Volkswagen Group has signed a two-year contract with Unipart Signite to support its SAP Enterprise Warehouse Management rollout for service parts distribution in the UK.

VW TPS service parts facility

VW TPS service parts facility

Source: VW Group

Volkswagen UK has signed a two-year warehouse management technology contact with Unipart to support the management of its spare parts warehousing.

Volkswagen UK has signed a two-year warehouse management technology contact with Unipart to support the management of its spare parts warehousing.

Unipart’s business division dealing with SAP implementation across customer supply chain’s – Unipart Signite – will deploy a SAP Enterprise Warehouse Management (EWM) software, as part of a Volkswagen Group global system rollout. Unipart will be supporting with its UK implementation under the new contract according to VW, supplying parts for a number of its UK brands and retailers. The technology provider will support service parts management in the UK for Volkswagen Group with programme management, process and technical services. 

“Unipart will be responsible for the programme management and use their expertise and experience of the warehouse operation to support in optimising the use of the new software, in partnership with [Volkswagen UK],” said a spokesperson for the carmaker. 

VW Group has a 60,400 sq.m distribution centre in Dordon, near Tamworth in Warwickshire, managed by Unipart Logistics for distribution of all spare parts across the UK and Ireland. The facility moves more than 127,000 different product lines, averaging around 148,000 individual pieces per day. VW has used a version of SAP EWM for over ten years now but the latest contract for the SAP EMW application is new for Unipart and in addition to its existing warehouse agreement, said VW’s spokesperson.

Unipart has been providing Volkswagen with service parts supply chain services across VW’s 900 retailers and traders for six years. The new contract applies to VW TPS (Trade Parts Specialists) network, the centres that provide parts to the trade, rather than its retailers. Volkswagen Group has 83 TPS Centres across the UK providing parts to service locations for Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Škoda, CUPRA and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. 

“We are excited to be partnering with Volkswagen Group to support the delivery of this strategic project,” said Ian Truesdale, managing director for Unipart Logistics. “I look forward to seeing a highly successful EWM implementation over the next two years and strengthening our partnership with Volkswagen Group’s operations. 

In other news, Unipart has announced that Mike Bristow has joined Unipart Logistics as its new UK managing director.  

Bristow has almost 30 years’ experience in the supply chain and logistics industry and moves from DHL, where he served for 17 years, working his way from operations director to the UK Board as managing director.