Supply chain is the most challenging in living memory

Sascha Blodau General Manager MERKUR UK, has detailed the degree of logistical planning that has been necessary to secure the supply of Blueprint gaming machines for customers in face of what he described as ‘unprecedented’ pressures.

He confirmed: “I have been involved in the supply chain for many years and I have never seen the difficulty in procuring components that we are experiencing today. In some cases, part prices have exploded and in others the parts are painfully scarce. Our core objective is to have machines available for our customers to purchase whenever they need them. We have been planning since the Spring in order to be in a position where we can write orders and most importantly confirm delivery times. This has involved detailed planning and collaboration with our colleagues at the Gauselmann manufacturing centre in Lubbecke who have worked all hours to ensure that we have sufficient stock of all the necessary components.

“We are an agile supplier and our customers look to us as a partner that they can trust and rely on to be able to deliver product whether that’s for businesses wanting to invest in their existing venues or indeed new businesses opening on the high street.

“The fact that Blueprint machines carry the Made In Germany badge is clearly a huge advantage for us as we are not subject to the long transit times incurred when production takes place in the far east. We are committed to providing our customers with a fast, efficient delivery service so they can start generating income at the earliest opportunity and making contributions to high street economies.”