Supply Chain Management of Lowe's Home Improvement Stores Research Paper

Supply Chain Management of Lowe's Home Improvement Stores - Research Paper Example In recent times, business and technological trends have restructured the performance requirements for distribution channels in many industries. New challenges crop up every day for instance higher service level expectations of retail customers due to their high level of sophistication, distribution outsourcing by manufacturers, and the proliferation of advanced information technologies (Coyle et al, 2009). Distributors face a multiplicity of challenges in curbing the immense box retailers’ rigid supply requirements to support their high volume, high variety sales strategy. These strategies are required in delivery; Scheduled deliveries whereby each store requires periodic normally weekly deliveries on the same day and time each week. Unconstrained order quantities where stores can order items in any desired quantities, without limits on minimum or maximum order sizes in that orders can be placed as late as the day before a scheduled delivery. Single consolidated delivery where orders placed before each scheduled delivery must be fully delivered on a single truck, unless the magnitude of the order exceeds a full truckload. Stores need single, programmed deliveries because of the bottlenecks they encounter at their unloading docks. Since stores stock a wide range of products supplied by several manufacturers and since they need frequent deliveries in small batch sizes to reduce inventories, their loading docks are excessively congested and as a consequent, they call for a well coordinated deliveries from suppliers. A case study of Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores Lowe’s is a U.S based retail chain which deals with making improvements on retail home and appliances stores, with a market base of over 14 million customers, 1,710 from U.S and 20 from Canada stores. It expansion continued into countries such as Mexico, Australia amongst others. The expansion strategy which was laid down made it to become the second largest hardware chain store in the U.S after the well known Home Depot and ahead of Menards (Baker and Powell, 2005). Home depot opened its first store in Atlanta in 1978 before expanding from Georgia into Florida and then into the rest of the United States. Home Depot was framed around the concept of the ‘built from scratch’ warehouse and it was quickly embraced by professional contractors as well as by the rapidly expanding do it yourself market. The Home Depot concept was so successful that the traditional hardware and building supply stores were quickly eliminated from the markets in which the firm opened its outlets. Lowe’s began changing its strategy in a bid to counter Home Depot’s in the early 1990s, in that it converted most of its retail centers into a similar warehouse format. However, Lowe’s refined the Home Depot model by shifting from the rugged contractor appearance, tilting its focus to the female population based on research that concluded most home improvement deci sions are initiated by females. Consequently, it developed better looking stores with sophisticated products while still managing to maintain similarly low prices and high levels of inventory and selection. It designed its stores with less rugged looking upholstery (Amason, 2010). Supply management work plan strategy Hawawini and Viallet (2002), argues that responsiveness is the best way to differentiate among competitors in the current market. In this day and age, the consumer has the overall authority since he has absolute information. This makes

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 53

Discussion - Essay Example Most people have a reluctance to find reliable and trusted resources about important national and government events. Studies also reveal that facts have little effect in changing people and their perception towards the government operations. Political ignorance has been paramount for a number of years and people often base their opinions based on beliefs rather than democratic ideals and human intelligence. Facts ought to dictate beliefs and preconceived notions. People should dedicate time to learn more about the government and its policies. People tend to seek consistency as they interpret information to their beliefs. Through motivated reasoning, people should strive to accept that the sophistication of governance alters existing norms to incorporate structural or political development. Through E-government portals, the public should access any government events or services. E-governments are responsible in ensuring effectiveness in government delivery services as well as simplifying the compliance of citizen participation and government regulations. Through the e-government orientation, citizens will participate in government activities and strengthen their trust. This action will also ensure cost-effective business practices and responsive, streamlined government services are achieved. The access of information will allow people to access various government services and information. People will also participate in democracy and cause a great impact as to how the government can interact efficiently with its citizens. The e-government has various benefits regarding the participation of the public. More people will have free access to various platforms in which they can express their opinions in the government. For example, a certain minister may choose to get opinion about certain amendments to the constitution that he or she may wish to make. It is important that the public participate in these proposed new