Case 2: Woodmere Products Judith M. Schmitz
John Smith had just returned from what may prove to be one of his most important sales calls. John, a sales representative for a top furniture manufacturer, had been meeting with a representative from HomeHelp, a major home decorating retailer. It seems the buyer, Nan Peterson, and the product team she heads had just returned from the annual Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. At the conference, Nan’s team had attended several sessions on time-based logistics strategies. Even though Nan and her team had just been exposed to the new strategies, they felt it had the potential for significant competitive advantage in their industry. …show more content…
While many were excited about the potential, they were also cautious. The long-term relationship with Happy Home & Living that had prospered for 50 years was clearly becoming a potential problem for Woodmere. Relying on Happy Home & Living had created a false sense of security, and when Happy Home & Living suffered financially during the recessions of the eighties, Woodmere also suffered. Furthermore, Happy Home & Living’s reputation as a quality retailer was beginning to decline. In fact, it was getting the reputation for providing low-quality, outdated products. Top management was afraid to launch another close relationship that tied Woodmere’s success to another company. Frank responded that HomeHelp had achieved at least 10 percent growth each year for the last 15 years, even through the recessions. The main reason for this growth was its advertising strategy, which convinced consumers who couldn’t afford a new home that they could afford to …show more content…
Forecasts are locked in 6 weeks prior to assembly. Three of the distribution centers carry a full line of product inventory and seek to maintain a minimum on-hand quantity for each product. When inventory hits the predetermined minimum, a restock order is sent to the appropriate manufacturing facility. The other distribution centers stock only the fast-moving products. When a customer order is received it is assigned to the distribution center closest to the customer. If the product ordered is not available, the required item is transferred from the closest distribution center that has the required stock. If multiple products are ordered, the original order is held until the out-of-stock item is available to ship so customers receive all requirements in one delivery. No shipments are sent directly from the manufacturing plant to the customer; all orders are processed through a distribution
John Smith had just returned from what may prove to be one of his most important sales calls. John, a sales representative for a top furniture manufacturer, had been meeting with a representative from HomeHelp, a major home decorating retailer. It seems the buyer, Nan Peterson, and the product team she heads had just returned from the annual Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. At the conference, Nan’s team had attended several sessions on time-based logistics strategies. Even though Nan and her team had just been exposed to the new strategies, they felt it had the potential for significant competitive advantage in their industry. …show more content…
While many were excited about the potential, they were also cautious. The long-term relationship with Happy Home & Living that had prospered for 50 years was clearly becoming a potential problem for Woodmere. Relying on Happy Home & Living had created a false sense of security, and when Happy Home & Living suffered financially during the recessions of the eighties, Woodmere also suffered. Furthermore, Happy Home & Living’s reputation as a quality retailer was beginning to decline. In fact, it was getting the reputation for providing low-quality, outdated products. Top management was afraid to launch another close relationship that tied Woodmere’s success to another company. Frank responded that HomeHelp had achieved at least 10 percent growth each year for the last 15 years, even through the recessions. The main reason for this growth was its advertising strategy, which convinced consumers who couldn’t afford a new home that they could afford to …show more content…
Forecasts are locked in 6 weeks prior to assembly. Three of the distribution centers carry a full line of product inventory and seek to maintain a minimum on-hand quantity for each product. When inventory hits the predetermined minimum, a restock order is sent to the appropriate manufacturing facility. The other distribution centers stock only the fast-moving products. When a customer order is received it is assigned to the distribution center closest to the customer. If the product ordered is not available, the required item is transferred from the closest distribution center that has the required stock. If multiple products are ordered, the original order is held until the out-of-stock item is available to ship so customers receive all requirements in one delivery. No shipments are sent directly from the manufacturing plant to the customer; all orders are processed through a distribution