Motorhome business invests in vertical storage for parts

With a recent move to a 5.5-acre site you would be forgiven for thinking space was no issue for premium brand motorhome retailers, Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld. But with a new 20-bay service area and showroom with capacity for 22 motorhomes to accommodate, efficiency of space was a key consideration ahead of investing in a new automated storage retrieval system. Operations manager, Erik Baxendale explains how automation has already impacted the running of the company’s servicing department and how it has helped futureproof the business. 

Real-time responses are now casually expected by consumers and a visit to a motorhome dealership’s service centre to collect a new part or accessory is no different. 

Baxendale says: “It was two years ago when we recognised the change in customer expectations and the need to factor this in to the design of our new service centre and parts department. As well as new service bays and the showroom, we also had to weigh up the space required for our new Class 7 and 4 MOT bays and a 15 x 9 m customer lounge, so it was clear that we would be met with a challenge when it came to parts storage space. We also knew there was scope in our existing processes to improve productivity and would need a solution that would automate, rationalise, bring about higher output and maximise the room available. 

“Ultimately, we opted for a Vertical Life Module (VLM) which utilises overhead space and has the capacity to hold stock which would typically take up one and a half times the size of the existing service centre, therefore radically reducing the space our parts storage would normally require. Operating in the same way as an elevator, it comprises a shaft in the middle and two columns of trays and shelving containing hundreds of motorhome parts and accessories. 

“Not only does it supply an economy of space, the ASRS also provides valuable data insights thanks to the algorithms its software produces. Although nowhere near the size of Big Data sets, crucially, data patterns inform us of how we can operate better. What are the most popular of parts we be ordering and when? What is the ideal amount to have in stock of a certain product? In the future, three quarters of our inventory will be stored in the system and as time goes on, the more valuable the data will be as more configurations and trends come to the surface, resulting in smarter decisions.”