Performance Measurement (KPIs) is a critical part of the global supply chain management. Advantages include expertise and specialization. Therefore, developing effective methods to layout the operations of better supplier performance measurement (KPIs) can significantly reduce supply costs, improve quality, and optimize service levels so that a business can run their logistics operations more efficiently. The disadvantage to this is the risk of streamlining the business when there is an unexpected problem such as, when a supplier has a technical problem and the buyer may have to negotiate on short notice with a replacement supplier.
I. Introduction
Overview
Delivery performance, quality performance and cost
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A contract manufacturing method is feasible to add capacity and flexibility without investing in new facilities. For instance, Mercedes appointed AM General, to produce 12,000 of their R-class vehicles destined for export to China. The purpose of this outsourcing is clear: “Mercedes will manage the logistics and supply chain, while keeping their supplier network in place. All parts of the R-class vehicles will be assembled and painted on AM General’s production line in Mishawaka, Indiana” (The missing link in automotive contract manufacturing, n.d.).
Despite the strong ties that still exist between the auto company and its suppliers, recently, the relationship has been changing in response to the need for more globalized supply chains. For instance, Nissan has already taken many steps to remove itself from the traditional keiretsu style supply chain after aligning with its parent company, Renault in France. Honda has also been changing its supply chain and is working with suppliers including foreign suppliers outside of their keiretsu supply chain.
So, what is key to maintaining quality performance of suppliers outside of their keiretsu in order to continue to be successful?
These Japanese automobile companies use supplier evaluation scorecards to improve supply chain performance. The three supplier performance categories that
Normally, the large automakers demand 0 defects from their suppliers. However, it is challenging for Metalcraft to achieve extremely low defect rate and succeed among rivals. Therefore, to solve the problem of control during the supply chain
The recommendations I would suggest for structuring the supplier relationship process for the Wolf Motors dealership network are Wolf Motors should consider a centralized corporate level Materials Management System to consolidate buying decisions for each of the 4 dealerships. This would facilitate greater leveraging with suppliers for consistent quality-control. They should study, calculate and make effective decisions on the materials that should be brought for each of the four dealerships instead of allowing each dealer to do it on their own. An automated
The Ford Motor Company’s Supply Chain Management ABSTRACT The influx of foreign automobiles that flood the United States market is higher than ever before and American companies are struggling to adapt to this decrease in market share. Ford is one of the organizations that has restructured its supply chain strategy to better integrate suppliers into their system reducing cost and
The supply chain management is considered as a management concept from past two decades as the customers are concerned about timely and safe delivery. The competitiveness has been increasing among the companies to deliver the products as quickly as possible to the customers all around the world. This has made the supply chain management as a vital tool for the management. This is also measured as a competitive parameter for the companies.
The suppliers get the advantages of making their products be showcased for the consumers thru these retailing outlets. A wider scope of retail outlets could mean wider scope for the brand recognition of the seller’s products, that is why these retailing giants has more power than suppliers. But when it comes to distribution, having a strong supplier is important, the company be better over competitors when it comes to qualitative factors such as on time deliveries on their branches and wider network of
The topic selected is (Strategic Procurement & Supply Chain Management). For this study, we have selected Toyota Motor Corporations as our company of choice. Toyota is without doubt the best in the world, with its many philosophies and principles on how to make the best out of the least; JIT, lean production and elimination of waste and the desire for continuous improvement are just a few ways how Toyota has become the best in the auto industry. Toyota as a name, a company, and as a brand has become synonymous with Quality.
Selection of outside suppliers at the initial stage was crucial. Three advantages would benefit from authorized supplier involvement in design and production process. Firstly, they could foresee major problems in the design cycle by pulling their expertise and methodologies. Secondly, this model embedded quality into BMW’s production system up and down the supply chain. Thirdly, supplier was able to realize the critical connection between quality and profit through high customer satisfaction.
Effective supply chain management can provide an important competitive advantage for a business marketer, resulting in improved communication and involvement among members of the chain, increased motivation, and decreased costs. Tracking the movement of and demand for components used to manufacture a product across a variety of potential and actual suppliers, provides insight and the ability to respond instantly to shortages, surpluses, and changes in market conditions. It seeks to optimize production, decrease manufacturing time, minimize inventory, streamline order fulfillment, and reduce cost.
In recent years, the importance management of supply chain has been a popular topic for a discussion and debates especially among the researchers, academician and practitioners. Still, the literature on supply chain management (SCM) especially in exploring the supply chain performance measurement is very limited. This limitation is due to the affected (in return) by many aspects of the firm’s environment and operations. The lack of investigation on understanding the supply chain measurement will affect the objectives and motivations of several supply chain concept even though there is a lot of literature on number of conceptual frameworks, discussion on characteristics, hierarchy and structure of performance measurement framework.
Just like the other industries such as apparel, electronics, and consumer goods, the automobile industry has accelerated its foreign direct investment, cross border trade and global production. The automobile industry has increased outsourcing and bundled value chain activities in major supplier chains. As a result, more developed countries that serve as suppliers have increased their involvement in trade and FDI. With these increased supplier capabilities, large national suppliers have become global suppliers and are now controlling multinational operations. This is because of their increased capability of providing good and services to various lead firms all over the world. The automotive industry has a distinct firm structure. This
Communication is the most important aspect of conducting business. Toyota must improve their means of communication and it must start at the beginning of the customer/supplier relationship. The Process Flow chart will identify the communication process between Toyota and supplier is further updated to show improved processes. Expectations should be established to ensure that suppliers are providing the quality products that represent the Toyota brand. Currently, Toyota has sacrificed quality and safety to meet the demands of the customers. Toyota must take into consideration the market they enter and the major players that exist to provide the support necessary. Toyota uses the Annual Purchasing Policy process to communicate their expectations to suppliers. “The purpose of supplier expectations is to highlight key priority activities and emphasize broader, more philosophical issues universal to all suppliers (ToyotaSupplier.com, 2012).” In addition, “individual expectations, on the other hand, are developed uniquely for each supplier and include specific targets in the key areas of quality, delivery, value improvement and minority sourcing (ToyotaSupplier.com,
"Despite the odds, Toyota and Honda have managed to replicate in an alien Western culture the same kind of supplier webs they built in Japan. Consequently, they enjoy the best supplier relations in the U.S. automobile industry ." (page 3 of the Liker & Choi article). Briefly describe the authors' explanation for why Toyota and Honda succeeded where the "Big 3" failed in terms of effective supplier relationship management. Do you agree with Liker & Choi's assessment? Please explain why or why not. Are there any barriers to prevent Ford and GM from emulating Toyota and Honda's approach to supplier relationship management?
One of the main reason behind this Japanese suppliers. Taking this into consideration SDT(Supplier Development teams) were developed .At first Nissan selected two engineers to undergo training activities in Japan. Based on this training, they have developed a 10 day improvement activity which started improving the suppliers by a major extent. They carry out evaluation of supplier activities at the supplier place and discuss necessary improvements and disclose the necessary action plan with senior management and take approval from them and carry on with improvement activity.
Honda always tries to maintain relationship with suppliers. It is hard to communicate effectively in Honda’s four trade zone but Honda always pays attention to it. As Mr. Morita says, “Honda places value on maintaining relationships, so we do not enter into them lightly.” Different from companies which focus on the immediate benefit of low cost rather than long-term benefits of maintaining relationship, Honda values suppliers and tries best to maintain
One factor that adds to the success of Toyota’s supply chain is their relationship with their suppliers and how they do business with those suppliers. Toyota does not simply give their supply contracts to the highest bidder; instead they work incredibly closely with their suppliers so that they can get the highest quality products possible. Toyota uses long-term, just-in-time contracts with all of their suppliers (Winfield & Hay, 1997). Toyota does not engage in any kind of mutual contracts, such as buy-back or revenue-sharing; however, they do take multiple steps to ensure a mutual benefit when they pair up with a supplier. Toyota invests in their suppliers to help them develop products (Liker & Choi, 2004). They also ensure that they share information with their suppliers in a structured fashion. They believe that targeted information leads to results and they ensure that specific communication is relayed to their suppliers at set times and in set ways (Liker & Choi, 2004). Perhaps the most unique aspect of Toyota’s relationships with their suppliers is that they embark on joint improvement ventures together. They set up study groups with suppliers to help both parties learn how to improve operations and send executives and engineers to the supply plants to help them improve processes (Liker & Choi, 2004). These kinds of benefits are described in the contracts Toyota keeps with their suppliers (Toyota Supplier, 2011). The close relationships that