When customers discover that their car battery has given up the ghost at the first sub-zero temperatures, they need a replacement as quickly as possible. A garage passes this requirement on to its wholesaler, who is supposed to deliver the desired model ad hoc. But unfortunately, batteries cannot be stored unlimitedly – so simply stocking up the warehouses is out of the question. But how do you always have enough and the right batteries in stock, but never too many, and how do you maintain the perfect state of charge so that the end customer always gets the best product? The world’s leading battery manufacturer GS Yuasa has valuable tips on how to keep batteries in stock and explains what Christmas has to do with it.
Suddenly it’s cold, suddenly batteries fail, suddenly the demand for batteries skyrockets. Then workshops experience a typical late autumn run on new car batteries. After the turn of the year, as spring approaches, the demand of motorbike and leisure batteries rises again. To meet these requests, wholesalers need excellently balanced storage.
The right storage
- As with any kind of perishable goods, the same applies here: FIFO (First in, First out). The new batteries go to the back, the ones that have been stored the longest go to the front.
The climate in the storage room must be dry and well ventilated, not too hot and not too cold. The “comfortable” storage temperature for a battery is 15°C to 20°C.
- Batteries must be stored upright so that they cannot leak. To do this, they should be stored on suitable and clean shelves to avoid damage to the case.
Care of stored goods
- The charge state of batteries should be checked with a digital standard voltmeter every three months for AGM models and monthly for conventional batteries. To keep this necessary extra work to a minimum, it is usually sufficient to test randomly per batch.
- Only fully charged batteries provide optimal performance and satisfied customers. If the measuring device shows falling voltage values (≤ 12.5 V) during the routine check, the batteries must be recharged. The following applies: Please only use the appropriate chargers! The wrong charger can damage the battery and cause complaints.
- After recharging, the recharge date must be noted on the battery label.
Organisation
- An optimally managed warehouse requires precise planning, including complete documentation.
- Forecasting is a useful method to increase stock in time before demand increases. This helps to avoid possible supply bottlenecks. An analysis of previous sales figures helps with the calculation. The time between holidays is best suited for this. For example, between Christmas and New Year is the perfect time to start planning the season for motorbike and leisure batteries.
- Contact care is often neglected in the busy everyday life. That’s why it’s worth sending out a thank you at the end of the year – and listening to see if a workshop’s customer base has changed or if their vehicle focus has changed. For example, sales of new motorhomes have fallen in 2023, but the number of rewrites is rising – in other words, leisure vehicles are changing owners – who then naturally drive to their regular workshop with their latest acquisition and need leisure batteries as well as automotive ones.
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GS YUASA is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of rechargeable batteries with production facilities worldwide and an extensive marketing and distribution network in Europe. The wide range of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries covers most well-known industrial applications, such as security and alarm systems, UPS and emergency lighting systems as well as OEM equipment. The three business units include Industrial (industrial batteries for standby and cyclic applications), Automotive and Motorcycle (automotive and motorbike starter batteries).
GS YUASA Battery Germany GmbH, founded in 1983 as YUASA Battery (Europe) GmbH, is based in Krefeld and serves 15 countries within Europe from there.
