Not a big ask in a market driven by technological expertise but what happens when a system fails? In the event of a breakdown, getting the right spare part to the right engineer at the right time in the right place might seem a straightforward solution but in reality it is not as simple as it sounds.
Engineers often have to cover a wide area and visit remote geographic locations. Furthermore these highly skilled technicians are frequently working to tight Service Level Agreements which they do not want to miss and, in turn, incur penalties simply because a spare part has not been delivered to a site on time, or because they have had to make a long detour to pick it up from a depot.
There is a solution. For many years ByBox has worked extensively within this sector distributing parts that are required – often at short notice, around the clock, or in remote locations – to maintain crucial networks.
The market-leading field service specialist recognises that telecoms companies need to keep downtime to an absolute minimum, with repairs carried out as swiftly as possible.
Operating 365 days a year, ByBox delivers parts to its established network of 18,000 secure lockers at more than 1,500 locations in the UK to ensure that companies ordering vital parts receive them quickly and efficiently.
With an enviable first time pre 8am delivery success rate of 99.77%, ByBox has revolutionised the field services market with its reliable, secure and robust delivery model.
Parts are delivered in-night, to a secure locker that is only accessible by either key or card. Once a delivery has been made into a locker the engineer will receive a text or email alert advising them that their goods are ready for collection.
It is a method of delivery which is proving to be increasingly successful. Engineers are able to collect their required parts from a secure locker before the start of the day’s work. No longer do they have to waste time travelling to get their supplies meaning they can get started earlier, fit more jobs into the day and so improve productivity.
Furthermore engineers can order parts up to as late as 11pm for delivery the next morning. This significantly reduces the number of inefficient same-day deliveries made by alternate, less efficient transport systems. It also reduces the number of repeat visits to sites as engineers receive all the parts needed to complete their day’s jobs at one convenient location pre 8am.
ByBox also operates a network of Forward Stock Locations that are accessible 24 hours a day for engineers who require parts urgently outside of normal hours; which is ideal for any fast moving stock.
ByBox’ unique offering is underpinned by its supply chain system Thinventory, which integrates seamlessly with the physical supply chain network, offering cohesive end-to-end reporting software to boost efficiency, reliability, stock transparency and green credentials.
The system has a full track and trace facility via the website providing total transparency across the supply chain 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it simple to locate any urgently-requested part and move it to where it is required. This level of visibility also allows companies to run truly lean inventories because they know exactly where their stock is, and can move it to where it is needed. Savings associated with lean inventory can be considerable; some companies have thinned their stock so much by using a locker network for delivery that they have managed to reduce the size of their warehouses, thus cutting running costs as well as freeing up capital.
Equally, Thinventory simplifies the returns process enabling engineers to use the locker network in reverse to return faulty or unused parts. All an engineer has to do is attach a bespoke returns label, place the item in the most convenient locker and the software will automatically redirect the faulty part back to the manufacturer.
Mark Garritt, Managing Director of ByBox said: “The Thinventory™ platform is the most exciting aspect of our solution and indeed fulfils our vision of minimising stock and maximising productivity through an integrated supply chain platform – an ethos on which the company was founded.
“It provides complete visibility over the entire supply chain and has evolved to offer our customers an enhanced level of service. Our other services can plug into the system allowing us to offer a complete end to end solution for our customers.
“Telecommunications are absolutely vital to the running of our country and it is essential that networks are kept in optimum condition with as little disruption to service as possible.
“Thinventory is the ideal solution to drive the efficiency of a company’s repair and maintenance services as it operates across the entire supply chain and is an initiative that is already being embraced by a number of our customers in the sector.
“By using Thinventory, customers can reduce their costs and improve service levels by managing their activity from manufacturer to end customer. The system offers total visibility of all movements across the supply chain from collection to delivery and return.”