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It is the run-up to Christmas and all 1,800 employees at interactive TV shopping channel QVC's Knowsley warehouse are working as hard as Santa and his army of elves. Every single day, around 40,000 orders are picked and packed ready for collection by Royal Mail or a private parcels carrier UPS or White Arrow. A 24 hour customer call centre passes on the orders received by phone, online or via the buttons on people's digital TV remote control keypads.
Fork lift and turret trucks keep up the incessant pace shifting goods and pallet loads from around 160 narrow aisles stacked high with tens of thousands of bar coded stock items each in a specific location. In one set of aisles high value goods - jewellery, mobile phones and digital cameras - in another location fashion accessories, clothes, shoes and make-up, and finally white goods - fridges, washing machines, freezers, audio visual, TVs, sound systems, radios. The list goes on. Come the new year there will be a massive stock take and a spring clean.
Cleaning and maintenance is a constant operation. But how do you service a busy warehouse the size of five football pitches? Eddie Dempsey inventory officer knows how. "Stocktaking, cleaning and maintenance is co-ordinated. We have a planned maintenance system and a well-run inventory operation. We share equipment and don't get in each other's way."
Dempsey is senior manager of a team of 35 inventory staff. Their job is to carry out physical stock taking - checks on stock levels so that goods below a pre-set quantity may be re-ordered. Inventory are also responsible for quality assurance and Dempsey's team carries out a quality audit - checking that products ordered by the purchasing department in London actually match the delivery notes. His department works hand in hand with another vital link in the chain - facilities management. Their job is to sweep aisles clear of debris, and to keep dust at bay.
Eight maintenance operatives vacuum clean shelves and check and replace any fluorescent strip lights that no longer work. They will work a strict rota two aisles a day cleaned and serviced which considering there are a total of 136 aisles represents a six month maintenance cycle. In addition QVC hires in subcontractors to carry out certain functions such as mechanical and electrical installation, painting and maintenance of the vast heating ventilation and air conditioning system - miles of ductwork.
With so many goods in and out packaging creates dust which left unchecked would quickly present a health hazard. To reach and clean racks up to 30 feet high you need a scissors lift. Normally QVC relies on its own fleet of six scissor lifts - four for stocktaking and a further two for the facilities management department.
Normally battery powered machines like scissor lifts are parked in a garage area and left on charge overnight. But because batteries can run down through intensive use - electric powered scissors lifts can work continuously for three hours before needing to be recharged - machines may be out of action during a shift and stocktaking and facilities share the available scissors lifts according to need.
But this time of year is extra busy. So QVC is hiring in a helping hand from Nationwide Access. It called in 20 battery powered scissor lifts in December on a two day hire and no less than 42 machines for the post Christmas stock take to arrive on the first of January.
David Roberts Nationwide's area manager for the North West explains: "The number is so high because QVC maintenance and stocktaking staff are going to double shift. There will be 21 machines in operation and 21 on standby being charged. That way they can get the maximum number of machines working continuously." Says Mr Dempsey, "All my staff are trained to use scissor lifts. There will be teams of three to four people doing the stock counts working two shifts - a 6am to 2pm and a 2pm to 10 pm. Each team will be responsible for a certain part of our warehouse and for different types of stock. The scissor lifts are in use seven days a week."
The inventory is a vital part of QVC's operation as under the company's code of conduct customers have the right to return goods up to 30 days after receipt if not entirely satisfied. Besides servicing the TV shoppers, QVC's Knowsley operation acts as a wholesale warehouse for the company's retail outlets at Warrington and Shrewsbury. Says Dempsey: "We report on movement of pallets to our own retail shops." Keeping track of orders and goods sold in the run up to Christmas is vitally important." It is even more important considering QVC's UK operation has given itself a target sales figure of £300 million and is just £2 million shy of meeting it.
Nationwide Access has pulled out all the stops to meet the peak demand from one of its regular customers. Says David Roberts, "We have pulled in scissor lifts from across all our branches in the North West. QVC have a tight schedule to meet and we're delighted to be able to help them. They must be satisfied with our level of service as they've recommended us to many of their subcontractors including Parkersell Lighting who also now hire from us."
END
Nat0.082
For further information please contact
your local Nationwide Access Depot on:
0845 745 0000
or e-mail sales@nationwideaccess.co.uk.
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