NEWS: SPL named Toshiba’s sole African service parts solutions provider

[Johannesburg, 18 April 2008] – Service Parts Logistics, Africa’s largest service parts reseller, recently concluded a deal with Toshiba Corporation whereby the company would become Toshiba’s sole African service parts solutions provider.

Toshiba has entered into a sole agreement with SPL – this has enabled Toshiba to outsource its regional parts management, enabling service levels well-above industry norm owing to SPL’s specialised knowledge of the industry and its strong and established business model and systems.

Simultaneously, Toshiba has alleviated the staff and expense burden associated with the complex micro-management environment of service-parts planning, distribution warranty management and reverse logistics.

Toshiba South Africa Country Manager Andre Russouw said: “Toshiba was persuaded by SPL’s long and successful track record and that their National Logistics Centre [was] able to plan and provide a high level first pass fill rate that is very difficult to rival in this market.”

Toshiba joins a growing list of leading international original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to have signed Service Parts Logistics agreements with SPL, including among others, Apple Computer – with whom SPL pioneered the model.

“We’ve been the first player in the region, the pioneers in Africa if you will, and we’ve refined a model which works in the unique African and Southern African environment,” said Des Stroud, SPL’s Managing Director.

Stroud continued: “We’re really excited about working with Toshiba and together we have created a sophisticated IT system which provides for full visibility of the supply chain to all the partners. We’ve also just introduced brand new IT systems from SAP to better keep pace with our methods and future technology, and we think we can really add a lot of value to our customer’s businesses this way long into the future.”

A case study of SPL’s implementation of SAP will be made available in coming weeks by Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.