Systems and methods to outsource service and support operations

A tangible article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

• maintain an inventory at an outsourced service and support partner (OSSP) separate from a manufacturing entity by obtaining inventory items from a supplier separate from the manufacturing entity and the OSSP at a price determined based on an amount of similar or substantially identical inventory items obtained separately by the manufacturing entity for manufacturing units, the inventory to be used by the OSSP to at least one of service a unit returned to the OSSP by a customer or ship a particular inventory item from the OSSP to the customer in response to an order received from the manufacturing entity at the OSSP, the OSSP being a first of a plurality of OSSPs associated with the manufacturing entity;
• invoice the manufacturing entity for devaluation of an unused inventory item when the manufacturing entity specifies inventory requirements for the unused inventory item;
• and
• coordinate shipping of at least one of the units between the first OSSP and the customer or the particular inventory item from the first OSSP to the customer using a third party logistics provider at a shipping rate based on a total volume of expected shipments associated with the manufacturing entity across all of the plurality of OSSPs.

An outsourced service and support partner (OSSP) outsourcing system comprising:

• a processor to implement an inventory manager, the inventory manager to maintain an inventory at an OSSP separate from a manufacturing entity and without intervention by the manufacturing entity, the inventory to be used by the OSSP to at least one of service a unit returned to the OSSP by a customer or ship a particular inventory item from the OSSP to the customer in response to an order received from the manufacturing entity at the OSSP, the OSSP being a first of a plurality of OSSPs;
• a supplier interface unit to order inventory items to be added to the inventory by the inventory manager from a supplier separate from the manufacturing entity and the OSSP at a cost determined based on an amount of similar or substantially identical inventory items obtained separately by the manufacturing entity for manufacturing units;
• a manufacturer invoicing unit to invoice the manufacturing entity for each inventory item shipped to the customer, a value of each inventory item adjusted based on a duration of time expected to elapse from a first time when the inventory item was used to service the unit or shipped to the customer and a second time when the manufacturing entity is invoiced;
• and
• a third party logistics interface unit to coordinate shipping of at least one of the units between the first OSSP and the customer or the particular inventory item from the first OSSP to the customer using a third party logistics provider at a shipping rate based on a total volume of expected shipments associated with the manufacturing entity across all of the plurality of OSSPs.