E-Commerce and Supply Chain Management

Chapter 4: E-Commerce and Supply Chain Management

Overview

This chapter describes the elements of the supply chain and its management.  The bullwhip effect is discussed.  The various decisions in supply chain management are discussed and evaluated.  These include outsourcing, purchasing, use of technology, warehousing and vertical integration.  Finally, the performance measures and trends in supply chain management are described. 

Answers to Discussion Questions in Textbook

1. Discuss the different types of e-commerce.

 

E-commerce can be characterized by noting what entities are involved. Busines-to-business (B2B) concerns businesses working together to allow one to receive what it needs as inputs from another. Business to consumer (B2B) is the retail activity. Here companies use electronic means to deliver goods and services to consumers. Consumer-to –consumer (C2C) occurs when consumers can sell directly to each other, such as on the auction site, eBay. Peer-to-peer (P2P) links users, allowing them to share information. Finally, m-commerce involves providing e-commerce access using wireless technology.

1. Explain the different revenue models used in e-commerce.

 

Operators of e-commerce web sites can support their activities using one or more of several revenue models. A site that attracts users and then displays advertisements from other businesses is using the advertising revenue model. A site that charges a fixed periodic fee for access to its content is using a subscription revenue model. Some sites charge a fee for a completed transaction, such as a stock trade. This is the transaction fee model. Companies that earn directly from what customers buy use the sales revenue model. Finally, a site may earn its revenue by referring visitors to other sites. This is the affiliate model.

1. Give two examples from the Internet for each of the different revenue models used in e-commerce.

 

Revenue Model	Examples
Advertising	Yahoo.com, Mail.com
Subscription	The Wall Street Journal on-line, Investors Business Daily online
Transaction fee	Ameritrade, Datek
Sales	Amazon.com, Lands’end
Affiliate	Best20sites.com, Expatriate online

1. Describe the evolution of business-to-business (B2B e-commerce.

 

B2B can be said to have started in the 1970’s with automated order entry systems that used telephone connections. In the late 1970s electronic data interchange (EDI) provided standards for the computer-to-computer exchange of information such as invoices and purchase orders.

1. For the next item you buy, determine its supply chain.

 

I recently bought some soft drinks in cans.  The cans are produced by obtaining the raw materials from mines, followed by a processing in a plant.  The cans are then filled with the liquid at the bottling companies.  They are then placed in a warehouse.  From there, they are shipped to the retailers who then sell to you and me.

1. How do supply chains for service organizations differ from supply chains for manufacturing organizations?

 

Service supply chains typically do not include external suppliers.  In addition, the tier one supplier is a company that produces the final packaged product.  Manufacturing supply chains typically include a greater variety of links in the chain in terms of the types of companies.  Manufacturers have external suppliers in the different tiers, as well as processing operations.

1. How can companies satisfy increasing customer expectations?

 

Increased customer expectations can be satisfied by providing customers with value.  For example, a company can emphasize short delivery times, excellent customer service, quality guarantees or low prices.

1. Describe the additional factors that affect global supply chains.

 

Global supply chains face several additional challenges. The members of the supply chain can be dispersed around the world. This can increase shipping time and pipeline inventory. Longer delivery times can make forecasting less accurate. The partners in the supply chain will not all use the same currency. Currency fluctuations can change prices between contract and delivery. Different countries will have varying levels of infrastructure development. This can impact transportation, the availability of trained workers, communications, and manufacturing operations. Firms may need to provide many market specific variants and versions of their products to meet local tastes, conditions, and regulations. This is referred to as product proliferation.

1. Think of your last major purchase.  What criteria did you use to choose the supplier?

 

My last major purchase was a new computer, which I purchased from Dell.  The criteria I used were speed of delivery, ability to customize, price and features.  Dell offers specials to professors and students.

1. Explain the concept of partnering, including advantages and disadvantages.

 

Partnering is the development of a close relationship with a supplier, based on trust, shared information and vision.  The advantages are the ability to reduce costs, improve quality and planning.  The disadvantages are the violation of trust that can cause problems and the inability to quickly change suppliers if problems arise.  Recall the Ford/Firestone quality fiasco that is currently being litigated.  The presumption of trust may have caused the delay in detecting quality problems.

1. Explain the benefits of using a single supplier as opposed to multiple suppliers.

 

The use of a single supplier allows us to receive quantity discounts, easily schedule deliveries, and form a good relationship.  The benefit of using multiple suppliers is a lower risk of supply interruption, the possibility of better service and price, and greater flexibility.

1. Describe the kinds of information that are necessary in a supply chain.

 

We need to track sales, the movement of products, the location of items within the warehouse, and know where items are in the production process.

1. Describe the role of warehouses in a supply chain.

 

Warehouses allow us to consolidate the transport of products, mix products and provide service by being able to quickly send products to the customers.

1. Describe radio frequency identification (RFID) and how it could be used by an organization.

 

RFID uses unpowered microchips to transmit encoded information to antennae. RFID tags may be attached to cases, pallets, or containers. They can eliminate the need to unpack, count, or scan contents to be able to keep track of material movements and inventory levels.

1. Describe the current trends in e-commerce and how they affect supply chain management.

 

Electronic marketplaces allow easier communication between suppliers and customers. E-distributors can represent many different suppliers. E-purchasing companies connect companies with suppliers of MRO supplies. They may also automate the process using Value Chain Management (VCM). On-line exchanges are third parties that create an on-line marketplace for a large number of buyers and sellers in a particular industry. Sometimes, a consortium within the industry will set up the exchange, creating Industry Consortia.