More than one downstream industrial cooperation as the core of supply chain information platform for the implementation of comprehensive logistics network is way out of domestic chain enterprises.
Crudely view, there are two retail chains, bazaars type and life style. Country markets for consumer-based chain is a meet and deal directly with the manufacturer's site, lifestyle-oriented stores for consumers to understand their own particular way of life as a housekeeper.
Extreme example is the Gome and IKEA.
States United States The street markets lifestyle butler VS Ikea
A few days ago I need a TV, but does not know what brand to buy, my wife and I went to the States to the United States. In Hisense, Skyworth, TCL was wandering the stalls again, each manufacturer's promoters have pulled our own brand instill the merits of various proposals to us. TCL's promoters last touched my wife, he accompanied us to Jiaoqian, I suddenly realized that young lady behind the cashier that the store may be the only person on behalf of Gome. Her work on behalf of the country the United States is to ensure that this between me and TCL have been a good deal of money on two clear goods.
The TCL color TV sets sold in order to put this on me, not only need to spend money on repairing a booth decorated with a variety of billboards, a loquacious hire promoters, also need to put some stock in the country the United States, and set up a warehouse in Beijing, prepared according to sales distribution from the warehouse replenishment to the stores. All are doing very well is that when I return the money to the cashier lady, the States United States would give a 6 months TCL acceptances. In TCL have not go to the bank to cash these tickets before the country the United States will use the money to rent another face to advertise that special bargain store, welcome new customers to continue receiving ... ...
US-based Fair Trade Market in the country does not need to worry about the supply chain, inventory, warehousing, transportation, information, planning and so on supply chain working TCL were all done.
From the United States out of the country, we went to IKEA, and there is no specific purpose, but because the family had just done a simple decoration, to see something useful. IKEA does not promoters, in addition to people to clear the display of product use, and some people pay more attention to simple black and white look. Went to sell the chair, and we were attracted by a black and white poster, posters that read "Invest in a chair, your waist will be very satisfied!", Also listed above, overtime, full-time, part-time and so different situations , the seat should have what kind of function. Mean to tell you that if 8 hours a day to be sitting in a chair, then the chair must be able to adjust the backrest angle. My wife is a university teacher, working at home most of the time, we move down the criteria for mapping the recommended model, did not hesitate to pay more than 1000 yuan took home.
Wife is very frugal, and if not that move map, buy a chair, she probably is not willing to spend 100 dollars. Not hesitate to just take out the money without the budget is only one reason, that is for home needs one, how much should be spent to buy things to satisfy what she believes IKEA's recommendation, whether it is a dollar of 1,000 yuan a cup or a chair.
To sell this chair, IKEA to at the right time, the correct number and types of chairs placed in the correct position in store. To accomplish this a number of "correct", three months ago, IKEA together with the correct manufacturer design; two months ago, these chairs to be loaded into the correct container ship; two weeks ago, the chair should into the right internal distribution warehouse ... ...
Life style of the IKEA supply chain needs of the whole process of accountability, the need to control from the factory, packaging, storage, transport the whole process of implementation, the need to control from requirements to design, forecasting, inventory, promotion program the whole process.
Clearly, today's retail market in China, Gome Home Appliances country markets can operate and operate the home of IKEA as a successful way of life.
However, two years later, when the home appliance chain store operators who can no longer open, we must expand the quality rather than quantity competition, whose services can be more close to a number of IKEA, who will be able to have a stronger impact on consumers force will be able to rely on their retail brand manufacturers greater integration of inventory, logistics, marketing resources, anyone can lower the total cost of supply chain sales, who will also remain in the terminal market away phase-store consumers.
So, when the number of stores closer to saturation, when market-based chain of fair trade closer to death. Question not whether the model-based approach to life, but in what way and to what extent closer.
Getting the country has acquired the United States more than love, some comment is the country's strategic value chain, the U.S. extension of the U.S. model, however the country is too short, the current problems facing the retail supply chain, the distribution of too many words get right to the relationship between this imbalance can not long maintained, will eventually lose the right to speak either, or extend their supply chain capabilities. Acquisition of companies obviously do not solve the supply chain.
Suning has been the advertised services, however, statements of listed companies can be seen, the so-called "Su Ning service" advantage, but is air-conditioning installation, air distribution is Suning years ago to do when left to the savings, only a large air-conditioning installation team, and did not amount to state what the United States the difference between fair trade market.
Then carrying capacity of the supply chain life, from where to begin?
Distribution Center: supply chain hub or tumor
Suning, Gome listing, all published in national investment plans for building a modern distribution center on the grounds that want to improve supply chain capabilities.
Indeed, the retail chain's distribution center is the hub of the supply chain, and only rely on the hub to store inventory with suppliers to achieve the integration of inventory to achieve the installation, distribution, service and other customer service needs of integration. Thus, the distribution center is a chain of retail supply chain system, the bridgehead, from access to distribution centers, the merchandise code package must conform to the standard chain stores, retail chain system, replace paper order form, inventory program led by a chain of retail distribution centers ... ... No the supplier's supply chain to run its direct store chain's supply chain is empty talk, lifestyle butler must have been empty talk.
However, the distribution center does not necessarily become the hub of the supply chain. In many chain, distribution center is only free store goods warehouse chain, because chain does not put money to buy goods warehouse, so the warehouse stocks are piling up, it makes the supply chain flows more slowly, more wear and tear, higher total cost. This is not a hub distribution center, is the tumor.
Hub, or tumor, obviously under the distribution center did not land ownership relations, and distribution center no relationship reinforced shelves, and even distribution center Picking, loading and unloading of the workers were employees of companies which does not matter.
The chain is, of course need good facilities, distribution centers, professional operational capabilities, but they can not guarantee distribution center into a hub for supply chain integration. Thus, for those on the chain, not a core competency, acquire or own investment from outside the building can be. Instead, use other people have some of the facilities, the logistics outsourcing to a professional company engaged than he is obviously save time, perhaps, but also cheaper.
Hub, or tumor, the real determining factor is not in distribution centers, and in collaboration with the supplier chain relationship, the headquarters and stores in the chain of collaborative relationships, in other words, the upstream and downstream in the supply chain processes and rules.
For a real rush to develop supply chain capabilities of the chain, distribution centers should be exactly the facilities and operation of logistics companies to be more professional, but his focus on and collaboration with suppliers and stores processes and rules.
Supplier Collaboration: unrealistic or tells
Long ago that reported that a joint venture with Haier Suning desire to supply chain integration and so on. Sounds, the largest retail chain and the largest supplier of collaborative supply chain should be the best starting point start, as did Wal-Mart and P & G's stories.
However, China's Haier, not the United States Procter & Gamble, P & G has never been established in the United States had a large, self-employed, directly to the terminal distribution network. Gradually replace the middlemen with Wal-Mart collaboration, speed up the supply chain for P & G at the time, the long-term interests and short-term benefits are positive.
However, Haier, Gree, TCL, Skyworth and so the leader of these Chinese enterprises of different, proprietary distribution network is a cost burden in the long run, sooner or later to the retailers in the short term is that they compete with retailers flow of profits magic. Direct control of the terminals is that they already have today's supply chain capabilities, collaboration with retailers not only failed to pressure, it will be afraid because of the collaboration with the chain lost more right to speak.
Suning and report back to Haier, in fact, a careful analysis in the end know that the two are doing, logistics, information flow is not necessary to set up a joint venture collaboration, then the article can only do in the cash flow. In fact, the so-called joint venture may be the only thing is to Suning stores to sell Haier products through Suning shall not balance the overall capital repayment of the plate directly to the joint venture. This joint venture will be to sacrifice some profit Haier expense in exchange for an independent, guaranteed cash flow. To some extent, this is not the upstream and downstream cooperation, but a more thorough separation, in addition to reliance on store display of Suning, the Haier to capital flow, logistics, information flow are separated out to form a more complete vendor supply chain.
Therefore, China's chain and attempted to Haier, Tsingtao Beer, light the way through the joint venture to open supply chain collaboration situation the present circumstances, attempting the impossible.
For the terminal market-based chain, follow the chain of foreign enterprises in supply chain collaboration strategy can not work, to admission at the core of the profit model and decided to form a stable and SMEs, to strategic partnerships. Where does it break?
Supply chain based platform and a little bit of collaborative innovation
LCD TV's sudden rise may be a matter worthy of serious study.
Although Hisense, Xiamen Overseas Chinese and other enterprises, becoming the fast-growing LCD TV star, but we all know all know, the core technology of LCD TV and what kind of place. It is foreseeable that, nothing can stop TCL, Skyworth striking of conquering a city, LCD TV revolution brought a new pattern of industrialization can not be the same lack of core technology advantages of first-person control for too long.
However, the product features LCD supply chain optimization gave a great deal of space: first, the finished product, and drastic changes in prices of key components; second, LCD TV very short production cycle is completely assembled business; Third, most of the liquid crystal TV home installation required.
Envisaged, if the chain through collaboration with suppliers, the suppliers inventory, chain headquarters inventory, store inventory focused on the integration point, and then from that point direct delivery to the consumer's home, the entire LCD supply chain cycle can be from the current more than 1 month down to less than 10 days. For all of the machine suppliers, such as supply chain must have a strong attraction.
For a multi-product, multi-vendor chain for new products such as LCD supply chain opportunities every day in different areas, different suppliers, different products, different links appear. If for every opportunity to build a system, the establishment of a logistics system, will never be an opportunity to build a real life supply chain bearer.
Therefore, chain, need a unified supply chain information platform. This information platform and the traditional ERP differences can not buy products, sell products at the core, but on cooperation as the core, at different suppliers, different inventory models, different product model to construct a unified collaboration platform, order processing . At the same time, by a stable logistics network to implement.
In this collaboration platform integration process, based on each new supply chain opportunities will be the value of the supply chain for the chain to add new content, will be linked to a "supply chain service offerings." Large and small "supply chain products" together to make the supply chain as a core capability of sustainable growth.
This one, not an easy strategy, the myth is not available for direct copying Wal-Mart, based platforms only bit cumulative innovation.