A YEAR OF
PROGRESS
AT FPS
It has been a year since FPS had
broken ground to construct a
warehouse extension to cater for
growing customer needs. VITAL
NEWS catches up on the progress
and what’s in store for the future.
It has been an eventful year of progress, growth and hard work
over at FPS. In an effort to continue catering for the growing needs
of the aftermarket, the company has invested significantly in their
warehousing facilities, transport fleet, human resource and process
streamlining.
THE NEW DAWN OF TRANSPORT
In April this year, the FPS branch delivery fleet had reached full capacity
for the first time. To continue delivering what the customer needs, FPS has
invested in the transport fleet significantly.
In the last 6 months, FPS has reinforced their logistics fleet by:
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
In October last year, FPS commenced construction of a 15,000 sq ft
extension at their National Distribution Centre situated at Parkway Rise
in Sheffield. This extension features a two-storey mezzanine floor which
creates 45,000 sq ft of new storage space for racking.
This proved to be more challenging than originally anticipated with
the particularly harsh winter conditions. Despite the winter refusing
to release its frosty grip on the nation until mid March this year,
construction powered through.
At the time of writing, warehouse racking has been installed and the
team is working to optimise shelf space for maximum storage capacity.
The next phase of expansion work has also commenced with the
erection of a new canopy in the delivery yard. This will provide much
needed covered space for marshalling product at the site to allow more
efficient stock movement.
• Introducing 3 new artic trucks to the logistic fleet
• Enhancing staff numbers within the logistics team
• Boosting the number of van runs in order to cater for the overspill
requirement for Liverpool, Preston, Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester
when needed
• Increasing the capacity of the branch fleet with new, larger vehicles
As the company continues to see growth in demand, capacity across the
fleet is constantly monitored and reviewed to ensure increased volumes
of stock can reach their destination at the right time.
ALL FOR THE AFTERMARKET
FPS is very thankful for the customers who candidly share their
opinions. Through honest feedback, the company is able to develop
ways to better serve the aftermarket.
While the aftermarket is approaching a new world of automotive
technology, FPS is working hard to build a warehousing and logistical
system that best suits the needs of today and tomorrow. As every day
brings a new set of challenges, the employees strive to tackle them in a
timely manner, while putting measures in place to cater for the future.
THE SCIENCE OF SHELVES
The blank canvas of empty shelves in a brand new warehouse presents
lots of exciting opportunities.However, if not managed properly, this
can compromise the efficiency and safety of warehouse operatives.
One of the key challenges of stocking shelves in a warehouse is
knowing 'where to put what'. At FPS, this challenge is further
compounded because the new warehouse is an extension of an
existing and fully functioning one that processes up to 44,000 lines
a day.
6 FPS NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE
FPS has a specialised team of experts dedicated to warehouse
operations and inventory management. Immersed in the day-to-
day warehouse operations, the team is tasked to provide real and
practical strategies to streamline processes and shelving strategies
for better customer service. The science of modern warehousing is
truly more than throwing stock on the shelves!
VITAL NEWS ISSUE 52