When two phenomenally successful companies which share the same philosophy get together you would expect something exciting to emerge - and that is just what has happened with Computacenter and ByBox.
Computacenter, Europe's leading independent provider of IT infrastructure services, is a £2.68 billion giant that attributes its success to embracing a culture of innovation and of listening to its customers.
Similarly ByBox, the UK market leader in delivering field service solutions, has secured its rapid growth by adopting the same approach - clever use of technology and close collaboration with customers. The two companies have recently agreed that ByBox will provide Computacenter with a full supply chain solution, from its unique drop-box deliveries to specialised high-end engineering solutions and around-the-clock Forward Stock Locations.
The deal is a substantial extension of an existing contract with the award winning IT giant and is a major milestone in ByBox' history as it includes ByBox' full supply chain solution. Under the terms of the new contract arrangement, ByBox is guaranteeing that the bespoke solution developed for Computacenter will provide significant year on year savings on the company's previous distribution / supply chain solution.
The new 3 year agreement has substantially increased the overall contract value with ByBox and further cements the relationship between two expanding companies that have built their success on innovation and listening to customers.
Just as Computacenter promises to make customers' businesses sharper by removing cost, complexity and barriers by streamlining their IT systems, ByBox has a similar philosophy towards streamlining supply chains. Simon Wheadon, Senior Operations Manager at Computacenter, said: "Computacenter's ethos very much mirrors that of ByBox. They find out what their customers want and deliver a service that meets their needs.
"And although the contract is still in its infancy we are delighted with the relationship which has already grown to become a true partnership. "It is a contract which is continuously evolving and has become a true partnership. Through ByBox' innovative approach we are now able to offer solutions to our customers that the competition can't further cementing our own market leading position in the industry. "
ByBox has always believed that costs can be stripped out of customers' supply chains by innovative use of technology and 'thinking outside the box' to find solutions uniquely suited to customers' requirements.
With its network of 18,000 drop boxes at 1,350 locations across the UK, underpinned by its unique Thinventory ™ web-based software platform, ByBox has revolutionised supply chains to field service engineers. By delivering parts overnight, pre-8am, to the nearest drop box to a particular engineer, ready for collection before the start of a day's work, ByBox has enabled companies to ensure the right part gets to the right engineer at the right time.
As well as empowering companies to give a better service in turn to their own customers, the ByBox model allows them to reduce the amount of stock held in warehousing and cut the working capital tied up in stock-holding. Moreover ByBox always aspires to work with customers to find new ways of answering their challenges and this flexibility appealed to Computacenter which has signed up for a complete supply chain solution which embraces all of ByBox's offerings.
"ByBox has already made a difference to some of our bids through their ability to deliver an innovative or value added solution. Furthermore the fact that they bring together a number of different services such as tech courier has enabled us to win new lines of business." Stuart Miller, Chief Executive and co-founder of ByBox, said: "I am delighted that Computacenter, a company dedicated to innovation, has chosen ByBox to provide its total supply chain solution.
"We have worked closely with them to provide a bespoke solution using all of ByBox's services, from straightforward pre-8am deliveries to drop boxes to high-end, outsourced engineering. "Here at ByBox we are continually looking for innovative ways to make our customers' businesses more efficient, effective and economical - a philosophy of continuous improvement which Computacenter shares."
Computacenter counts household names such as British Telecom, WM Morrison, Channel 4, Reuters, BAA, Unipart, and Santander and among its customers and employs more than 10,000 people across Europe. The company offers complete solutions - it can advise customers on their IT strategy, implement the most appropriate technology from a wide range of leading vendors and manage their technology infrastructures on their behalf.
Computacenter uses the whole range of ByBox deliveries - from its core offering of pre-8am drop box deliveries, to pre-10am deliveries direct to site, same day deliveries and its specialist Tech Courier service where an engineer will perform simple swap-outs and plug-ins. ByBox collects parts directly from most of Computacenter's suppliers and are now moving much larger, specialist deliveries that require two-man crews when handling goods out of Computacenter's main base at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. For particularly difficult deliveries, for example to the upper floors of an office block, two, three or four man crews utilising specialist vehicles and handling equipment can be arranged.
Computacenter also uses ByBox' network of 29 Forward Stock Locations across the UK. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, these FSLs are especially convenient for Computacenter engineers who may require parts urgently outside normal office hours. Last year ByBox completed the "last piece of the jigsaw" for its vision of a complete end-to-end solution for the field services market with the acquisition of the high-end engineering company PPR Solutions which now provides high-end, ad-hoc engineering solutions at variable cost for ByBox customers and also Newcotech enabling the company to provide a technical courier offering.
"Integrating PPR into our overall Thinventory ™ proposition gives customers a great range of service choice," said Mr Miller. "Computacenter can configure Thinventory ™ to deliver whichever combination of inventory, distribution and field engineering they need - giving them control and flexibility. "And of course Thinventory ™ can provide them a "virtual warehouse" where they can see all stock in the field and can track and trace an individual item in real time - so they can reduce stock-holding and free up working capital.
"ByBox offers a truly 21st century solution for today's 24/7 society."