It is important to know that the function of controlling unused equipment correctly is not simply a matter of storing, advertising and transporting the equipment. The true benefits lie in having the ability to firstly identify the equipment correctly before it goes into the warehouse and database. Secondly it is vital that the equipment is tested correctly. A simple on/off test is inadequate if you want to rely on the equipment somewhere else in the network or reselling it with some confidence that you are not selling a lemon. You need to have the skills and expertise to be able to test it thoroughly and identify that it is operating correctly and within the accepted parameters. This brings me to my third point and that is to be able to identify what is wrong with the equipment if it is not operating correctly. A system that doesn’t “switch on” should not be scrapped because the red lights don’t come on. It might be a system that is worth thousands of dollars and a simple dry joint might be the cause. This fault identification and then the decision as to whether the equipment should be scrapped or repaired is a complex one and one which Molapo has all the necessary skills to conduct competently. Finally the repair should be able to be done timeously and cost effectively and preferably somewhere near where the equipment was recovered.

All of these added services add up to efficient, but more importantly, cost effective methods of controlling the unused equipment for Operators. We know that Molapo is THE ONLY company on the African continent that can competently offer these additional services and one of only 2 in the world that has this full range of competencies.

1.      Benefits of outsourcing the management and resale of your unused equipment to Molapo:

a.      Molapo have a software program that was developed over 10 years to track and trace and identify a huge variety of equipment accurately. It also shows, amongst others, the current status, location, usage and repair/refurbishment history. Software this advanced is essential to the correct management of reverse logistics as well as warehousing and logistics, thus Operators do not have to redevelop it.

b.      Molapo have a huge pool of Engineers and technicians that also travel. The initial efforts to audit and catalogue all Operators equipment would require a concerted effort by a large number of engineers and technicians trained in accurate identification. By having access to Molapo’s labour pool Operators would not have to employ and train this specialised skill set and then retrench them after the exercise is completed. Operators would be able to also call on this “travelling” pool as and when identification, cataloguing, warehousing and refurbishment projects occur throughout Africa.

c.      In addition to our South African Operations, Molapo have engineers and a repair centre in Nigeria that can provide a central and Northern African hub of expertise. Molapo also has warehousing/repair and refurbishment centres in Europe and the USA which would be used if equipment was to be sold to service providers in these continents.

d.      Molapo ship refurbished equipment around the African continent and between Africa, Europe and the USA daily. The idiosyncrasies of the various countries requirements regarding refurbished and used Telecommunications equipment type is known to the Molapo shipping and logistics team and Molapo is well known and registered with the various customs and excise authorities in these countries.

e.      Operators core competencies should by the deployment and provisioning of telecommunications services. Identifying, refurbishing, storing and selling used equipment is not a skill set that needs to be acquired to support this whereas it is what Molapo specialise in.

f.       With Service Providers revenues under constant pressure due to lower communication costs and increased direct and indirect competition, outsourcing non-core managed services such as management of used equipment, warehousing, reverse logistics processes and repair and return processes is the correct direction Service Providers are striving towards in maximising profitability.

g.      Partnering with an experienced Company like Molapo who are actively involved on a daily basis in the Global used telecommunications equipment market would be strategic to the interest of Operators as a whole as within any network the need to manage used equipment will always be part of Group strategy as networks age.  Molapo already have established channels to advertise used Telecommunications equipment.