People solve problems in the global IT supply chain

People solve problems in the global IT supply chain


by
Manda Doveton, Talent Director at Viadex Global
Why business is better personal
All global supply chains are born equal, but some are more equal than others. In some, the processes of moving goods around the world are firmly established, standardised, and relatively easy to operate with. In others, the processes involved for geo-dispersed operations—when moving goods from one country to another is not the company’s core mission, but rather a necessity that enables it—are not so straightforward. They far from it. ‘Faraway’ says it all. Different countries do things differently.
The global IT supply chain is an area that companies with global growth aspirations have to traverse, on their way to realising that growth.
Most organisations that serve the technology needs of their clients
have skills focus in precisely that; technology.

VARs, SIs, and CSPs invariably need a little help along the way as they wander into unchartered territories where deluges of bureaucracy will wave over them.


Costs will creep up as it becomes apparent that what may have appeared to be the simplest part of the IT project becomes more complex. Contingency actions may become necessary that had just not been allowed for. On-the-ground skills may be required that have not before been featured in other, similar, projects. It all depends on the countries involved. Working through it all depends on having people on-side ready to bring their local knowledge and contacts to bear; basically ‘rolling up their shirtsleeves’ and getting things done.

Invest in growth

Invest in growth, not in admin
Country-specific trading rules applied by vendors may also occasionally present problems. A U.S-based company will find that any accrued spending they have with a particular vendor may not the drive favourable discounts they’re accustomed to when they want to ship equipment to another country.

They may be asked to deal with the vendor’s operation within that country, where their previous expenditure will not be counted in any discount. My colleague, Sean Smith, our Global Services Director. Americas, discusses this eventuality in detail, in his blog on U.S. expansion overseas.

Best practice when problems arise
For Viadex, the IT global supply chain is our home. We’re in it every day, to the tune of around 4000 global deployment projects a year. Our experience in this field ensures that most of them run smoothly. It also puts us directly in contact with the risk incurred to a project’s timelines and costs when they don’t. Our expertise is in managing those risks, mitigating them, and proving at every step along the way that it will all work out. We make sure it does.

We make sure that every project solution runs along solid and reliable tracks, from initial order, through to prep for international transportation, and everything that goes along with it. This includes dealing with the complexities of customs and import/export vagaries in virtually every country in the world. Often this will involve a complete Importer of Record service where we undertake:

  • Pre-ship Import license/s, documentation and goods compliance checks, import permits and licensing
  • Customs Clearance: Clear shipment through the relevant customs channels
  • Freight, if required
  • Pre-payment of all customs charges and levies on your behalf
  • Last-mile delivery to the end user
  • Shipment status reports
  • Storage solutions

The success formula
We follow through to installation and testing in country, bringing global knowledge and local expertise into a seamless, on-time, on budget global project whilst ensuring that any vendor discounts apply to your purchasing; no matter where in the world you want it to come to life.

The success formula is people. The number one investment priority for Viadex is and always has been in people. For the success we make possible for our customers we rely on collaboration among a cohort of highly skilled and talented people in commercial, technical, and operations disciplines.

We’ve also built long-term, mutually trusting, and sustainable relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders, which enable customers to benefit from high quality work and innovative solutions, ideas, and creative energy.

Success formula for global tech project deployments
The people factor
Viadex has a global network of associates and partners who adhere to our culture of going way beyond extra miles. We think nothing of following the sun, we don’t observe office hours just because they’re office hours, we don’t lose enthusiasm if we can’t see a fast buck. That, for us, is not what trust and long-term relationships are about. They are about doing the right thing, owning each project and every constituent part of each project, and working in collaboration as one unit; access to any specialist skill at any time, for everyone, for every customer.

‘Doing the right thing’ at Viadex means acting with integrity in a way that makes you personally proud of your contribution. It means paying attention to detail because if there’s one thing that the global IT supply chain is saturated with, it’s the need for detail.

Before you take the leap into the potentially unknown world of global logistics, take a look at how we remove the complexity of delivering global solutions and have done in more than 190 countries>Viadex Global Partner Services. The Viadex global team is here—and there—to do the right thing when needed.


If you would like to chat further, get in touch at: Manda.Doveton@viadex.com