Case Study: Expertech (telecom & network infrastructure company) achieves 85% faster, more accurate tool inventory tracking with BlackBerry

Telecom and Network Infrastructure Company Improves Inventory Accuracy with Help From a Custom BlackBerry Application

Expertech Network Installation, a Canadian telecom and network infrastructure provider with about 1,600 employees, struggled with inaccurate, manually updated records for costly, capitalized fiber-splicing tools. The lack of an automated tracking system made it difficult to control inventory, meet financial reporting requirements, and optimize tool usage across the field workforce.

Expertech deployed BlackBerry smartphones to 1,400 technicians and, working with RIM’s Corporate Developer Program, built a custom Java-based BlackBerry app (developed in Eclipse) that uploads tool data to SAP in near real-time. The app eliminated manual entry errors, sped up audits, improved inventory accuracy, and cut employee time spent on counts by about 85%, while enabling additional mobile initiatives such as a technician safety app.

Expertech

Bobby Gibbons

Manager of IT Development