The consumer products division of Ericsson, the Swedish telecommunications giant, found additional dollars to invest in its capital-intensive business by outsourcing inbound logistics and shifting responsibility for inventory management to vendors.
As Kodak's European business changed in response to economic union and various internal factors, the company needed a logistics solution that would provide greater flexibility and lower overhead costs at key facilities. It opted for outsourcing with a shared-use approach, a concept that was given an unusual and innovative twist in the U.K. with partner MSAS Global Logistics.
GTE's in-house recovery operation is so successful that it now handles reverse logistics services for other companies. Likewise, 3M turned to its own logistics and manufacturing groups to recover useable by-products - and lots of money.
Canadian Tire is perhaps Canada's most widely recognized and well established retailer, but in the early 1990s the company realized its aging stores and out-of-date replenishment system were costing it business. A major renovation of stores and re-engineering of the supply chain yielded impressive results.
Netherlands-based Philips Medical Systems revamped its spare-parts logistics network to better serve owners of its diagnostic imaging machines. These changes were in line with a larger trend in Europe, where roadblocks to centralized distribution of medical equipment slowly are coming down - giving U.S. companies new opportunities for carving out market share.
The Japanese car maker, which once held almost eight months' worth of aftermarket parts at its Belgian logistics center, is well on its way to keeping only a little more than two months' of spares on hand. In doing so, it has relied on surprisingly little in the way of information technology.
Consolidation of North American distribution points, a major shift from company-owned and -operated facilities to public warehousing, and economies from a little-known program with U.S. Customs helped slash inventory and associated costs for the Audiovox Corp., a consumer electronics company in Hauppauge, N.Y.
The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions regarding inventory planning and optimization and its impact on supply chain management. New technologies in inventory planning and optimization are transforming the way companies operate - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are using inventory planning solutions for supply chain optimization.
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