Xerox Corp. created efficiencies by more closely connecting its regional supply operations to its global network.
By Tim O’Connor
People don’t buy copiers and printers for the sake of having the equipment. Copiers and printers are a means to an end, a way to disseminate information among a team or to a client. In an increasingly digital age, these modes of communication are becoming more complex as communication that once took place in a single conference room now occurs all over the world.
To accommodate how modern business functions, Xerox has become a technology company focused as much on intelligent workspaces and cloud applications as it is on the broader printing market. “We’re a big player in an even bigger pool,” says Ken Syme, senior vice president of global manufacturing, supply chain and procurement at Xerox.
At the heart of Xerox’s technology is the interface between the digital and physical worlds. Customers want to convert their printed information into a digital format, distribute it to stakeholders and be able to interact with the material in a digital format. At the same time, paper documents are not going away anytime in the foreseeable future.
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SCI’s three-year ‘roadmap’ will bring savings and new talent to its operations.
By Alan Dorich
It is always a difficult time when a family loses a loved one. Service Corporation International (SCI) strives to make it easier. “We try to take some of the administrative load off of our locations so they can do what they do best, serve the families,” Sr. Managing Director of Procurement and Supply Chain Rone Luczynski says.
Based in Houston, SCI is North America’s largest provider of funeral and cemetery services. The company has spent the last seven years focused on streamlining and making its supply chain more efficient, Luczynski says.
In 2013, SCI completed a five-year plan that allowed it to significantly cut costs and expenses,. In 2016, the company started its journey on a three-year “roadmap” to improve purchasing for its more than 2,000 funeral homes and cemeteries in 45 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
SCI carried over some areas of focus from the five-year plan into its current one, Luczynski notes. “The first five years were about people, process and technology,” he recalls, noting that the company’s focus on people never ends.
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GTT Communications launches a new networking service with highly scalable bandwidth and low latency connectivity.
By Kat Zeman
As global demand for bandwidth grows, networking providers are scattering to upgrade the capacity of their existing cables and investing billions of dollars in newer and faster systems.
According to data from TeleGeography’s Global Bandwidth Research Service, the demand for international bandwidth will have increased 13-fold between 2016 and 2023. McLean, Va.-based GTT Communications Inc. has already responded to this trend.
A leading global cloud networking provider to multinational clients, GTT recently launched a new product: Optical Transport services. “It provides highly scalable bandwidth and low latency connectivity,” says Michael Montreuil, director of supply chain and logistics for GTT. “Our data transmission is very fast.”
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ValuePoint Solutions understands the importance of building relationships with customers to meet their needs and expectations.
By Bianca Herron
ValuePoint Solutions was founded to address a market need for an independent indirect material service provider not owned or affiliated with a manufacturer or distributor of the goods being managed. Nearly 20 years later, the Saginaw, Mich.-based company demonstrates the capabilities of providing MRO/Indirect Material integrator services to a variety of industries that include manufacturing, education, municipalities, healthcare, etc.
“As an integrator we provide four primary indirect/MRO services that include storeroom [crib]/warehouse management, inventory management, procurement and consulting in these key areas,” Business Development Manger Spence Webb says. “Our solutions range from complete all-inclusive offerings to individual services tailored to a client’s needs.”
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adm works to understand client needs so it can deliver marketing campaigns that build client brands and add value to their businesses.
By Eric Slack
From its North American headquarters in Stamford, Conn., adm is embarking on an exciting journey. Its roots stretch back to 1992 when it was part of the company, Polyconcept. In 2015, the management team of adm acquired the business from Polyconcept with the goal of building on a stable business platform and a global infrastructure to continue the development of its capabilities to better serve clients as a standalone business.
Today, it is one of the largest independent marketing services businesses in the world. Its team of process experts consult, reengineer and execute global supply chain solutions that deliver competitive advantage and cost optimization. The company has over 300 people and 21 offices in 17 countries, allowing the company to deliver local activation of global strategies for brands across the world.
“The company is headquartered in the U.K., and the U.S. team is a wholly owned subsidiary,” Vice President of Sourcing and Supply Chain Alyssa Young says. “We are truly global and continually drive greater global synergies across our business to execute global campaigns at a regional and local level.”
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Stratus has a competitive edge thanks to changes in its Logistics and Services.
By Alan Dorich
Since Stratus Technologies’ start 36 years ago, many competitors have entered and exited its market, but the Maynard, Mass.-based company has become a leader in its business. “We’ve truly been able to stand the test of time,” Vice President of Services, Supply Chain and Chief Quality Officer Dave Harrington says. “That speaks volumes about our people, products and processes.”
The ability to rely on those is essential since Stratus provides software and hardware platforms that ensure that infrastructures – ranging from enterprise services to clouds – are always operating. Customers worldwide depend on Stratus to protect their most valuable business critical apps., Harrington adds.
These include clients in industrial automation, financial services and telecommunications. “We also have a significant presence in healthcare, public safety, government and transportation,” he states.
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Tellabs' recent restructuring spurred the company to reexamine its entire supply chain philosophy.
By Jim Harris
Tellabs in the past few years has seen significant changes to its operations. Established in 1975, the company grew over the course of the next three decades to become a global leader in telecommunications. In 2013, a private equity firm acquired Tellabs, which at the time was a publicly traded company.
The following year, Tellabs╒ enterprise and telecommunications portfolios ╨ two of the company╒s key portfolios ╨╩were spun off into a new company under the legacy name.
This change brought with it opportunities as well as significant challenges for its supply chain operations. "We are operating like a startup, but we╒re a company that was encumbered by in disparate legacy systems," says Dave Cunningham, director of global marketing for the Dallas.-headquartered company.
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Building its procurement business from nothing gives Swissport an opportunity to implement new practices and tools. By Tim O’Connor
