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A case study on Zara’s
Operation Management Strategy
1
Mohammed Mansur Rashid
MBA
Term –V (weekend batch)
ZERO TO ZARA
2
3
INPUT
1- FACILITIES
2- STAFF
INPUT
TRASNFORMING
RESOURCES
INPUT
TRANSFORMED
RESOURCES
1- MATERIALS
2- INFROMATION
3- CUSTOMERS
DESIGN
PLANNING AND
CONTROL
IMPROVEMENT
OPERATIONS
STRATEGY
OUTPUT-
Product &
services
CUSTOME
R
• Process design
• Product & service design
• Supply network design
• Layout & flow
• Process technology
• Job design & work
organization
• Operations improvement
• Failure prevention & recovery
• TQM approach
• The operation challenge
• Capacity planning & control
• Inventory planning & control
• Supply chain planning &
control
• Enterprise resource planning
• Lean operation & JIT
• Project planning & control
• Quality planning & control
ZARA
Zara is the flagship brand of the Spanish fashion retail giant, Inditex,
(Industrias de Deseno Texti S. A.)
Founded in 1975, today Zara is one of the world’s successful fashion
retailers operating in 59 countries
Engaged in textile design, manufacturing and distribution .
Operates approximately 1500 stores .
Zara contributes about 2/3 of the company’s sales making it
undoubtedly the firm’s growth engine
4
Vision Statement
“ZARA is committed to satisfying the
desires of our customers. As a result
we pledge to continuously innovate
our business to improve your
experience. We promise to provide
new designs made from quality
materials that are affordable
5
Mission Statement​
Through Zara’s business model, we aim to
contribute to the sustainable development
of society and that of the environment
with which we interacts.”
6
Business Strategy
The success story of Zara is based upon its business strategy that fostered
-- creativity,
-- innovation
-- Flexibility ,
This business model is what differentiate Zara from it competitors and provided them
with an edge and competitive advantage both at a local as well as at an international
level.
Zara defines its target market as “Young, educated one that likes fashion and is sensitive
to fashion
The business strategy of Zara focuses on gaining competitive advantage over its rivals
through integration of is production, manufacturing, logistics and customer handling
staff.
7
Competitive Strategy
Low Price Concept –Zara’s prices are affordable for people of different
income class
Target customers of all ages ( upto 55 )
Fast Fashion – Trends moves from the runway to stores within weeks,
as opposed to months
Capabilities – Zara takes two weeks to design a new product & get it
to stores, where as the industry standard is six months
Zara doesn’t need to forecast demand. It can respond to demand as it
develops and changes . Their basic concept is to keep design,
Production and process integrated to react promptly to shifts in
demand of consumers
8
9
Competitive Strategy
Information system
Creation:
Designers&commercialteams
Production:
Purchase materials,
production order, set
prices
suppliers
Fulfillment
store storestore
customers
11,000 items a
year
Twice a week
unsold
Value Chain of ZARA
Operation Strategy
Supply Chain Management
• Zara as part of the Inditex group has a very strong distribution
network. It’s product design, inventory management, evaluation of
suppliers and vendors, logistics management, material
management, time scheduling, information systems are the main
contributors in allowing Zara to offer cutting edge fashion at
affordable prices.
• Their superior supply chain management enables the retailer to
deliver goods within 24 hours of the receipt of order at its
European stores and 40 hours at its American and Asian
outlets.Inditex’s logistics is carried out from distribution centers
located in Spain.
• This competitive distribution network enables Zara to enhance its
operational efficiencies and thus increase its customer satisfaction
10
Operation Strategy
Design and Production-
•Zara delivers fashionable and trendy cloth addressing all tastes through a
controlled design and integrated process . Designs inspiration is copied
from different sources (trade fairs, catwalks, magazines)
•Zara manufactures 60% of its products. By owning its in-house production
Zara is able to be flexible in the amount, frequency, and variety of new
styled products.
•Zara has outsourced less manufacturing than its peers. It has 22 factories
and runs many of them often only in one shift leaving extra capacity to
respond quickly to seasonality and unforeseen demand.
•Comparing to peers which rely heavily on overseas
suppliers/manufactures which don’t provide same flexibility as these
suppliers could request orders to be placed few months in advance.
•Zara is outsourcing all the labour intensive tasks mainly the sewing, while
the cutting is done in-house. This produces of saving labour cost, flexibility
of meeting deadlines, keeping the designs/fashions strictly controlled
11
Operation Strategy
Information System –
• Zara applies technology in areas that speed up complex tasks, lower
cycle time and reduce error.
• It is technology that helps Zara identify and manufacture the
clothes that customers want, get those products to the market
quickly.
• Zara stores managers carry hand held Casio computers to send
online information to headquarters like selling trends, customers
comments, or placing orders.
• Designers send their design suggestions to factory and to
distribution department by scanning a design into a computer and
electronically transmit to factory computers including computers
controlled cutting equipment.
• Designers input the designs patterns into CAD systems which
automatically feed into the cutting machines in the factories
ensuring the required quality of outputs and having a minimum
fabrics waste. 12
Operation Strategy
Inventory Strategy
•Zara seems fully aware of the adage: “ Inventory =
Death”
•The firm avoids building inventories in any part of its
supply chain from raw materials to end user.
•Zara designs around 10,000 new models every year and
replenishes ranges within every one of its 650 retail
stores twice per week, but in strictly limited quantities
of stock. This ensures Zara’s brand promise to
customers of exclusivity, and also of design freshness.
•But it also avoids build-up of large quantities of
unpopular stock
13
Low marketing / advertising cost
•Fashion retailers spend on average 3.5% of revenue
on advertising their products, while Zara's parent
company Inditex spends just 0-0.3%.
•Zara depends on word of mouth shuning
advertisements. Zara relies on its stores to project
its image.
•Zara has coordinators whose main task is to
change the layout of the shop every week. An item
that you see today at the right side of the shop next
week (if not sold yet) will be displayed at some
other side in some other way.
Operation Strategy
14
Fashion and Variety
• Zara main competency is selling Fashion and Trendy cloth
with high range of variety. Zara designers are on a constant
lookout for new ideas to keep the product line fresh.
• Zara introduces 11000 new garments in a typical year.
Many lines will only be available for a matter of weeks
before being replaced. As per Adel Hassan (Store Manager
at Zara- UAE, Burjuman center), “We do sell fashion. We
ask our customers what they want, and then we give it to
them.”
• Affordability “I can get a fashionable outfit at Zara at a
price which is half the price of a similar design and fabrics
at any branded shop in Dubai”, Daad Jumblat says..
Operation Strategy
15
Speed and quick responsiveness to Market
• Zara is geared around speed and responsiveness providing fresh baked products.
• Store managers communicate customer feedback on what shoppers like, what they don’t
like and what they’re looking for.
• That data is instantly funneled back to Zara’s designers who begin sketching on the spot.
• The responsiveness effects the customer behavior as it plays role in pushing the customer
to buy quickly and have higher visits frequency as new models arrive very frequent.
• This creates an environment of shortage and opportunity in Zara’s retail stores.
• The environment also increases the regularity and quickness, in which consumers visit
the stores and buy the products.
• The usual customers know that new products are introduced every two weeks and most
likely would not be available the next day.
• Therefore, Zara’s scarcity background allows the company to sell more items at full price.
• This strategy minimizes Zara’s total cost because it reduces the percentage of markdown
merchandise compared to its competitor.
Operation Strategy
16
Synergy between Business and operations strategy
•Zara’s strategy is growth through diversification with both horizontal and
vertical integration. Zara copies fashion by adapting couture designs.
•It manufactures, distributes, and retails clothes within 2 weeks of the
original design appearing on catwalks. It owns the entire value added
chain and competes on the basis of speed to market, having invented the
concept “fast fashion”.
•Finally it is important to highlight the smooth integration between Zara
business strategy and it is operation strategy. Zara operations are in line
with the business strategy. Zara manufacturing and distributions systems
enable delivery from concept to store within 14 days. Ownership and
control of manufacturing facilities in Spain allows for quick response.
Ownership of high tech distribution systems that allow for very fast
delivery from factory to stores all over Europe.
•Zara’s use of sales staff for market research purposes allows quick response
to customer preferences and local differences.
Operation Strategy
17

More Related Content

Zara - case study --

  • 1. A case study on Zara’s Operation Management Strategy 1 Mohammed Mansur Rashid MBA Term –V (weekend batch) ZERO TO ZARA
  • 2. 2
  • 3. 3 INPUT 1- FACILITIES 2- STAFF INPUT TRASNFORMING RESOURCES INPUT TRANSFORMED RESOURCES 1- MATERIALS 2- INFROMATION 3- CUSTOMERS DESIGN PLANNING AND CONTROL IMPROVEMENT OPERATIONS STRATEGY OUTPUT- Product & services CUSTOME R • Process design • Product & service design • Supply network design • Layout & flow • Process technology • Job design & work organization • Operations improvement • Failure prevention & recovery • TQM approach • The operation challenge • Capacity planning & control • Inventory planning & control • Supply chain planning & control • Enterprise resource planning • Lean operation & JIT • Project planning & control • Quality planning & control
  • 4. ZARA Zara is the flagship brand of the Spanish fashion retail giant, Inditex, (Industrias de Deseno Texti S. A.) Founded in 1975, today Zara is one of the world’s successful fashion retailers operating in 59 countries Engaged in textile design, manufacturing and distribution . Operates approximately 1500 stores . Zara contributes about 2/3 of the company’s sales making it undoubtedly the firm’s growth engine 4
  • 5. Vision Statement “ZARA is committed to satisfying the desires of our customers. As a result we pledge to continuously innovate our business to improve your experience. We promise to provide new designs made from quality materials that are affordable 5
  • 6. Mission Statement​ Through Zara’s business model, we aim to contribute to the sustainable development of society and that of the environment with which we interacts.” 6
  • 7. Business Strategy The success story of Zara is based upon its business strategy that fostered -- creativity, -- innovation -- Flexibility , This business model is what differentiate Zara from it competitors and provided them with an edge and competitive advantage both at a local as well as at an international level. Zara defines its target market as “Young, educated one that likes fashion and is sensitive to fashion The business strategy of Zara focuses on gaining competitive advantage over its rivals through integration of is production, manufacturing, logistics and customer handling staff. 7
  • 8. Competitive Strategy Low Price Concept –Zara’s prices are affordable for people of different income class Target customers of all ages ( upto 55 ) Fast Fashion – Trends moves from the runway to stores within weeks, as opposed to months Capabilities – Zara takes two weeks to design a new product & get it to stores, where as the industry standard is six months Zara doesn’t need to forecast demand. It can respond to demand as it develops and changes . Their basic concept is to keep design, Production and process integrated to react promptly to shifts in demand of consumers 8
  • 9. 9 Competitive Strategy Information system Creation: Designers&commercialteams Production: Purchase materials, production order, set prices suppliers Fulfillment store storestore customers 11,000 items a year Twice a week unsold Value Chain of ZARA
  • 10. Operation Strategy Supply Chain Management • Zara as part of the Inditex group has a very strong distribution network. It’s product design, inventory management, evaluation of suppliers and vendors, logistics management, material management, time scheduling, information systems are the main contributors in allowing Zara to offer cutting edge fashion at affordable prices. • Their superior supply chain management enables the retailer to deliver goods within 24 hours of the receipt of order at its European stores and 40 hours at its American and Asian outlets.Inditex’s logistics is carried out from distribution centers located in Spain. • This competitive distribution network enables Zara to enhance its operational efficiencies and thus increase its customer satisfaction 10
  • 11. Operation Strategy Design and Production- •Zara delivers fashionable and trendy cloth addressing all tastes through a controlled design and integrated process . Designs inspiration is copied from different sources (trade fairs, catwalks, magazines) •Zara manufactures 60% of its products. By owning its in-house production Zara is able to be flexible in the amount, frequency, and variety of new styled products. •Zara has outsourced less manufacturing than its peers. It has 22 factories and runs many of them often only in one shift leaving extra capacity to respond quickly to seasonality and unforeseen demand. •Comparing to peers which rely heavily on overseas suppliers/manufactures which don’t provide same flexibility as these suppliers could request orders to be placed few months in advance. •Zara is outsourcing all the labour intensive tasks mainly the sewing, while the cutting is done in-house. This produces of saving labour cost, flexibility of meeting deadlines, keeping the designs/fashions strictly controlled 11
  • 12. Operation Strategy Information System – • Zara applies technology in areas that speed up complex tasks, lower cycle time and reduce error. • It is technology that helps Zara identify and manufacture the clothes that customers want, get those products to the market quickly. • Zara stores managers carry hand held Casio computers to send online information to headquarters like selling trends, customers comments, or placing orders. • Designers send their design suggestions to factory and to distribution department by scanning a design into a computer and electronically transmit to factory computers including computers controlled cutting equipment. • Designers input the designs patterns into CAD systems which automatically feed into the cutting machines in the factories ensuring the required quality of outputs and having a minimum fabrics waste. 12
  • 13. Operation Strategy Inventory Strategy •Zara seems fully aware of the adage: “ Inventory = Death” •The firm avoids building inventories in any part of its supply chain from raw materials to end user. •Zara designs around 10,000 new models every year and replenishes ranges within every one of its 650 retail stores twice per week, but in strictly limited quantities of stock. This ensures Zara’s brand promise to customers of exclusivity, and also of design freshness. •But it also avoids build-up of large quantities of unpopular stock 13
  • 14. Low marketing / advertising cost •Fashion retailers spend on average 3.5% of revenue on advertising their products, while Zara's parent company Inditex spends just 0-0.3%. •Zara depends on word of mouth shuning advertisements. Zara relies on its stores to project its image. •Zara has coordinators whose main task is to change the layout of the shop every week. An item that you see today at the right side of the shop next week (if not sold yet) will be displayed at some other side in some other way. Operation Strategy 14
  • 15. Fashion and Variety • Zara main competency is selling Fashion and Trendy cloth with high range of variety. Zara designers are on a constant lookout for new ideas to keep the product line fresh. • Zara introduces 11000 new garments in a typical year. Many lines will only be available for a matter of weeks before being replaced. As per Adel Hassan (Store Manager at Zara- UAE, Burjuman center), “We do sell fashion. We ask our customers what they want, and then we give it to them.” • Affordability “I can get a fashionable outfit at Zara at a price which is half the price of a similar design and fabrics at any branded shop in Dubai”, Daad Jumblat says.. Operation Strategy 15
  • 16. Speed and quick responsiveness to Market • Zara is geared around speed and responsiveness providing fresh baked products. • Store managers communicate customer feedback on what shoppers like, what they don’t like and what they’re looking for. • That data is instantly funneled back to Zara’s designers who begin sketching on the spot. • The responsiveness effects the customer behavior as it plays role in pushing the customer to buy quickly and have higher visits frequency as new models arrive very frequent. • This creates an environment of shortage and opportunity in Zara’s retail stores. • The environment also increases the regularity and quickness, in which consumers visit the stores and buy the products. • The usual customers know that new products are introduced every two weeks and most likely would not be available the next day. • Therefore, Zara’s scarcity background allows the company to sell more items at full price. • This strategy minimizes Zara’s total cost because it reduces the percentage of markdown merchandise compared to its competitor. Operation Strategy 16
  • 17. Synergy between Business and operations strategy •Zara’s strategy is growth through diversification with both horizontal and vertical integration. Zara copies fashion by adapting couture designs. •It manufactures, distributes, and retails clothes within 2 weeks of the original design appearing on catwalks. It owns the entire value added chain and competes on the basis of speed to market, having invented the concept “fast fashion”. •Finally it is important to highlight the smooth integration between Zara business strategy and it is operation strategy. Zara operations are in line with the business strategy. Zara manufacturing and distributions systems enable delivery from concept to store within 14 days. Ownership and control of manufacturing facilities in Spain allows for quick response. Ownership of high tech distribution systems that allow for very fast delivery from factory to stores all over Europe. •Zara’s use of sales staff for market research purposes allows quick response to customer preferences and local differences. Operation Strategy 17