Supply Chain Management at Starbucks Coffee

Starbucks suppliers have high bargaining power due to the fact that the demand for coffee is high in global level and coffee beans can be produced only in certain geographical areas.

To continue off of the centralizing of decision making, the company should also consider a more mechanistic organizational structure. This is a setup that is used effectively by companies such as McDonald’s as the company has a process in place to generate just the right amount of burger patties, fries and soda syrup for each branch to run smoothly. With Starbucks implementing a structure such as this, it would allow for each manager to have a centralized oint of contact for all goods. This, in turn, will lessen the burden for each branch to find their own product vendor. It will

In the inventories section, they are directed at the lower of cost (primarily moving average cost) or market. Starbucks records inventory reserves for obsolete and slow-moving inventory and for estimated shrinkage between physical inventory counts. According to trends, inventory reserves are based on inventory obsolescence, historical experience and application of the specific identification method. As of September 27, 2015 and September 28, 2014, inventory reserves were $33.8 million and $31.2 million, respectively. We see that the carrying amount (lower of cost or market) as of the balance sheet date of inventories less all valuation and other allowances. Excludes noncurrent inventory balances (expected to remain on hand past one year or one operating cycle, if longer).

Starbucks is no doubt a phenomenon in the United States, but the brand wants to expand globally. Opening chains in various global locations such as Japan, Vienna, England; Starbucks wants to reach out to the coffee loving fans everywhere. Nevertheless opening chains globally is not that simple. There are many uncontrollable factors Starbucks need to focus on to make sure they are making profit as well has abiding by the country’s laws and regulations. Going global takes a lot of market research to make sure that the brand will be successful even with uncontrollable factors. Controllable factors can be tailored to fit the needs of each country. Starbucks has to find the happy medium so they don’t lose their identity overseas.

“We are not in the coffee business, serving people. We are in the people business, serving coffee”, Howard Schultz’s philosophy has shaped and continues shape Starbucks, the world’s number one specialty coffee retailer with over 21,000 outlets in more than 65 countries nowadays (Starbucks, 2011). Starbucks was founded in 1971 and Howard Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982. In 1987, Howard acquired Starbucks and changed the name to Starbucks Corporation.

As indicated by "product life cycle", Starbucks has experienced introduction stage, growth stage lastly its circumstance is root into maturity stage

a) The nature of Starbucks’ business is to generate income based on operating activities. When referencing the Statement of Cash Flows and looking at their operating activities, you can see that Starbucks generates $2,908.3M in net cash provided by operating activities. Investment is a significant item in this statement as well. The company spent $785.9M in investments in the year ending September 29th, 2013. Strong investment activities show that Starbucks is investing through buying and selling (Sales, maturities, and calls of investments $1,040.2M) and using their spare cash to invigorate future growth and fund future obligations.

Cognition gives the companies information on how consumers respond to different marketing stimuli they face for the products used. It has to do with customer’s thinking and how do they behave toward a particular product. To be more specific and also reading the book “cognition refers to the mental structures and processes involved in thinking, understanding, and interpreting stimuli and events.” (Peter & Olson, pg. 21)

In general the coffeehouse industry in the United States was experiencing an increase in coffee consumption per capita due to the “Starbucks effect”. At this time Starbucks was operating approximately 20,000 stores in the United States and was living a fast expansion strategy worldwide.

As Starbucks continues to expand, more profits and more risks are in store. The corporation’s brand and reputation may be put at risk as the quality of the products supplied by third parties is outside of the company’s control (―Starbucks Corporation Fiscal 2009 Annual Report‖, 20). Partnering with farmers and suppliers meant letting go of control over the quality of certain products. In order to retain customers and protect their brand, Starbucks must establish and maintain effective working relationships with reputable farmers and suppliers, which could increase costs.

Starbucks inbound logistics comprises of the firm’s quality control specialist in selecting top-quality Arabia coffee beans from suppliers that maintain a sustainable approach. Starbucks supports ethical sourcing by operating “responsible purchasing practices, farmer support…” (Starbucks, 2016) also corporate social responsibility (CSR). Additionally, their tactic is utilizing the “Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices” (Starbucks, 2016), wherein this approach is the first set of sustainability benchmarks in the coffee industry and is certified by third-party logistics professionals. The C.A.F.E. Practices has assisted Starbucks in relation to generating a “long-term supply of high-quality coffee” (Starbucks, 2016) and influencing the lives of the farmers and their communities. Furthermore, Starbucks utilizes economies of scales in their inbound logistics activities by developing outstanding supply chain procedures by using C.A.F.E. and also includes collaborating internationally with managers discussing strategic alliances through suppliers for their products. Starbucks have recently

To support this statement, I would like to present Starbucks ' supply chain reorganization started in late 2008. The initials first step was to simplify a complex structure in four essential supply chain functions. Every supply chain job fell in plan, source, make, and deliver. If someone involved in production planning or replenishment or new product, was part of the planning department. Sourcing functions split between coffee and "non-coffee" procurement. At that time Starbucks spent in the average US $600 million on coffee a year and total US

Following its success in the United States, Starbucks ventured overseas and quickly became a globalization icon. With its rapid globalization strategy, Starbucks expanded from about 5000 stores to an estimated 15,000 stores in 2000 (Groth, 2011). By mid-2000s, Starbucks’ supply chain faced many issues, resulting with challenges of having to fulfill expansion strategies yet minimizing escalating operation expenses. By 2008, Starbucks’ stocks fell by 42% (Schultz, 2011). The rapid expansion took a toll on the sales growth and stretched the limits of the existing supply chain, which then rippled down to erode the customer-valued ‘Starbucks experience’ (Gibbons, 2011).

These days Starbucks owns more than 18,000 stores in 62 countries and is the premier roaster and retailer of exclusive coffee in the world. Back in 1971, when the first Starbucks opened, the company already had two intentions to give to people every single day till now: share specialty coffee with friends and help to make the world a little better.

Moreover, it can be said that the company has to resolve the distribution and operation management problems that they are facing from some time as it is affect the business turnover of Starbucks since the last few years. It is important for the company to take serious measures that will further help the company to increase and enhance the working standards of the company