DHL provides the complete works for EMI Music France

DHL becomes a part of EMI Music France's ensemble. For the next five years, DHL will be responsible for orchestrating the logistics for EMI's CDs, DVDs and POS¹ advertising materials. More than 30 million albums will make it into the racks each year thanks to DHL Exel Supply Chain.

DHL Exel Supply Chain knows its music. The logistics expert has been working in the cultural goods sector for over 30 years. Its many years of experience make it a known value and counted in its favour when EMI Music France issued its invitation to tender.

Production and packaging of the CDs and DVDs from the record company's 12 labels² destined for the European market is centralised in Uden, in the Netherlands. The logistics expert has taken over EMI's logistic processes, which until now were managed by another provider at the site in Saint-Ouen-L'Aumône, and integrated all 52 employees. Once the products have been delivered to the site, DHL Exel Supply Chain comes into play, and the process of unloading, checking, stocking and order preparation begins. Every item is located within the 8,500-m2 warehouse, via its bar code. ABC Tool, a WMS (Warehousing Management System) software package, analyses and optimises the warehousing and order-preparation operations. This is an essential tool, as on average, 6600 CD references and 300,000 orders (equal to 30 million items) are handled each year, and in order to guarantee the five to ten record launches a week, 120,000 items are prepared on average every day.

To maintain this rhythm, DHL Exel Supply Chain uses a semi-automated production line that can achieve a rate of 500,000 items and 30,000 order lines a day. Each order is automatically weighed on the production line. If its weight does not match the integrated reference value, it drops out of the line and is checked manually. An additional 35% of orders - chosen at random - are also checked manually, to guarantee perfect reliability.

DHL Exel Supply Chain also carries out promotional packaging and value-added logistic services for EMI such as special and regular packaging, labelling the CDs, DVDs and boxes when they are delivered with an embargo date, as well as preparing the displays (assembled or not). DHL also manages all returns to Saint-Ouen-L'Aumône.

EMI already has a long-time partnership with DHL Express for small parcel distribution and this relationship has supported this new contract with Exel Supply Chain.

Following on from the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Renaud, Charles Aznavour and Moby, EMI Music France is definitely on the way to establishing new distribution records with DHL Exel Supply Chain!