Ceva Logistics has secured a spare parts delivery contract with BMW for the full range of spare parts for all BMW and MINI parts involving 200 dealerships across the UK. The contract was previously handled by DHL.
Seven of Ceva’s common outbase platforms will support the distribution, as well as a number of other premises owned by Ceva automotive customers which will be used for cross-docking as part of the company’s collaborative network.
“This combined Ceva automotive solution is currently delivering circa 200,000 order lines per week,” said David Jackman, Ceva’s Sector Business Director for Automotive. “Our intention is to add other automotive clients to this collaborative network over time,” he told Automotive Logistics.
In partnership with a number of UK automotive aftermarket customers, Ceva has set up a shared-user network specifically designed for the delivery of automotive parts on a through-the-night basis to dealerships around the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The company has a number of regional LSP partners across the region that specialise in moving automotive parts. The sharing of loads for through-the-night delivery is currently confined to those sorts of parts, but vehicles are used for other products and services during the day.
Ceva’s automotive partners have agreed to collaborate by supporting a standardised service offering according to Jackson. This involves plain or Ceva-liveried vehicles, which operate on a pre-8:00am delivery schedule. It allows product from other customers to be cross-docked at their national distribution centres. Jackson believes that, in the future, this will open the way for further collaboration and more efficient supply chains.
“The carriage media is returnable roll-cages and totes, with provision also for loose items,” said Jackson, adding that larger “two-man lift” items are travelling separately on a day-time service.
