Delivering Mission-Critical Telecom Parts to Achieve 99.999% Uptime

Telecommunications connect the world. That’s stating the obvious.

But what isn’t obvious – or easy – is creating a service support supply chain that keeps telecom networks up and running. One that enables telecoms to achieve the “5-Nines” of excellent customer service – meaning 99.999% network uptime.

When telecom network equipment fails, it’s the service parts supply chain that kicks into high gear and delivers the components that assure near-perfect system availability.

Telecom isn’t the only industry that requires a Five-9 level of service. Network hardware and security, data storage, medical and retail systems and other big-data intensive industries all require near perfect service parts logistics solutions.

That’s a tall order for the service parts supply chain. It means creating a logistics network that always poised and always ready. It needs to be fast, accurate, on demand, reliable and scalable. One that works seamlessly to minimize business disruption. Telecom customers expect nothing less.

The failure enigma and what to do about it?

Sadly, not all telecom providers and OEMs perform to this standard. There are a myriad of factors standing in the way, some of which include:

• A lack of management attention to investment in the global service parts supply chain
• Relying on a ‘just-in-time’ service parts delivery model with carriers who have been fraught with on time performance delivery challenges
• Razor thin service parts inventory stocking to cut inventory carrying costs
• A ‘strung together’ service supply chain across multiple warehousing & transportation providers, technology platforms, importers and freight forwarders creating a complete lack of execution visibility and agility

This is the failure enigma that, while all too common, doesn’t need to occur.

The failure enigma has its roots in a strategy of partial neglect of this critical supply chain – what one global consulting firm named “the aftermarket afterthought” approach. It carries a high price, from lost sales and customer disaffection to brand damage and loss of market advantage. Overall, your telecom customers are upset with inconsistent parts delivery and service fix times. This creates a lack of confidence in your post-sales solution, and ultimately in your company as a critical business partner.

There is a solution. It comes in the form of outsourcing global service parts logistics operations to a specialist – a third-party provider whose sole business is 5-Nine aftermarket service logistics worldwide.

This is Flash Global’s business – a digitized service parts delivery solution.

The cornerstones of a global spare parts solution are several.

First and foremost is an integrated digital visibility, tracking, and communications platform used to see and orchestrate the global service parts operation. This is a far cry from the typical service parts supply chain, which is a convoluted hodgepodge of systems and operating models, cross-referenced through multiple platforms. It’s no surprise that this fragmented approach creates communication issues and inefficient processes.