arvato UK & Ireland announced that Universal Music UK has expanded its existing supply chain agreement with the company to include e-commerce fulfilment and customer service direct to consumers.
Form more information visit: www.arvato.co.uk
Unedited press release follows:
Universal Music UK expands supply chain partnership with arvato to include e-commerce distribution and customer service
30/01/2012, London. arvato UK & Ireland has expanded its existing supply chain agreement with Universal Music UK to include e-commerce fulfilment and customer service direct to consumers (D2C). arvato will deliver music and merchandise to consumers internationally and provide product information, returns support and manage order queries via phone and email.
To maximise Universal’s stock across multiple channels and improve turnaround times, arvato has seamlessly integrated Universal’s e-commerce order management systems with the existing B2B order management and warehouse management system in arvato’s Milton Keynes facility. Integrated customer service will be managed from one of arvato’s contact centres, located in Liverpool.
arvato was chosen thanks to its transparent approach and the strong results already being delivered for Universal’s B2B distribution. Since the start of the relationship, arvato has shipped 150 million units with an average 100% completion rate, and the transformation has produced cost per unit savings of 25%.
“The level of service and support arvato continues to provide are faultless,” said Steve Partridge, Head of E-Commerce, Universal Music UK. “As the music industry continues to evolve, we’re confident that arvato’s innovative and cost-effective approach will support our ambitious future e-commerce targets.”
“Universal Music is the world’s largest music content company and our job is to ensure that its customers receive the high quality service they expect,” said Markus Schmücker, Managing Director, Supply Chain Solutions, arvato UK & Ireland. “It’s exciting to work with such an innovative company. Universal’s diverse approach to e-commerce fits perfectly with our growth strategy in the UK as we look for new ways to support our clients with innovative and scalable e-commerce solutions.”
About arvato UK & Ireland
arvato is a trusted global business outsourcing partner to the private and public sectors in the UK. With more than 50 years of experience in outsourcing, arvato combines expertise in business process outsourcing (BPO), finance services, contact centres, loyalty and customer retention, supply chain solutions, and public sector and citizen services to deliver innovative, individual solutions. arvato has long-term partnerships with some of the most respected companies in the UK and globally, as well as innovative public sector clients. It is a subsidiary of arvato AG, an internationally networked outsourcing provider with over 60,000 people employed in over 270 subsidiaries across 35 countries worldwide. arvato has annual revenues of approximately €5bn contributing nearly a third of the Bertelsmann group annual revenues of over €15bn. For more information, visit www.arvato.co.uk
About Universal Music UK
Universal Music UK is a division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry’s leading global music publishing operation. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.