Milton Keynes-based Prodrive Composites, one of the UK’s largest composite manufacturers, is reducing costs and boosting productivity after implementing a new inventory management solution as part of a three-year contract with MSC Industrial Supply Co, a maintenance repair and operations (MRO) specialist.

MSC also specialises in transforming operations, and driving improvements which ensure streamlined and efficient processes. With the introduction of ControlPoint Industrial Vending, MSC is ensuring Prodrive Composites will have instant access to the products it needs to keep operations running smoothly, including personal protective equipment and other fast-moving consumables. By making these resources available at the point of use, productivity and efficiency can be dramatically improved.

Additionally, by managing levels of consumption, the inventory management system will support consumption reduction by up to 40%, eliminating the need to invest in carrying excess inventory and minimising downtime brought about through ‘stock outs’.

Rowan Carstensen, Prodrive operations manager, said: “With MSC, we believe we have found a supplier who is aligned with our own goals, so we are excited to see the benefits of our relationship over the coming years.

“The vending system which has been installed is already making a difference to our operations and providing valuable insight into how we are using our inventory. In time, this will have a significant impact on our business and directly support our growth strategy, particularly around our ambitions to improve sustainability, repeatability and efficiency through lean processes.”

Donna Smith, MSC business development manager, said: “As an industrial supplier, we are on a mission to redefine supplier partnerships. We do this by going beyond the supply of products and ensuring we identify and drive improvements which help customers to achieve their long-term goals.

“That is why our relationship with Prodrive is built around what is important to them, which means doing everything we can to support their long-term vision of business growth through sustainable, lean practices.

“As well as implementing our vending system which will reduce costs and boost productivity, we will be working closely with Prodrive to carry out quarterly business reviews. This will ensure we can continually support them in meeting their wider goals and objectives and add genuine value as a supplier.”

Prodrive Composites works with leading manufacturers in specialist sectors such as automotive, aerospace and marine to design and manufacture advanced lightweight composites for a range of applications.