Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
- Networks & Connectivity - 5G
Applicable Industries
- Telecommunications
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases
- Demand Planning & Forecasting
- Inventory Management
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The customer is one of the largest global telecommunications companies, with operations in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United States. The company is in the process of rolling out 5G technology and recently merged with Sprint, leading to a significant increase in demand. The company installs approximately 1,000 new cell towers, each consisting of about 32,000 components. The company was previously using a multitude of different planning systems for demand and inventory planning, including Excel, SAP, and homegrown solutions.
The Challenge
One of the largest global telecommunications companies, active in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United States, faced significant challenges in demand and inventory planning for cell towers linked to the 5G rollout, coverage strategy, and the recent merger with Sprint. The company had a multitude of different planning systems for demand and inventory planning. However, due to the merger, demand exploded, and the company was unable to forecast this demand accurately. Demand Planning was complex as the company installs approximately 1,000 new cell towers, each consisting of about 32,000 components. Additionally, the company experienced planning challenges in upgrading their network to 5G cell towers. The transition from 3G and 4G towers to 5G towers required sophisticated phase-in and phase-out planning. The company also operated in silos and lacked visibility on inventory, supplier capacities, install base of cell towers, new demand for 5G towers, etc.
The Solution
The company adopted the o9 platform to overcome these challenges. With o9, the company was able to connect the dots, forecast demand accurately, and plan for the right inventory at the right location. The platform also provided outstanding analysis of phase-in and phase-out plans, helping to accelerate the upgrade problem, reduce salvage risk for old items, and manage obsolescence efficiently. Furthermore, the company was able to connect the dots in the value chain. From demand for new cell towers to integration of key suppliers, the company obtained end-to-end visibility across every node in the value chain. The o9 Enterprise Knowledge Graph was used for demand planning, supply planning, phase-in and phase-out planning, and IBP to move away from PPT, spreadsheets to data-driven planning and decision-making. The systems replaced included Excel, SAP, and homegrown solutions.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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