Tuesday, September 5, 2017

OPTIMIZING SUPPLY CHAINS--UPSTREAM, MID-STREAM, DOWNSTREAM


Omnichannel, with e-commerce, is cascading across worldwide, affecting how retailers and manufacturers sell.  Omnichannel is selling duality.  In turn, it requires supply chain duality.  Online selling success is about meeting—and exceeding—customer expectations.  It is driven by supply chain management.  The one-size-fits-all supply chain cannot efficiently handle both store/brick retail or plant manufacturing and online/click sales.  It is central to the global supply chain revolution. 

All these elevate the need for a comprehensive total supply chain approach that reduces costs and working capital investment while improving service and market positioning, including omnichannel.  This is transformation.

Manufacturers and retailers need a supply chain strategy that recognizes the differing requirements of factory/store and e-commerce.  The strategy must work at the corporate level, at the division/region level, and at the local level.  It should integrate these levels.  The new supply chain must have strong technology and process capabilities as essential foundation elements.

Toward that end, the overriding question is--What is the goal?

Ø  Goals and objectives on optimizing supply chains centered—first—around:

o   Cost reductions

o   Greater visibility

o   Increased buying leverage

o   Better efficiency

o   Improved control

o   Leaner inventory and increased agility with time compression

o   Reduced capital exposure with extending inventory (also called, being inventory rich)

o   Strong omnichannel capabilities driven by supply chain management

o   Better service / Competitive advantage

Ø  Recognizing issues to supply chain optimizing execution:

o   Lack of clarity on the length and breadth of the supply chain.  This includes that supply chains are not linear.

o   Infighting among divisions and stakeholders

o   System or process limitations

o   Agility of demand and supply functions to deal with moving targets

o   Lack of holistic visibility, ownership, and influence

Ø  To support the change, this deck which should help to ensure—

o   Parties are clear on the areas within project/transform scope and outside of scope

o   There is consistency in the way the project is described

o   The key fundamental questions are asked and answered

o   Stakeholder goals are captured and built into the program/project.

There are three parts to supply chains—the Upstream, the Mid-Stream, and the Downstream.  The three parts are interrelated and integrated.


o   Stakeholders—sourcing, buyers, procurement, suppliers, manufacturers, logistics, planners, finance, risk marketing, sales.

o   Example considerations—Vendor Managed Inventory, lean as to number of suppliers, switch to near and off shore approaches, tradeoffs for lead time vs cost, revise buying terms, create upstream consolidation hubs, align buying volumes to optimal shipping modes, evaluate direct to store/market options, implement upstream Value-Added Services and Store Ready processes, centralized demand planning and transport functions, adapt omnichannel program.

o   Targets—reduced costs, increased visibility and control, leaner mid and downstream supply chains, ability to re-route/adjust to match demand, duplication, and cost avoidance.

o   Impact—Highest impact on supply chain cost, requires strong systems and supplier coordination possibly via a Control Tower type of solution.

Ø  Key points:

o   Supply chain success begins with the Upstream supply chain.  Problems here create exponential problems in the Mid-Stream and especially the Downstream segments.

o   Retail supply chains, especially with omnichannel, are about "pull", not push, product through the supply chain.  The pull demand makes supply chain integration and the Upstream supply chain more important.

o   The majority of supply chain cost is determined by the efficiency of the Upstream processes and how the Stakeholders interact.

o   A focus on this area typically yields greater results and have a positive impact on both Mid-Stream and Downstream activities and costs.

o   Upstream optimization requires a holistic approach to ensure that the concerns and needs of the respective stakeholders are recognized and addressed.

o   It is still possible to break out specific areas of the Upstream supply chain and tackle these for quick wins, such as freight consolidation.

2)     Mid-Stream Scope—Areas of Consideration:

o   Stakeholders—Marketing, Sales, Logistics, Planners, Finance, Risk.

o   Example considerations—Review inventory holding points vs flow through or direct to market solutions, optimize SKU range, create internal processes that allow for omnichannel prioritization without bin/location duplication, increase level of store/range packs at POS, allow for rounding of demand to optimize four wall activities, sell through vs returns study, invest in technology and mechanization to reduce touch points.

o   Targets—Reduced costs, increased visibility and control, leaner inventory and associated capital, ability to re-route/adjust to match demand, reduced investment in infrastructure and assets, higher velocity throughput.

o   Impact—Reduction in dormant inventory and capital tied up in inventory, assets, and infrastructure; higher service levels to demand points, reduced handling points and capability to expand the range/handle seasonal fluctuations without adding infrastructure.

Ø  Key points:

o   The majority of static dwell time is linked to Mid-Stream processes and the ability to flush inventory through the system to demand points.

o   Focus on this area will typically yield improved performance and less obsolescence, reduce manpower and inventory (capital) costs as processes change to suit the upstream improvements.

o   Mid-Stream optimization requires a process driven approach to ensure that the concerns and needs of the demand partners are recognized and addressed.

o   Mid-Stream change management can be approached on a site, activity, or brand level and can be actioned independently or in parallel to up and downstream activity.

3)     Downstream—Areas of Consideration:

o   Stakeholders—Buyers, Procurement, Logistics, Planners, Finance, Risk, Marketing, Sales, Real Estate

o   Example Considerations—Creation of "store ready" or "store friendly" configuration packs in Upstream or Mid-Stream processes, hub and spoke transport solutions for key SKUs, intra-store transfers and sell-through options vs returns, outsourced/shared distribution assets, store dressing/replenishment during non-trading hours, environmental packaging options to reduce CBM/unit.

o   Targets—Reduced cost to serve, reduced environmental impact from optimized routing, delivery and replenishment solutions, reduction in returns, reduced lead time to demand for high yield/key SKUs.

o   Impact—Highest impact on consumer confidence and brand loyalty, directly impacts COGS and optimization of high cost real estate, reduces costs and ensures "fresh" seasonal inventory.

Ø  Key points:

o   The majority of customer facing activity takes place in the Downstream areas of the supply chain.

o   A focus on this area will typically yield positive results for the Brand image and less waste throughout the supply chain.

o   Downstream optimization requires a consumer centric to ensure that the concerns and needs of the respective stakeholders are recognized and addressed.

o   Prior to tackling this area, it is key to understand the sales channel strategies of the brand and prioritization of current and future channels.

Optimizing a Supply Chain and its related activities can produce significant savings estimated of between 10-30% depending on the baseline migration model and scale/complexity of the business.  

No comments:

Post a Comment