• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • THINK TANK
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » In Appliances, Customers Know What They Want

In Appliances, Customers Know What They Want

January 14, 2010
SupplyChainBrain

Forget that old white washing machine and dryer. Buyers of major appliances today want quality, aesthetics and value - and branded manufacturers had better be ready to deliver, says Brian Hancock, vice president of supply chain with Whirlpool.

The world's largest seller of appliances, Whirlpool is an old-line company with a well-established brand in the marketplace. But that doesn't mean the company is standing still, when it comes to product innovation. "The customer is looking for us to be cutting-edge and [devoted to] absolute best quality," says Hancock. In particular, the company is focusing on green technologies with respect to cutting water and energy usage.

Whirlpool doesn't have much time to attract a given customer. Most go shopping for large appliances about once every 10 years, says Hancock, and they're in the market for just seven days. Within that narrow window of decision-making, they have to be brought up to speed on the current technology and benefits of each model.

To stay responsive to the consumer, Whirlpool has adopted a formal product lifecycle management (PLM) approach. The process helps the company to keep tabs on all aspects of its supply chain, including the suppliers that furnish key components. Wherever possible, Hancock says, it strives to design parts that can be used in multiple models. Differentiation occurs at the level of aesthetics and machine capacity.

What the customer seeks in terms of design is changing. "It used to be that everybody wanted the same white machine," Hancock says. "Now they're looking for designer-type opportunities."

They might also be purchasing more frequently than before. In the last five years, Whirlpool has seen a shortening of the buying cycle. Some consumers are changing out models every five years. Reasons include a greater emphasis on fashion, and a growing awareness of the environmental benefits of the latest models.

In future, Hancock says, "the customer is going to expect more for less." At the same time, the pace of technological advancement will accelerate, driven by the ability of Asian producers to transfer innovations from premium to low-end models within a relatively short period of time.

To view this video interview in its entirety, Click Here.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Technology Product Lifecycle Management High-Tech/Electronics Retail
KEYWORDS High-Tech/Electronics Product Lifecycle Management Retail Technology
  • Related Articles

    In Appliances, Customers Know What They Want

    Consumers Want What They Want and Don't Mind Sharing Personal Data with Retailers, Survey Finds

    FTC Eyes Use of Appliances That Spy on Purchasers After They Leave the Store

  • Related Events

    The Big Picture: What It Takes to Make Last-Mile Delivery Work

SupplyChainBrain

100 Great Supply Chain Partners Issue 2009

More from this author

Wake up to Coronavirus Updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • Coronavirus-watch-Armada

    Virus Update: Biden Seeks $1.9 Trillion for Relief Bill; India to Supply Millions of Vaccine Doses to Neighbors

    Coronavirus
  • U.S. and China Trade

    How China Won Trump’s Trade War and Got Americans to Foot the Bill

    Global Supply Chain Management
  • Obtaining Adequate Supplies of PPE in the Pandemic

    Watch: Obtaining Adequate Supplies of PPE in the Pandemic

    Coronavirus
  • AT&T

    How the Pandemic Has Altered AT&T’s Global Sourcing Strategy

    Coronavirus
  • Chip Shortage Hits Global Automakers

    Chip Shortage Hits Global Automakers

    Coronavirus

Digital Edition

Scb home issue 27

2020 Supply Chain Innovator of the Year

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • LSP Saves Customer $1.5 Million a Year With MPO Global Inbound Management

  • Auto Supplier Wows Key Client Using riskmethods Supply Chain Savvy

  • Integrating Shipping and Compliance Saves Conglomerate Millions

  • How a Consumer Goods Giant Upped Its On-Time Delivery Performance

  • LSP Wows Global Client, Quickly Advances to Become End-to-End Provider

Visit Our Sponsors

6 River Systems ArcBest Armada
aThingz BluJay Burris Logistics
DSC Logistics DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) DHL Resilience360
Genpact GEP Honeywell Intelligrated
Infor Logility Magnitude Software
MPO Old Dominion Oliver Wight
OpenSky Ports America Purolator
QAD Precision Red Classic Riskmethods
TGW Systems Transportation Insights Watson Land Company
Westfalia Technologies Workjam Yang Ming
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright © 2016 - 2018 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing