June/July 2001

Hays DX has added more comprehensive supply-chain capabilities to its established Partspeed operation, under which it delivers spare parts to field service engineers through a nationwide network of secure unattended lockers or "collection boxes".

Features of the expanded offering include purchasing, warehousing, order-picking and full inventory management. Some of these services were already offered by the company, but they are now being promoted under a "Full Circle" branding initiative, and linked more directly to the existing Partspeed guaranteed delivery and collection service. The company describes the result as a totally managed solution.

Hays DX claims to have installed banks of its collection boxes at a remarkable 800 pick-up points around the country - most of them in service station forecourts and similar accessible locations. Users of the system include Sky, GlaxoSmithKline, Lantec, DuPont and Unisys.

• Hays DX is one of the first independent carriers to have applied to PostComm (the postal regulator) for a licence to operate postal services in competition with Royal Mail. Like TNT and FedEx, it is believed to have sought licences to confirm that some existing fulfilment operations fall within the terms of the new postal licensing regime; but it also promises some innovative developments, and seems unbowed by news that Consignia is planning to sue it for alleged breaches of monopoly postal services. Watch our next issue for an update.