The three key drivers for our business are trading, supply and operations. Without the right products, we wouldn’t attract the customers and without the store teams, we wouldn’t sell it. The critical element which links the two is the supply chain. Put simply, we’re the people who make sure the products get from the suppliers to our distribution centres and from the distribution centres to the stores, without blockages, oversupply or wrong orders. It’s the oil which keeps the machine running smoothly.

Which is why we’ve been investing heavily in state-of-the-art warehouse systems and new software to make us even more efficient. In 2005 we implemented SAP throughout the supply chain which gives us end to end visibility of products allowing real-time decision making and the ability to track issues to their root cause. This means we’re much more proactive, working with the rest of the business to continually improve service levels.

For our people, this means that far from being viewed as simply a support service, we are integral to commercial decision making. The scale of Halfords and the fact that our largest distribution centre shares a site with our head offices means that working here gives plenty of visibility and a guarantee that our contribution will have an impact. It’s an open culture too, where our ideas are sought and we encourage the development of our people, both within the supply chain and cross-functionally. It’s no surprise then that the current supply chain controller has a background in store and area management – there’s plenty of encouragement to explore career development throughout the business.

If you want to pursue a supply chain career at the heart of a business, Halfords could be for you. For profiles of some of our people, click here.

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