Supply chain transformation at UScellular
Abstract
Change is never easy, and leadership must champion the change. When UScellular made the decision to put more focus on its network supply chain operations, the company started with identifying the leadership team that would drive the organisational transformation. This piece of the puzzle was critical because it would be the foundation of the work needed to mature our network supply chain. Leaders would need to encourage collaboration, develop talent and work across organisational boundaries. The new UScellular network supply chain needed change champions. These leaders needed to be able to work together seamlessly, build trust and have strategic thinking to help us set priorities and navigate to our future. The leaders needed to engage their teams to start driving the changes. It was part of the strategy to be very deliberate on who was hired for each of the leadership roles and what function they would lead. Once the leadership team was in place, we discussed how important change management was going to be for us to be successful as we navigated not only the change to our organisation but to our partners and stakeholders. We discussed how we would approach hiring, process creation and how we were going to get there. We had open communication with our teams and partners and knew that we may not get everything right the first time. But we believed in the strategy, and we would learn and improve along the way. The team drove a culture of inclusiveness, accountability and openness. When discussing how to handle our change management plans, we made sure to address five key steps: 1) prepare the organisation for change; 2) vision and plan for change; 3) implement the changes; 4) embed changes within team culture and practices; and 5) review progress and analyse results. These five steps were instrumental in setting the team up for success in the transformation. Leaders deliberately kept in mind how to care for the team and how they might be feeling during different stages of this transformation. Another key piece for network supply chain transformation was that senior UScellular leadership was very supportive of what we were trying to accomplish. They understood that this was going to be a journey that we needed to manage from both a people perspective and a process perspective, with impact on both internal and external partners. Senior leaders recognised the need for additional personnel for the organisational transformation to be successful. They gave the team the support needed to be successful in driving a more mature supply chain. In conclusion, for this transformation to be successful, we addressed leadership by hiring the right associates for the right roles and focusing on change management. We were open and honest with the larger team and partners that we would have our struggles but would work together to find common ground and solutions that would drive real progress. Our progress shows how we were able to use change management practices effectively to drive this progress.
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Amy Augustine has held various roles within supply chain and has worked at UScellular more than ten years. Currently, she is the Senior Director Network Supply Chain. She is responsible for supporting network infrastructure programmes, including procurement, material delivery, distribution, inventory planning, forward kitting logistics and warehouse management. Amy is also responsible for supporting small cell deployments, including lease agreements and material logistics. Her previous roles at UScellular include Director of Business Strategy and leader of the Reverse Logistics team. Earlier in her career, Amy spent ten years in the consulting industry working for KPMG, BearingPoint and the Revere Group. Amy earned her BSc from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) with a major in engineering management with a specialty in manufacturing engineering, earned an MBA in operations management and international business from Loyola University in Chicago, and holds a CSCP certification from the Association of Supply Chain Management (ASCM). Amy is a demonstrated leader and project lead, obtaining multiple internal awards at UScellular, and is also a published author in the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement. She was recently awarded the ASCM Award of Excellence – Supply Chain Leader 2022 and has been featured on multiple panels, presentations and podcasts on supply chain topics. Amy is currently a member of the Board of Directors for ASCM.
Lucille Docter is an experienced supply chain leader who is passionate about collaborating with teams, developing and executing strategies and improving processes. She is currently the Senior Manager for the Network Supply Chain Planning at UScellular and oversees the demand, supply and inventory planning for network equipment across the company’s footprint. She is also responsible for developing, designing and implementing rigorous processes across different teams within UScellular. Lucille has worked across multiple supply chain disciplines in both large and small companies over the past 14 years. She began her career in global supply chain and was responsible for the global import and export operations for Vital Materials Ltd. She also worked for Menlo Worldwide Logistics (now XPO) and held various roles in warehousing, transportation, safety and compliance and continuous improvement. Lucille earned her bachelor’s in communications from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and MBA from the Northern Illinois University.
Edna Roberts has been part of UScellular for over three years; she started on the Device Reverse Logistics team and then moved to the Network Supply Chain team. She is currently the Inventory Manager for Network Logistics responsible for material deliveries, last mile delivery troubleshooting and material issues resolution. Her team is a critical player in helping Engineering with their network deployments. Edna has spent most of her career managing warehouse operations and logistics, focusing on the wireless industry. She previously worked for Hewlett Packard, Brightstar Corp. and Sprint. Throughout her career she has implemented unique strategies that optimise business operations targeting effectiveness. Edna earned her BSc from University of Valle de Mexico with a major in public accounting and finance and a BSc from Walden University with a major in business administration. She is an active board member of Woman In Action – Associate Recourse Group at UScellular.
Ryan Poirier is an accomplished supply chain leader possessing roughly 20 years of results-oriented experience and leadership with both established and high-growth organisations. He is the Manager of Network Logistics at Uscellular — a highly analytical leader who places an emphasis on building a motivated and effective team with key focus on process improvements and creating efficiencies. Prior to his time with Uscellular, Ryan oversaw the order management, demand planning and customer service teams with Beam Suntory. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Arizona.
Erin Waitz is a relations expert with almost 20 years’ experience working with key representatives from municipalities throughout the country in order to bridge the gap between public and private entities. She is an analytical professional with a proven track record of developing policies and driving resolution in various situations. As the Network Zoning and Build Compliance Manager for UScellular, Erin leverages her strong communication skills to foster collaboration between key stakeholders in the achievement of programme goals. In her day-to-day activities as a member of the Network Supply Chain team, she focuses on supporting engineering network initiatives. Previously, Erin held positions at the City of Chicago, Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council and Mobilitie. She earned her BSc from the University of Iowa with a major in political science and a master’s in public administration from Roosevelt University with a concentration in government management and public policy.
Citation
Augustine, Amy, Docter, Lucille, Roberts, Edna, Poirier, Ryan and Waitz, Erin (2023, June 1). Supply chain transformation at UScellular. In the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement, Volume 5, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/WFJL1719.
Publications LLP