Industry:
Technology
- Outsource inbound, outbound and inventory management
- Strengthen security
- Track global IT assets
Challenge
A leading US-based multinational financial services company was having issues managing their storeroom data center assets. Although they had specialized IT professionals running the day-to-day data centre operations, they did not have logistics personnel to handle inbound, outbound and inventory management of assets companywide. They realized they needed more control over their IT assets globally and decided the best course of action was to outsource their inventory management. Their ultimate goal was to strengthen security by tracking all global data centre assets from ‘cradle to grave’ using the expertise of a proven logistics and inventory management expert.
Solution
With a relationship that reaches back nearly two decades, Quick Specialty Logistics was able to develop a solution that met the client’s needs from end to end. The project began with Quick and the client working closely together to map out a comprehensive plan, detailing each facet of the solution. This included Quick’s Warehouse Management System, which provides real time inventory tracking and status – showing the availability of assets located at data centers around the world. Quantities are adjusted in real time as assets leave or come into the data centers. Complete inventory reporting allows the client to view assets and/or shipments by location, part number or description. Due to the long-standing relationship, Quick’s management team was given the opportunity to analyze current practices and identify issues, revise processes and update and add standard operating procedures in the data centers where needed. This increased asset security, efficiency and accountability, which resulted in the implementation of global standards for inventory management throughout the company’s data centers.
The solution placed 34 Quick logistics specialists in 11 of the client’s global data centers. This includes management, supervisory and data centre coordinator positions in North America, EMEA and APAC.
The program also uses Quick’s Warehouse Management System and is structured for easy scaling to allow the client to add additional data centers over time
With in-house IT programmers, Quick is also able to meet ongoing client requests for additions or modifications to the Warehouse Management System program quickly and easily.
Outcome
Today, the company has a much better understanding of where their assets are, where they came from and how they are handled in every participating data centre. The Warehouse Management System and outsourced solution has been so successful, in fact, that the client has already added new data centers to Quick’s inventory management program.