CommsMEA: Supporting operators with Workz CEO, Brad Taylor

CommsMEA article with Brad Taylor, CEO, Workz Group

 

Brad Taylor, CEO at Workz, talks about the company’s trajectory in the Middle East and Africa and where he foresees growth in the region for his business.

 

How your portfolio has evolved since the launch of Work’s office in Dubai in 1997?

With a portfolio that includes mobile subscriber products, we have grown from a regional provider to a global player with our business model developing from a trading company to a manufacturer. We started off in Jebel Ali Free Zone then moved to Dubai Airport Free Zone before moving to International Media Production Zone. We have also established our own freight-forwarding company to provide logistics, distribution and warehousing services. The result is that the volume of products we produce each year has grown substantially to over 850 million units to over 50 operators in more than 35 markets across the globe.

 

Which are the most demanded services in the ME region by operators?

We find supply chain optimisation as a major focus. The planning and execution of delivering subscriber products to market is more complex than most consumer goods. Serialised product with time-sensitive artwork and activation management in conjunction with cost-efficient logistics and just-in-time shipments are what we provide. It is important to establish robust inventory management, demand forecasting systems and call-off planning. The goal is to manage our customers’ stock and ensure they get the right amount of product to the market at the right time in the most cost-efficient manner.

 

Where do you foresee growth in the ME region for your activities?

M2M and IOT will offer some of the most exciting opportunities for mobile network operators worldwide. We’ve probably all seen it in the movies or on TV already, but the potential of devices that manage our homes, cars, public transportation and energy promise to revolutionise the world. The network provisioning and life-cycle management of these devices is something I believe we are very well equipped to support going forward. Smart cities, virtualisation of physical products, mobile apps and embedded technologies are becoming a reality. It is in these ecosystems that I believe Workz will operate.

 

What is Workz’s main difference compared to its competitors?

We provide clients with an end-to-end service which means we manage everything in-house from concept, design and development, to production, fulfilment and logistics. We didn’t start that way but we grew organically developing our own design team, licensed freight-forwarding service, manufacturing capability… Telcos demand a high level of quality and security and we found managing the entire process gives us much greater control to achieve this. It also means we can provide a very streamlined service not only in terms of turnaround and on-time delivery but also in the synchronization of all elements and costing.

 

Read the full CommsMEA interview here.

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