SCI’s client is popularly recognized for secure transportation services and is best known for their cash-in-transit services, security services and high-value storage (vaults) for banks, credit unions, mints, retailers, and governments, to name a few.
One of the client’s technology solutions helps retailers transform their cash handling from a slow, manual process into an automated and secure process. This technology allows customers to put the money straight into a safe that counts it directly. The automated solution eliminates cash-counting discrepancies, reduces manual labour costs, decreases internal fraud and saves the retailer time so they can focus on what really matters – their customer.
The Challenge
The client’s challenge was to optimize the complex life cycle process of warehousing, initial configuration, delivery, installation, and post-sales logistics for their technology products in order to deliver a better experience to their customers. Initially, the client executed the end-to-end technical logistics in-house, but with business continuously growing and many new services branching out, the lack of resources and specialized expertise became apparent. Keeping the technology supply chain in-sourced would limit the efficiencies. The clients started their search to find a supply chain company that, in tight collaboration with the secure logistics company, would create an optimal solution to manage their technology product life cycle.
The Discovery
SCI is a 3PL providing end-to-end supply chain solutions that improve their clients’ business results and customer satisfaction. The client discovered that SCI’s technical expertise covered all phases of the full technology life-cycle, with services including configuration, staging, swap, installation, network connection, refurbishing, and repair. SCI also stood out among other 3PLs because of the expansive national technician and transportation network and a strong background in supply chain and technical services for ATMs, self-service kiosks, and similar products. SCI’s experience and resources such as technician labs, facility infrastructure, transportation capabilities, and project management office (PMO) were what the company needed for gaining cost efficiency from outsourcing, as well as improving the quality of service and, ultimately, making their customers’ experience even better.
The Solution
The company turned to SCI to handle all the “heavy lifting” of their technology logistics – warehousing, technical work, and transportation. SCI applied the wide breadth of their existing capabilities to tailor a solution that met the client’s needs:
- A network of installation crews with experience for the type of products similar to the client’s
- Field service technicians to perform initial configuration
- Warehousing facilities directly attached to technical labs and central transportation hubs
- Project management staff to help coordinate installations and removals, and track overall success
To implement the new solution, the 3PL and the client together developed a transition plan based on the end customer demand. The client provided a roll-out plan to allow for configuration and installation planning. SCI and the client jointly performed initial configurations to test the processes, and the client attended initial installations with SCI’s riggers. In addition, to keep the company’s technical processes consistent, SCI closely collaborated with the client’s own technical experts in order to attain complete alignment.
The Results
Outsourcing the technology product supply chain to SCI resulted in significant cost savings for the client, as opposed to them executing these services in-house. SCI’s highly adaptable team was able to create and deliver the full-service end-to-end solution, resulting in decreased travel and lead time, and improved end-user experience. In some cases, SCI’s solution reduced costs by over 200% per site installation. The solution also reduced the pressure on client’s internal resources, leveraging SCI’s ability to pre-stage products and house parts at SCI’s facility.
As a result of partnering with SCI, the company was able to divert their energy away from the logistics and technical side to focus on the core of their growing business.
