We recently revisited ASWR, an independent BMW dismantlers/parts supplier located in Openshaw, just 3 miles away from Manchester city centre, to see how they have been faring since our last visit in 2019 when we explored the topic of efficiency in a small space. Despite the passing years, ASWR continues to operate from their 6000 sq ft old industrial terraced unit, which, upon entering, reveals itself to be deceptively spacious and impeccably well organised.
Back in 2019, Stephen Murphy, the owner, expressed a desire to expand the business. However, the limited space at their current location posed a challenge. They had explored the possibility of acquiring an adjacent building, but unfortunately, the deal fell through due to various reasons, one being the reluctance of banks to support the vehicle recycling industry. Despite ASWR’s profitability operation, the banks seemed to hold onto the stereotypical image of cars stacked haphazardly with the barking German Shepherd guard dog in the corner; this perception couldn’t be further from the truth.
Consequently, Stephen had to explore alternative options. The first option was to find a suitable place locally at the right price. However, given the premium prices for sites within Manchester due to the city centre’s expansion, this proved to be an extremely challenging endeavour. The second option was to relocate the entire operation to the outskirts, which posed the risk of losing valuable staff members who currently live nearby.
This prompted Stephen to consider a different approach: reimagining the existing site and optimising their workflow. The idea was to store more advertised parts on-site, potentially generating increased sales. To achieve this, Stephen had to make significant changes.
Firstly, they removed the car trees and extended the storeroom by an additional 2000 sq ft. They maximised the utilisation of the entire building, utilising the available space up to the rafters and creating three floors within the existing 2000 sq ft, enabling them to store up to another 10,000 + parts to streamline the process from car dismantling to the storeroom, and they implemented a conveyor belt system akin to an assembly line from start to finish.
In addition, they invested in a newer IT system provided by Eladene Systems; this new system has proved to be significantly faster than its predecessor, generating tags and listing parts online within seconds.
As BMW specialists, ASWR utilised their knowledge of the parts catalogue to quickly locate items within the store, even in the event of temporary internet downtime. For instance, if they needed to find an EGR Valve with the BMW part number 11 71 7822350, they would search for it in section 11 of their stores, as the part number starts with 11, which corresponds to the engine parts section in the BMW parts catalogue (see images below).
This streamlined approach simplified the process of locating parts for sale within the stores.
According to Stephen, the benefits of the new streamlined system and expanded storeroom are already becoming evident.
They aim to complete the transformation of their stores by the end of the year, considering that the project commenced only in January of this year. It has been a challenging journey so far, especially while juggling day-to-day operations and the acquisition of a body shop, ASWR Motorbodies, in May 2022. Nevertheless, the hard work invested thus far seems to be paying off, and ASWR is well on its way to achieving optimal efficiency in its small space.
Visit www.bmw-carparts.co.uk