Progress Telecom Uses Datastream to Track and Manage Assets

A subsidiary of Progress Energy, the tenth largest utility generator in the country, Progress Telecom delivers fast, dependable network access from its home base in St. Petersburg, FL. By deploying state-of-the-art lit fiber optics, customized build-outs, broadband, voice, data, and fixed wireless services, Progress Telecom reaches customers throughout the Southeast. With over 100 communication towers and a network of over 118,000 fiber miles, Progress Telecom's existing infrastructure serves as a competitive foundation and reliable backup for wireless networks throughout Florida and the Carolinas. And through their network alliances, Progress Telecom can carry traffic from Boston to Buenos Aires.

The Challenge of Managing a Growing Asset Base
Since it was formed in 1998, Progress Telecom has gained many new customers, attained crucial certifications, and accumulated over 20,000 assets. To manage all of their information and transactions, Progress Telecom used spreadsheets to handle all work orders, purchase orders, and transaction details.

"With a low volume, it was not that difficult to manage transactions with a simple spreadsheet program, but as our volume grew, it became increasingly obvious that we were unable to keep up with our transactions (current inventory and installed base) and purchases. We needed some type of asset management system," says Dave Koenig, Director of Operations Support at Progress Telecom. "Primarily, we wanted a system that could adequately handle our installed base of assets."

With a growing customer base and sophisticated, installed telecommunications equipment in over 175 co-locations, Progress Telecom had to carefully investigate asset management systems and find one that could manage information about their assets and transactions efficiently, while keeping operations running smoothly.

"We needed to know exactly how much of each type of equipment we had installed, when it was installed, and where it was installed," explains Koenig.

Accurate location and usage information helps companies share assets across sites and divisions easily, reduce duplicate spending, and avoid wasting money on idle assets. Progress Telecom's increase in customers resulted in a need for additional assets, which, in turn, led to challenges with their current system of managing information about transactions.

The Solution
After much research, Progress Telecom identified Datastream as an asset management leader for its ability to track and manage installed assets and for Datastream's experience in the communications industry.

"When we spoke with a Datastream customer and discovered how they used the software to track and manage assets successfully, we decided that it was the right choice for our company. Plus, we were confident that Datastream's solutions could offer significant financial savings through increased warranty claims and productivity in the future," says Koenig.

Progress Telecom barcoded all of their inventory and purchased barcode scanners to track their 20,000 assets with Datastream software. Using primarily the Requisition Management, Purchasing Management, and Inventory Management modules, Progress Telecom now submits requisitions and purchase orders electronically instead of manually and manages details about inventory supplies and assets efficiently.

"It used to take several days to manually write and route a requisition; now it takes 5-15 minutes," says Koenig. "The accounts payable department can pull up a purchase order and the receiving document, process the invoice for payment, and never have to get out of their chair." With quick access to details about assets, Progress Telecom completes nearly 500 warehouse transactions and at least 20 purchase orders per week. This capability ensures that they will always have the right parts and information readily available, which helps prevent downtime and improve the functionality and fluidity of operations

The Results
By storing details about assets, including quantity and failure rate information, Datastream's asset management solution enables Progress Telecom to identify whether they have the necessary equipment to satisfy customer needs. The software also allows Progress Telecom to establish min/max reorder points to prevent redundant purchases and unnecessary downtime.

Additionally, Datastream's software offers Progress Telecom increased asset accountability, reduced inventory-carrying costs, and remote access to asset information, helping streamline operations and increase profitability.

As Progress Telecom matures, Datastream will provide even greater benefits, such as increased warranty claims, reduced maintenance labor costs, and reduced excess inventory—adding capital to the bottom line.