It’s that time of year again where we all prepare to flock to the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre for another edition of Rail Live. This time last year, TVS Rail Spares was gearing up for its launch into the rail industry and a lot has happened since that landmark moment.
The fledgling service has gained traction in the industry with over 100 unique rail companies having signed up to the TVS Rail Spares online catalogue. Virtually all of the Tier 1 signalling contractors have formally onboarded TVS Rail Spares as a supplier and placed orders, as well as customers from Train Care depots and subcontractors from Telecoms, OLE, and Civils disciplines.
Grant Jones, Managing Director TVS Supply Chain Solutions said: “We are delighted with the progress that we’ve made over the past year. The team have worked really hard to develop our proposition to the sector and we’re proud of the achievements and milestones that we’ve already reached. As we move through the next control period, we are ready to the be the rail industry’s CP7 Partner of Choice.”
TVS Rail Spares supplies over 10,000 PADS approved or rail industry recognised spare parts with free next-day delivery, powered by their innovative IT solutions for maximum supply chain efficiency. They manage more than 400 rail suppliers and deliver solutions in the rail sector across infrastructure, signalling, rolling stock and maintenance support.
How the journey took shape over the past twelve months
“When I first joined TVS fifteen months ago, we already had the capability in the rail sector to deliver a great service,” explains Steve Welch, Commercial Manager, who manages TVS Rail Spares and developed the proposition. “We wanted to think differently however and tried as a team to set out a philosophy for what the service, based upon what the rail industry desperately needed. We came to the conclusion that there were three key principles at the forefront of our proposition: customer service, value for money and above all, being easy to do business with.”
As part of TVS Supply Chain Solutions, a global leader in end-to-end supply chain services for various industries including automotive, beverage, health, industrial, rail, utilities, and defence markets, the building blocks were already in place to be successful on all three fronts. With the online catalogue offering world class material availability and delivery performance, fast quote turnaround and cost-effective pricing, it’s clear that the service ticks all the boxes. But what have been the key challenges faced in launching TVS Rail Spares?
“The journey for us has been as much about spreading the word of what we offer as much as anything else,” said Steve Welch. “We had a great start at Rail Live last year and got to meet many of the Tier 1 contractors in the industry. Since then, it’s taken a lot of hard work trying to get to see as many customers and attend as many events as possible to make sure everyone in the industry knows what we can do.”
With the online catalogue providing lots of benefits for the industry, with real time availability and pricing, as well as nearly 6,000 safety datasheets and more than 17,000 product images. The most critical of all the features is the speedy supply of products, however. Steve Welch agrees: “The free next day delivery is really important for our customers. We know the cost and pain our customers face when they haven’t got the material they need, so having this as a standard feature for over 3,500 items we have on the shelf is vital.”
TVS SCS has a long-standing reputation for innovation and unlocking value through technology, with many more developments planned for the TVS Rail Spares journey. Andy Lawrence, Head of Business Development picks up the story. “We see ourselves as disruptors in the marketplace and the rail sector has been long overdue some innovation in the supply chain,” he said.
“We see TVS Rail Spares as part of a long-term journey and there’s still a lot of work to do. We’re looking to add many more products to the 10,000 that we already supply, increasing our portfolio into the Traction & Rolling Stock market as well as working with suppliers to help them bring innovative infrastructure products to the market. There’s so much potential for us to benefit the whole industry, from the contractors to the train builders and operators, so we can collectively deliver a better passenger experience.”
It’s clear that they have greater ambitions in the industry and a track record to back it up. With many stops still to go on their rail journey, TVS Rail Spares are on the right track. It’s going to be a great ride.
To find out more, go to www.tvsrailspares or check out the TVS Rail Spares stand at S42 in the Signalling Zone at Rail Live on 19th-20th June.
This is an article originally published in Rail Professional’s June 2024 edition. Click here to read the article.