TVS Supply Chain Solutions

TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS) is a global provider of world class, end-to-end supply chain services specialising in the automotive, beverage, defence, industrial and utilities markets. The company provides revenue growth, inventory reduction and operating costs reduction.  TVS SCS operate on a global scale with facilities in the UK & Europe, North America, the Indian Sub-Continent and the Asia Pacific region.

TVS SCS opened a new 268,000sq ft. distribution centre in Chorley, Lancashire at the cost of £20million. In line with this brand new facility, the company wanted to implement a sophisticated operation to store their small parts and components.  During the planning stages of the facility, the company communicated a clear goal with Industore – to achieve a world class picking system for the critical Small Parts area of its distribution centre.  TVS SCS spent a considerable period of time looking at a variety of suppliers in the market to find the right solution, and importantly the right partner to deliver their vision.

Industore was the chosen partner and designed a world class order picking system that was not only going to increase picking speed and picking accuracy across the board, but also deliver a system that would be robust and reliable in order to cope with the increased workload anticipated by the company.

Industore installed twenty industry leading Hänel Lean-Lifts at a height of an incredible 12m each, grouped together into six separate activity zone, where each zone is serviced by a computer controlled conveyor system.

Alongside the implementation, Industore cleverly integrated bespoke software with TVS SCS’ own ERP system. This system controls the function of picking, replenishment and perpetual inventory, as well as passing commands to the conveyor to control transactions associated with tote movements in and out of the zones.

In addition to the impressive floor space savings, TVS SCS have been able to work together with the Industore software engineers to provide a solution that integrates neatly with their existing host system processes and client specific requirements.  The sophisticated software creates efficiencies by organising and coordinating picks into totes within the zones and controls all associated paperwork.  Each Hänel Lean-Lift was also supplied with a label printer to attach labels to picked parts; each label includes details such as customer, route, part description and order number. Upon pick completion, the software automatically notifies the ERP system to initiate outbound process transactions (despatch paperwork and invoicing).

This adds considerable value to the business, alongside effective selection accuracies thanks to the integration of the pick-to-light system for all small parts.