Avnet, Inc. Celebrates 5th Anniversary of Avnet Global Solutions Center

PHOENIX – Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), a leading global technology distributor, is celebrating the five-year anniversary of the Avnet Global Solutions Center. Located in Chandler, Ariz., the Avnet Global Solutions Center offers industry-leading IT capabilities and services such as hardware integration, software configuration, packaging and logistics, and systems maintenance, while delivering significant contributions to Avnet’s sustainability programs.

“Avnet’s Global Solutions Center has continued to outperform and surpass expectations,” said Robert Brenner, senior vice president of warehousing and distribution at Avnet, Inc. “Our technical professionals can design and develop some of the most complex technology solutions on the market, and deliver them on time and on budget to locations around the world. The team has reduced cycle times and increased service levels every year, while continuing to help our customers and partners accelerate their success by keeping them ahead of their competition. We attribute this not only to the center’s advanced capabilities, but also to our employees’ commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.”

This state-of-the-art technology integration and logistics facility provides a wide variety of technical and consulting services. By working with Avnet, customers and partners can deliver complete custom computing and embedded systems using technologies from leading manufacturers. The Avnet Global Solutions Center also enables a testing environment to ensure the performance of these solutions, and provides complete integration services and global delivery capabilities. The facility is certified to ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 standards for quality assurance, and ISO 13485 standards for medical compliance. It serves as a model for seven other Avnet technology integration facilities around the world. Achievements from the past five years include:

• Built and shipped more than 1.5 million custom computing and embedded systems for Avnet customers and partners, which include design engineers, embedded OEMs, independent software vendors (ISVs), systems integrators and value-added resellers (VARs). Avnet integrates solutions such as FlexPod® from Cisco and NetApp, HP Converged Infrastructure solutions, IBM PureSystems™ and other industry-leading technologies.
• Enhanced capabilities to advance specialized technologies, such as the design, development and integration of touch screen displays. Additionally, the Avnet Global Solutions center houses the Open Compute Project Innovation Lab focused on power-efficient scalable computing solutions; the Avnet LightLab for testing and measuring a wide range of LED applications; and a technology showcase that highlights the key technologies the center supports, such as 3D displays and converged data center technologies.
• Incorporated digital signage technologies throughout the facility to demonstrate Avnet’s complete digital signage solutions capabilities.
• Established standardized policies, process and workflows, based on Lean practices, that have been implemented in Avnet’s seven other integration facilities worldwide, effectively increasing Avnet’s ability to support its global customers.
• Reduced the amount of waste entering landfills by recycling nearly a ton of cardboard every day and more than 99 percent of the by-products (e.g. CDs, manuals, slot covers and packaging) of the systems Avnet integrates. Also through the Avnet Refurbishment Program, which increases the lifecycle of products by repairing or upgrading systems, the Avnet Global Solutions Center has kept approximately 252,000 pounds or 126 tons of electronic waste from entering landfills.
• Matured Avnet’s continuous improvement capabilities, including Lean processes. The Avnet Global Solutions Center has consistently demonstrated its efficiency in system integration on a global scale, which has led to significant capacity and performance improvements as well as industry awards for Lean and visual management. In an average year, the facility ships orders to approximately 50 countries.
• Received multiple supplier certifications since opening the Global Solutions Center including becoming a Cisco Unified Computing System B and C Series Authorized Configurator, along with Cisco L6 facility approval.