European Logistics Concept.
Purchasing and warehousing.
Centralisation guarantees our customers cost-effective prices and high availability. All logistics operations such as product management, purchasing and warehousing are managed from a single logistics centre in Neckarsulm. Centralised processes improve efficiency, which ensures attractive prices and excellent product availability. Centralisation benefits not just the e-commerce business segment, but also the system houses segment. As a certified partner, we co-operate closely with all leading manufacturers and distributors. Whether a multinational customer places his order from an office in Spain or Germany, via our online shop, a company-specific purchasing system or a marketplace that we support, whether it be an order for a pack of optical discs or a server – everything is handled by our central logistics department in Neckarsulm, Germany. A simple order gets the ball rolling and triggers a chain reaction of fast and efficient processes. A large order for the Netherlands is processed here in exactly the same way as a small order from Italy – swiftly and smoothly. All aspects of the business where central control is possible and in the customer's interest are centralised. This is of particular value to international businesses, as it creates standards in our ordering system which can be transferred as required.
Product Management and Catalogue Production.
Our centralised European product management covers the entire European IT market with more than 44,000 products. In addition to the online shop, the Bechtle Catalogue is published twice a year and issues roughly 150,000 copies per publication. The catalogue contains over 700 pages and is available in eight different languages and in 13 different countries.
Dispatch.
Product dispatch is also centralised. The central warehouse with over 13,450 m² has a complete stock turnover of four times a month. An average of 2,500 shipments are dispatched every day. Outside of Germany, the majority of orders are fulfilled by local in-country suppliers (drop shipping) in order to guarantee next-day delivery. Within Germany, drop shipping accounts for around 50 per cent of all orders. Drop shipping means that we do not need to keep stock outside of Germany; orders are shipped to our customers directly from the manufacturer or our supplier.
Bechtle Logistics Centre at a glance.
| Purchasing / Warehouse | Avg. values |
|---|---|
| Warehouse Area | 15,050 m² |
| Inventory Turnover | 4 Times/Month |
| No. of Packages Dispatched | > 111,305/Month |
| Warehouse Value | Approx. 16 Million euros |
| Product Management | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturers | around 300 |
| No. of Products Online | Around 44,000 |
| New Products | 285/Week |
| Catalogue 2009/10 | |
|---|---|
| Europe-wide Circulation | 150,000 |
| Languages | 8 |
| Countries | 13 |