News in the Channel - issue #17

PSA PARTS

time clock batteries. In the ’90s, the company grew into supplying a range of mobile device spares. “We were one of the first companies in the UK to offer a range of replacement laptop batteries,” adds Nik. “The business has grown continually from there. Its core focus has always been around the spare parts business. We have additional divisions now that focus on supporting retailers. Those are the two pillars of the company because their demands and needs are so different. Obviously, we’re very focused on the IT reseller market, and supporting the needs of those resellers as its the core of our business.” PSA Parts had some notable milestones in 2023, as the company became an official distributor for HPE and ASA, and Nik indicated there are more announcements regarding new partnerships due later this month.

around about two million spares a year. “With the advent of Amazon, people expect everything instantly. And the change now in terms of where people are working, businesses are often splintered in terms of people working off-site. Where we might have delivered 500 units of something to one site previously pre- COVID, we may now be required to send out 500 separate orders to residential addresses. We’ve invested a lot into our logistics and infrastructure in the last couple of years to enable us to deliver that level service to support resellers and the channel. “For instance, when we deliver on behalf of our customers, an express delivery service uses the reseller’s branding. We have various courier options, those specialising in business or residential addresses, and select it accordingly to get the best service for that final delivery.” Improving conditions With the focus on sustainability, as well as uptick in the economy, Nik is positive about the future, but realistic about how fast growth will be. “Conditions are improving, but there’s still a long way to go,” he says. “We were all hopeful that 2024 was going to see that real recovery. But the consensus now is that we’re seeing the grassroots recovery in 2024, but it will be 2025 before we really see that change. “Part of the challenge is everybody had a boom through COVID in 2020, ’21 and into 2022 as everybody was reequipping or double- equipping staff everywhere. But we were really borrowing from the future. People used to have purchase cycles that were out of sync, and because everybody bought in that period from 2020-22, we’ve got a bit of a void where nobody’s product is coming out of its lifecycle. But many people expect 2025 to be when we’ll see a lot of that kit replacement start.”

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Our guys become virtual

members of their team, as a go-to contact to be able to quote instantly on spare parts, cross-reference and provide guidance when required.

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More than just parts But PSA Parts is about more than just

supplying components, it is about providing training and marketing to resellers to help them to maximise their sales. “Our team will go into a reseller and train their entire team on the spares and upgrade market,” says Nik. “We also provide ongoing support. Our guys become virtual members of their team, as a go-to contact to be able to quote instantly on spare parts, cross-reference and provide guidance when required.” Of course, spare parts are often required quickly, and PSA Parts has this covered too. “We have a logistics facility in the UK, and one in the EU, and we ship anything up to 5,000 orders a day at our peak times,” says Nik. “Anything ordered before 6pm can be delivered on site next day. We also offer a same day delivery service as well for break- fix and maintenance spares. Speed and efficiency are critical. We hold more than half a million spare parts in stock at any one time, and ship