Skip to content
Close
Let's talk
Let's talk
Delivery Framework
Resources
Partnerships & Technology Expertise
tariff impact on supply chains, retail, CPG, automotive, hi-tech, supply chain consulting, spinnaker SCA
FEATURED INSIGHT
Winning in Any Market
A guide to supply chain resilience, tariffs, and uncertainty
Client Stories
Polaris ICON Promo
FEATURED STORY
Polaris' Journey to Supply Chain Agility
Join us at ICON 2025 to hear how Polaris shifted supply chain planning into high gear
T-Mobile digital supply chain consulting, omnichannel operations

T-Mobile's Digital Supply Chain Journey

THE IMPERATIVE FOR CHANGE

Moving from merger to sustained momentum—when customer experience is everything

T-Mobile’s dynamic view of customer experience is encapsulated by its "uncarrier" strategy. This philosophy is best represented by the company actively seeking to break the rules of industry traditions—eliminating everything that doesn't add value to the customer, including contracts and international roaming fees.

When T-Mobile and Sprint merged to create a nationwide 5G network in early 2020, it presented a significant challenge to company's already

monolithic supply chain technology stack and its ability to create a seamless experience across its retail landscape.

T-Mobile’s culturally-sensitive approach to supply chain management and their obsession with the customer experience is what drove their desire for increased competitiveness and agility. And it's why they hired Spinnaker SCA for a multi-year technology-enabled supply chain transformation.

T-Mobile logistics operations, warehouse automation, supply chain execution
THE TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTION

Reinventing mobile retail

T-Mobile wasn’t just building a better wireless network—they were redefining what it means to deliver for customers. With over 19,000 stores and $13B in supply chain volume, the brand needed a more agile, digital-first operation to support omnichannel retail and the Sprint merger.

Automated, accelerated fulfillment

We helped T-Mobile design and launch a highly-automated distribution center to increase throughput, reduce labor dependencies, and lay the foundation for a faster, more responsive supply chain.

One network, one source of truth

To help unlock greater control, accuracy, and scale across all of its sales channels, helped T-Mobile consolidate all U.S. mobile device and accessory inventory into a single, centralized distribution center.

Centralizing inventory and returns for speed and scale

In addition to centralizing inventory, T-Mobile also consolidated returns to a single, automated distribution center to reduce shrink, streamlining logistics, and boosting visibility across the network. Spinnaker SCA led the design and implementation of the DC and its supporting systems.

Full circle visibility

We built an end-to-end returns tracking system that eliminated blind spots for T-Mobile, protected them against fraud, and helped reclaim value back into the supply chain.

Retail anywhere, anytime

We enabled the introduction of new unified commerce experiences, including ship-from-store, pick-up-in-store, and return-in-store to meet customers where they are shopping.

The network behind the network

The expansion of T-Mobile's 5G network required its own supply chain strategy. Spinnaker SCA helped optimize the logistics and infrastructure required to bring high-speed connectivity to millions—while keeping customer promises intact.
BUSINESS IMPACT

Supply chain transformation, delivered

Upon the completion of its $37 billion merger complete, T-Mobile was well-positioned for continued growth and innovation. In Q4-2020, they reported a 71% increase in revenue and surpassed 102 million users. Despite the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company accelerated its omnichannel initiatives—including BOPIS, contactless and curbside delivery, and same-day service—turning a global challenge into a catalyst for transformation.

T-Mobile's customers now have more flexibility than ever to get their products where, when, and how they want them. “The challenge of integrating two separate supply chains into a single ecosystem has been difficult,” noted Erik LaValle, T-Mobile's digital supply chain leader. “But nothing has impeded T-Mobile’s quest for a better customer experience.”

With Spinnaker SCA’s deep industry expertise, T-Mobile has tackled some of its most complex supply chain challenges—strengthening both internal operations and external relationships. “It’s been transformative in changing our relationship with our business partners,” added LaValle.

Related: For more details, check out T-Mobile's February 2021 cover story in Supply Chain Digital.

Your supply chain is part of your brand.

Let’s modernize it together—so you can deliver faster, flexibly, and exactly how your customers expect.
Get started