Computer products distribution giant Ingram Micro Inc has moved closer to manufacturers to make its delivery strategy to resellers cheaper and more efficient. The $21bn company said it has co-located – by establishing shipping capabilities and placing Ingram Micro employees – at Compaq Computer Corp’s warehouse in Houston, Texas and IBM Corp’s warehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, Ingram has introduced a reseller co- location program at its integration center in Memphis, Tennessee, to encourage resellers to participate in its PC build-to-order process. The co-location comes as the next step in the company’s Delivery Plus program, launched in August, in which Ingram contracted with shipping companies near Compaq and IBM facilities to ship products from the vendors’ warehouses to resellers. Ingram says since then it has increased the number of shipments from the facilities, and realized certain delivery efficiencies – but that co-location is being carried out to cope with increasing demand. The company also plans to offer custom configuration of PCs at the manufacturer sites soon, adding third-party components for custom solutions. And for resellers that require more involvement in the integration process, Ingram will allow them to oversee major projects at the Memphis integration center – and even give them access to a private office.
