Behind the Scenes: How Quality Managers Shape the Mobile Experience with Device Intelligence

How are leading companies transforming quality management from a cost center into a strategic advantage? 

Join Apkudo’s Allyson Mitchell (VP of Sustainability) as she welcomes Manoj Sabhnani, Chief Operating Officer at Apkudo. With over 25 years in the wireless industry, Manoj illuminates the critical role quality managers play in determining a device's fate between its first and second life. With experience spanning carriers, OEMs, and infrastructure development, he explains how quality management directly impacts customer satisfaction, return rates, and ultimately, profitability. Manoj emphasizes that while quality departments are often viewed as cost centers, their work translates to measurable ROI through reduced returns and logistics costs.  

Discover how quality managers navigate complex challenges including disconnected data systems, manual processes, and cross-stakeholder collaboration. Manoj details how Apkudo's Device Intelligence platform has revolutionized quality management through real-time dashboards, predictive analytics, and seamless collaboration features that save quality managers up to 20% of their time. The conversation highlights the sustainability implications of quality improvements and how reducing "bounce rates" for refurbished devices delivers millions in savings while decreasing environmental impact. This episode offers valuable insights for professionals across the connected device ecosystem seeking to optimize operations and lead in sustainable device management. 

In this episode: 

• (00:00) Introduction and Background: Manoj Sabhnani brings over 25 years of wireless industry experience to Apkudo, working across carriers, OEMs, and infrastructure to understand quality management challenges from multiple perspectives. 

• (05:03) Key Quality Processes and Challenges: Critical processes quality managers oversee including first article inspection, early warning processes, and device triage, while managing disconnected systems and manual data collection. 

• (10:15) Daily Operations and Collaboration: Manoj details a typical day for quality managers, highlighting their work with multiple stakeholders, data management responsibilities, and the need to take timely action on quality insights. 

• (15:35) Quality ROI and Business Impact: How quality teams demonstrate ROI through reduced returns, decreased logistics costs, and improved sustainability metrics, translating into millions in annual savings. 

• (24:01) Technology Solutions and Future Innovations: Apkudo’s Device Intelligence platform integrates disparate systems with real-time dashboards and cross-stakeholder collaboration, plus upcoming innovations in predictive analytics and sustainability metrics. 

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Resources:  

Manoj Sabhnani LinkedIn 
Apkudo LinkedIn 
Apkudo 
Apkudo Podcast