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arvato SCM Group: How to deliver global supply chain solutions using local partnersarvato offers innovative, end-to-end supply chain solutions to a global client baseWritten by: Abigail Phillips Produced by: Craig Daniels

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arvato SCM Group: How to deliver global supply chain solutions using local partnersarvato offers innovative, end-to-end supply chain solutions to a global client baseWritten by: Abigail Phillips Produced by: Craig Daniels

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ARVATO SCM GROUP

For over 50 years, many of the world’s most respected companies and innovative public sector organisations have benefited from

working with arvato for their BPO needs. Over the course of its varied history, the company has become a trusted partner to many companies, offering a comprehensive and all-inclusive portfolio of services. From financial solutions, customer relationship management, digital marketing, Print and IT solutions to Supply Chain Management, arvato delivers an end-to-end roster of innovative, individual solutions that help its clients achieve their objectives.

“Our clients enjoy working with us because we deliver results in a way that makes them more successful. We operate as an extension of their organisation - driving towards their objectives and respecting their culture. They trust our collaborative, flexible and long-term approach to partnership. As a result, our international client relationships last 10 years on average,” says Executive Vice President, Philipp Klapper.

arvato SCM began life as a service provider working solely in the publishing industry. After managing the distribution of books for a number of clients and, in time, the company developed to other industries like automotive and expanded the service portfolio. It all started offering integrated services adding marketing procurement and developing into corporate information management, IT

Achim Berg, CEO of

arvato AG and member

of the Bertelsmann

Executive Board

“Our clients enjoy working with us because we deliver results in a way that makes them more successful.”– Philipp Klappe, Executive Vice President

S U P P LY C H A I N

www.arvato .co .uk 5

ARVATO SCM GROUP

integration and financial services. By the late 90s however, the company recognized that its services spanned a much wider remit than it currently focused on so diversified into the fast growing segments telecommunications, consumer products, healthcare, hightech and entertainment. Since then, arvato overall has grown at a meteoric pace and last year achieved €4.5 billion in revenue.

Today, there is really very little the company cannot do when it comes to modern supply chain management on a global scale. The offerings span from contract logistics, solution design, e-commerce and IT solutions, cross border and transport management to industry solutions. arvato SCM offers a complete supply chain

arvato’s compan: Spirit of solution!

Revenue for arvato SCM

last year

4.5b

The company

combines its

expertise in

business process

outsourcing (BPO),

financial solutions,

customer relationship

management, supply

chain management, IT

solutions and public

sector and citizen

services to deliver

innovative, individual

solutions that help

its clients to achieve

their objectives.

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ARVATO SCM GROUP

Bechtle koordiniert alle Logistik- und Serviceaufgaben wie Produktmanagement, Einkauf oder Lager zentral. Von Neckarsulm aus steuert die Logistik den europaweiten Versand. Auf rund 20.000 Quadratmetern lagern ständig mehr als 8.500 Artikel, die nach Bestellung größtenteils am nächsten Tag beim Kunden sind. Im Jahr verlassen das Logistikzentrum so über 1,7 Millionen Pakete.

Insgesamt bietet Bechtle 56.000 Artikel an. Viele davon werden direkt vom Hersteller geliefert. Von den schlanken Prozessen pro-fitieren die operativen Unternehmenseinhei-ten. Sie können sich voll auf ihre Kernkom-petenzen konzentrieren und den Kunden günstige Preise und eine hohe Lieferfähig-keit garantieren. Effiziente Prozesse setzen wir gleich mit zufriedenen Kunden. Eine Formel, für die wir einfach alles in Bewe-gung setzen – heute und morgen.

Schlank, stark, schnell, zentral.

bechtle.com

BAG134214_Anzeige_Supply_Chain_RZ.indd 1 12.12.14 16:15

Berry & Donaldson represents importers and exporters of globally traded commodities

in Sea, Air and Road freight logistics, warehousing and Customs clearances.

info@berrydon.co.za • www.berrydon.co.za

IT’S A SMALL WORLD

solution that has the capability to take any product from the production line to the consumer of the omnichannel world.

Investing in innovationOne of the company’s unique selling points is its dedication to investing in innovation and technology. “Every year we invest heavily in supply chain technology to ensure we offer better and more relevant solutions to our clients,” says Klapper. In the last year alone the business has fed a lot of money into omni-channel software, automation technology and big data. “Our focus on technology really does set us apart from the competition,” he says. “As the

arvato SCM

headquarters

www.arvato .co .uk 9

ARVATO SCM GROUP

speed of change is accelerating we need to be very adaptable to technology and move with the times. It is vital for us to offer distinctive services to stay ahead of competition.”

Offering global solutionsarvato SCM has a global portfolio of clients, operates in more than 20 countries and runs worldwide solutions. As it stands, Europe stays its strongest market, however it is making headway in the USA and China. In the year ahead it plans to increase speed in growth markets, including Turkey, South East Asia and Brazil.

Despite operating under one umbrella,

“Every year we invest heavily in supply chain technology to ensure we offer better and more relevant solutions to our clients”– Phillip Klapper, Executive Vice President

Automation technology

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ARVATO SCM GROUP

arvato SCM is acutely aware of the varying cultures, regulations and infrastructure in different countries. With this in mind, the company makes a point of working with local partners and suppliers to drive and support local business. That being said it does have one central IT backbone to ensure consistency across the group. As Klapper explains, “We operate on a

arvato works with local

partners and suppliers

www.arvato .co .uk 1 1

Company Information

I N D U S T RY

Supply Chain

Management

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

Slough, UK

F O U N D E D

Not disclosed

E M P L O Y E E S

64,400

R E V E N U E

€4.5 billion

P R O D U C T S /

S E R V I C E S

Supply Chain

Management, CRM,

IT, Finance

ARVATO SCM GROUPglobal IT platform. Balance that against local execution and we ensure the same performance, continuous improvement measures and KPIs across the group, but with cultural relevance and empathy as well.”

Forward thinking employmentOverall arvato has 68,000 employees and

takes great pride in offering exciting job roles worldwide. “One thing that attracts employees to the company is global exposure and opportunity,” says Klapper. “Many of our employees enjoy the fact that their role is challenging and they have a lot of responsibility and authority early on in their careers with the company.”

“It is our understanding that Gen Y employees look for this over and above financial incentives, so we have been very successful with our recruitment and retention strategies. We have adopted this approach for a long time, while some of our competitors are only just realising the shift,” he says.

In the next five years, the company plans to continue on its growth trajectory, while re-aligning its portfolio. “We will actively remove activities within the business that are becoming cumbersome and conversely, we will invest heavily in growth verticals,” says Klapper. As always, IT and technology will be at the top of the agenda. arvato SCM is an ambitious and smart company; it is forward thinking and innovative, but it will not rest on its laurels. This combination is a winning one.

ARVATO SCM GROUP

Address Phoenix One, 59-63 Farnham Road, Slough, UK. Tel. 0844 846 0800

info@arvato.co.uk www. arvato.co.uk