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Supply Chain Management Marks and Spencer Supply Chain This assignment is about the supply chain of Marks and Spencer. You must investigate the supply chains for two different products and discuss how these supply chains could be improved. Identify any current issues affecting supply chain management. The supply chain is the network of interconnected processes involved with providing a product required by the consumer. It is a non-linear, tiered network of organizations.
Supply chain management is managing the whole process of the network across the entire chain, making sure it runs smoothly and easily throughout he chain and making sure any problems can be resolved quickly and efficiently before any great harm is done to the chain. The management controls the whole cycle of the supply chain; the procurement, conversion, transportation and distributions. Therefore, customers’ needs are met in the right time and to ensure the product is to their satisfaction.
Supply Chain For Marks and Spencer Marks and Spencer has a very different and complex supply chain. It includes 2,000 suppliers and 20,000 farmers locally and internationally; which is a large factor of its Carbon Footprint. Marks and Spencer Plain Jersey Top Firstly, the buying office make the design for marks and Spencer that they think will work very well in store. When it’s done and everyone agrees with the design, the design is sent over to China. In China, they make the design which they think will fit the sizing ranges, then its sent back to head office.
At Head Office they fit the Top to a model and make sure all sizing is right. The top is then sent back to China where they modify all the changes that were made in the Head office. Then the changes are sealed and are ready to be made in bulk. Then the design is replicated many times in a high tech factory in China. Then the tops are transported by boat to the I-J to the distribution centre, located in Bradford where the tops are sorted into categories depending which store they’re going to. The stock is now distributed in trucks and taken to the store they will be sold in.
The customer profile for a M plain Jersey product and would appeal to all different customers of different ages, the top would automatically appeal to an older customer of about 25+, either single or with a family. The reason the top has such a wide range of customer is because an older person would buy this for a member of family. The main customer it would appeal to is men and woman aged 25+ as M has a lot of loyal customers and is a reliable retailer and people feel comfortable to buy from there as they know the product will last for a long time and it’s good quality.
Hand Cooked Crisps Supply Chain The potatoes are delicately sliced inside a few millimeters of design and released into the fryer. Then the heat is quickly conducted to the potatoes. When the frying process has finished the crisp has to be fully evaluated so that the crisp is up to M&S’s high standards. The Crisps are then seasoned in the tumbler to make sure the seasoning is even. Then it’s time for the packing of the crisps to be done. The crisps are weighed in sections to make sure the same amounts are put into each bag. The crisps are put into a formulated bag which is then sealed and cut.
The bags are then boxed and dispatched into a truck and put into each store. The customer profile for Hand cooked potato crisps would, like the Jersey top, would appeal to the older customer of 25+ as M&S is a family shop, and the customers would be buying food for their family. These customers are loyal customers to M&S who are likely to shop in Marks and Spencer every time they shop for the family. The crisps are an easy snack that anyone could enjoy, which also can attract another customer in everyday life being hungry and quickly going into M&S to find something to eat for lunch.
Marks and Spencer is a large and well known organization that shows clear signs of both internal and external integration. Integration is important to a retailer as it makes the steps in the supply chain fit in together. Integration ensures that the supply chain is working well and smoothly and to ensure the supply chain in efficient. It coordinates all the aspects and processes of the supply chain and makes sure the collaboration teen the partners in the supply chain in clear and working strongly. Integration is focused on improved coordination where materials and information flows work in practice.
Improved integration (both upstream and downstream) develops to improved performance for the supply chain all round and in the long run. Internal integration is the different ways the processes inside the brand can be made more effective. External integration is how all the external contacts and relationships can be improved to make the supply chain flow easily and manage it more efficiently. Internal integration can improve the performance of divisions within the company; improve the information flow between all different departments in the brand, such as marketing, buying and distribution.
This is the ensure customer demand is at its best in the store. Introduce automated methods within the DC to develop material flow. They can use cross brand coordination within company, for example using the same chain partners ensures that real time data on shipments is obtainable, in addition to a whole audit history of all orders. External integration has to make sure it’s clear and efficient. Cooperation, ordination and collaboration are very important when dealing with external integration.
Everything must be running smoothly to ensure the end product is to the best of their ability. They have a small number of strategic suppliers to keep things under control and to make sure everything is easy to access, also working as one unit is important as it makes things easier when communicating. Electronic information is used to share information, transparency, trust and share goals, also to reduce geographical distance with the suppliers they are working with, to increase responsiveness and flexibility.