Customer: Vodafone

“There were a number of choices in the Australian market, and we conducted an extensive review. In the end, Brightpoint was the clear choice. They have highly competent third party logistics services, and can align precisely with our IT requirements, and could scale to our growth.”

Chris Pitstock
Distribution Supply Chain Manager
Vodafone Australia

Vodafone set an ambitious goal: 3.4 million Australian customers by the first quarter of 2005. To get there, two things needed to happen: get more agents selling more plans, and get costs under control, freeing capital to expand the network. Brightpoint’s customized and scalable solutions in logistics, EDI, inventory management, and support are helping Vodafone reach their goal.

Vodafone CEO, Graham Maher, knows what the company does, and doesn’t do: “We’re not in the handset business,” he says. In Australia, Vodafone’s business was extending their brand, primarily through a growing network of independent agents. Vodafone focused on growing their retail base. Brightpoint focused on getting handsets on their shelves. Now, Vodafone is adding agents and subscribers without having to build and maintain a costly distribution infrastructure. It’s by-the-book business smarts, and Brightpoint does it better than anyone else in wireless.

Customer Challenge

In a word: grow. With a target of 3.4 million Australian subscribers by early 2005, there was no room in the budget for the complex tasks of product distribution and logistics. It’s a familiar challenge in wireless, made especially urgent in Australia as the market was growing exponentially. If Vodafone share growth was going to keep pace, they needed a partner who could grow with them.

Solution Overview

Brightpoint had a set of solutions for Vodafone that moved product distribution issues into the “handled” column. For example, our EDI systems, guided by our expertise, integrated seamlessly with the Vodafone network. But we did more than just stay transparent; we stayed aggressive in developing the tools and infrastructure Vodafone needed.

Brightpoint deployed broad logistics services, including kitting, provisioning and returns management. Inventory can be ordered online, and shipped the same day for 99% of the orders. Brightpoint manages inventory with a proven cycle counting process, and supports key Vodafone agents with a priority response that keeps their highest volume producers fully stocked.