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EVENTS EXPRESS
Page 65
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Exel is a giant, global logistics company, and it's certainly diverse.
Emma Penny finds out more about its specialist logistics operation.
Think logistics and you probably think about trucks. But for Exel, one of its logistics divisions deals with nothing other than cars — specifically. managing the launches of new cars.
Its Automotive Management Services division handles all the logistics involved with launching a new vehicle. Specifically, it sets up and runs events designed to inform potential buyers about the new models, dealing with everything from getting the vehicles to event venues to providing driving specialists to help with test-drives.
Wide-ranging brief
Colin Stokes. who is account director for Ford and PremiumAutomotive Group, which also looks after Volvo. Land Rover and Jaguar and employs 25 people, admits it's a wide-ranging brief."We're essentially providing marketing and management programmes with a logistics slant on them."
The company —previously Inside Track Automotive —was bought by Exel about six years ago.The parent firm says its logistics skills and background lends itself to this type of business: "This part of the supply chain is how we seek to differentiate ourselves from the competition." Despite depending on cars for its business, trucks do play a key role in the company. It runs its own fleet of trucks, and subcontracts car transporters to move the new vehicles round the country.
For more specialist kit, such as rally car simulators. it has its own specially adapted trucks. We also run our own warehousing at our St Neots base, and that's a key consideration for many of our clients."
Like any successful logistics operation, the business relies on knowing and understanding exactly what its clients are doing."We generally know what's in the pipeline as we are invited along to the launch planning, so we know what's on the market and when."
The launch planning will also involve knowing which potential customer markets are to be targeted and invited to the events, which is handled by an outside agency.
Stokes' division becomes more involved when the manufacturer decides what kind of event they want to run.
"Once they have decided what they are going to do, we'll start to find suitable venues throughout the country."
The venue is crucial if the next part is to fall into place — designing an event to fit the product."For the Volvo XC90, the company chose to use country houses round the UK. It's a sports utility vehicle and so we wanted to do on and off-road driving."
Logistical planning
Exel also plans the driving events,drawing up routes to be followed, and will employ qualified instructors for test driving on and off-road.
"It's a big logistical challenge getting all of this up and running. Most of the locations we used for the Volvo launch were well equipped for this type of thing, but we often need a lot more kit if we are looking after a launch on a racing circuit." Stokes emphasises that good planning is a vital ingredient of getting the logistics of an event right.But customers [on the day] are unpredictable — we never know exactly how many will turn up."
So is it something other road transport companies could consider? The business has a turnover of about Om and Stokes says it's -quite profitable".There's little competition, other than from marketing companies. Exel scores because it provides a full service.
It all sounds good, until Stokes warns that it's a specialist operation, req uiring event management skills and a lot of patience! But despite the challenges, Exel says it is determined to grow this side of its business. •