New Breed Assists Wireless Service Provider with Redesigning its Logistics Network for More Efficient Fulfillment and Reverse Logistics Processes

Situation

A leading wireless service provider sells direct to consumers and through retail stores. After a period of rapid growth, which included acquisitions, the company found itself with eight distribution centers and multiple legacy software systems. The company sought a logistics partner to help optimize this infrastructure and streamline fulfillment and reverse logistics processes for cell phones and related equipment.

Solution

New Breed Logistics manages a multi-site distribution network that ships hundreds of thousands of smartphones, handsets and tablets daily to consumers and retail stores. Direct-to-consumer orders are shipped same day. Key elements of New Breed Logistics' solution include:

  • Systems integration. New Breed Logistics adapted its order management system to interface with the customer's legacy systems, consolidating information from those systems into a single application. The wireless company's network of stores and suppliers retained functionality of their in-place systems, while company management gained real-time visibility to orders and inventory across their entire network.
  • Value-added services. Activities include kitting and many other special projects, cell phone programming (flashing), and quality inspections.
  • Transportation. A pool distribution model was developed for delivery to more than 200 retail stores, improving service levels and greatly reducing costs.
  • Returns processing, repair and redistribution. Processes include inspection, triage, and cosmetic and technical repair. New Breed Logistics is certified by major cell phone and wireless device OEMs and ODMs as an authorized service center for Level 1, 2 and 3 repair. New Breed Logistics purchases and maintains its own repair parts inventory for this customer.

Results

The collaborative solution is achieving industry-leading service levels in same-day fulfillment, order fill rate and accuracy, shipping performance, repair and refurbishment, and order visibility. Additional benefits include:

  • Reduced space through DC consolidation
  • Reduced labor costs through automation of warehouse processes
  • Reduced transportation costs through implementation of a pool distribution strategy for store deliveries
  • Greater flexibility to move inventory within the distribution network based on having visibility to all inventory across the network