Meritor, Inc (NYSE: MTOR) has opened a new aftermarket distribution center in Pune, India, to serve the growing marketplace.
The distribution hub, which is strategically located near customers, offers a significant improvement in delivery transit time of brakes, drivelines and axles to original equipment (OE) and warehouse distributor customers.
“Our new center in India will reduce transit times by 33% on average. By providing more than 90% first-fill parts availability off-the-shelf, overall lead times will be reduced by more than 30 days,” said Craig Cartmill, general manager, Worldwide Aftermarket Operations, Meritor. “Helping our customers improve service levels to end users and driving cost out of their supply chain is our primary focus.”
The Pune distribution center serves customers through a customer service center designed to handle order processing and inventory planning efficiently and quickly. A new operating software system has been installed to support the center. Services performed at the center include receiving products, performing inspections, packaging/kitting, and packing and shipping customer orders.
The facility consists of a 32,000-square-foot warehouse space and administrative offices, said Suresh Joshi, operations manager. The center utilizes the Meritor Performance System (MPS), a continuous improvement /lean process and philosophy designed to eliminate waste and encourage employee involvement.
The facility serves both OE dealers and independent warehouse distributors, said Maninder Singh Nanda, director, Aftermarket Sales, India.
The new Pune facility complements Meritor’s new Aftermarket Services third-party multiple logistic services. Earlier this year, Meritor launched this aftermarket-based, third-party multiple logistics service to improve distribution activities, packaging capabilities and remanufacturing techniques within a given country or an entire continent.
To support its global aftermarket operation – consisting of warehousing, inventory and distribution processes – Meritor operates distribution centers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Mexico, United Kingdom and United States, and serves nearly 6,000 customers globally.