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“Coming out of the crisis even this intermediate step felt really ambitious.” In fact the material handling hall is around 40% larger than originally planned but its L-shape formation means that the automatic warehouse, when it becomes a reality, will interlock with the rest of the facility efficiently. The immediate effect was to increase pallet capacity by around 4,500 and provide real efficiency benefits by separating packaging and warehousing operations. Volume packaging is carried out on a single Weighpack line but, with fifteen people now involved in the packaging operation, Fastbolt is already assessing a second machine to provide additional flexibility and capacity.


“ Fastbolt is the availability guarantor for European distibutors, it is our core logistical role in the market…”


The combined effect of the new range and a rapidly recovering


market were unprecedentedly strong August sales. “Demand picked up, prices hardened but we could also see a log jam developing in the Far East. After the famine the factories tried to take on too much too quickly – deliveries and service suffered as a result.” “As we always predicted, which is why we are so opposed to


it, once anti-dumping had cut China out of the supply equation, and economic conditions had begun to normalise, the remaining capacity was not sufficient to meet global demand. Now we have also seen the added distortion of people illegally trying to access China’s capacity by trans-shipping through other countries.” The picture across Europe was, and still is, mixed. “What


really pulled us out of the crisis was the demand from Germany and from central European distributors. Economic conditions elsewhere in Europe remain uncertain so there is still a much more hand to mouth feel about the business.” More strategic business, though, rapidly began to overlap


the immediate ‘from stock’ demand. “Fastbolt is the availability guarantor for European distributors – it is our core logistical role in the market, aside from all the value added services we also offer. Gap filling is an important dimension but we could also feel the systematic cooperation with the mid range distributors - where we have long proven our ability - growing again as they gained confidence in their OEM customers’ intentions.” For Ekkehard Beermann the supply chain complexities are


certain to continue. “Purchasing has become so much more complicated. There is little evidence of any serious investment in fastener manufacturing capacity around the world. We talk to our suppliers about the strength of demand and what they plan to do to respond. Investment in production in capacity, though, requires longer-term stability. Now, no one is clear what implications the WTO ruling will have on the anti-dumping situation, or how quickly it might bring another change. Without that clarity companies are not going to commit serious amounts of money. Added to all that US demand is now recovering, increasing pressure on available manufacturing capacity.”


116 Fastener + Fixing Magazine • Issue 67 January 2011 “There have been positives from the crisis or, perhaps, we


created them. We had the time, even the necessity, to critically review our business strategy. We spent that time in finding ways to develop our business, to grow even in a stable demand period and to be more resilient in any future downturn. In 2008 we just took on more people to meet the growth demands. 2009 forced us to look critically at our efficiency in the longer term, in the knowledge we are not likely to have the luxury to do it the same way in the future.” In truth, that is hardly a new thought process for Fastbolt,


which has always demonstrated a long-term vision for its business, although recent years clearly have sharpened that focus. The company invested in an SAP ERP system as long ago as 2000. It launched FB Online, its web based enquiry and sales system, in 2006. “These have both been invaluable to our efficiency, as well as delivering genuine improvements in customer service,” says Ekkehard Beermann. “FB Online has increased internal efficiency as well as allowing customers to check availability and prices when they want to.” Every registered user also has the technical ability to place an order through FB Online. “Ninety-eight percent will actually go on to place it through their own system. It is not about part number interchange, FB Online does that; it is the need to conform to their own system and business requirements in placing the actual purchase order.” “Over the last two years, though, we have increased the


number of EDI links with key customers, achieving a much higher level of connectivity with them, which provides really substantial efficiency advantages to both parties.” Now the spotlight is firmly on warehouse efficiency as Fastbolt


evaluates specialised warehouse management software to interface with the SAP system. “The objective is to increase efficiency but retain flexibility. We want to eliminate paperwork; we want to plan order picking better and more efficiently and eliminate conflicts, for example where two trucks need to access the same aisle. We also want to be sure we keep the flexibility to respond quickly when we need to pick an order urgently.” Range expansion is also central to Fastbolt’s development.


“We are seen as a range specialist in the market not as a general importer. We have taken some opportunities to continue trading in China with products not covered by the anti-dumping tariffs. In Germany that has meant piloting a range of threaded rod; in the UK we have introduced hexagonal nuts as a service line. 2011 will see a continuation of a two year programme to develop the more strategic socket screw range.” Few businesses have come from the last two years without bruises; this one unquestionably, though, has emerged unbowed.


Socket screw range


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