Scantruck speed deliven
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IEDUCING stock levels and im'roving the rate of turnover, while giving a better service, nust be major aims for any listributor. Scantruck Ltd says it 5 achieving all three by the use if a minicomputer.
The Stowmarket, Suffoldlased Scania distributor has our main depots and two sublepots, which hold 12,000 difarent parts. Last year the parts urnover amounted to Om.
Scantruck carries "risk" items back axles, for example — which dealers for UK-manufacured vehicles would not nornally hold because collection an be arranged from the menuacturer within 24 hours.'In order o provide an equally good serice for Scania operators, Scanruck parts managers must know he stocking situation.
Scantruck investigated the lossibility of putting its stock ontrol on to the small business omputer it used for accounancy, but found that it is unsuitible for communications beween depots.
Scantruck eventually apiroached Rubicon Ltd, of Bury It Edmunds, a systems supplier of Texas Instruments, which upplied a TI D5990 Model 8 ninicomputer with extensive forage and access facilities, ilus special software.
Scantruck's company scoreary, John Flach, reckons that he new computer system hould pay for itself in about 18 nonths. It enables less stock to ie carried while allowing any tem falling below an acceptable ninimum stocking level at any lepot to be brought to the notice rf the parts manager immediitely.
The new system enables branches to exchange information more rapidly, and so allows tighter credit control.
The DS990 communicates directly with Scania's computer in Sweden. The speed of communication (one to two hours) means that Scantruck can order stock from Sweden six days later than when magnetic tapes had to be posted to that country.
In case there should be difficulty in establishing the link with Sweden, the computer also stores its monthly report on a floppy disc (diskette), which if necessary can be posted or sent by courier.
Each of the main depots — as far flung as Enfield, Purfleet and Milton Keynes — can communicate with the head office cornputer, where stock records are held, via a teased phone line, transmitting and receiving data at 480 characters a second.
As a sale is made the record is updated, so that the stock situation is known at all depots. Parts can be transferred by either monthly levelling or overnight van.
An advice note is produced automatically, and a check made on the customer's credit rating. All the sales data is fed automatically to the central files where stock levels are monitored.
At the end of the financial year, one year's accounts can be worked on white the subsequent year's work is going ahead. On the bought ledger file there is the facility to describe, in plain language, what an invoice is for (stock, capital, overheads, etc), so that unusual items are immediately obvious and there is no need to refer to the invoice to identify any particular charge.
An additional special feature, designed for Scantruck by Rubicon, is called the Vehicle Transaction Report. Transactions are related in it to each new or used vehicle in Scantruck's possession, by assigning all plicable purchases and sales the vehicle chassis or regisi tion number.
In this way, the profitability all new and used vehicles pa ing through the compa6 hands are assessed.
The depot offices have t VDUs and keyboards, ancl daisy wheel printer, cornft nicating with head office vii remote terminal controller (Ir and leased line. The Stowmail depot, which is in the se! building as the head office, NI wire link and so does not ne an RTC. The hardware for .1 system is costing Scantruclt the region of £50,000.
When a customer asks t. parts, a microfiche referer system can look up the Seal part number he requires. storeman types this number to the VDU, which then auton't ically checks that this cot* nent is in stock at that depot I Once this has been done, g storeman types in the custO er's own reference number, a credit check is automatice carried out.
If the credit indicates that customer will exceed his cre limit if he collects the goode, requires, the credit cont will be notified and decide action to take.
If a part is wanted for a st vehicle, not a customer, ti vehicle's chassis number is tered instead of the custom number.
Not all Scantruck's ne system is yet installed. Alreal however, many benefits h been realised. Stockholding been reduced, but 94 per cen all requirements can still be ill from stock.