As supplier to more than 500 dealers throughout, the Nissan/Renault Parts Distribution Centre at Magna Park is one of the largest and most active installations of its kind.  The wide range of floor marking, labeling and signage requirements that this calls for are now being fully met by a single, specialist supplier - ASG Services.  The company has worked with Nissan/Renault to supply products and services both for the existing warehouse and also for a more recently opened extension - specifically for the storage of the Renault parts range.

The 400,000 sq. ft. warehouse is home for a wide range of components - from bulbs to body parts - for the two leading automotive manufacturers including, in Nissan's case, its range of forklift trucks.  Fulfilling both replenishment order and emergency distribution requirements calls for a highly efficient stock holding and product location capability.  In turn, this has meant a combination of shelving at ground level and on four floors of mezzanine as well as a racking facility dedicated to palletised and boxed larger part storage. 

Now, in each of these areas, ASG Services' identification systems are much in evidence.  With the company's floor marking system also used to define a walk-way that runs throughout the premises, the organisation has been called on not only to supply but also to successfully install a wide number of its products in key locations.

The stock control and management capability at the site interfaces directly with ASG Services' bar-coded racking and shelving labels.  With all locations throughout the premises requiring specific identification, the quality and durability of ASG's labels service is as crucial as is the company's ability to react to ad-hoc requirements as they occur. 

Apart from labeling on the racking, shelving and tote bins, each floor of the mezzanine structure - which is split equally between the Nissan and Renault components - features an innovative labeling system.  This not only accommodates the bar-coding but also, importantly, provides a rapid, visual identification of available or empty bay locations.  Kate Price, Parts Operation Team Leader, explains -

ASG Services' solution to this specific requirement has been to supply a plastic, self-adhesive sleeve for each location.  These hold the total of 145,000 individual identification labels which are also provided by the company,' she says.  'Apart from the sequential numbering system - which interfaces directly with stock management procedures to identify empty or unused locations - a simple turn of the numbered card also reveals a red reverse side.  This  means our staff can immediately recognise areas where replenishment is required or available space exists.'  It is a simple concept but one with which ASG has been able to help maintain optimum stocking levels in a key area of the facility.  Indeed, a similar numeric aid to product location is achieved back on the warehouse floor with durable, self-adhesive labels from ASG used extensively to define locations for mobile cages - each containing specific parts.

The warehouse floor is most notable, however, for the 1.2 metre wide pedestrian walk-way that runs throughout the premises.  Laid by ASG in a green colour, to distinguish it from the yellow product location and marshalling areas, it comprises a high build, two part, epoxy system.  This was fast-curing during application, ensuring its impact on other elements of the build programme was minimised.  The durable, hard wearing surface was applied solvent-free after the defined area underwent dust-controlled shot-blasting to provide an optimum keying surface for the coating.

The result is a simple yet highly visible facility which clearly makes an important contribution to health and safety throughout the site.  This is a benefit which is also seen with ASG Services' installation of high level suspended signs positioned in key locations to alert forklift truck drivers to the clearance restrictions of overhead racking.

The Nissan/Renault site is an excellent example of one of our customers taking advantage of the full range of services that we offer.  In recent times we have deliberately extended the number of related services that we provide for each customer allowing them to hand over key warehouse requirements to a single proven supplier.  In our view this is a clear indication of the direction in which the market is moving, and we are obviously delighted to be associated with such a prestigious customer and location.