ModusLink—An end-to-end Global Supply Chain Solutions and eCommerce Provider.

SUPPLY CHAIN

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ModusLink

The global supply chain is one of the biggest industries out there. It’s impossible to imagine the world without a supply chain as it creates greater operational efficiencies within an organization. Some companies are equipped with an in-house supply-chain system, while others rely on outsourcing the job to other entities as the third party has more expertise and is more efficient. Currently, the market is filled with many supply-chain solution providers but only some have proven to be reliable, efficient as well as successful.

ModusLink has a purpose that states “We want to drive rapid growth and build global scale for your business by providing best-in-class supply chain solutions and eCommerce solutions.” ModusLink is a well-known supply chain, logistics and e-business service provider that offers comprehensive solutions which enable more efficiency, better visibility and are more economical. In the past 30 years, it has extended its reach and is available in 20 locations throughout the globe focusing on providing value-added supply chain and e-business services. Located in Europe, North America, China, Australia, and Singapore. it has alliances with other providers that extend its footprint to other areas of the globe as customer’s needs dictate.

The story was different in the 1990s when it first entered the market. It started as a service created by a large printer/ publisher to provide, co-collate, and package printed materials used in equipment shipping boxes. As the company was spun out as a stand-alone company, whenever its customers faced challenges, they turned towards ModusLink for assistance in their supply chain problems because of their superior performance. ModusLink also pursued new services to grow as well with new customers as the market changed. With the advent of online marketplaces, ModusLink saw it as a natural extension of fulfilment and other services into providing e-business solutions. ModusLink transformed itself into an organization known to have highly nimble and scalable value-added supply chains, logistics, and e-business value-added services provider with an international reach. This was only possible because of the guidance offered by the company’s various team members and associates and one of them is the President and CEO Fawaz Khalil. He says that the company’s product is a service that includes package design and procurement, kitting and assembly of goods to end packaging, inventory management, fulfilment, and contact centers. “It also includes Merchant of Record, order management, payments processing, and a myriad of other value-added services,” adds Khalil. The company’s main purpose is to act as an extension of its customers’ brand exceeding their customers’ expectations.

“Supply chain and logistics are ModusLink’s DNA, it is why it was founded and continues to be what we do,” says Khalil. “We love helping customers provide better service to their customers, both existing and new ones.”

ModusLink’s unique selling proposition is to offer more tailorable solutions to customers who are looking for a more unique approach to their supply chain and e-business requirements as well as growing into new geographic and vertical markets. It not only serves other businesses but also interacts with the consumers on behalf of its clients in multiple ways. Its largest customers are leaders in semiconductor, consumer electronics, home health products, software, and many other markets, across the globe. The company is literally, as Khalil likes to call it, ‘one-stop shopping’ for supply chain, logistics, and e-business services and solutions. “If there is something we cannot do, we have relationships with great partners that we can manage to make it happen for our customers,” says Khalil.

Stories worth Sharing

ModusLink optimizes every aspect of their client’s supply chain through which they can anticipate growth, streamline costs, increase revenue, and build brand loyalty as the product is presented in the market. The company’s success shows in the likes of its clients – a consumer electronics manufacturer – who wanted to grow internationally but had no presence in the markets out of the US. It was running into issues of collecting payments, paying taxes, and complying with various local requirements for processing and reporting data. The manufacturer engaged with ModusLink’s team of experts who know the culture, laws, and regulations of the countries where it was trying to do online business. ModusLink was able to provide the resources to facilitate payment processing, compliance, and end-to-end taxes as well as taking care of all the details unique to global, online markets, from buying options, consumer protection disclosures, and available payment options, to sorting out exportation restrictions and applicable regulatory fees. These services are not just limited to the already established companies but are also available to the start-ups who are looking for steady growth. ModusLink had a client who was seeking a better way to focus on what they do best, develop, market, and sell their innovative product. ModusLink helped the start-up with handling flexibility for all challenges that may occur while collecting payments, managing compliance, and other various aspects. It helped in engineering a business solution that tailored the needs of the client which were built upon robust warehousing and fulfilment services. It provided high-capacity battery storage and shipment along with a contact center solution for accurate tracking and improved customer service.

The start-up owner says, “Prior to ModusLink’s solutions, we shipped one type of product to the market to limited countries. To achieve our revenue targets, multiple products, and product variations are to be developed which requires a “Configure-To-Order” set up with a short lead time and us not worrying about the complexity of global compliance. With ModusLink we managed to do so.”

Overcoming every Challenge

“Businesses are looking to take cost out of their supply chain while improving performance and the customer experience for their end-users. As such, they are desiring partners that offer solutions that meet their business process and philosophy,” says Khalil. This does not end here, the most common problem with supply chains is that they can be quite complex, especially when cross-border activities are involved. “With our global reach and knowledge, we reduce the complexity the customer faces, as they do not have to deal with the day-to-day actions, reporting and regulatory adherence, ModusLink does all that for them,” he continues.

Khalil mentions that one of the newest and largest risks facing supply chain leaders are establishing business continuity plans so that any future disruptions will have a much lower impact. Other risks are labor scarcity in more developed markets, cybersecurity, and governmental regulatory changes. ModusLink has a continuous improvement and innovative culture able to foresee these challenges and effectively countermeasure any unexpected obstacles. He mentions that company’s supply chain is resilient so COVID-19 did not require major changes to enhance its reliability. Though the world was facing the deadliest calamity and businesses were struggling to sustain in such tough times, ModusLink emerged stronger from the pandemic. It constantly reviewed its infrastructure and personnel needs, adapting accordingly, whether is investing in more hardware, cloud capability, temporary or permanent labor. It’s contribution during the coronavirus pandemic made them recognized by the Intel Corporation (“Intel”) for its COVID-19 response and awarded the Supplier Achievement Award (SAA). This award is a highly regarded accolade as ModusLink is one of the only 38 suppliers in the Intel supply chain to receive an SAA honor for 2020. Over the past year, ModusLink has displayed an extraordinary response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Intel places emphasis on ModusLink’s values and role in the industry.

An organization like ModusLink thrives on change and therefore they will keep pushing themselves to remain current, relevant, and useful to their clients. It is ready for any challenges put in front and assures a promising future by spearheading the evolution of the supply chain industry.