SAN ANTONIO, Texas – PerformanceWarehouse Inc., a member of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance family (the Alliance), has won the coveted R. L. Polk Inventory Efficiency Award. This marks the third win in as many years for the Alliance group.
A longstanding member of the Alliance, Performance Warehouse was named the 2013 winner of the award in the Distribution/Retail category at this year’s Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) in Chicago. Each year, the Polk Inventory Efficiency Award recognizes major process improvements in supply chain and inventory efficiency. Just two awards are conferred each year, one for a manufacturer and one for a retailer/distributor.
"We are extremely proud to be recognized for the hard work we have done to manage our inventory, keep our jobbers competitive and our business growing. This award is validation that Performance Warehouse and the Alliance are on the right track," said JR Moore, president of Performance Warehouse.
Performance Warehouse utilizes many of the technology tools created by the Alliance. Alliance President and CEO John Washbish commented, "We have invested heavily in well-targeted technology and the best IT group in the business. Our members perform at a level that garners special recognition, such as the Polk award. When you’re able to earn such a prestigious award three years in a row, you know it’s more than good luck."
Two years ago, the Polk Inventory Efficiency award went to Alliance member Auto Parts Headquarters Inc. in St. Cloud, Minn. Last year, Alliance headquarters received the award in recognition of the group’s focus on inventory efficiency practices and tools on behalf of its members.
The Alliance Inventory Optimization Tool (IOT) has proven to be a highly effective software package, the group says. By modeling sales data, inventory data, vehicles in operation and replacement rate data, the system helps resellers make better inventory and stocking decisions. It significantly improves accuracy in predicting part failure rates and identifying business opportunities, and helped drive a 9 percent inventory decrease and 6 percent sales increase overall for Performance Warehouse. Their independent jobbers increased sales by as much as 44 percent in product lines updated using the IOT.
"We are grateful to Polk for recognizing Performance Warehouse with their 2013 Inventory Efficiency Award," added Washbish. "With the Auto Parts Headquarters win in 2011, our group win last year and a third win for Performance Warehouse, it’s obvious we’ve got the right recipe for managing inventory through the entire supply chain."
Watch the Performance Warehouse Polk Award video here.
