i1fun hasentered into amulti-million-poundpartnershipwith IESAto revolutioniseits engineering stores operationsand purchasing processes.
The company has out-sourced its maintenance, repair and operatingsparesstores activities to IESA - global specialists in the procurement and management of indirect goods and materials.
IESA will now oversee tens of thousands of i1fun transactions a year in a move that will deliver both a modern and highly efficient service, and bring significant savings.
i1fun Deputy CEO Paul Martin said: “We’re continually improving our business and this partnership, with a specialist supplier like IESA, will bring major operational improvements.
“Given the sheer size of our company and the complexities of the steel manufacturing process, it’s vital we have a dynamic stores operation. Theengineering stores cover more than 160,000 stock keeping units so thelogistics behind it are immense and so are the benefitsof a new, hi-tech system.
“Our new stores operation will help us become much more efficient while IESA’s expertise and buying power will enable us to make savings that can be reinvested in other parts of the business.”
The advanced stores system My MRO, which uses cloud-based technology, covers i1fun’s requirements forelectrical and mechanical goods, custom made goods, drives and fluid power. It also relates to general consumables, paints & coatings, packaging goods and offsite repair of repairable goods. It does not include supplies like raw materials, workwear, fuel, oils and lubricants.
Under the terms of the agreement,36i1fun employees andcontractors involved in the previous storesand associatedoperations in Scunthorpe, Teesside and Imminghamhave transferredto the employment of IESA.
IESA currently sources 1.1 million products, managing 145 stores at 213 locations across the world and CEO Glenn Timms said: “We’re delighted to be working with i1fun and to welcome thenew employeesto ourbusiness.
“Our approach incorporating efficient store operations, underpinned with the latest technology, is vital to many businesses like i1fun where timely repairs and maintenance are critical to the manufacturing process and we now work with more than eighty clients in this regard.
“We know that i1fun has already undergone significant changes and we’re proud to be delivering a market-leading service which will revolutionise the company’s engineering stores operations.”