...A Value Chain Management Study at UPS Executive Summary UPS is the world’s largest express carrier and largest package delivery company with over $30 Billion in revenue (2001). Its primary service is small package delivery, which has increasingly become a low margin business, and one with growing competitive pressure. Due to these low margins, efficiency and productivity in operations are paramount to overall financial success. Although UPS has a strong history of being a well run company, there remains significant opportunity to improve the value chain in this service organization. At a high level, the value chain at UPS can be described as a series of package “sorts” that must occur between the time UPS receives the package from the sender, and the time it is delivered to its final destination. Generally speaking, technology has been engineered into most of these sort steps in an effort to improve productivity, package handling volume, and accuracy. However, several critical steps remain manual, labor intensive processes that are fraught with errors that require rework. Our group has focused on the final sorting step in the value chain, the “Pre-Load”. A worker performing the Pre-Load step must memorize up to 1,200 “knowledge units”, which consist of zip codes, cities, areas of town, or some combination of these. These knowledge units form the basis for a sorting decision that determines which package truck will carry the parcel to its’ final destination...
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...n© 2008 International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Moving up the Value Chain: Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development The International Institute for Sustainable Development contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and assessment, and natural resources management. Through the Internet, we report on international negotiations and share knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries and better dialogue between North and South. Upgrading China’s Manufacturing Sector Pan Yue Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Simon J. Evenett University of St. Gallen and Centre for Economic Policy Research IISD’s vision is better living for all— sustainably; its mission is to champion innovation, enabling societies to live sustainably. IISD is registered as a charitable organization in Canada and has 501(c)(3) status in the United States. IISD receives core operating support from the Government of Canada, provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Environment Canada; and from the Province of Manitoba. The institute receives project funding from numerous governments inside and outside Canada, United Nations...
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...Exploring efficiency and effectiveness in the supply chain A conceptual analysis Benedikte Borgström Jönköping International Business School P.O. Box 1026, SE- 551 11 Jönköping Sweden bobe@jibs.hj.se Abstract Firms struggle for efficiency and effectiveness. Strategies involving collaboration between actors and integration of activity chains are reliant of factors that firms do not have direct ownership and control over. This has implications for strategizing, setting the goals and measuring performance. Efficiency and effectiveness are often used to describe performance. From a resource dependence perspective efficiency is defined as an internal standard of performance and effectiveness as an external standard of fit to various demands (Pfeffer and Salancik 1978). In supply chains efficiency improvements are e.g. Just-in Time production while effectiveness is achieved through customer orientation and innovation. The conceptualization of efficiency and effectiveness has its roots in system theory. Definition of the system is difficult for a quasi-organization as a supply chain that has blurred structural boundaries. Defining the system as processes of activities implies that the meaning of and the relation between efficiency and effectiveness might change as well. This is a conceptual paper with a purpose to describe and analyze efficiency and effectiveness as constructs based upon activity systems. The analysis of efficiency and effectiveness involves the meaning, the...
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...The Value Chain Analysis – Support activities and Value Chain System The Value Chain System The firm's value chain links to the value chains of upstream suppliers and downstream buyers. The result is a larger stream of activities known as the value system. The development of a competitive advantage depends not only on the firm-specific value chain, but also on the value system of which the firm is a part. A firm's value chain is part of a larger system that includes the value chains of upstream suppliers and downstream channels and customers. Porter calls this series of value chains the value system, shown conceptually below: The Value System ... | > | Supplier Value Chain | > | Firm Value Chain | > | Channel Value Chain | > | Buyer Value Chain | Linkages exist not only in a firm's value chain, but also between value chains. While a firm exhibiting a high degree of vertical integration is poised to better coordinate upstream and downstream activities, a firm having a lesser degree of vertical integration nonetheless can forge agreements with suppliers and channel partners to achieve better coordination. For example, an auto manufacturer may have its suppliers set up facilities in close proximity in order to minimize transport costs and reduce parts inventories. Clearly, a firm's success in developing and sustaining a competitive advantage depends not only on its own value chain, but on its ability to manage the value system of which it is a...
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...Essay: Value chain analysis Value chain analysis (VCA) refers to the process whereby a firm determines the costs associated with organizational activities from purchasing raw material to manufacturing products to marketing those products. Further, according to Porter he stated that “a firm’s value chain and the way it performs individual activities are a reflection of its history, its strategy, its approach to implementing its strategy, and the underlying economics of the activities themselves.” There are two major types’ activities of a company’s value chain describe by Porter: primary activities and support activities. Primary activities are the transforming of inputs into outputs further to delivery and after-sales support. On the other hand, support activities support primary activities and other supporting activities that are undertaken to aid individuals and groups of these activities. The importance of using the VCA in strategic decision-making is to analyze, coordinate and optimize linkages between activities in the value chain, by focusing on the interdependence between these activities. VCA is a mechanism which facilitates the optimization and coordination of interdependent activities in the value chain, which may cross organizational boundaries and accounting information is an important constituent of value chain analysis. The main idea of the analysis is to break up the chain of activities which avoid basic raw materials to end-use customers into strategically...
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...IMPLEMENTATION Chapter Eleven The Strategy of International Business OBJECTIVES • To identify how managers develop strategy • To examine industry structure, firm strategy, and value creation • To profile the features and functions of the value chain framework • To assess how managers configure and coordinate a value chain • To explain global integration and local responsiveness • To profile the types of strategies firms use in international business Chapter Overview Chapter Eleven presents tools and concepts used in analyzing and formulating international business strategy. First, the relationship between industry structure and competition in global industries is examined. Next, value chain analysis is used to identify the internal capabilities of the firm that can be leveraged to create competitive advantage. Effective international strategy depends greatly on the proper configuration and management of a company’s global value chain. The sometimes conflicting demands of global integration versus local responsiveness are examined. Finally, a typology of strategic alternatives including multidomestic, international, global, and transnational strategies is presented. CHAPTER OUTLINE OPENING CASE: Value Creation in the Global Apparel Industry [See Fig 11.1 and Map 11.1.] Zara, a large clothing retailer headquartered in northwest Spain, has used an innovative strategy to power its global expansion. ...
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...the Engineer in the Value Chain 49680: Value Chain Engineering Systems Assignment 1 LE Ngoc Thang 11187604 Table of Contents 1. Summary 5 2. Introduction 6 3. Value Chain 7 4. Engineering in Value Chain 9 4.1 Inbound Criterions 10 4.2 Warehouse management Criterions 11 4.3 Logistics Operation Specifications Criterions 11 5. Conclusion 14 6. Reference 15 Table of Figures Figure 1 Supply chain of a Router 7 Figure 2 Engineering Value Chain model 9 Summary This report focuses on the key component of a business, which is Value Chain. Value Chain, as Michael Porter's definition is those activities that add value to the products and/or service provided by the company. Additionally, to achieve advantages over competitors, those activities should be run at an optimized level with careful research and strict supervision. In the first part, Supply Chain and Demand Chain are researched and in the second part, a particular industry sector will be taken into consideration to shed light on the role of engineering and by that reveal the importance of engineering in the management of Value Chain. (Porter 1985) Introduction Nowadays enterprises are facing a number of issues to maintain and expand their business. With those that manufacture goods or provide services should be aware of the importance of Value Chain in order to deeply know the flow of raw material from suppliers to end-users for example. This report gives a brief view over Value Chain system and Engineering...
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...27708-0088, USA E-mail: ggere@soc.duke.edu Abstract: This paper lays out the main features of the global automotive industry and identifies several important trends. A boom in developing country sales and production has not yet overshadowed the importance of existing markets in developed regions. Regional integration is very strong at an operational level, yet the industry has recently developed a set of global-scale value chain linkages, and retains national and local elements as well. The paper highlights how global, regional, national and local value chains are nested to create a pattern of global integration that is distinctive to the industry. We use global value chain analysis to help explain the limits of build-to-order in the industry, the role of regional and global suppliers, the shifting geography of production and how the characteristics of value chain linkages in the industry favour tight integration and regional production. We describe how industry concentration focuses power in the hands of a few large lead firms and discuss the implications of this for value chain governance and the geography of production. Keywords: globalisation; automotive industry;...
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...FINANCE IN VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS—A SYNTHESIS PAPER microREPORT #132 OCTOBER 2008 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DAI. FINANCE IN VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS—A SYNTHESIS PAPER microREPORT #132 The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 OBJECTIVE ................................................................................ 1 DEFINITION ................................................................................ 1 IMPORTANCE ............................................................................. 1 REPORT STRUCTURE ................................................................. 1 THE VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS (VCA) FRAMEWORK ..................... 3 ANALYTICAL VCF FRAMEWORK WITH CASE-STUDY ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................ 7 UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT CASH FLOW AND CREDIT STRUCTURE (ANALYTICAL PHASE) ............................................ 7 Intra-firm Finance ......................................................... 8 Finance Services Provision .......................................... 9 Inter-firm Finance (Governance) ................................ 10 UNDERSTANDING...
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...The Role of the Engineer in the Value Chain Executive Summary In the recent past, value chain management has undergone radical transformation through various stages of automation, optimization and integration. This is based on a variety of reasons such as shortened technology and product development lifecycles, globalization, and pressures of competitive forces. This has forced organizations to review their value chain systems in order to survive and grow in such dynamic economic environments. In the field of engineering, value chains have become vital aspects of operations management when it comes to the application of engineering systems to the industrial and commercial processes. The main purpose of this paper is to disentangle the role of the engineer in the value chain. In this context, it will go further in analyzing the key elements of value chain and any accrued benefits that come with use of engineers in the value chain management. Value Chain Analysis The inception of Value Chain is associated with Michael Porter. He gives his understanding to this concept using a model he referred to as; “Porter’s value chain model” (Sekhar, 2009: 115). This model evaluates the strategically vital activities in a firm that boost its competitive advantage. Such competitive advantage is usually achieved through the core competencies of the firm. According to Porter, a firm is defined by a set of processes and functions which he classified into five main activities; the inbound...
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...of a company will determine the stage in the value chain. Using the Mckinsey generic value chain, we have the following stages: Technology Development - Product design – Manufacturing – Marketing – Distribution - Service Technology development: This can also be referred to as Research and Development. Vodafone places a lot of importance on this because the company has achieved economies of scale with this. The technology and infrastructure platform is replicated in all the countries of operation , it is known that sharing fixed costs across all countries of operation can contribute to cheaper operations. Setting up a service centre in India is which is central to the group operations also helped in achieving economies of scale. Product Design: Vodafone’s products are technology based and so product design is linked to technology development. The fact that the company designs their products ensures that they determine the functionalities, characteristics, aesthetics and quality. Manufacturing / Distribution: This can be closely linked to Vodafone’s supply chain. Network construction and maintenance is outsourced particularly in emerging markets like China and India. Purchase of equipment, software and handsets are centralized and economies of scale has been achieved through this because the company strikes direct deals with the manufacturers of the various products. Vodafone sits at a pivotal position in the supply chain linking the end consumer with a complex pyramid...
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...developan exceptional supply chain? Many of the challenges in improving the supply chain come with all of theunknowns. Most companies produce products they think the consumer will want. Thenthey ship these products to the retail stores. The stores then try to sell the products thatare on their shelves to the customers. The supply chain shows down while they arefiguring out what to build. Then they work with suppliers to get the raw materials andcomponents for the products. The chain slows down more while they are building the products and shipping them to the stores. Then the supply chain is still slow while theywait for the products to sell and get paid. Supply Chain Management: An Analysis of Dell¶s Value ChainDell has used its direct sales and build-to-order model to create this exceptionsupply chain by integrating everything from the beginning to the end process. Dell starts by researching customer to find out what they want. As soon as an initial product isdesigned, Dell starts to market that product on the web-site. Dell does not start to produce any of the products until the customer tells Dell exactly what they want and paysfor the product. Only then does the procurement process start. Dell has improved thesupply chain to make it exceptional by integrating the suppliers. The suppliers have aWeb page which informs them of pending orders. This allows the suppliers to plan basedon actual demand. This sales model created an exceptional supply chain because thisintegration...
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...15.566 Information Technology Calyx and Corolla Case Questions Leslie Prince Rudolph 2/25/98 15.561A and 15.566 Example Case Writeup for Calyx and Corolla #1 – Value Added Chain The value-added chain for typical florists can be depicted as follows: Customers call in order growers distributors wholesalers florists consumers The distributors are typically located in the growing regions. The wholesalers are geographically dispersed. Most flowers are ordered directly from the florist and delivered to the recipient (consumer). Small family-operated companies dominate the entire chain. In many cases, industry participants have some role across the organizations (i.e. some wholesalers also grow some flowers). Mark-ups are substantial from one organization to the next, causing a resultant mark-up of almost 800% from the growers to the consumer. In contrast, the value-added chain using Calyx & Corolla’s approach can be depicted as follows: Calyx & Corolla send order info to growers Customers call in order growers Fed Ex consumers With the Calyx and Corolla approach, information travels from the customers to Calyx & Corolla, directly to the growers. The growers then package the flower orders in their final consumer packages. The flowers are transported by Fed Ex to the consumer. The Calyx & Corolla approach allows consumers to receive fresher flowers by as many as 710 days over the traditional approach. #2 – Strengths and Weaknesses ...
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...International Food and Agribusiness Management Review Volume 14, Issue 2, 2011 Agricultural Value Chains in Developing Countries A Framework for Analysis Jacques H. Trienekens Associate Professor, Wageningen University-Management Studies and Maastricht School of Management Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen, The Netherlands Abstract The paper presents a framework for developing country value chain analysis made up of three components. The first consists of identifying major constraints for value chain upgrading: market access restrictions, weak infrastructures, lacking resources and institutional voids. In the second component three elements of a value chain are defined: value addition, horizontal and vertical chain-network structure and value chain governance mechanisms. Finally, upgrading options are defined in the area of value addition, including the search for markets, the value chain- network structure and the governance form of the chain. Part of this component is the identification of the most suitable partnerships for upgrading the value chain. The three components of the framework are derived from major theoretical streams on inter-company relationships and from the literature on developing country value chains. The framework is applied in a case example of a developing country value chain. Keywords: Developing country value chains, research framework, upgrading Corresponding author: Tel: + 31 317 484160 Email: Jacques.Trienekens@wur.nl 51 2011 International Food...
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...1. “Value chain analysis (VCA) is a process where a firm identifies its primary and support activities that add value to its final product and then analyze these activities to reduce costs or increase differentiation.” 2. “Value chain represents the internal activities a firm engages in when transforming inputs into outputs.” Understanding the tool VCA is a strategy tool used to analyze internal firm activities. Its goal is to recognize, which activities are the most valuable (i.e. are the source of cost or differentiation advantage) to the firm and which ones could be improved to provide competitive advantage. In other words, by looking into internal activities, the analysis reveals where a firm’s competitive advantages or disadvantages are. The firm that competes through differentiation advantage will try to perform its activities better than competitors would do. If it competes through cost advantage, it will try to perform internal activities at lower costs than competitors would do. When a company is capable of producing goods at lower costs than the market price or to provide superior products, it earns profits. M. Porter introduced the generic value chain model in 1985. Value chain represents all the internal activities a firm engages in to produce goods and services. VC is formed of primary activities that add value to the final product directly and support activities that add value indirectly. Below you can see the Porter’s VC model. Primary Activities | ...
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