Eland Cables presents an inspiring tale of a company that’s gone from strength to strength via some dramatic changes since a management buy-out took place in 2005. The inclusion in the Sunday Times list of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ in both 2007 and 2008 is a culmination of Eland’s modern approach and focused effort, and the award recognizes their achievements in ensuring that staff remain motivated and rewarded for their part in the growing success of the company. It’s an excellent example of teamwork and forms the basis of the new company ethos which is driving their growth.
As a long-standing partner and supplier, ATMS have seen some major changes in the company culture at Eland. ATMS and been involved with Eland since the relocation of its distribution operation from its previous base in the south of the country to a new, four-acre, purpose-built site in Doncaster. Eland could see great opportunities ahead but needed more capacity to grow and a system to support their vision, whilst still maintaining good communication links with their London head office.
ATMS’ StockTrack PLUS (STP) was implemented at the same time as Eland was physically relocating stock and training a newly recruited workforce in the warehouse. Keeping the business running and fulfilling orders to existing customers whilst trying to invest time learning a new system that would provide long-term opportunities was no mean feat but it has certainly paid off. Paul Cartwright provides IT Support at Eland and commented ‘in the early stages our initial focus was to implement a system that would manage our operational needs at the time but that had the flexibility to change in line with our vision for the business.’
Indeed, Eland’s business has also undergone some dramatic changes. The product range has trebled in recent years, as has the volume of orders processed by the warehouse which services customers both in the UK and overseas.
Eland’s current range includes cables for power, control and automation, data, security, telecommunications, fire integrity, instrumentation and railway in addition to a bespoke design service with products being sourced from around the Globe.
Customers include British Airways, Network Rail and the Unipart Group within the UK, and overseas projects in Europe and the Middle East including the Burj Dubai Tower – the highest building in the World. Indeed, Eland has recently opened an office in Dubai to better service their customers based in the Middle East and grow the business. It’s a familiar situation for ATMS. MD Stephen Cross said ‘systems today extend well beyond the warehouse and right throughout the supply chain. We have many customers now tracking items from the point of manufacture through to final consumption. We currently have offices in Dubai, China and Singapore in addition to our UK head office and overseas partners so can offer support wherever it is needed. Today’s customers are looking at STP as a major selling tool to help them take their business forward and win important new contracts, whilst also adding extra value for their existing customers.’
The next stage of development for Eland is to look at upgrading STP to take advantage of the latest new features it has to offer including a more advanced dashboard and improved reporting. Other key features of interest include the new yard manager module as the Company has expanded well beyond the boundaries of their original warehouse and the four-acre site now includes several areas of external storage. The yard manager will provide control and visibility of vehicles and stock movements both in and around the warehouse buildings.
STP’s advanced pick and pack modules along with the latest Proof of Delivery (POD) module will provide additional benefits in terms of improved service levels and enabling Eland to communicate essential delivery information to customers quickly, easily and accurately.
MD Philip Brown commented ‘The next phase is to look at best practice within the warehouse and to give our operatives the opportunity to work with the top solution available. We have a loyal and dedicated workforce and we want to equip them with the best tools for the job and to make their life easier. We also want to continue improving service levels to our customers and ensure that we exceed their expectations. We see STP and our partnership with ATMS as key components to our continued success.’
ATMS plc
Tel: +44 (0) 121 628 9000
www.atmsplc.com
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