Dell Supply Chain Management Essay

Dell's business strategy combines its direct customer model with a highly efficient manufacturing and supply chain management organization and an emphasis on standards-based technologies. This strategy enables Dell to provide customers with superior value; high-quality, relevant technology; customized systems; superior service and support; and products and services that are easy to buy and use.

The shortage of chipset is not only due to manufacturer’s capacity constraints; it could be defects from manufacturing. Therefore, Dell wouldn’t want to just rely on supplier but to take control of the internal operational improvement to target cost saving model and maintaining manufacturing flexibility.

By grafting its system of custom direct sales onto the Internet infrastructure, Dell has transformed these activities, creating an innovative and efficient procurement, production, and distribution network. The innovative advance made by Dell in deploying Internet communication as the foundation of its production network, is a process innovation. Although to some extent, the Internet has enabled Dell to create a new product -- a PC custom-configured through Internet communication -- it is the process of organizing flows of materials and information within its network, from customer order to procurement, production and delivery, by means of Internet communication, that defines the innovation at the Firm. The case supports this notion by stating “While most other PCs were sold preconfigured and pre-assembled in retail stores, Dell offered superior customer choice in system configuration at a deeply discounted price, due to the cost-savings associated with cutting out the retail middleman. Additionally, an important side-benefit of the Internet-based direct sales model was that it generated a wealth of market data the company used to efficiently forecast demand trends and carry out effective segmentation strategies. This data drove the company’s product development efforts and allowed Dell to profit from information on the value drivers in each of its key customer

Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been defined by Supply Chain Management Institute to be “the management of relationships in the network of organizations, from end customers through original suppliers, using key cross-functional business processes to create value for customers and other stakeholders”(SCM-Institute, 2016).

When Dell started its campaign to allow customers to configure and customize their computers according to their needs and budget Dell had serious issue regarding Inventory Management. Dell needed and Inventory which comprised of right computer parts at right time and right place. To manage this entire Dell

Dell is able to sustain a competitive advantage over competitors in the computer industry because of an extremely efficient supply chain/distribution system and its JIT inventory system. Since inventory and labor are the highest liabilities of a firm and Dell operates with a few days of inventory, they are able to cut costs on warehousing, hiring people to track and maintain inventory, and avoid holding on to obsolete technology.

Dell argues that the direct model and virtual integration is beneficial to the customer from distribution to

For Dell, they created an extranet for suppliers. Suppliers could see all order information and Dell’s production schedule. They could feed this information into their own production system. And produce the computer for different orders.

The proposal presented herein gives the background information of Dell Computers Corporation highlighting the current operation for the manufacture of computers. The proposal highlights the potential of the company to increase its market share and profitability through change of its culture from order based to inventory base.

Dell uses a push-pull strategy. It produces computers by using components after a customer order. Dell’s model is called a Direct model where suppliers deliver to Dell and Dell is directly in relationship with the customer without distributors and/or retailers. The customer is in the beginning (specific order) and at the end of the process. Suppliers are situated very close to the plant which results in a easy coordination. There are few suppliers and it saves money through shipping directly to customers. Next to specific components, Dell also uses some components through all orders. Each order consists of a motherboard for example.

Dell Computer Corporation was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. From the early 1990s until the mid-2000s, Dell was ranked as a PC market leader relying on their distinctive marketing pattern “Direct Model” which undertook direct communication with customers and provided customized products. Recently, the PC industry is facing inconceivable worldwide competition, and Dell is gradually losing their competitive advantages by using its direct model in critical business segments. The company is facing shrinkage of growth, increasing competition, declining quality of customer service, and limitation of expansion. These issues have an enormous impact on Dell’s position as a technological giant in the PC industry.

Dell was more capable of maintaining the Direct Model strategy than most, if not all, of its competitors. The resources that supported this advantage were the close relationship Dell had with its suppliers, a solid just-in-time inventory management system, and proximity of warehouses and production facilities to assembly operations. In addition, Dell’s computers developed a reputation of reliability and the company excelled at customer service. While the Direct Model seemed to challenge competitors, many other companies were able to imitate Dell’s reliability and customer service.

Supply chain management has gradually been accepted by strategy makers in corporations all over the world, who are keep trying to make corporations more competitive through supply chain management. During this process, information system means a lot, which determines whether the supply chain can work well. Success of DELL is mainly determined by the quick response supply chain system, using an efficiency information system. Especially in this informative period, information acquiring ability means everything. Details on DELL supply chain managing through information system are also stated here.

Dell is the largest computer-systems company based on estimates of global market share. It is also the fastest growing of the major computer-systems companies competing in the business, education government and consumer markets. Dell’s product line includes desktop computers, note book computers, network servers, work stations and storage products. Michael Dell founded the company based on the concept of bypassing retailers and

Weaknesses of Dell’s BPM sequenced version ............................. 41 Enriched-MIT Process Handbook version of Dell’s BPM ............ 42