Analysis of CenturyLink's Operations Management and Supply Chain

This report provides a detailed analysis of CenturyLink's operations management. It examines whether the company provides a pure good or service, or a combination of both, and explains the company's management approaches. The report delves into the workforce, including skills, education, the role of independent contractors, and the importance of union and non-union environments. It investigates CenturyLink's partnerships within its supply chain, identifying key players in distribution and customer service, and assessing outsourcing practices. The analysis covers the company's operational locations, including headquarters, manufacturing, warehousing, and customer service centers, both domestically and internationally, and discusses potential operational issues within the supply chain. The report also assesses CenturyLink's process management, including vertical integration and outsourcing strategies, both before and after service delivery. Finally, it draws conclusions about CenturyLink's operational effectiveness and its position within the telecommunications industry.

Running head: MANAGEMENT
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Table of Contents
Answer 1: Explanation of the Company Providing a Pure and Good Service................................2
Answer 2.i. 1: Role of Large Independent Contract Workforce......................................................2
Answer 2.i.2: Importance of Union and Non Union for the Company and Industry......................2
Answer 2. ii. 1: Partners in the Supply Chain, Distribution and Customer Service........................3
Answer 2. ii. 2: Outsourcing of the Supply Chain...........................................................................3
Answer 2. ii. 3: 3. Location of the Partners.....................................................................................4
Answer 2. ii. 4: 4. Process of Receiving the Outsourced Goods/ Services.....................................4
Answer 2. iii. 1: Headquarter and Other Locations.........................................................................4
Answer 2. iii. 2: US /Overseas.........................................................................................................4
Answer 2. iii. 3: Location of Manufacturing / Warehousing...........................................................5
Answer 2. iii. 4. Location of Customer Service/ Support................................................................5
Answer 2. iii. 5. Dealing with Operational Issues...........................................................................5
Answer 2. iv. 1. Whether Vertical Integration is a Standard for the Industry.................................5
Answer 2. iv. 2. Outsourcing Some of the Process.........................................................................5
Answer 2. iv. 3. Before the Delivery of the Service and After........................................................6
Answer 3: Conclusion about the Company.....................................................................................6

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Answer 1: Explanation of the Company Providing a Pure and Good Service
Century Link is known to provide pure as well as good service since it provides higher
quality service along with on demand support irrespective of the kind of business
(centurylink.com). The company also provides additional guidance for managing its cloud
services or hosting through its service management team.
Answer 2.i. 1: Role of Large Independent Contract Workforce
Century Link has large independent contractual workforce for performing the regular
administrative functions in exchange of an hourly fee in addition to offering self service
capabilities via the control portal and the Application Programming Interface (API).
Independent contractual workforce has become a common feature in the
telecommunications industry with the availability of various digital platforms (Richtel). The
transformational change along with the need of the modern corporations in maximizing the
shareholder value has led to the creation of demand for the contractual workforce. This has also
enabled the telecommunication industry in the rapid mobilization of the skilled engineers and the
workers for handling the innumerable number of projects.
Answer 2.i.2: Importance of Union and Non Union for the Company and Industry
Century Link represents a unionized workforce with closer to 13,000 workers across
thirteen states with 2000 workers in Colorado (Stratton). The workforce enabled the company in
successfully reaching an agreement on the extension covering a total workforce across the
thirteen states that included Idaho, Oregon and Colorado. The agreement also led to the increase

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in the annual pay from 2.5 percent to 3 percent. This in turn helped the company in delivering
better commitment to the consumers.
Although union is important, but it struggled to maintain a 12.5 percent share of total
workforce in the year 2004 compared to 22 percent in the year 1980. The fact is that they have a
bleak future in the telecommunications industry.
Answer 2. ii. 1: Partners in the Supply Chain, Distribution and Customer Service
Century Link has a stronger supplier base that not only delivers higher quality product
but also ensures on time delivery at the price they are able to afford (centurylink.com).
As far as the distribution service is concerned, the company believes in developing newer
channels along with launching the linear and online video service. Besides, the company also
ensures providing full time managed and distribution service with the content delivery network
thereby making it easier in launching the channels across globe (centurylink.com).
As single service provider, Century Link helps help the consumer in staying current with
the advanced and the evolving capabilities. The company enables in delivering programming to
the audience across the globe.
Answer 2. ii. 2: Outsourcing of the Supply Chain
Century Link engages in hybrid IT outsourcing. The service was extended to Wallenius
Wilhelsen Logistics (WWL) Company that utilized the private cloud of Century Link for dealing
with the applications and the workloads with the facilities of moving it directly to the cloud
(centurylink.com).

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Answer 2. ii. 3: 3. Location of the Partners
Wallenius Wilhelsen Logistics (WWL) is located in Oslo, Norway and operated in close
to over 30 countries. The company also delivered sustainable and innovative global logistics and
shipping solution for the manufacture of the truck, car, specialized cargo and heavy equipment.
Answer 2. ii. 4: 4. Process of Receiving the Outsourced Goods/ Services
Century Link served as the multi layered and end user support operation that freed the
internal staffs of WWL in focusing on the newer applications and the strategic issues of the
business. The staffs of Century Link make sure that all the issues remain reported to the help
desk with most of the issues being addressed directly. An escalation path is then put across by
the global service desk for addressing complicated issues that involves dispatching the technical
team or handling the issues of the WWL vendors. Along with support operation, the company
had an internal operation team that maintained mobile and remote devices attached to network.
Answer 2. iii. 1: Headquarter and Other Locations
Century Link represents American Telecommunications Company with headquarters in
the Monroe, Louisiana. It provided data and communication services to business, residential,
governmental and the wholesale customers in close to thirty-seven states.
Answer 2. iii. 2: US /Overseas
The company operated as the internet access provider and local exchange carrier
primarily in the United States and represented third largest telecommunication company in
United States. It also served the customers of the global enterprise of Latin America, North
America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

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Answer 2. iii. 3: Location of Manufacturing / Warehousing
The manufacturing/ warehousing location of Century Link is in Monroe, Louisiana
Answer 2. iii. 4. Location of Customer Service/ Support
The customer service/ support is located Monroe, Louisiana. The company helps in
unblocking the customer data for not only enhancing the engagement and delivering outstanding
experiences that encourages the customers in coming back.
Answer 2. iii. 5. Dealing with Operational Issues
The operational issues arising in this supply chain might be related to the customer
service and cost control. Operational issues related to supply chain can be resolved by providing
data for making decisions and communicating changes and shifts before creation of issues.
Operational issues due of control arises due to newer regulations, technology and enhanced labor
rates. This can be improved through proper execution and training.
Answer 2. iv. 1. Whether Vertical Integration is a Standard for the Industry
Century Link is vertically integrated. This is a standard for telecommunications industry
in the 20th century since they manufacture their own telephone cables, telephone, equipments of
telephone exchange and the other supplies.
Answer 2. iv. 2. Outsourcing Some of the Process
Century Link outsources hybrid IT approach that exploits different characteristics of the
data centre colocation and cloud services along with a top tier connectivity of network thereby

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creating cost efficient outsourced infrastructures. This frees the internal resources for focusing on
the technology innovation of the business (centurylink.com).
Answer 2. iv. 3. Before the Delivery of the Service and After
Century Link, global provider of the managed services forces the companies in thinking
about longer term implications of the issues where they have less experience. Outsourcing of the
data centre collocation enables the company in taking advance of the outsourcing partner
economies of the scale, geographic reach, proven reliability, technology and expertise.
Answer 3: Conclusion about the Company
It can be concluded that Century Link represents second largest communication provider
for the global enterprise customers. The company strives in becoming one of the best networking
companies by solving the increased demand of the customers for the reliable and the secure
connections. The hybrid infrastructure solution infused agility into the IT structure in spite of the
business being challenged with the managing performance, controlling cost, scaling or expansion
into the newer market.

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References:
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centurylink.com. 2019, http://www.centurylink.com/aboutus/company-information.html.
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optimizing-for-innovation-colocation-cm150439.pdf. Accessed 28 May 2019
centurylink.com. 2019,
https://www.centurylink.com/asset/business/enterprise/case-study/wallenius-wilhelmsen-
logistics-uk-case-study-cs160693.pdf. Accessed 28 May 2019
centurylink.com. 2019, https://www.centurylink.com/business/it-consulting/service-
management.html. Accessed 28 May 2019
Pressman, Aaron. How Centurylink Reached A Deal With 10,000 Union Workers. 2017,
http://fortune.com/2017/06/23/centurylink-cwa-union-deal/. Accessed 28 May 2019.
Richtel, Matt. Unions Struggle As Communications Industry Shifts. 2015,
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/01/business/unions-struggle-as-communications-industry-
shifts.html. Accessed 28 May 2019.
Stratton, Jim. Centurylink Workers File Federal Complaint Over Benefits. 2013,
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2013-04-05-os-century-link-labor-dispute-
20130405-story.html. Accessed 28 May 2019.