Different customers will have different replenishment relationships, based on the service
required, the volume and profitability of that customer, and the channel used to support that
customer. For example, a high-tech consumer electronics company typically deals with multiple
channels: retail, distributor, enterprise, and Web. Each of these channels should have different
replenishment programs. Enterprise customers might be served through a combination of
configure-to-order and build-to-stock strategies. Retail customers, meanwhile, could be served
through build-to-stock along with a combination of distribution resource planning (DRP);
vendor-managed inventory (VMI); collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment
(CPFR); and emerging point-of-sale (POS), analytics-driven collaboration. Further segmentation
within each of these channels would provide differentiated service based on customer/product
dynamics. The type of replenishment relationship between a manufacturer and a giant, big-box
retail chain will be different than that with smaller retailers.
An emerging trend in retail replenishment is the increasing use of analytical information
based on point-of-sale data to drive orders from the retailer to the manufacturer. This is part of a
larger trend toward manufacturers looking further downstream to leverage independent demand
(demand for an actual end product that is bought and used by a consumer or customer) to drive
their upstream operations. The intention is to reduce the "bullwhip effect" that comes from using
dependent demand, which is derived from independent demand.
Sony Electronics has successfully used this POS-analytic-driven replenishment approach with its
customer Wal-Mart Stores to improve its in-store availability while reducing channel
inventories. These sophisticated approaches are appropriate for certain segments, but other
replenishment approaches are necessary for other segments.
Dostları ilə paylaş: