Computacenter helps BMW simplify distribution of IT consumables

Challenge:

The BMW Group wanted to replace its existing process for the distribution of IT components such as mice, memory sticks and adapters. Under the previous system, employees would have to wait several days from raising a ticket by phone to generate an order, to the request being sent to the warehouse and finally receiving a notification by email.

“We calculated that the internal costs for this process were higher than the cost of the peripherals themselves. There was, of course, a direct correlation between these two factors,” said Claudia Einert, Account Manager at Computacenter.

Solution

Computacenter has a long-standing business relationship with the BMW Group based on mutual trust. “Our existing knowledge of the company enabled us to develop a completely new approach for BMW Group by placing peripherals in a classic vending machine,” said Claudia.

The first step of the pilot project involved creating an inventory of available C-parts. A standard
commercial vending machine was then adapted to the company’s requirements to enable BMW employees to access the devices using their employee ID cards.

“We used software for this solution that controls and monitors the distribution of goods. Peripherals are either released or blocked for each transaction, depending on the rights of the user. A system integrated with BMW’s infrastructure runs in the background to ensure that the materials distributed are assigned to each employee’s cost centre,” explained Stefan Gacner, responsible for the technical implementation of the project. A maximum allowance was also established for each C-part in order to prevent misuse.

Outcome

With automatic distribution system for IT peripherals, Computacenter was able to streamline the procurement process and reduce the costs of accessories, logistics and transport, in line with the BMW Group’s specifications.

The pilot project was also very well received by all participating employees at the BMW Group. Thanks to the new solution, all C-parts are now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Reports can now also be generated on the distribution of goods.

“Thanks to the constructive teamwork between Computacenter and the BMW Group, we were able to implement the new project on time, to budget and without compromising quality. By logging only the ID number of each employee, the solution also conforms to the company’s data protection requirements,” concluded Jörg Christ, Project Manager at Computacenter.