Supply Chain Management: Defining Supply Chain Opportunities

EXECUTIVE INSIGHT

Companies that work together in supply chains conduct an ongoing discussion about the value perceived and paid for between supply chain partners. The balance of power in the supply chain is always being explored.

Walt Dethlefsen is the executive vice president of Network Services Company. Network Services is a distribution organization that handles a bundle of products that includes printing paper and paper products, food service disposables, and janitorial supplies. Network Services participates in the supply chains of customers such as Starbucks, Baskin-Robbins, 24 Hour Fitness Clubs, and Premier Health Care. The company distributes the products of manufacturers such as Georgia-Pacific, Kimberly Clark, Johnson Wax, 3M, and Rubbermaid.

One of Walt’s main activities is to manage the relationships that Network Services has with its suppliers. His work gives him a firsthand view on a weekly basis of what it means to work in evolving supply chains with demanding customers and manufacturers. “Big manufacturers used to have the most power but that is shifting towards the big customer. Big customers now go directly to the manufacturers whose products they want to negotiate prices on and then they go to the distributor and negotiate the cost for product delivery.

“The distributor often has the least power now. For years the distributorwas in the middle and could negotiate with both sides—the customer on one hand and the manufacturer on the other. There were distributors who did a very good job negotiating with one or the other and sometimes both parties.” Customers these days have many choices in what they buy and are very successful in driving down prices. Manufacturers are also able to use many different channels to market so they demand greater and greater performance from the distributors they work with.

“The only distributors who are able to defy the price squeeze andmaintain reasonable margins are the ones who are able to create abrand. Typically they recreate their whole company into a brand. The brand stands for all the products they sell plus everything else that they provide for the customer. When the customer buys from them they know that trucks will show up at the right time with the right stuff, that they will get quality products and top notch customer service, all at a fair acquisition cost.”

The power of the distributor in a supply chain depend very much on the type of manufacturers that they work with. “I would say we work with three kinds of manufacturers,” says Walt. The first kind is the brand name manufacturer who has a retail consumer side of their company as well as a business-to-business side. “What they mostly expect from the distributor is logistics and customer support in the field.”

The second kind of manufacturer focuses mainly on the business-to-business market and views the distributor as their customer. “They are generally selective and will only sell to distribution that gives them a lot of participation. They typically limit the number ofdistributors in a market if they are satisfied with the penetration they provide.”

In the third group of manufacturers are companies who are basicallyconverters or smaller manufacturers. Converters take a finished product from another manufacturer and further customize it. For instance, they may buy bulk rolls of towel and tissue grade paper and cut it to customer specifications. Also in this group are small specialty manufacturers of product lines that have little brand recognition. “These companies are the ones who are most dependent on the distributor to get their product to market. They have small sales forces and rely on distributors to develop the end use market for their products. They produce products with little known brand names and typically they lead with price.”

 

Lets Discuss:

How does Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain?Write your answer on the "comment" section.

 

About the Author:

Rebecca Mauhay Nunesca is a Professional Industrial Engineer and an ASEAN Engineer currently connected at Batangas State University as Faculty Staff in the IE Department. She is presently enrolled at Rizal Technological University taking MS Engineering Education major in Industrial Engineering. 

 

Reference:

Michal Hugos, Essentials of Supply Chain Management, 3rd Edition 

 

 

Subjects:

Comments

Network Services Company gained their competitive advantage in their supply chain, through the use and proper collaboration of the three kinds of manufacturing companies. In NSC, they are the ones who communicate with their customers and can control their business process that gives fulfillment to the needs of the customers. And through this they build a better relationship with their customers.

Network Services Company gained a competitive advantage in their supply chain because of their three kinds of manufacturer which are, the brand name manufacturer, the business-to-business market and views the distributor as their customer, and the last kind is the group of manufacturer basically converts or smaller manufacturer. Through this it can help the company to attain their goal and to make their company more successful. It is also the way to give what are the needs and wants of their customers and as a company this NCS can give an opportunities to introduce their product in the market.

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage through a smooth flow of communication between suppliers and the customers which leads to a high customers satisfaction rate. Problems with regards to the product will be addressed directly to the suppliers. As a very helpful result, with this NSC, all the transactions will be monitored in a more collaborative environment.

The Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain because of Walts, the executive president of the said company. One of the strategies that Walts applied is to make sure that their company has a good communication and relationship with their suppliers. NSC also assures that they meet the demand of their customer and manufacturers for them to be satisfied. Another advantage of NSC is that they offer a greater value than other competitors in terms of offering lower prices and providing good quality services. :) :) :)

In order to satisfy one’s customer wants and demand, Network Services Company must gain the competitive advantage of the company’s supply chain through working and collaborating with three kinds of manufacturers that offer different types of products. The first kind is the brand name manufacturer who has a retail consumer side of their company as well as a business-to-business side. The second kind of manufacturer focuses mainly on the business-to-business market and views the distributor as their customer. Lastly, he third group of manufacturers are companies who are basically converters or smaller manufacturers. Through this, they could go with the flow and outstand all the changes in the market. This could also promote opportunities to different manufacturer to introduce their products in the market.

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage through good relationship between the supplier and the customer. And, good communication can help the company to gain a high customer satisfaction and high performance level. N

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain through the use of good communication skills and harmonious relationship to both manufacturers and customers. In this kind of supply chain they can easily identify the needs and wants of each customers and also through the use of supply chain all the manufacturers, suppliers, NSC will gain profit and customers will fully benefited.

The Network Services Company was able to negotiate and collaborate to the different supply chain players. With the NSC’s capability to adapt to the varying demands of their customers as well as cope on their own individual difference make them competitively advantageous among the other businesses in line with them. Distribution companies like NSC are very helpful in making the supply chain successful.

Network Services gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain through managing their relationship with its suppliers and consumers. This results to the understanding of supply chain changes and how distributor can adapt to the changes. They manage to work with three different kinds of manufacturers namely: brand name manufacturer who has a retail consumer side of their company as well as a business-to-business side; manufacturer focuses mainly on the business-to-business market and views the distributor as their customer; and companies who are basically converters or smaller manufacturers.

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain through the combination and collaboration of the three different kinds of manufacturers which are brand name manufacturer, business-to-business market, and converters or smaller manufacturers. Network Services Company also focused on their relation with their supplier since big manufacturers will eventually shift towards big customers. Through this, the company was enable to comply to each customer's needs and demand and at the same time, it provides for them an opportunity to introduce their services to another manufacturers.

Network Services is a distribution organization that handles a bundle of products and its power in a supply chain depends very much on the type of manufacturers that they work with. They worked on three (3) manufacturers: 1. Brand name manufacturer who has retail consumer side of their company as well as a business-to-business side. 2. Manufacturers that focuses mainly on the business-to-business market and view the distribution as their customers. They typically limit the number of distributors in a market if they are satisfied with the penetration they provide. 3. Companies who are basically converters or smaller manufacturers. Converters take a finished product from another manufacturer and further customize it. through this manufacturers that they collaborated with, they are able to meet what the customers needed and they are able to gain loyalty from their clients because they can provide what they need.

Network Services Company gained their competitive advantage through working and collaborating with other manufacturing companies. It also helps the company to meet the needs and wants of their customers.

Network service company gained their advantage in their supply chain through working and collaborating with three kinds of manufacturer,first kind is the brand name manufacturer who has a retail consumer side of their company as well as a business-to-business side. the second is the manufacturer focuses mainly on the business-to-business market and views the distributor as their customer. Lastly the group of manufacturers are companies who are basically converters or smaller manufacturers with that strategy they can meet the needs and wants of the costumers.

Network Service Company gained the competitive advantage in supply chain by having a good relationship with their customers. They cope to the needs of their customer. NSC knows to adjust to satisfy the customer's requirement.As a distributor they make sure that they have delivered the best quality of service. With this they can able to maintain their customers and additional customers will be obtain. They are going ti be competitive because they able to sustain the need of the customers.

Network Services gained their competitive advantage through collaborating with three different kinds of manufacturers. Together with those three manufacturers gives them the opportunities to be achieve their goals. NSC place itself at the middle of supply chain between big and small manufacturers.

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain by means of collaboration and working with other organization that offer different kinds of products were in they can answer to the increasing demand of their customer and at the same time they build a good relationship to their supplier and customer as well by providing a product with the right quantity and quality.

The Networks Services Company is one of the competing company that distribute different products which include the printing paper and paper products, food service disposables, and janitorial supplies. They gained their competitive advantages through a good relationship with their co-workers, manufacturers and customer , also they collaborate with them to respond to the demand of the customers in a fastest way so in this case they can satisfy them. Through the performance that the Network Services showed, the NSC can have the guarantee that the loyalty of their customers will be on them.

NSC become competitive in their supply chain by working with three kinds of activities. Companies today must need a strategies in managing all the resources that go toward meeting customer demand for their product or service. second choosing the best suppliers to deliver the goods and services needs to create their product. Lastly logistics, the companies coordinate the receipt of orders from customers, develop a network of warehouses, pick carriers to get products to customers and set up an invoicing system to receive payments.small customer has great impact to the companies, they create marketing as well as customers relationship. trough this 3 steps companies have their advantages in creating a supply chain that is constantly improving.

There are three kinds of manufacturers that helped the Network Services Company to gained advantage in their supply chain. The said company is able to deliver bundle of products and perform the together with the costumers supply chain management. They seek to maintain good relationship with the suppliers so they can respond to any unexpected changes that would occur. This concept can help understand how important the supply chain in connection with the manufacturer and distributors.

Network Service Company gained competitive advantage in the supply chain since they are in the middle of the negotiation. They offer the basic needs of the costumer which they will use to produce the products they would offer to their customers. If ever the costumers would need specifications they would just have to customize the products they offer. The brand stands for all the products they sell plus everything else that they provide for the customer. When the customer buys from them they know that they will get quality products and top notch customer service, all at a fair acquisition cost. Moreover, they have small sales forces and rely on distributors to develop the end use market for their products. They produce products with little known brand names and typically they lead with price.

Network services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain through working with three manufacturers that offers different products. Through this, they can satisfy their customers by giving their needs and wants. Furthermore, having a good relationship with your suppliers and customers is one aspect of having a successful business.

Network Service Company, gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain by coordinating and working with three different kinds of manufacturers that having different kinds of product. by this, NCS can provide what their customer wants and satisfy the need of them. With that, it will create a good relation with their customer. trust will build between supplier-customer part.

Network Service Company, gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain by coordinating and working with three different kinds of manufacturers that having different kinds of product. by this, NCS can provide what their customer wants and satisfy the need of them. With that, it will create a good relation with their customer. trust will build between supplier-customer part.

Network Services Company gained their competitive advantage by working and cooperating with the three kinds of manufacturers while creating a good relationship with their customers. They reassure that they deliver the best quality service that the customer expect. Through this, they can obtain the trust of their customers while gaining revenues and maintaining high level of performance

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain by building relationship between suppliers and customers. Knowing their customers requirements, NSC able to fulfill their customer wants through the collaboration of the three manufacturing companies.

Network Services Company has gained its competitive advantage through working with three kinds of manufacturer. Working together with three different manufacturers gives them the chance to have a good relationship with its customer by satisfying customers demand resulting to greater customer satisfaction. With this they can able to adapt to the sudden changes that might happen around them.

Network Services Company can gained the competitive advantage in their Supply Chain by viewing their supply networks as a competitive weapon that can not only deliver low costs but impact top-line growth through superior responsiveness and best-in-class customer service. Another one is to evaluate strategic positioning. Organisations must form a supply chain strategy that matches their objectives and competitive strategy. To do this, it has to evaluate its current strategic positioning. This stage involves competitive and market analysis together with risk analysis. Hope I can give better justification with my answer. Godbless to the author!.. 

Network Services have a great idea of collaborating the three kinds of manufacturers that gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain. they established good working relationships with their suppliers. they serve as a logistics to the distributor and customer support to the field. they also satisfy the needs and wants of their client to earn a good name to make NSC one of their distributor. Lastly, they convert finished product to another product which is a customized one. This is how brilliant the idea of the NSC to gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain.

One advantage Network Services Company (NSC) has over many large-scale businesses is its business nature. Instead of focusing on the manufacture of a product, it chose to render management services. That being the case, NSC acts as the center of all the businesses, interconnecting them within the commercial web. To the other firms, their profit is based on the volume of product each company can successfully push through the system to the market. For NSC, it is profitable as long as there are companies that will require its services in networking their company across various supply chains. Its service-type nature in a product-driven market gives it the advantage of having perpetual customers. For as long as the companies are engaged in selling their products, NSC has them as its customers. *** Thank you for the article and the question for discussion. Very relevant and challenging.

by Rachelle Joy Vasquez Through the collaboration of the three kinds of manufacturers, Network Services Company gained competitive advantage in their supply chain. Since the company has the advantage because of the three different kinds of manufacturers that involve brand name manufacturer, business-to-business market and converters or smaller manufacturers, they are able to comply with each customer’s needs and demands. With the collaboration of the company, they not only able to gain loyalty from their clients because they can provide what they need but it also provide them an opportunity to introduce their services to another manufacturers.

The competitive advantage of NSC is that they have effective and excellent distributors, they might have the least power but they are able to negotiate with both-manufacturers and customers. They offer not just their products but as well as their services or other benefits that they know they can provide to the customers. The distributors in NSC can make their company a "brand", wherein the customers can trust because they are confident on the distributor's efficiency and the quality of their products and services.

By managing the relationships that Network Services has with its suppliers.Having 3 types of manufacturers whom they work with, manufacturers are able to use many different channels to market so they demand greater and greater performance from the distributors they work with.As such, Network Services Company view their supply networks as a competitive weapon that can not only deliver low costs but impact top-line growth through superior responsiveness and best-in-class customer service. By this strategy, this company has competitive advantage over its competitors and in their supply chain

The Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain because the company works with the three different types of manufacturers to supply or give the needs of its customers. They make their supply chain as flexible as possible by giving the customers what they want. Moreover, they make their products and services a brand that the customers will remember.

Dealing with the era of supply chain, Network Services Company has proven its flexibility to cope with the evolving market driven through the demands of customers and manufacturers. Such has been manifested on its ability to collaborate with huge names in the industry, particularly with three defined types of manufacturers. Though supply chain may be complex by nature, NSC perceives it as an avenue to establish good relation with other parties involved so it can gain competency in working for an efficient supply chain. And being able to establish network with multi-faceted industry, the company is capable of determining the needs of their customers and can easily adjust and respond to changes and fast pace-transformation of the market. NSC’s ability to maintain linkages among different companies has thrust toward an efficient flow of information regarding the market. Its extensive efforts have really aided for NSC to achieve that competitive advantage.

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in the supply chain by focusing not only in their customers but also in their suppliers. Having a good relationship with the suppliers and building customer support, NSC was able to establish a good communication with them which strengthened their various supply chain operations.

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in their supply chain through working and collaborating with three kinds of manufacturers that offer different types of products. First, Supply the brand name manufacturer or the retail customer of the brand name manufacturer. Second, Supply the manufacturer and also the distributor. Third, can supply the smaller manufacturer or what we call the converter. With the used of that three kinds of manufacturers they can give what their customers want and demand and they have the chance to go changes in the market. Also, NCS has also given opportunities to different manufacturers to showcase their products in the market. NCS can give a strong collaboration with other company so that they can work together a simply make a whole supply chain effective and efficient.

The Network Services Company gain the competitive advantage by balancing the power of the supply chain explored in the industry. They conduct an ongoing discussion about the value perceived in the supply chain. They become competitive, and that the customers know that they have the right quality for satisfying the needs and wants of the customers.

The Network Services Company gain the competitive advantage by balancing the power of the supply chain explored in the industry. They conduct an ongoing discussion about the value perceived in the supply chain. They become competitive, and that the customers know that they have the right quality for satisfying the needs and wants of the customers.

Network Service Company was able to gained their competitive advantage through manging their customer relationship and being able to give satisfaction to their customer. Knowing how to value and accept comments from your customers is a great thing. Always remember that customers play a big role in the supply chain .. :)

Network Services Company gained the competitive advantage in the supply chain by focusing both to their customers and suppliers. It place itself at the middle of supply chain between big and small manufacturers. Having a good relationship with the suppliers and building customer support, NSC was able to establish a good communication with them which strengthened their various supply chain operations. They established their brand and gained trust by satisyfing their customers. NSC strengthen their power of distribution which becomes their advantage to others. They able to balance the needs of manufacturers to distribute its products to the needs of small companies to receive those products. Managing well the flow of supply chain and customer relationship results success of the company.

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