Course Completion Tracker
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Slides, Sheets & Other Shenanigans...
Watch this space for session slide, excel worksheets and useful articles.
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Wraps & Scribbles
Session 3: Dominos' Secret Ingredient: It's Supply Chain Management
Our third session was focused on Dominos Pizza's supply chain design and its role in helping dominos achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Dominos pizza's supply chain consists of supplier management, franchise management & Demand Management. Supplier management entails maintaining a steady flow of raw material isolated from the commodity market volatalities. Franchise management involves the alignment of franchisee's incentives to that of the supply chain to ensure overall profit maximization. Demand management involves making sure there is enough demand for the product to justify the investment in the supply chain infrastructure. Overall, dominos runs it supply chain like a well oiled machine. We also discussed store manager's role and what dominos could do enable store managers perform better. Finally, we discussed about the pros and cons of internationalisation of the dominos supply chain. From our discussion we concluded that the cons outweigh the pro Sessions 4-6
White Whale of Online Grocery Being able to sell groceries online profitably has been the holy grail for several businesses. Billions of dollars went down the drain while companies tried perfecting the right business models. As it turns out, different business models have different supply chain design requirements and managerial thrust areas. In the first session, we understood the key challenges for selling things online and the key challenges for selling groceries. Towards the end of the session, we saw how selling groceries and that too online could multiply into a fairly significant challenge. During the second session, we looked at the Yummy77 case and understood the operational implications of various design decisions. In the third and the final session, we explored the various online grocery business models and discussed in detail their operational issues and key managerial thrust areas. Sessions 7-8
Socho Zara Socho In the final two sessions pre-mid term, we discussed the Zara: IT for fast fashion case. We first understood the intricacies of Zara's business model. We then saw how the capabilities of the current IT system works to complement the business model. We saw what role IT plays in helping the various personnel in the Zara Supply Chain fulfil their responsibilities. We then discussed the rationale of running the retail store on outdated technology while running the DC on advanced technology.
We finally explored different fancy new technologies that have been pitched as though they would solve all the problems faced by businesses! Making sure that the right technology is deployed at the right place in the supply chain to aid the business model is an essential aspect of maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. More discussion on RFID implementation at Metro is pending next week. All the best for your Mid Terms. Do share feedback on your experiences during the course using the feedback link above. Here is the video on the Zara's initiative to use sophisticated analytics in the recent years as against what is mentioned in the case! |
Sessions 9-11
Retail Execution - Proof of the pudding In these sessions, we discussed a great deal about Retail execution and the challenges therein. Key challenges in Retail execution revolve around people management. Highly dispersed footprint, high attrition rates pose a challenge to implement compliance mechanisms to make sure the right products are available at the right time for the right customers to pick. Use of advanced technology or rethinking about the usage of existing technology to build enforcement mechanisms was the core of our discussion Sessions 12-14
Ratnadeep Warehouse Visit We discussed about the various observations made during our visit to the Ratnadeep Warehouse. Discussed the salient aspects of the warehouse and the possible improvements that could be made to the workflow and layout for higher productivity.
We also discussed how the objectives of warehouse design is different from design of retail stores. The differences discussed in class have been captured in the following picture. Sessions 15-16
Lean Retailing Retailers are increasingly using lean manufacturing techniques to enhance the labor productivity of their retail stores. We started by discussing the various principles of lean manufacturing. Further, through a group activity, we examined the challenges faced by grocery, pharma, apparel, furniture, electronics and bookstore retailers could and how these challenges could be resolved using lean manufacturing techniques. The McKinsey Quarterly articles I shared (using ERP) on Lean Retailing throw light on the challenges around using lean techniques in Retail store operations. Sessions 17
Collaborate or Perish! During this sessions, we discussed the Henkel Iberica case. For the first time during the course we discussed the challenges faced by the supplier. The discussed threadbare the impact of SKU proliferation on the various functions of Henkel iberica. Thereafter, through an interesting in-class activity, we discovered the power of a collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment. We also understood the practical difficulties in implementation of a successful CPFR program. We also briefly explored how Blockchain technology could help in a successful CPFR program. Here is a useful link on this topic. Sessions 18 & 19
Not just a CSR activity! Our last two sessions were dedicated to the discussion on social and environmental sustainability issues in retail supply chain management. On social sustainability, we compared two different social sustainability initiatives: Rugmark Foundation and the Bangladesh Accord to ascertain the critical success factors of sustainability initiatives. On environmental sustainability, we explored the challenges in closing the loop of a supply chain and embarking on a reduce, reuse and recycle journey. Here is an article that captures the essence of the discussion and more. For more on the futility of consumer environmental activism click. On how sustainability in fast fashion is just a branding exercise: Video. Interesting video on Perils of One day shipping. A very good example of a company that really works on both environmental and social sustainability is Patagonia Outdoor Clothing and Gear. Explore their website to know more. |