Customer Quotes
"The flexibility of the Choice network and the single technology platform is a huge plus for Avaya,"
"Through all of our interactions with Choice, we know that we can expect the same high-level of performance despite location, allowing us to consistently meet customer demands."
Brian Lucyk
Senior Director of Service Supply Chain
Avaya
Refer to the Telecom Datasheet to learn more about Choice's capabilities.
Choice Logistics > News > Case Studies > Avaya
Background
As a global provider of enterprise IP-based communications systems, Avaya offers unified communications, contact centers, and related services through direct and indirect sales channels to businesses and organizations of all sizes. The company's state-of-the-art technology improves efficiency, collaboration, and customer service to help end-users remain competitive. Learn more about Avaya at www.avaya.com.
Challenge
Companies around the world entrust Avaya to keep essential communications networks operating around the clock, or risk jeopardizing contracts and losing business. As such, the company must adhere to strict service level agreements that dictate consistent equipment performance and uptime, with mission-critical urgency. This creates the need for a host of service parts to be available for repairs and maintenance at a moment's notice.
The effective management of Avaya's approximately 70,000 forward stocked service parts commands an extraordinary amount of resources, placing a tremendous responsibility on internal operations. To sufficiently address this need, Avaya made the strategic decision to establish a partnership for mission-critical service parts logistics to ensure the highest level of service possible for each customer.
Solution
Avaya conducted a comprehensive search of transportation and logistics providers ranging from well-known multi-national companies to specialized niche providers. The company ultimately selected Choice Logistics for its high tech mission-critical service parts logistics focus, and the scope of its multi-regional network. Avaya also gravitated towards Choice's non-asset based infrastructure for greater flexibility to readily respond to market conditions.
To begin, Choice worked with Avaya to develop a comprehensive and customized solution for their service parts operation. This led to Avaya utilizing approximately 150 of Choice's more than 400 strategic stocking locations (SSLs) in North America and APAC. Each SSL offers extensive regional expertise and understanding of cultural and regulatory demands, such as importer of record and a myriad of other complexities.
Choice also integrated its proprietary technology to communicate with Avaya's system, to facilitate real-time inventory tracking and control. With the ability to reliably access field inventory, Avaya could maximize assets and control costs by ensuring part availability where and when needed.
With the SSL network and technology processes in place, Avaya was able to apply the power of the Choice network to have the right part in the right place in three hours or less, moving an average of 300 parts each day. All SSLs are closely monitored and audited regularly, following Choice's strict ISO certification protocols.
Parts oversight can be incredibly granular, down to the smallest details. The Choice system can track parts with limited shelf life to instantly alert Avaya when they are near expiration or need to be refreshed. This capability proactively ensures that parts are ready for use.
Avaya achieved total control and oversight of its forward stocked service parts through automated processes and direct interaction with Choice's Global Logistics Center, which houses various account management functions. This level of efficiency has helped Avaya significantly improve inventory accuracy and reduce costs. In fact, the system is so user-friendly that Avaya utilizes the Choice call center and system to manage forward stocked parts orders, further streamlining processes.
Results/Benefits
After six years, Avaya has used Choice to realize remarkable service operations improvements. Choice's real-time service parts visibility and availability, through its reliable SSL network, has been one of the foundations of this success. Inventory accuracy issues are virtually non-existent, allowing field technicians to focus on diagnosis and repair, rather than parts ordering and availability.
Avaya now meets, and exceeds, the needs of its customer base, offering the ability for accelerated market entry domestically and internationally by leveraging Choice's expansive SSL network. What's more, Avaya can just as easily rebalance markets as its customers' requirements fluctuate.
"The flexibility of the Choice network and the single technology platform is a huge plus for Avaya," said Brian Lucyk, senior director of service supply chain for Avaya. "Through all of our interactions with Choice, we know that we can expect the same high-level of performance despite location, allowing us to consistently meet customer demands."
Choice also stresses ongoing communication to generate the most value for each customer. Through weekly meetings and quarterly business reviews, Choice and Avaya continue to collaborate to identify joint solutions for process improvement.
"Our relationship with Choice exemplifies a true partnership," said Lucyk. “Choice excels at mission critical, short term deliveries and no other competitor's services compare. Choice has a depth of capabilities that we haven't found in any other provider. Their investment in the SSL network and technology, coupled with their collaborative nature has been key to our joint success."
Avaya has enhanced its service offering with Choice, allowing them to offer competitive same-day parts delivery. The confidence in their mission-critical network has allowed Avaya to consistently fulfill three- and four-hour delivery in multiple geographic regions, resulting in increased customer retention and revenue generation through new business.