Since 1947, Orio AB - formerly Saab Automobile Parts - has procured, sold and delivered spare parts and accessories for Saab cars . The company is the world's only supplier of Saab original parts with sales in around 60 markets to approximately 1,100 workshop customers. The ambition is to ensure that the Saab cars continue to roll and that all Saab car owners feel secure in their car ownership. Since 2016, this part of Orio's operations has been combined in the business area Orio Parts. This year, operations were expanded through the establishment of the business area Orio Logistics, which offers logistics services for the Nordic market.
Automation provides smooth replenishment and order placement
When the investment in Orio Logistics began, a review of a planning system that was outside of Orio's business system was also started. The system was perceived as far too complicated and also unnecessarily expensive. It also did not have the functions required to keep Orio Parts' various warehouses and the warehouse operations of Orio Logistics separate. An evaluation of various system alternatives led to the choice of SOLO, which has been in operation since 2018. Mari Andersson works as Planner & Category Manager Packaging/Product at Orio Parts. She was part of a working group that made decisions about the choice of SOLO.
- It was a top priority that we got a new system that could help us keep the layers apart, and with SOLO we got that system. Now we have a good overview of all layers. Partly the main warehouse in Nyköping as well as the warehouses in England, Germany and the USA where goods are continuously shipped from Nyköping. In total, we have 17,000 articles in the main warehouse and a portfolio consisting of 60,000 article numbers. SOLO has also provided time savings. An example of a function that simplifies for us is that alarm levels are generated by SOLO when an item starts to run out. This allows us to be one step ahead with our purchases and have the stock availability requested by customers.
Advantages that Mari also wants to highlight with SOLO are that the replenishment of warehouses abroad and also the placing of orders is much faster and smoother when previously manual routines have been automated. It is also easy to extract reports from SOLO and Mari also adds an extra plus for the collaboration with Promosoft.
- The collaboration works great and our contact persons at PromoSoft are quick to respond quickly when we have questions or need help. That willingness to serve is really appreciated and important to us.
"A safe rough worker and a great tool"
Joacim Nyberg is Product and Pricing Manager at Orio Parts and a couple of years ago was given managerial responsibility when two work groups were merged. By then, SOLO had been put into operation and Joacim describes the system as a safe heavy duty worker.
- SOLO helps us become more efficient in what we do. It is a great tool that is important in the pursuit of cost reductions. With SOLO, we have obtained lower and correct stock levels. SOLO also makes us work more efficiently because the system does the grunt work with routines that were previously manual and time-consuming. Today we have the right information about each layer and a completely different control compared to the old system.
An important tool must be trusted, and Joacim emphasizes the importance of the high quality of the inventory data that SOLO delivers.
- You have to have confidence in a system like SOLO, and we really do. We trust the system fully and when SOLO announces that it is time to buy an item home, we do not hesitate. Trust is important if you want to get away from time-consuming routines and personally controlled purchasing decisions.
The goal is for Orio Logistics to have SOLO as well
The pandemic has presented challenges for Orio, but a clear strategic agenda has yielded results. Investments in streamlining and cost control have made it possible for Orio Parts to improve operating profit (2020) despite a tough market. Orio Logistics is developing strongly and the business area's growth will be accelerated. The vision is for the business area to be the leading business partner in 3PL logistics in the Nordics based on services that strengthen the customers' competitiveness and profitability.
Orio Logistics is moving towards that goal at good speed and a major customer is Lidl, which has chosen the business area for distribution of the non-food range. The logistics center in Nyköping is more than 70,000 square meters with the ability to process up to 30,000 orders daily. Today, SOLO is not a tool for Orio Logistics, but the plan is to make it so.
- Yes, that is our goal. We have prepared for it and laid the foundations for SOLO to be implemented and support the logistics business by simplifying, streamlining and saving time. In a business that is growing rapidly, it is important to be able to free up resources for important ancillary services, concludes Joacim.