Telecommunications equipment company Tellabs Inc. has outsourced its spare-parts management in North America to DHL and software companies MCA Solutions and Click Commerce, in an effort to speed up customer deliveries. The contract could reduce delivery times for spare parts from days to hours, Tellabs says.

Through its network of warehouses, inventory-control measures, and transport services, DHL gives Tellabs a method to deliver spare parts in hours instead of days. Click Commerce software enabled Tellabs to automate and monitor returns by integrating with the company's business software to reduce manual returns. And MCA will manage Tellabs' parts planning and optimization with its Service Planning and Optimization software suite. According to the companies, MCA's package integrates with Tellabs business software and DHL's fulfillment system.