Chapter 4: Designing Distribution Networks & Applications To E-Business

Mateeullah Khan BUITEMS

E-mail: mateeullahkhan@hotmail.com
Supply Chain Management 3rd Edition: Sunil Chopra/ Peter Meindl

Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to: 1. 2. 3. Identify the key factors to be considered when designing a distribution network Discuss the strengths & weaknesses of various distribution options Understand how e-business has affected the design of distribution networks in different industries.

Our goal is to provide managers with a logical framework for selecting the appropriate distribution network given product, competitive & market characteristics.

4.1. The Role of Distribution In The Supply Chain

Distribution refers to the steps taken to move & store a product from the supplier stage to a customer stage in the supply chain. Distribution occurs between every pair of stages in the supply chain
Raw materials & components are moved from suppliers to manufacturers, whereas finished products are moved from manufacturer to the end customer.

Distribution is a key driver of the overall profitability of a firm because it affects both the supply chain cost & the customer experience directly.
Example: Wal-Mart distribution allows the company to provide high availability levels of relatively common products at a very low cost. While in case of SevenEleven Japan, effective distribution provides a very high level of customer responsiveness at a reasonable cost

4.1. The Role of Distribution In The Supply Chain (contd):

The appropriate distribution network can be used to achieve a variety of supply chain objectives ranging from low cost to high responsiveness.
As a result, companies in the same industry often select very different distribution networks.
Example: Dell distributes its PC directly to end consumers, whereas companies such as HP distribute through resellers. Dell customers wait several days to get a PC, whereas customers can walk away with an HP PC from a reseller. Apple computer, in contrast, has opened many retail stores where computers are sold.

These PC companies have chosen different distribution models. How can we evaluate this wide range of distribution choices? Which one serves the companies & their customers better?

4.2. Factors Influencing Distribution Network Design

At the highest level, performance of a distribution network should be evaluated along two dimensions; 1. Customer needs that are met 2. Cost of meeting customer needs Thus, a firm must evaluate the impact on customer service & cost as it compares different distribution network options. Elements of customer service influenced by network structure:

Response time Product variety Product availability Customer experience Order visibility Returnability

4.2. Factors Influencing Distribution Network Design (contd)

Supply chain costs affected by distribution network structure: Inventories Transportation Facilities and handling Information
Remember: Total Logistics costs are the sum of inventory, transportation & facility costs for a supply chain network.

Figure 4.1: Relationship between Desired Response Time & Number of Facilities

Figure 4.2: Relationship between Number of Facilities and Inventory Costs

Figure 4.3: Relationship between Number of Facilities and Transportation Costs

Figure 4.4: Relationship between Number of Facilities and Facility Costs

Figure 4.5: Variation in Logistics Cost & Response Time with Number of Facilities

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network

Managers must make two key decisions when designing a distribution network: 1. Will product be delivered to the customer location or picked up from a preordained site? 2. Will product flow through an intermediary (or intermediate location)? Based on the firms industry & the answer to these two questions, one of six distinct distribution network designs may be used to move products from factory to customer, which are classified as follows; 1. Manufacturer storage with direct shipping 2. Manufacturer storage with direct shipping and in-transit merge 3. Distributor storage with package carrier delivery 4. Distributor storage with last-mile delivery 5. Manufacturer/distributor storage with customer pickup 6. Retail storage with customer pickup

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network 1. Manufacturer Storage With Direct Shipping
Product is shipped directly from the manufacturer to the end customer, bypassing the retailer (who takes the order & initiates the delivery request). This option is also referred to as drop-shipping. Information flows from the customer, via the retailer, to the manufacturer, and product is shipped directly from the manufacturer to the customer (see figure 4.6) The performance characteristics of drop-shipping along various dimensions are summarized in Table 4-1.

Figure 4-6: Manufacturer Storage With Direct Shipping

Table 4-1: Performance Characteristics of Manufacturer Storage With Direct Shipping Network

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network 2. Manufacturer Storage With Direct Shipping & InTransit Merge
Unlike pure drop-shipping, under which each product in the order is sent directly from manufacturer to the end customer, in-transit merge combines pieces of the order coming from different locations, so that the customer gets a single delivery. Information & product flows for the in-transit merge network as shown in Figure 4-7. In-transit merge has been used by direct sellers such as Dell & can be used by companies implementing drop-shipping.
When a customer orders a PC from Dell along with Sony monitor, the package carrier picks up the PC from the Dell factory & the monitor from the Sony factory; it then merges the two together at a hub before making a single delivery to the customer.

The main advantages of in-transit merge over drop-shipping are lower transportation costs & improved customer experience. The performance of factory storage with in-transit merger is compared with that of drop-shipping in Table 4-2.

Figure 4-7: Manufacturer Storage With Direct Shipping

Table 4-2: Performance Characteristics of In-Transit Merge

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network 3. Distributor Storage With Carrier Delivery
In this option, inventory is not held by manufacturers at the factories but is held by distributors/retailers in intermediate warehouses. Package carriers are used to transport products from the intermediate location to the final customer (e.g. Amazon.com) Information & product flows when using distributor storage with delivery by a package carrier as shown in Figure 4-8. Higher inventory capacity is needed than the manufacturer, since demand uncertainty is aggregated at a lower level. Better for medium to fast moving items. Better response time, lower transportation costs when compared to manufacturer storage.

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network 3. Distributor Storage With Carrier Delivery (contd)
Distributor storage can handle somewhat lower variety than manufacturer storage but it is better than a chain of retailers. The performance of distributor storage with carrier delivery is summarized in Table 4-3.

Figure 4-8: Distributor Storage With Carrier Delivery

Table 4-3: Performance Characteristics of Distributor Storage With Carrier Delivery

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network 4. Distributor Storage With Last-Mile Delivery
Last-mile delivery refers to the distributor/retailer delivering the products to the customers home instead of using a package carrier. Unlike package carrier delivery , last-mile delivery requires the distributor warehouse to be much more closer to the customer. Suitable for fast moving items where disaggregation does not lead to significant increase of inventory. Hard to justify this option when labor cost is high. Can only be justified when there is large customer demand at this higher price. Very short response time, better customer experience and returnability. Last mile delivery should be integrated with the existing distribution network.

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network

4. Distributor Storage With Last-Mile Delivery (contd)
The warehouse storage with last-mile delivery network is shown in Figure 4-9. The information infrastructure with last-mile delivery is similar to that for distributor storage with package delivery.
However, it requires the additional capability of scheduling deliveries.

The performance characteristics of distributor storage with last-mile delivery are summarized in Table 4-4.

Figure 4-9: Distributor Storage With Last-Mile Delivery

Table 4-4: Performance Characteristics of Distributor Storage With Last-Mile Delivery

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network 5. Manufacturer or Distributor Storage With Customer-Pickup
In this approach, inventory is stored at the manufacturer or distributor warehouse (using cross-docking) but customers place their orders online or on the phone &then travel to a designated pickup points to collect their merchandise. Orders are shipped from storage site to pickup points as needed. Example: 7dream.com, operated by Seven-Eleven Japan, which allows customers to pick up online orders at a designated store. Inventory & transportation costs are low due to appropriate aggregation. The information & product flows in the network for Seven-Eleven Japan are shown in Figure 4-10. The performance characteristics of manufacturer or distributor storage with consumer pickup sites are summarized in Table 4-5.

Figure 4-10: Manufacturer or Distributor Warehouse Storage With Customer Pickup

Table 4-5: Performance Characteristics of Network With Consumer Pickup Sites

Inventory Can be as low as possible by appropriate aggregation Lower than the use of package carriers Can be very high if new facilities have to be built. Costs are lower if existing facilities are used.The increase in the handling cost at the pickup site can be large. Significant investment in infrastructure required. Similar to packae carrier delivery with manufacturer or distributor storage. Same day delivery is possible for items stored locally at pickup sites. Similar to other manufacturer or distributor storage options. Similar to other manufacturer or distributor storage options. Lower than other options due to absence of home delivery. In areas with high density of population, loss of convenience may be small. Similar to manufacturer storage options Essentially required but difficult Easy if pickup points can handle returns.

Cost Factor

Transportation Facilities and handling

Information Response time

Product variety Product availability

Service Customer experience factor

Time to market

Order visibility Returnability

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network 6. Retail Storage With Customer Pickup
In this approach, inventory is stored is stored locally at retail stores. Customers walk into the retail store or place an order online or by phone & pick it up at the retail store. It is best for fast moving items. Very short response time due to local storage, and transportation cost is lower too. Increased inventory and facility cost The performance characteristics of a network with customer pickup sites & local storage (such as retail stores) are summarized in Table 4-6.

Table 4-6: Performance Characteristics of Local Storage at Consumer Pickup Sites

Inventory Higher than all options Lower than all other options Higher than other options. The increase in the handling cost at the pickup site can be significant for online & phone orders. High investment is required for online and phone orders Same day, very quick Lower than all other options. Very expensive to provide high levels Related to whether shopping is viewed as a positive or negative experience by customer Highest among distribution options. Trivial for in-store orders. Essentially required for online and phone orders. Easy if pickup points can handle returns.

Cost Factor

Transportation Facilities and handling Information Response time Product variety Product availability

Service factor

Customer experience

Time to Market Order visibility Returnability

4.3. Design Options For A Distribution Network Selecting A Distribution Network Design
A network design needs to consider product characteristics as well as network requirements when deciding on the appropriate delivery network. In Table 4-7, the various delivery networks are ranked relative to each other along different performance dimensions. A ranking of 1 indicates the best performance along a given dimension; as the relative performance worsens, the ranking number increases. Only niche companies end up using a single distribution network. Most companies are best served by a combination of delivery networks. The combinations used depends on product characteristics as well as the strategic position that the firm is targeting. The suitability of different delivery designs (from a supply chain perspective) in various situations is shown in Table 4-8.

Table 4-7: Comparative Performance of Delivery Network Design

Key: 1 corresponds to the strongest performance & 6 the weakest performance

Table 4-8: Comparative Performance of Delivery Network Design

Key: +2 = very sensitive; +1 = somewhat suitable; 0 = neutral; -1 = somewhat unsuitable; -2 = very unsuitable

4.4. E-Business & The Distribution Network Impact of E-Business on Customer Service
Response Time to Customers: In selling physical products that cannot be downloaded, an e-business without a physical retail outlet takes longer to fulfill a customer request than a retail store because of the shipping time involved. There is no such delay for products that can be downloaded such as loan facility broachers or music from the web. Product Variety: An e-business finds it easier to offer a large selection of products than a retail store. E.g. Amazon.com offers a much larger selection of books than a typical bookstore. Product Availability: An e-business can greatly increase the speed with which information on customer demand is disseminated throughout the supply chain, giving rise to more accurate forecasts. On the inventory front, this translates into having a more of the inventory that customer demands and less of the inventory they do not. An e-business also allows for aggregation of inventory that improves product availability.

4.4. E-Business & The Distribution Network Impact of E-Business on Customer Service (contd)
Customer Experience: An e-business affects the customer experience in terms of access, customization, and convenience. Unlike most retail stores that are open only during business hours, an e-business allows access to customers who may not be able to place orders during regular business hours. Firms that focus on mass customization can use the Internet to help customers select a product that suits their needs. Faster Time to Market: A firm can use e-business to introduce new products much more quickly than a firm that uses physical channels. A new product can be made available as soon as the first unit is ready to be produced. Order Visibility: The internet makes it possible to provide order visibility of order status. From a customers perspective, it is crucial to provide this visibility because an online order has no physical equivalent to customer shopping for an item at a retail store.

4.4. E-Business & The Distribution Network Impact of E-Business on Customer Service (contd)
Returnability: Returnability is harder with online orders, which typically arrives from a centralized location. It is much easier to return a product purchased at retail store. The proportion of returns is also likely to be much higher for online orders because customers are unable to touch & feel the product before their purchase. Direct Sales to Customers: An e-business allows manufacturers & other members of the supply chain that do not have direct contact with customers in traditional channel to enhance revenues by bypassing intermediaries and selling directly to customers, thereby collecting intermediarys incremental Revenue. Flexible Pricing, Product Portfolio and Promotions: An e-business can easily alter prices by changing one entry in the databases linked to its website. This ability allows an e-business to maximize revenues by setting prices based on current inventories & demand. Similarly, an e-business can easily alter the product portfolio that it offers as well as the promotion it is running.

4.4. E-Business & The Distribution Network Impact of E-Business on Cost

Inventory: An e-business can lower inventory levels & inventory costs by improving supply chain coordination & creating a better match between supply and demand. Additionally, e-business enables a firm to aggregate inventories far from customers if most customers are willing to wait for delivery of online orders. An e-business can significantly lower its inventories if it can postpone the introduction of variety until after the customer order is received. The time lag between when a customer places the order and when he expects delivery offers an e-business window of opportunity to implement postponement. Facilities: Two basic types of facilities cost must be included in the analysis: 1. Costs related to the number and location of facilities in a network 2. Costs associated with the operations that take place in these facilities.

4.4. E-Business & The Distribution Network Impact of E-Business on Cost (contd)
Facilities (contd): An e-business can reduce network facility costs by centralizing operations, thereby decreasing the number of facilities required. With regard to ongoing operating costs, customer participation in selection & order placement allows an e-business to lower its resource costs. Additionally, operating costs can be decreased for a manufacturer using e-business to sell directly to customers because fever supply chain stages touch the product as it makes its way to a customer, thereby reducing handling costs. Transportation: If a firm can put its products in a form that can be downloaded, the Internet will allow it to save on the cost & time for delivery. For non-digital products, aggregating inventories increases outbound transportation relative to inbound transportation. Compared to a business with many retail outlets, an e-business with aggregated inventories tends to have higher transportation costs (across entire supply chain) per unit because of the increased outbound costs.

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