Successful Start of Spareparts Offensive in Eastern Europe

STUTTGART, Germany – What was started exactly one year ago at the Bike Brno Show has proved to be successful. With Bike Brno 2009, the show for Eastern Europe, opening its doors tomorrow, Bernhard Lange MD from German distributor Paul Lange & Co. looks back on its Spareparts Offensive targeted to dealers in various Eastern European countries.

"What at first glance may seem simple, was in fact a huge planning effort. Getting spareparts for bicycles varying from tiny derailleur bolts to chainrings to dealers in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine, meant creating a new logistics concept,” says Bernhard Lange.

That logistics concept was ready for action last April and has since proved itself. In a press release the company states: “Every day an average of four consignments of various kinds of spareparts left our Stuttgart's central warehouse which is the largest warehouse for Shimano parts in Central Europe. These consignments were up for delivery 48 hours after receiving the orders.” The German distributor however rates its service quality improvement made inside the company as more important than the bare figures.

The spareparts offensive started with Bernard Lange’s claims that Paul Lange was able to deliver every sparepart within a maximum of one week in the Czech Republic. "We have not only reached this objective but surpassed it," accounts Rainer Schniepp, who is in charge of the spareparts offensive at Paul Lange & Co. "In 90% of all orders the time elasped from placing the order at our online B2B-platform to delivery was 48 hours max. With that we reached almost the same level for service and speed as we have in Germany.”