Choice Logistics > News > Case Studies > GlassHouse
Meeting Complex Needs Around the Globe
Background
GlassHouse Technologies Customer Support Services (CSS) is a global provider of IT infrastructure services supporting the storage, data protection, virtualization, security and data center markets with locations in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. The company offers customer support services to high tech equipment manufacturers, as well as strategic consulting and services to enterprise-level organizations around the world.
Challenge
GlassHouse has a global customer base comprised of well-known multinational technology manufacturers with tens of thousands of end users in the medical, manufacturing, financial services and broadcasting industries. GlassHouse provides “best of breed” call center, field engineering, logistics and installation services to integrate and maintain data centers.
To support its clients with time-definite needs, GlassHouse must adhere to strict customer service level agreements (SLA) that dictate consistent performance and uninterrupted uptime for data center equipment. To accomplish this, the company requires mission critical logistics for same-day available service parts to keep this technology functioning. The international scope of GlassHouse’s customer base creates a challenging environment to accurately deliver these valuable service parts under stringent time restraints.
With these rigorous contractual obligations and global demands, GlassHouse needed a logistics partner with the experience, network and technology platform that could meet its exacting standards. This partner would also need to provide precise inventory oversight and asset tracking that would maintain adequate stocking levels in the field, while avoiding the expense of excessive inventory.
Solution
Realizing the complexity of mission-critical service parts logistics, GlassHouse CSS selected Choice Logistics to fulfill this need for its support services offering. GlassHouse was attracted to Choice’s sole focus on mission-critical service parts logistics, the sophisticated technology platform and unparalleled global expertise.
At the outset, the Choice team conducted a thorough due diligence of GlassHouse’s requirements to design a customized solution that would meet their service level commitments and maximize inventory assets for the variety of high-profile companies that utilize GlassHouse’s services. This translates to more than 30,000 parts, at the capacity of over 500 parts per week to support client needs.
To execute mission-critical service parts logistics with the precision of two-hour, four-hour and next day delivery, Choice carefully mapped GlassHouse’s install base to align it with Choice’s network of strategic stocking locations (SSLs). As of 2009, GlassHouse utilizes 249 of Choice’s more than 400 SSLs. This also required the power of Choice’s global distribution centers located in Atlanta, Rotterdam, Hong Kong/Singapore, Toronto, Mexico City and Sydney to keep parts sufficiently replenished.
The backbone of the Choice solution is a proprietary global IT platform that provides accurate, real-time inventory visibility and control for each GlassHouse end user. The system not only provides important data to facilitate strategic management decisions, but also conducts auto replenishment as service parts are consumed. All in all, the seamless technology infrastructure greatly simplifies the extremely complex environment to manage high-value, high velocity service parts on a global basis.
Results/Benefits
Choice has continued to adapt as GlassHouse CSS has surged in growth since its establishment in 2004. Choice’s ongoing client focus and responsiveness has been fundamental in helping GlassHouse successfully address the service parts needs of its customers. The flexibility of the Choice network expeditiously moves parts with time definite urgency whenever and wherever needed. Choice’s ongoing commitment is demonstrated through the tireless pursuit of constant improvement and the refinement of processes to create cost-effective efficiencies throughout GlassHouse’s service parts supply chain.
“The exceptional capabilities of Choice enables GlassHouse to fulfill mission-critical service parts obligations, and is a key component of our Customer Support Services operation,” said Rick Cameron, VP and GM for GlassHouse’s Customer Support Services. “Choice makes the complex task of managing an expansive service parts operation seem simple. They are our valued partner, and help us ensure that our customers receive the highest level of service possible.”
Choice also contributes to GlassHouse’s emerging international growth, offering flexible and scalable solutions that speed market entry and adapt to evolving customer needs. When GlassHouse needed to enter Latin America and APAC with break-neck speed, Choice kept pace every step of the way.
“The advice and counsel that Choice offers for each of our international endeavors is invaluable,” added Cameron. “Their ability to serve as importer of record (IOR) eases market entry, giving GlassHouse a distinct competitive advantage. It provides peace of mind knowing that Choice possesses the high level of expertise we need to be successful and an asset to our customers on a global scale.”
Working with Choice has provided numerous benefits, and GlassHouse expects to grow the relationship as needs evolve and business objectives expand.
“We are experiencing tremendous growth in the international arena, and we demand a great deal from the Choice network. In spite of these sizable challenges, they simply get the job done. They are where we need them, when we need them, delivering exceptional levels of performance.”