Vodafone Qatar: the importance of supply chains

Hicham Nehme, Senior Supply Chain Manager at Vodafone Qatar, discusses the importance of supply chains in telecommunications with Supply Chain Digital.

Hicham Nehme Senior Supply Chain Manager at Vodafone Qatar, has had 18 years experience in the supply chain industry working in different organisations and industries. However for the last eight years he has specialised in telecommunication procurement. “I've been CIPS-certified since 2013 and am a holder of an MBA and business administration system degree.”

When speaking to Supply Chain Digital in this month’s magazine, Nehme discusses the state of flux that the telecommunications industry is currently experiencing not only in Qatar but globally. Telecom operators are facing financial challenges, due to the shrinking of their margins,” Nehme explains. “What the company realised is that the only way to fix this problem is by reducing costs, and to achieve these goals, we must use the supply chain. The supply chain has become a critical department across the organisation. Our involvement now starts from the planning stage, not just the execution. We can help the decision makers to build their strategy and to properly put their plans in place.”

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In addition to financial change, Nehme also highlighted the evolution of technology and how Vodafone is at the forefront. “We’re proud to be the first company providing 5G for their customers in Qatar. We are leading 5G within the country and in the world at large, an achievement we are really proud of.” Implementing 5G requires upgraded infrastructure, and “Vodafone Qatar is taking the lead to be part of that growth in the coming years,” says Nehme. “The telecommunications industry is critical for any country, and that’s where we play our role in the growth of the economy.”

With these changes, Nehme has been developing clean supply chains strategies, in order to thrive in an evolving industry.  “Something that’s impacted our way of thinking is the five rights of procurement, which is providing the right number of the right materials at the right time and at the right place for the right price. We're not just focused on the finish anymore, now we analyse spending. We analyse the product as its bought. We use technology to enhance our procurement strategy and gather data from different resources. This all helps us to build a strong strategy for the supply chain, and to achieve our goals and objectives in the long and the short-term.”

To read the full Vodafone Qatar feature, check out the February edition of Supply Chain Digital.

For more information on all topics for Procurement, Supply Chain & Logistics - please take a look at the latest edition of Supply Chain Digital magazine.

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