PRIVATE INDUSTRY is forever looking for ways of cutting costs
Page 73
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
and improving efficiency. Indeed, if they don't they risk going out of business.
Local authorities are being strongly urged to reduce spending—they also have a duty to—but many of them lag behind the private sector.
With road vehicles, local authorities have usually confined their activities to refuse collections and road works. In an attempt to contain costs more of them are branching out into road haulage— dealing in bulk buying, storage and distribution of stores.
But to be successful they also have to be competitive in a specialised commercial field. One or two, such as Greater London Council, have been using their talents in this direction for several years.
Another is a consortium of six county councils in the West Country which deal in bulk buying, storage and distribution based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
CPD logo
The consortium sta-ted six years ago with Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Smerset. They have since beer joined by Avon, Dorset and Cornwall.
The CPD logo formerly painted on the vehic.es reflected the corporate Hentity of these councils repre: enting "Consortium for purchasing and distribution." ThE new logo CP illustrated here is perhaps neater and more modern, though it is more difficult to discern the two activities.
The consortium arranges for the delivery of goods and materials to their own depart
The new logo also represents consortium for purchasing and distribution" distinguishing the allblue vehicles on the road.
ments within the various authorities.
The warehouse at Trowbridge was built to cater for the storage of bulk-purchased items. The number of these has grown as the other three authorities joined the consortium.
Storage method
Apart from a few items, including chemicals for school science laboratories which are purchased and delivered direct from the supplier, the consortium stocks about 2,000 items. These are mostly supplies for schools as education departments are the largest users of the service.
The storage method adopted is a series of multilevel "bins" and new stores are lifted to the top level by forklifts and progress towards the lowest level as stocks there become exhausted.
Large items are stored at the loading deck end of the warehouse on the principle of the long way in but the short way out.
The warehouse stocks are distributed three times a year among 3,000 outlets comprising schools and other users administered by the six county councils which include some 30 district councils. Thus, tfre vehicle fleet operates at least 9,000 deliveries a year.
To accomplish this task, the consortium uses 12 four-ton rigid units based at Trowbridge and one at Bideford. It also operates one artic flat be