opportunities of youngsters in some of the poorest parts of the world.”
Computers 4 Africa is celebrating its tenth anniversary having refurbished and delivered more than 1.45 million computers to 23 African countries.
Sharon Roberts, Head of Marketing at Computers for Africa, said: “We are very thankful for the donation received from TVS Supply Chain Solutions. It’s acts of generosity like this that enables us to help the next African generation by providing modern IT equipment to children who otherwise would never get to use a computer throughout their school years.”
TVS Supply Chain Solutions continues to demonstrate its full commitment to supporting the Defence sector by signing The Armed Forces Corporate Covenant.
This covenant provides a mechanism for TVS to officially sign up and pledge to behaving responsibly and transparently across all Defence contracts.
As part of the covenant, TVS recognise the value that Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to their business and country.
TVS also believe that those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.
The corporate covenant includes a host of commitments which will encourage organisations to offer support in ways most appropriate to their situation and capacity; from participating in Armed Forces Day through to providing recruitment opportunities for ex-service personnel.
Irene Ainscough, Defence Director at TVS Supply Chain Solutions, said: “We have a strong relationship with the UK’s Armed Forces through our contracts with the Defence Support Group and the signing of this covenant shows our commitment to providing job security and continuity of service for all colleagues, including ex-military personnel.
“We recognise the value individuals associated with the armed forces can provide to our business. Their sense of discipline, their skillsets and professionalism only help to enhance our operational performance and customer satisfaction.”
TVS currently manages a number of contracts with the Defence Support Group, including the provision of heavy armour spares, field kitchen and general support consumable spare parts. The company has dedicated defence facilities in Bicester and North Luffenham, which manage over £10 million of inventory, covering a range of 130,000 NATO Stock Numbers.
MOD Award New Contract – LCS(T)
The Ministry of Defence has just announced Team Leidos as Preferred Bidder for the transformation of the UK’s Logistics and Commodities Services (LCS). Team Leidos is led by Leidos (the prime contractor) and supported by key partners, TVS Supply Chain Solutions (procurement provider) and Kuehne + Nagel (storage and distribution provider).
CEO for TVS SCS, Andrew Jones said: “We are very pleased and proud to be part of this high profile, state of the art public outsourcing of LCS and look forward to working with Team Leidos and LCS colleagues to transform the organisation into a streamlined, end to end commodity support chain delivering excellent service to the UK armed forces.”
The need for businesses to be able to not only outsource the management of their supply chain but also the development of their entire supply chain strategy continues to grow. Martin Warington, Business Development Director from TVS Supply Chain Solutions describes what is required to be viewed as a true fourth-party logistics (4PL) provider.
TVS SCS Offers Support to National Charity
TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS) has donated a brand new top-of-the-range Hitachi television to the BLESMA charity, as part of the company’s continued support to the MoD and its servicemen and women.
The television formed part of the supply chain specialist’s exhibition stand at last year’s Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) event, home to the UK’s biggest demonstration of armoured vehicles and Land Environment equipment.
Visitors to DVD included a range of military personnel such as DE&S, Army Headquarters, Defence Academy, training schools, Joint Headquarters and other key front line commands. The event provided a platform for industry to hear first-hand from military personnel who have been deployed on operations, and better understand the equipment used by the British Army.
TVS SCS has supported BLESMA for many years raising hundreds of pounds by encouraging DVD visitors to make donations to this worthwhile cause. This year they decided to give the TV to BLESMA so that it can be immediately enjoyed by ex-service personnel as part of their rehabilitation.
Brian Hewer, Business Development and Account Manager at TVS SCS, said: “We have a longstanding relationship with BLESMA who not only provide great support to injured servicemen and women, but also their families and dependants. We are proud to support such a worthwhile charity and we hope this small gesture will be enjoyed by those going through their rehabilitation.”
BLESMA is a national charity that directly supports service men and women who have lost limbs, the use of limbs or experienced other debilitating health issues.
Ian Walker, Operational Director at BLESMA, said: “As a charity, we heavily rely on the generosity of companies like TVS Supply Chain Solutions to help provide the necessary care for our servicemen and women and we are very grateful for their donation which we know will make a positive difference to the people we support.”
TVS helps Isuzu UK win Gold Award
TVS are delighted to hear that Isuzu Trucks UK have been awarded the ‘Aftersales Distributor of the Year – Gold Award for 2014′ by their HQ in Japan. The award was presented to the Head of Isuzu UK Aftersales at a Conference in Budapest. This prestigious accolade recognises outstanding levels of service achievement and compares the performance of the UK operation with 17 other European facilities. The business aspects, assessed by Isuzu Japan, included:
Stock Control Management and Parts Availability
Marketing and Market Intelligence
Warranty Processing
Technical Support
Dealer Standards
The UK operation scored the highest of all 17 European teams at 92/100. Having held the Silver award for the last 2 years, the Isuzu UK Team were understandably delighted to have reached the top this year. Isuzu UK sent a note to TVS praising us for our efforts in helping achieve this accolade, saying ‘The TVS Team need to be included in the congratulations. You’re seen as an extension of the Aftersales Department at Isuzu Truck UK, so many thanks and well done to the team at TVS’
TVS Feature in British Army Journal
TVS have recently featured in the Versatile by Design section of the British Army Journal 2014-2015. This section of the annual publication focused on ensuring that our military is to be able to respond promptly and effectively to any threats to our national security. TVS demonstrated capabilities in providing the MOD with a range of bespoke services which are design to meet operational front-line requirements.
Unraveling the ‘Slow moving’ mystery
Slow moving and intermittent demand items present unique forecasting difficulties for companies. Mark Watson, Supply Chain and Operations Director at TVS Supply Chain Solutions, argues it is not an impossible job and, if perfected, can deliver significant benefits to an organisation.
Finding a solution to the challenge of deciding what stock to hold for slow moving and intermittent demand items is often regarded as the Holy Grail of supply chain management as companies try to find the balance between service delivery and cash flow.
The slow moving or intermittent demand item often has no discernible usage pattern yet, when combined, they often form a large part of the product range that companies utilise on a day-to-day basis. Typically decision makers around inventory holding may take the safe option, which sees them stock one of everything “just in case”.
The downsides to this approach are clear. Often the slow moving item is large and expensive, such as a generator or a gearbox; it has a long lead time, takes up considerable space in a warehousing facility and ties up large amounts of working capital.
Faced with this problem the logical approach is to turn to the world of information technology to help, seeking support from an off the shelf software package or by creating an in-house database in a bid to try and seek out meaningful patterns in the demand that is being experienced. There are a number of challenges in doing this.
Firstly, the nature of this demand, by definition, offers little data from which accurate demand computer models can be formulated.
Secondly, every business is different and there are multiple factors which can affect demand. For the automotive aftermarket, new model launches or model facelifts are a major factor, whilst for the Ministry of Defence; training, redeployment and conflict can affect demand for parts and equipment.
However, whilst these multiple factors are often difficult to predict, companies can rest assured that order can be brought to what often appears to be chaotic and random.
In order to accurately forecast, there is a process that companies can go through. The first step is to differentiate between slow moving items and intermittent items. A slow moving item has average demand below a certain value, whereas intermittent demand has the average interval between demand occurrences greater than a certain value.
For example, slow moving stock for an automotive parts supplier could be defined as items for which average annual demand was less than 20 pieces, with intermittent demand stock defined as being items for which the average interval between demands is greater than two months.
Secondly, it is important to acknowledge that standard computer algorithms don’t provide the necessary differentiation between different categories of items. Slow moving stock demands very different procedures due to the nature of the demand for these items, violating the assumptions for which conventional forecasting algorithms are designed.
Finally, it is vitally important to embrace the ever changing nature of a part through its life cycle. For example, within the automotive aftermarket, there is often clear demand increase once the parc includes large numbers of vehicles with more than 50,000 miles on the clock. In this situation it is important to successfully manage the transition of a part from slow moving to fast moving in order to maintain service levels.
Practically, the output is two sets of calculations, a forecasting method and an inventory control method produced either daily or weekly depending on the nature of the client. The forecasting method uses demand history to calculate average demand over a period. The inventory control method can then take these estimates to produce schedules for replenishment orders which can be used to manage the flow of material through the supply chain.
It is important to note that no inventory management system will ever deliver 100 per cent availability. Certain items will just never be stocked and will always need to be ordered from the supplier in the unlikely event that they are required by the end user. The key to success is about being realistic with your inventory control parameters, the results they can deliver and that some items will always be impossible to forecast.
Every organisation is different; however it is possible to deliver in the region of 10-15 per cent inventory reduction without affecting service levels. Although it can be as much as six months before these gains are realised, our experience suggests there is clear evidence that significant cost reductions can be made.
In addition to the financial benefits realised from not having capital tied up in excess or slow moving stock; the longer term benefits include releasing warehouse space from slow moving items or preventing excess wastage when products become obsolete.
The truth of the matter is that technically-minded inventory policy is possible and can make significant contributions to the bottom line of an organisation by reducing stocks, improving working capital and taking cost out of the supply chain.
TVS Opens a New Facility in Bicester
TVS Supply Chain Solutions has opened a new bespoke defence warehousing facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire, bringing the company’s total number of facilities in the UK to six.
The new facility moves the company’s defence warehouse operation from a behind-the-wire Ministry of Defence (MoD) facility in Bicester to alternative premises on the nearby Murdoch Road Industrial Estate. The move was prompted by the MoD’s requirement for additional storage space in preparation for the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.
The new 44,000 sq ft facility, which is 4.5 miles from the original MoD site, will house over £10 million of inventory, 14,000 parts lines, 250,000 individual parts and nearly 18,000 pieces of equipment.
TVS, the global supply chain and logistics specialist, has been supporting the MoD for nearly a century. They opened their first spares stores in 1919, the same year the company produced its first “military special”: the “RAF Type” 2 ton truck. Through the 1940’s and 50’s, they manufactured the Cromwell, Comet and Centurion tanks, and built and supported the Chieftain tank engine into the late 1980’s. With this history, it seemed appropriate that their first Defence contract as an independent supply chain and inventory management service provider, was in supporting the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank. Thirteen years later, they are still providing the MoD’s heavy armoured vehicles, construction vehicles and engineering equipment with better spares availability than some car manufacturers achieve!
The company has a truly national presence operating from regional hubs in Bicester, Crick, Daventry, North Luffenham, Wakefield and its 268,000 sq ft headquarters in Chorley.
Irene Ainscough, Director of Defence at TVS Supply Chain Solutions, commented: “We have made the decision to further invest in our Bicester capabilities to support the MoD and maintain the highest levels of service which involves ensuring we deliver vital parts scheduled for front line operations, often within a 2 hour timeframe from order to receipt.
“Crucially, during the transfer of parts and equipment, we maintained our service levels with no disruption for the client or end user.
“TVS has signed a 10-year lease on the building which signifies our continuing commitment to further investment in our warehousing infrastructure and support for clients in the defence sector.”
MOD Awards Operational Field Catering Consumables Spares Support Contract
The Defence Support Group (DSG), part of the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a new £7 million supply chain management contract for the provision of spares in support of its Operational Field Catering System (OFCS).
The new contract was awarded to TVS Supply Chain Solutions, part of the global $6.6bn TVS Group, following a reverse auction procedure, where a number of suppliers submitted compliant and acceptable proposals and bid against each other in order to provide best value for money for the Defence budget and the public purse.
The OFCS is used by the Armed Forces to provide meals and refreshments for deployed personnel serving in the field who have limited access to permanent catering facilities. The system can be manipulated to cook for up to 100 people using the same equipment and it is designed to allow the storage, preparation, cooking, and distribution of meals and beverages in safe and hygienic conditions in demanding operating environments. The system is flexible, modular and inherently safe to operate.
As part of the new contract, TVS will provide a comprehensive supplier management service including the sourcing and pricing of the complete range of items during the contract period. All of the products, which will include ovens, burners, service tables and water boiling vessels, through to pots, pans and plastic containers, will be delivered to and stored at MOD Donnington, near Telford in Shropshire prior to onward distribution to the Armed Forces catering specialists.
DSG is a UK Government trading fund owned by MOD responsible for providing secure access to a range of Defence equipment to support the UK’s Armed Forces. DSG’s remit includes providing onshore capacity and capability for the maintenance, repair, overhaul, upgrade and procurement of defence equipment. TVS already has an existing relationship with DSG through its contracts, which includes the provision of supply chain management services to support the front line vehicle fleet on the Heavy Armoured Spares Provision (HASP) project.
Irene Ainscough, Defence Director at TVS Supply Chain Solutions, commented: “We have a growing relationship with the Defence Support Group, based on the provision of best-in-class supply chain solutions for a range of defence-related spare parts and equipment. We are confident that we can provide a lean and effective sourcing and pricing solution for operational field catering systems which will make a significant contribution to the Defence Support Group’s goal of securing the best value for the Defence budget.”
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