Synnex to unveil BTO facility

Melbourne-based distributor and builder Synnex is set to unveil a build-to-order production facility for resellers, which it claimed is one of the most advanced in Australia.

The company invested around $1 million in the facility – already in operation – with a view to assist local resellers and assemblers to be more competitive against Dell Computer, according to Frank Sheu, managing director at Synnex.

Synnex, which prides itself on being Australia's largest component distributor, said the facility would provide BTO and configure-to-order services including product testing and image loading on PCs for resellers.

The facility would have a 'wider range' of product skews than competing vendors such as Acer Computer, said Sheu. '[Resellers] can buy in parts or give us a shopping list. We can support 50 different LCD [monitors] and 100 different kinds of printers outside the box. It's a fantastic resource for them [resellers],' Sheu said.

The facility could be used by second-tier international branded vendors or local white-box builders, Sheu said.

The production line 'on demand' will move into full swing over the next few weeks and at its peak it is expected that Synnex could produce up to 6,000 units per month (300 per day) built and configured to order, Sheu said.

The facility has 10 staff, but is designed to accommodate 20 staff, Sheu said.

Synnex produces around 100 machines per day, so its output would essentially be tripled. 'We have a lot of [reseller] customers that have already expressed interest,' he said.

He claimed that white-box assemblers could use the facility to better handle fluctuating demand for their products. He said that material planning is often a 'nightmare' for white-box assemblers. 'We have to be able to meet their needs for all technical requirements,' he said.

The news follows Synnex securing a lucrative HP consumables supply contract in mid-August, following the demise of Daisytek earlier this year.

At the time, Sheu said the distributor won the deal due to its responsive supply chain and its ability to cope with a large order count.