RS Components Wins Award for 'Operational Excellence' at Supply Chain Distinction Awards

OXFORD, England, June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Award Presented for Significant Achievements in Supply Chain Performance

RS Components (RS) the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products and the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), has won the Operational Excellence Award at the Supply Chain Distinction Awards 2011 held in Berlin, Germany. The prestigious award was presented in recognition of the company's significant achievements in supply chain performance, planning and logistics, as well as customer service and satisfaction.

The main criterion for the annual award was the demonstration of measurable achievements through strategic supply chain implementation, such as enhancing the bottom line, maximising customer satisfaction, reducing cost, increasing market share, and gaining leadership position. Over the past two years, RS has implemented a number of key innovations that have helped it to significantly improve its overall supply chain performance.

Some of the key achievements demonstrated by RS include: increasing service provision to its customers whilst adding nearly 60,000 products per year; processing 46,000 parcels per day at industry-leading service levels; moving from 5,000 new product introductions (NPI) per year to 5,000 NPI per month; and reducing supply chain costs as a percentage of sales. In addition, RS has successfully introduced formal forecasting, demand planning and a Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) process.

Anne Bruggink, General Manager Supply Chain at Electrocomponents, commented: "We are delighted to win one of the most respected European supply chain awards. We have a vision to build a world class supply and this accolade demonstrates that we are well on the way to achieving this. We have developed a dynamic and robust supply chain that enables us to continually exceed customer expectations and be a truly valued business partner for RS, our suppliers and our customers."

About RS Components

RS Components is the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products serving 1.6 million customers worldwide. Through operations in 32 countries and 17 warehouses, the Group distributes 550,000 products ranging from semiconductors and optoelectronics to power tools and protective clothing. The product and service portfolio supports the entire product lifecycle from R&D through pre-production to maintenance and repair, shipping more than 46,000 parcels on the same day the orders are received.

RS Components and Allied Electronics are the trading brands of Electrocomponents plc. The Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the last financial year to 31 March 2011 had revenues of £1.18bn.  For more information, please visit the website at http://www.rs-components.com.

Further information is available via these links:

RS Components on Linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/company/rs-components


Relevant Links:

Electrocomponents plc
http://www.electrocomponents.com

RS Components
http://www.rs-components.com