A major new distribution center that will significantly increase customer satisfaction by improving parts and components availability, further reduce order turnaround times and streamline ordering efficiency, will be opened by Komatsu in the second quarter of 2021.
Komatsu’s new Wacol distribution center – which will also include elements of its Brisbane parts and components Reman operation – will consolidate four existing distribution and storage centers into a single facility.
Construction of the new Wacol DC, which is currently underway, is scheduled to be completed by May 2021, in time for Komatsu’s global centenary celebrations.
According to Russell Hodson, Komatsu’s General Manager, Supply Chain, the key driver of the new facility is to improve customer satisfaction across its Queensland, New Zealand and New Caledonia operations. He said:
“Customers in these regions – which includes large mining customers – are currently serviced from our various Brisbane facilities, and by consolidating them into a single operation, we anticipate a marked improvement in customer satisfaction.”
“The new facility will also be much safer for Komatsu employees and service providers, making use of the latest warehousing technology and systems, including anti-collision systems and full worker/machine separation throughout.”
“In addition, we’ll see improvements in quality by bringing storage of all parts and components undercover, while a one-part/one-location approach will eliminate the chances of binning and picking errors – further contributing to improved customer satisfaction,” said Hodson.”
Komatsu will also see some significant efficiency and cost benefits through consolidation to a single facility, maximized space utilization, and lower transport costs. Hodson said:
“We’re also going to in-source our warehousing operations so all staff will be Komatsu employees, which will better enable us to continue our ongoing program of continuous improvement. At this new facility, we’ll employ 50 new people into Komatsu; we see this as a great opportunity to build a fantastic team that can deliver extraordinary results for our customers in a new and exciting facility.”
Hodson said the development of this new facility was part of Komatsu’s broader East Coast supply chain strategy. He said:
“This strategy aims to improve the flow of our goods and information to our customers. And there’s much more to come as we strive to continuously improve our operations for the benefit of our customers.”
Being constructed on a 3.8 ha site adjacent to its existing Queensland head office, service, training and customer support facility, the new DC covers nearly 17,000 sq m, with an order picking storage area of just under 14,500 sq m, and an extra-large parts/components storage area of over 2000 sq m. Hodson said:
“When it opens, our new Wacol DC will also fully integrate our mining and construction operations for Queensland, NZ and New Caledonia.”
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