RRD Facility Spotlight: Brno
10/14/2020 RRD
Located in the heart of Central Europe, RRD’s Brno facility (Czech Republic) provides a large range of services that include:
- Supply chain network analysis and solution design
- Project management
- Procurement and inventory management
- In-region device configuration
- Advanced testing and software re-flashing
- Kitting, distribution and fulfillment
- Reverse logistics and spares services
These services in Brno complement RRD’s wider European offering — e.g., environmentally-sustainable print, digital print, and packaging solutions. To learn more about RRD Brno, Neil Keleher, Senior VP European Operations, shares some insight into how this leading facility has enabled companies to consolidate their supplier base and optimize costs.
What about RRD Brno makes it unique in the current marketplace?
Neil Keheler (NK): It comes down to the range of services RRD Brno is capable of. From sourcing, kitting and assembly to finished product fulfillment, we are strategically positioned to provide a vertical solution for our client's products, as well as enable fast access to the European market.
In leveraging RRD's global production assets and Brno’s assembly and fulfillment operations, our clients benefit from a complete product supply chain solution and extensive quality assurance, which is an integral part of our workflow.
If you had to narrow it down to one, what do you consider RRD Brno’s forte?
NK: Europe is not homogeneous. There is a lot of complexity in the products and the markets for each country. Supporting this level of complexity can only be done in the region with a company that can support multiple language product versions in near real-time.
So I would say RRD Brno’s forte is managing the complexity that arises from supporting our customer's multiple requirements in a seamless manner. From brand and product protection to the management of specific country regulations to multi-channel fulfillment, our clients have various direct and indirect requirements.
Brno’s extensive supply chain capabilities provides a single interface for all of these requirements — helping companies to reduce complexity and refocus on core business activities.
As business evolves, what role do you see RRD Brno playing in that evolution?
NK: I think that you will start to see companies adopting a control tower supply chain model — which is something RRD Brno specializes in — and realize a single interface for their supply chain can become a true competitive advantage.
Also, RRD’s global footprint alongside our European platform of vertically integrated design, print, packaging, device assembly, and kitting resources can continue to help companies overcome the disruption caused by the global pandemic.
One exciting piece of news is that we are working on the relevant medical device and regulatory accreditations, with the goal to be able to serve the needs of medical device clients — please watch out for more on this.
Can you share a success story that showcases RRD Brno?
NK: We recently developed an in-region postponement solution to drive efficiencies across the entire supply chain for a global consumer electronics and mobile device company. Previously, the company had imported their finished rugged phones from multiple Chinese original device manufacturers (ODMs), which created a number of difficulties around forecasting, flexibility, product ramp up, and branding.
To get around these issues, we leveraged our Brno facility to develop an in-region postponement model. We moved all printing, packaging, and device configuration and assembly to a centralized European distribution center. This eliminated the inefficiencies created by shipping finished goods for the European market directly from China.
By working through RRD Brno, the company was better positioned to support their international customers in EMEA and also significantly reduce freight and storage costs. (See the entire case study here.)
For more information about RRD's supply chain services, head here.