All Supply chain (SCM, procurement) articles – Page 8
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Strategy & ChangeBT seeks to electrify procurement with Faraday subsidiary
Managers for strategic procurement categories being recruited, including network, connectivity, and marketing. Data science remains prominent. New subsidiary’s standalone status emphasised, evidencing detachment and perhaps also ambition.
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Network & InfraSafaricom puts 5G on ice
Kenyan operator plans to focus on building its 4G business for now. Safaricom’s previous reliance on Huawei comes under spotlight amid ongoing US trade talks.
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InnovationBT’s Pelipod stashes smart-locker growth
2016 logistics acquisition reports strong top-line increase but remains loss-making. Investment continuing to focus on development of its IoT-enabled boxes. Report follows mid-2020 takeover by BT’s Procurement department.
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Vendor VoiceNutanix: Silicon Valley oblivious to emerging telco renaissance
Nutanix’s Tarkan Maner discusses with Vodafonewatch his take on the evolution of the cloud services sector, and the way in which digital transformation efforts demand a fundamental re-think of the misbalanced relationship between telecoms and technology players. Sector veteran Maner predicts telco fightback in the hyperscaler blind spot of ...
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PremiumVodafone people moves: Group SCM “succession planning” underway
Tolga Tomruk takes SCM Networks Director role, leading relationships with established equipment vendors and the ‘open’ challenger set. Safaricom follows up consumer-centric shift with new CTIO. VodafoneZiggo taps rival KPN for mobile networks lead. Musical chairs on Vodacom Group’s Board of Directors.
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Network & InfraUK plots 5G future sans Huawei
BT suggests Adastral Park would be a natural home for parts of the proposed National Telecoms Lab.
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Suppliers & SCMBT seeks instant purchasing power with Suplari
Procurement function seeking “relevance” by addressing “huge legacy” of aging IT, and reliance on Excel. Calculating spend with individual suppliers was long-winded. Quick-fire info seen as increasingly important amid COVID-19 and Brexit disruption.
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Network & InfraVodafone hits open RAN trail in rural Ireland
Modest rollout of 30 sites planned initially, supporting 4G. Supplier partners include Comba Telecom, HP, Parallel Wireless, Supermicro, and VMware. Operator keen to include automation vendors in the open RAN ecosystem.
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Venturing & InvestmentsSeed investment planted in BT procurement partner Paid
Multi-source investment boosts fintech solutions provider. Clear upward trajectory since its infancy, as Group CPO waxes lyrical about Paid solutions, amid recent macroeconomic turmoil.
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Suppliers & SCMBT procurement relocating to Dublin
Group CPO Pourrat energising procurement transformation with a new standalone business. Move to Dublin officially linked to city’s Big Tech hub, but Brexit bridge may also prove useful. White-collar union Prospect “dismayed” by the plans.
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Venturing & InvestmentsTomorrow Street opens door to Block Gemini
Vodafone Procurement Company hoping to reap rewards after Block Gemini’s incubation and initial pilot. Third startup added to the innovation hot-house in just over a month, joining Quantexa and GeoSpock.
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Suppliers & SCMVodafone Supplier Awards 2020: winners
VPC dished out eight awards in its first digital edition. Accenture the standout: ‘Supplier of the Year’ and outstanding technology performance recognised.
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Suppliers & SCMDeutsche Telekom to harness machine learning-based buying
DT’s finance and human resources shared services unit builds process mining expertise with Celonis. By 2025, DTSE aims to have machine learning-based recommendations for “Procure-to-Pay” process.
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Financial & PerformanceBT cash to take a hit on Brexit and Huexit stockpiling
An improved earnings forecast at BT is not expected to generate more cash as the operator buys up Huawei gear ahead of the 5G ban. Ericsson highlights its own efforts to ensure it can meet BT’s needs in uncertain times ahead.
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PeoplewatchBuyIn’s Pyrtek heads into consulting
Joint venture’s former CEO moves on quickly and secures advisory roles at Oliver Wyman and INKEF. Procurement know-how leveraged alongside telco experience.
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Venturing & InvestmentsT-Mobile US sets up corporate VC fund for 5G
T-Mobile Ventures formed in collaboration with Touchdown Ventures. Targets “early-to-mid-stage” companies. Aims to develop “breakthrough” 5G products and services. Mojio and Circle already part of T-Mobile Ventures’ investment portfolio.
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Partnerships & AlliancesBuyIn drafted to help Proximus–Orange RAN meld
Showcase outreach project for BuyIn JV. Operators looking at pooled buying as an antidote to Huawei clampdown, and resultant reduced vendor competition? Proximus now has foot in both Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom partner camps.
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Suppliers & SCMBrexit and COVID: BT’s twin supply chain headaches
Group continuing to scrutinise status of 450 key partners, amid logistical and financial turmoil wrought by pandemic. Spread of critical partners under consideration to create greater resilience post-coronavirus and split from EU. Telcos, traditionally known for squeezing suppliers to the max, now focused on keeping them afloat.
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Suppliers & SCMDeutsche Telekom’s Huawei gamble looking iffy
German coalition cabinet reportedly approves measures in IT security bill that, if passed, will effectively ban Huawei from 5G RAN market. Revision looks set to hurt DT, despite recent brave talk of “multi-vendor strategy”.


















