Sega and its Logistics, storage and transport.
This article will not speak to everyone. However, we can see the importance of SEGA and imagine the number of companies that depended directly or indirectly on her. This file is in connection with the article of the Sega France after-sales service. Good reading !!!
With the Dreamcast, Sega came back from far. The company had gone through a dark period when Sony arrived on the market. Between 1995 and 1998, Sega had gone downhill (read the adventures of Sega France). At the end of 1998, the turnover was close to zero while the staff of Sega France only counted 13 people against 140 in 1993.
However, the replica was being prepared in the design offices of Sega Japan with the upcoming release of the Dreamcast. 1998 was a transition year for Sega France, as they tried to optimize all their tools, including logistics and transport.
Storage
During the Dreamcast period, two storage areas are known. There were certainly more.
The first deposit, that of the company "Podium Logistique", mandated by Sega, was planned for everything related to after-sales service. His address was:
Logistics Podium
Technical services
Industrial Zone
593/601 Avenue Blaise Pascal
77555 Moissy Cramayel Cedex
The second known depot was that of the "Dubois" company, which was used for storage, preparation of orders, returns and transport. Here is his address:
Edward Dubois and Sons
Transport and Logistics
48/50 Main Harbor Road
92232 Gennevilliers
POST ADDRESS: 75893 Paris Cedex 18
Dubois's work tool was one of the most efficient in France. The storage center opened in mid-1999 was very secure and close to Paris. Sega was able to dispose of it when it was empty, and to arrange and structure it according to its needs..
Dead stock dreamcast from the 2000s
The collaboration of the 2 companies begins with an unusual operation, the national launch of the new console set for midnight on October 14, 1999. The night of the 13th to the 14th, hundreds of stores were open all over France. They had to be supplied in time. Imagine the volume of goods transported !
Phase 2 consisted of delivering the restocking, from the end of October to the end of December, a period during which Sega made between 60% and 80% of its sales. It was necessary to know how to deal with an unpredictable flow of orders on a daily basis and to deliver quickly to avoid stock-outs.
Phase 3 was based on a weekly rhythm. Each week, a new game was released for the Dreamcast and it had to be on the shelves everywhere in France by Friday !
This second warehouse replaced that of Logistics Performance. The contract ended in May 1999. To give you an idea of the magnitude of it, a few bits of information about it:
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It consisted of two storage areas, one of which is 4000 m² totally reserved for SEGA. The other was 11,000 m² including 5,000 m² for the hedgehog firm. There was a total capacity of 15,000 pallet places, 80% of which were organized in the form of racks of 6 high pallets, the top floor of which was 8 m 40 high.
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The staff included a hundred qualified people such as for example : a data processing engineer, 2 logistics managers, a stock control manager and a quality control supervisor.
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The tools at their disposal were numerous, 25 manual pallet trucks, 6 forklifts (3 retractable masts, 1 front, and 2 order pickers) and plenty of other handling machines.
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Computer level, there were 1 IBM AS400, 6 IBM PC'S and 25 connected screens.
Flexible and adaptable organizational proposals for SEGA France with signature of the contract en March 1991:
Reception of 2 containers on Saturday morning
Same day blister production, we are certainly talking about rigid blisters
Preparation Monday morning and shipment of orders the same afternoon.
Reception of 3 containers around 10 p.m.
Unloading, control and production of blisters overnight
Preparation and dispatch the next morning
Reception at 8 p.m.
Blister production from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. the next day
Preparation from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dispatch at 6 p.m.
I am responsible for Logistics by profession, it is an environment that fascinates me, every day is different. Reading between the lines, these figures and this arrival planning information give an overview of the volume of merchandise that SEGA handled on French territory. Imagine a little globally !!!
I do not have enough document to have an idea of logistics on a European scale but as an example, only for the after-sales service during the Dreamcast period, SEGA Europe ordered on July 26, 1999 and September 6, 1999 the following items :
-20000 Bottom Case
-20000 Top Case Assy
-20000 Rating Label
-750 PAL VA1 main board
-4000 VA1 GD Drive
-1300 VA1 I / sub board
-500 VA1 230V AC power unit
These high numbers correspond to the quantities of spare parts planned for after-sales service and available at the launch of the Dreamcast. To this, we must add regular orders throughout the marketing period. These parts were undoubtedly then dispatched between the different countries by SEGA Europe.
L'informatique
During the period Dreamcast, the computer system used was NAVISION.
At that time, Sega and its main shareholder, the Japanese computer group CSK Corps, were entering the world of multimedia by signing numerous alliances in the Internet and telephone sectors. The Dreamcast console, equipped with a modem, was to serve as a terminal giving access to these new technologies.
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The cancelled Zip Drive accessories (in partnership with the company Iomega) and the Dreamcast connected watch (in collaboration with the Swiss company Swatch), are two perfect examples of Sega's intention to transform their latest console into a multimedia station.
In just a few months, SEGA Europe had succeeded in installing a new network, completely changing the hardware and software and implementing new software, Navision, to meet all the company's needs.
Sega Europe, based in London, wanted to harmonize the computer systems of France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany. The first two countries were using AS/400 servers with different software, while the last two countries were using only PCs, still with different software. The trigger to change the software infrastructure was the Y2K deadline. The upgrade of the AS/400 was immediately ruled out, and the choice fell on NAVISION under Windows NT, which met their requirements :
-Flexibility to adapt to Sega's business
-Have an international dimension with a great possibility of interconnection
-The shortest possible implementation time and cost.
The study of the transfer had started at the end of 1998. The first start-up took place in mid-May 1999. At the beginning, the Purchase/Sales/Inventory/Accounting/Fixtures modules were used. Human Resources was added later, as well as a specific module for managing customer rebates at the end of the year. At this stage, only the after-sales service was missing.
The company INTERFACE DATA was in charge of NAVISION. Its experience in European project management has considerably facilitated the implementation of the system in coordination with Sega Europe.
Dreamcast demonstration terminals:
Dreamcast furniture was at "Podium Logistique". In April 1999, SEGA France expected around twenty Japanese NTSC demonstration kiosks. The 500 to 800 others were to follow in July. They were delivered on 2 pallets, one for the furniture, one for the TV (stackable).
They were planned, for the first year like this:
Number of furniture in first implantation (500)
-Appointment
-Physical installation, connection, training with the department manager, document delivery, polaroid photography, document, etc.
-Recovery of packaging, repatriation of these.
Number of furniture in Turn -Over (150)
-Return of the implanted furniture (appointment, repackaging)
- Trade-in document
-Return to the logistics platform
- Repair possible change of part
-Storage in original packaging
-Re Delivery
Maintenance intervention:
-On-site intervention to restore furniture within 24 hours
-Intervention by changing modules on site
-Standard exchange of furniture and restoration of it on the logistics platform.
Means of maintenance intervention:
- Replacement stock of complete furniture (without TV): 40
-Spare TV stock: 40
-Stock of consoles in addition: 50
-Stock of controllers in addition: 100
-Stock of spare parts for furniture
Number of furniture in Trade-Marketing (100)
-On-time operation with appointment setting
-Delivery, installation, recovery, etc.
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We often forget how much work this furniture required in the supply chain. Too often we only imagine the storage of games and consoles.
Destruction campaigns:
The destruction campaigns were not left out like that of the 30th but 1996. The figure in pallets is scary, we also see the number of PLV that could be created. Example with the latter:
- After-sales service "D" and Defective Softs: 44 + 17 = 61 pallets
Start of operation: June 4, 1996
-Furniture: 18 pallets
Date of operation: June 5, 1996
-PLV: 235 pallets
Start of operation: June 11, 1996
The production of Dreamcast games:
The production of the games for the Dreamcast was made in Holland. The company "EMI Compact Disc" was in charge of the manufacturing process. Sega Europe did not want to have a central warehouse with large volumes for long periods of time. If the situation changed, EMI could, as an option, have taken care of it. This means that as soon as the production is finished, the games go directly to the warehouses of the different countries.
On leaving the factory, for storage and transport, hard and soft (games, accessories and consoles) were put in specific boxes that we call "shipping boxes" among collectors. Each carton contained a set number of each sets and accessories.
You can download all the technical sheets for these shipping boxes here or browse the scans below:.
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box Arcade Stick
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box volant
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box vibration pack
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box clavier
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box console
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box pistolet
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box manettes
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box carte mémoire
Fiche Technique Dreamcast Shipping box canne à pêche
International and national transport
Internationally (Dreamcast period):
For consoles and peripherals, the goods were shipped from the Middle East to the port of Antwerp in Belgium. This port was chosen because Sega was exempt from VAT there. Sega Europe also had a duty free franchise for Hardware.
The port of Antwerp was the central distribution point for hardware and peripherals for France, Germany, Spain and export. It was not intended to store the product for a long time. One could imagine that Sega used the principle of JIT (Just In Time) which consists in avoiding storage handling by sending the goods as soon as they arrive at their destination to the different countries.
Sumitomo, was probably appointed by Sega Japan as Customs Commissioner. The Japanese company was perhaps also chosen for the expedition to the various territories. At the time of issuing this document on April 20, 1999, discussions were in place with three companies.
It was estimated that by that date they expected to receive the first goods (unknown quantities per item) by early August.
At the national level (Dreamcast period):
"Rousselot SA" took care of the transport of the Dreamcast terminals for the different regions of France during the preparation of the launch of the console. His address :
Rousselot SA
Moving / Furniture Storage
Handling / Layout
110 Rue Descartes
54710 Ludres
She could also store furniture Dreamcastin their premises for a monthly rental per terminal. For example, as of June 21, 1999, 10 kiosks were planned to stay at home.
According to the specifications, the company undertook to deliver, assemble and connect the equipment, except for contingencies appearing in the report.
The employees had training in furniture assembly.
You will find the scans of the user manuals used by the carrier for SATURN displays below or you can download them here.
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SEGA Saturn borne de démonstration mode d'emploi Francais
SEGA Saturn borne de démonstration mode d'emploi Anglais
SEGA Saturn borne de démonstration mode d'emploi Belge
SEGA Saturn borne de démonstration mode d'emploi Espagnole
For a delivery of 15 pieces of furniture, the insurance was 8000 F each (1230 €). In the specifications of another carrier, "BOVIS Atantique", the furniture was insured up to 12,000 F (1850 €).
Example of a mission entrusted to this transporter:
A) Medpi 99 (MedPi Software)
Monte Carlo Auditorium Congress Center
20 pieces of furniture (undefined quantity)
Furniture installation: June 29, 1999
Furniture pick-up: July 2 from 4 p.m.
-Biarritz
10 pieces of furniture Go 11.07
Return on 07/19
-Marseille
25 pieces of furniture Go on 09/22
Return on 05.10
-Caen
10 pieces of furniture Go on 09/15
Return on 09/28
The transport company Bovis Atlantique was to take care of the transport of the furniture during the marketing period of the Dreamcast together with "Podium Logistique". His address :
BOVIS ATLANTIC SARL
Osceraye Business Park
CHIP
BP 16
44170 Nozay
Edit: Vintage video, from 37 seconds, which gives us an overview of the warehouses of SEGA FRANCE (Megadrive period). Thanks to Mr. Nes for sending it to me after reading my article.
