Lenovo promises shorter lead times
PC manufacturer looking to reduce lead times from 10 days to seven
Lenovo has pledged a three-day reduction in its lead time to channel partners, one year after its $1.25bn acquisition of IBM's PC division (CRN, 9 May 2005).
Speaking at a global web conference last week, Milko Van Duijl, president of Lenovo EMEA, admitted that lead time was currently 10 days on average.
"We are addressing the lead time. That was a problem before under IBM and now we are building [PCs] in China we are trying to improve it," he said. "A satisfactory lead time for us is seven to eight days and it's our intention to get to those figures."
Van Duijl added that it was also working on the implementation of metrics in each of its operating countries to help ensure that channel partners can source Lenovo products whenever they require them.
"Our objective is to have all products in stock when a business partners' customer requests them at any time," he said.
Shaune Parsons, managing director of Lenovo Platinum partner Computer World Wales, told CRN that the vendor seems to be moving in the right direction.
"Smaller VARs find it hardest to survive when the supply time is long. We can take stock and hold it, unlike smaller VARs, but we welcome any announcement to reduce lead time because stock is money at the end of the day," he said.
Lenovo now has two operating models: Transactional and Relationship. Transactional is focused on the vendor's traditional strengths within the SME market, while the latter is designed to bring Lenovo closer to IBM's established enterprise sector strength.
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