Client Success Story | Deutsche Telekom
Automated refurbishment solution for Germany‘s largest communications group
Our refurbishment program for Deutsche Telekom processes over a million devices annually, contributing to environmental preservation and providing cost-effective solutions to customers.
The Initial situation
In 2009, Deutsche Telekom introduced a rental model for routers and media receivers to promote environmental sustainability. The initial remanufacturing process, managed internally and manually, proved costly and time-consuming. To address these challenges, in 2012, Deutsche Telekom chose us for our refurbishment solution, aiming to reduce processing times, ensure reliable logistics, and cut transport costs.
For more than ten years, Arvato has been our reliable partner in shaping our supply chain. With Arvato‘s expertise and commitment, we have overcome complex challenges, created seamless customer experiences and successfully maintained our leading position in the market.
Oliver Gerz Vice President SCM at Telekom Deutschland
OUR SOLUTION FOR SUCCESS
Our refurbishment solution for Deutsche Telekom began with the swift development of a comprehensive program focusing on routers and media receivers. In just six months, our in-house technical team, leveraging its expertise, conceptualized and fully implemented a state-of-the-art refurbishment model.
The centerpiece of our solution is an advanced automated testing system, strategically designed to simultaneously and efficiently test multiple devices. This approach significantly reduces turnaround times, ensuring remanufactured devices are promptly made available for customer use. Our automated testing solution also guarantees consistent quality, eliminating the variability associated with manual processes.
Over the years, our refurbishment solution expanded its scope, covering additional router models, media receivers, business routers, and mesh repeaters. The adaptability of our software platform and model-independent test boxes allowed for rapid integration of new test scenarios for different device models within three weeks.
Sustainability Impact
By reusing over one million devices annually in Germany and Austria, our solution has resulted in substantial savings across refurbishment, spare parts, transport, and disposal costs. Most importantly, this initiative has contributed to saving more than 300,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents, with an average of over 44kg of CO2e saved per refurbished device. This highlights not only the economic advantages but also the significant strides taken towards achieving both our and Deutsche Telekom's sustainability goals.
Do you want to learn more about our solution? Download our paper "Refurbishment Solution for Deutsche Telekom AG: A Sustainable Approach to Saving Resources".
