敏捷供应链多变的市场竞争外文翻译Word文档格式.docx

敏捷供应链多变的市场竞争外文翻译Word文档格式.docx

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外文原文

TheAgileSupplyChain:

CompetinginVolatileMarkets

IndustrialMarketingManagement,Vol29.2000

MartinChristopher

CranfieldSchoolofManagement,UK

Turbulentandvolatilemarketsarebecomingthenormaslife-cyclesshortenandglobaleconomicandcompetitiveforcescreateadditionaluncertainty.Theriskattachedtolengthyandslow-movinglogistics‘pipelines’hasbecomeunsustainable,forcingorganizationstolookagainathowtheirsupplychainsarestructuredandmanaged.Thispapersuggeststhatthekeytosurvivalinthesechangedconditionsisthrough‘agility’,inparticularbythecreationofresponsivesupplychains.

Theimportanceoftimeasacompetitiveweaponhasbeenrecognizedforsometime.Theabilitytobeabletomeetthedemandsofcustomersforever-shorterdeliverytimesandtoensurethatsupplycanbesynchronizedtomeetthepeaksandtroughsofdemandisclearlyofcriticalimportanceinthiseraof‘time-basedcompetition.

Tobecomemoreresponsivetotheneedsofthemarketrequiresmorethanspeed,italsorequiresahighlevelofmaneuverabilitythattodayhascometobetermedagility.

WhatisAgility?

Agilityisabusiness-widecapabilitythatembracesorganizationalstructures,information，systems,logisticsprocessesand,inparticular,mindsets.Akeycharacteristicofanagileorganizationisflexibility.Indeedtheoriginsofagilityasabusinessconceptliesinflexiblemanufacturingsystems（FMS）.Initiallyitwasthoughtthattheroutetomanufacturingflexibilitywasthroughautomationtoenablerapidchangeandthusagreaterresponsivenesstochangesinproductmixorvolume.Laterthisideaofmanufacturingflexibilitywasextendedintothewiderbusinesscontextandtheconceptofagilityasanorganizationalorientationwasborn.

Agilityshouldnotbeconfusedwith‘leanness’.Leanisaboutdoingmorewithless.Thetermisoftenusedinconnectionwithleanmanufacturingtoimplya‘zeroinventory’,just-in-timeapproach.Paradoxically,manycompaniesthathaveadoptedleanmanufacturingasabusinesspracticeareanythingbutagileintheirsupplychain.Thecarindustryinmanywaysillustratesthisconundrum.TheoriginsofleanmanufacturingcanbetracedtotheToyotaProductionSystem（TPS）,withitsfocusonthereductionandeliminationofwaste.

WhilstthelessonslearnedfromtheTPSprincipleshavehadaprofoundimpactmanufacturingpracticesinawiderangeofindustriesaroundtheworld,itseemsthatthetendencyhasbeenforthebenefitsofleanthinkingtoberestrictedtothefactory.Thusweencountertheparadoxicalsituationwherevehiclemanufactureisextremelyefficientwiththroughputtimeinthefactorytypicallydowntotwelvehoursorless,yetinventoryoffinishedvehiclescanbeashighastwomonthsofsales–andstillthecustomerhastowaitforweeksorevenmonthstogetthecaroftheirchoice!

Whilstleannessmaybeanelementofagilityincertaincircumstances,byitselfitwillnot

enabletheorganizationtomeetthepreciseneedsofthecustomermorerapidly.Webster’sDictionarymakesthedistinctionclearlywhenitdefinesleanas‘containinglittlefat’whereasagileisdefinedas‘nimble’.

Therearecertainconditionswherealeanapproachmakessense.Inparticularwheredemandispredictableandtherequirementforvarietyislowandvolumeishigh.InfacttheveryconditionsinwhichToyotadevelopedtheleanphilosophy.Theproblemsarisewhenweattempttoimplantthatphilosophyintosituationswheredemandislesspredictable,therequirementforvarietyishighandconsequentlyvolumeattheindividualstockkeepingunit（SKU）levelislow–asetofcharacteristicswhichismoretypicaloftheWesternautomobileindustry.Inotherwordsitcouldbearguedthatmanyfirmshavebeenmisguidedintheirattemptstoadoptaleanmodelinconditionstowhichisnotsuited.

Theroutestoagility

TobetrulyagileasupplychainmustpossessanumberofdistinguishingcharacteristicsasFigure2suggests.Firstly,theagilesupplychainismarketsensitive.Bymarketsensitiveismeantthatthesupplychainiscapableofreadingandrespondingtorealdemand.Mostorganizationsareforecast-drivenratherthandemand-driven.Inotherwordsbecausetheyhavelittledirectfeed-forwardfromthemarketplacebywayofdataonactualcustomerrequirementstheyareforcedtomakeforecastsbaseduponpastsalesorshipmentsandconverttheseforecastsintoinventory.ThebreakthroughsofthelastdecadeintheformofEfficientConsumerResponse（ECR）andtheuseofinformationtechnologytocapturedataondemanddirectfromthepoint-of-saleorpoint-of-usearenowtransformingtheorganization’sabilitytohearthevoiceofthemarketandtoresponddirectlytoit.

Conventionallogisticssystemsarebaseduponaparadigmthatseekstoidentifytheoptimalquantitiesofinventoryandsitsspatiallocation.Complexformulaeandalgorithmsexisttosupportthisinventory-basedbusinessmodel.Paradoxically,whatwearenowlearningisthatoncewehavevisibilityofdemandthroughsharedinformation,thepremiseuponwhichtheseformulaearebasednolongerholds.ElectronicDataInterchange（EDI）andnowtheInternethaveenabledpartnersinthesupplychaintoactuponthesamedatai.e.realdemand,ratherthanbedependentuponthedistortedandnoisypicturethatemergeswhenordersaretransmittedfromonesteptoanotherinanextendedchain.

Sharedinformationbetweensupplychainpartnerscanonlybefullyleveragedthroughprocessintegration.Byprocessintegrationismeantcollaborativeworkingbetween

buyersandsuppliers,jointproductdevelopment,commonsystemsandsharedinformation.Thisformofco-operationinthesupplychainisbecomingevermoreprevalentascompaniesfocusonmanagingtheircorecompetenciesandoutsourceallotheractivities.Inthisnewworldagreaterrelianceonsuppliersandalliancepartnersbecomesinevitableand,hence,anewstyleofrelationshipisessential.Inthe‘extendedenterprise’asitisoftencalled,therecanbenoboundariesandanethosoftrustandcommitmentmustprevail.Alongwithprocessintegrationcomesjointstrategydetermination,buyer-supplierteams,transparencyofinformationandevenopen-bookaccounting.

Thisideaofthesupplychainasaconfederationofpartnerslinkedtogetherasanetworkprovidesthefourthingredientofagility.Thereisagrowingrecognitionthatindividualbusinessesnolongercompeteasstand-aloneentitiesbutratherassupplychains.Wearenowenteringtheeraof‘networkcompetition’wheretheprizeswillgotothoseorganizationswhocanbetterstructure,co-ordinateandmanagetherelationshipswiththeirpartnersinanetworkcommittedtobetter,closerandmoreagilerelationshipswiththeirfinalcustomers.Itcanbearguedthatintoday’schallengingglobalmarkets,theroutetosustainableadvantageliesinbeingabletoleveragetherespectivestrengthsandcompetenciesofnetworkpartnerstoachievegreaterresponsivenesstomarketneeds.

Hybridstrategiesareoftenappropriate

Therewillbeoccasionswheneithera‘pure’agileorleanstrategymightbeappropriateforasupplychain.Howevertherewilloftenbesituationswhereacombinationofthetwomaybeappropriatei.e.ahybridstrategy.

Hybridsupplychainstrategiesrecognizethatwithinamixedportfolioofproductsandmarketstherewillbesomeproductswheredemandisstableandpredictableandsomewheretheconverseistrue.AsFisherhaspointedoutitisimportantthatthecharacteristicsofdemandarerecognizedinthedesignofsupplychains.However,itisnotnecessarilythecasethatasupplychainshouldbeeitherleanoragile.Insteadasupplychainmayneedtobeleanforpartofthetimeandagilefortherest.

ZaratheSpanishfashioncompanyprovidesagoodexampleofthishybridsupplychainstrategy.

ZaraisoneofSpain’smostsuccessfulanddynamicapparelcompanies,producingfashionableclothingtoappealtoaninternationaltargetmarketof18to35year-olds.Zara’sinternationalmarketpositioningplacesitindirectcompetitionwithsomeofthemostskilledoperationsinthebusiness,includingItalianfashiongiantBenettonandUS-basedTheGapandTheLimited.Itsrapidgrowthandon-goingsuccessinsuchafiercelycompetitiveenvironmentisinfactatestamenttoitsabilitytoestablishanagilesupplychainwhichstillincorporatesmany‘lean’characteristics.ThepursuitofthishybridstrategyhasenabledZaratodeveloponeofthemosteffectivequick-responsesystemsinitsindustry.

Thewholeprocessofsupplyinggoodstothestoresbeginswithcross-functionalteams-comprisingfashion,commercialandretailspecialists-workingwithinZara’sDesignDepartmentatthecompany’sheadquartersinLaCorona.Thedesignsreflectthelatestininternationalfashiontrends,withinspirationgleanedthroughvisitstofashionshows,competitors’stores,universitycampuses,pubs,cafesandclubs,plusanyothervenuesoreventsdeemedtoberelevanttothelifestylesofthetargetcustomers.Theteam’sunderstandingoffashiontrendsisfurtherguidedbyregularinflowsofEPOSdataandotherinformationfromallofthecompany’sstoresandsitesaroundtheworld.

Rawmaterialsareprocuredthroughthecompany’sbuyingofficesintheUK,ChinaandTheNetherlands,withmostofthematerialsthemselvescominginfromMauritius,NewZealand,Australia,Morocco,China,India,Turkey,Korea,ItalyandGermany.Approximately40%ofgarments-thosewiththebroadestandleasttransientappeal–areimportedasfinishedgoodsfromlow-costmanufacturingcentersintheFarEast.Therestareproducedbyquick-responseinSpain,usingZara’sownh