Enabling its field sales managers to collaborate on forecasts allowed Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated to slash inventories in half while absorbing 150 new products.
With industry giants invading the product niche that it created, the beverage maker turned to logistics outsourcing as a means to achieve a higher level of customer service, cost control and data integrity. Its attention now is focused on innovation and flavors.
Rapid growth, acquisition of a company with different distribution characteristics and a troubled ERP implementation created supply-chain problems for Hershey Foods in the late 1990s. A new strategy that focused on fulfillment speed and agility helped turn things around.
The pioneer of the office-products superstore has big plans to boost sales and market share in Europe by increasing stores, catalog orders, contract stationery business, and internet retailing. But it must balance growth with the challenge of a multi-channel supply chain.
Costly automation and price cuts weren't working. A new approach centered on increased outsourcing, flexible manufacturing and distribution, and establishing operations in Mexico. Now, Master Lock is saving money and getting new products to market faster.
Europe's widely differing regulations of the consumer health product industry pose significant obstacles to centralized distribution. For companies trying to build efficiencies into their supply chains, such as health care giant Novartis, it's a real Maalox moment.
The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the food and beverage industries. Learn how food and beverage companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.
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