The pioneer of the office-products superstore has big plans to boost sales and market share in Europe by increasing stores, catalog orders, contract stationery business, and internet retailing. But it must balance growth with the challenge of a multi-channel supply chain.
Costly automation and price cuts weren't working. A new approach centered on increased outsourcing, flexible manufacturing and distribution, and establishing operations in Mexico. Now, Master Lock is saving money and getting new products to market faster.
Europe's widely differing regulations of the consumer health product industry pose significant obstacles to centralized distribution. For companies trying to build efficiencies into their supply chains, such as health care giant Novartis, it's a real Maalox moment.
The Japanese car maker, which once held almost eight months' worth of aftermarket parts at its Belgian logistics center, is well on its way to keeping only a little more than two months' of spares on hand. In doing so, it has relied on surprisingly little in the way of information technology.
A potent mix of changing consumer tastes and legislation that forced it to sell much of its pub business caused Bass Brewers to radically tighten up its supply chain. It called in Numetrix to provide the needed technology.
Denmark-based LEGO Group keeps its brightly-colored blocks flowing to consumers in 150 countries by incorporating logistics as an important adjunct to both manufacturing and sales.
When Bama Companies, a Tulsa, Okla.-based pie maker, found it too costly to continue exporting to China to supply McDonald's, its biggest customer, Bama officials decided to set up operations there. Implementing that decision involved numerous challenges.
The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the food and beverage industries. Learn how food and beverage companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.
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