Bruynzeel Keukens: Mastering Complexity

This document discusses the supply chain redesign of Bruynzeel's top management, the differences in supply chain between Waterstones and Amazon, the development of e-commerce capabilities, and the grants and assistance available for SMEs. It provides insights into the strategies and challenges faced by these companies in managing their supply chains and expanding their business operations.

Bruynzeel Keukens: Mastering Complexity

Table of Contents
1. If you were the member of Bruynzeel's top management, would you redesign the supply chain
..........................................................................................................................................................1
2. Differences in supply chain of Waterstones and Amazon...........................................................1
3. Business in developing their e-commerce capabilities................................................................2
4. What grants and assistance is available for SME to develop e-commerce capabilities...............3

1. If you were the member of Bruynzeel's top management, would you
redesign the supply chain
The idea of restructuring the supply chain would result in enhancing the market share and
also maintain its leadership in construction and retail market. However, both these objectives
requires heavy investment in terms of both capacity and flexibility to achieve growing share in
attaining high turnover within firm. Being a member of top management in Bruynzeel's and
make decision regarding redesigning the supply chain because demand of customize solutions
for designing their kitchen is much higher than construction. Thus, the idea of restructuring the
supply chain was effective and thus helped firm to expand its business operations and reach
international market. Thus, redesigning the supply chain would result into expanding the market
share and thus make strategic change in order to satisfy the needs of target market.
Further, company also need to make improvement within their lead tim so that they are
able to make synchronization between up and downstream supply chain as it was poor. However,
customers were demanding high quality performance from suppliers but they were unable to
deliver the trend. Therefore, top management of Bruynzeel's need to identify the needs of target
market and then redesign the supply chain so that operations could be carried out effectively and
thus orders can be met accordingly. Company's main advantage is that they offer wide variety of
customize kitchen and thus gain competitive edge over rivals. However, all such changes could
result into enhancing the manufacturing process and thus improving the supply chain in terms of
satisfying needs of target customers.
2. Differences in supply chain of Waterstones and Amazon
Waterstones is a British book retailer and operates 275 stores and employs 3500
employees within UK and Europe. However, the supply chain of Waterstones is simple as it
operates a retail bookshop and thus it purchases the books directly from the publisher and then
provides the same to the end users. Thus, such supply chain is simple and direct as manufacturer
sell the products to business and then they deliver the products to customers. Therefore, supply
chain process of physical store requires certain time and also add cost so that it is essential for
Waterstones to increase the price of product.
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While, Amazon is an American electronic commerce company and is also one of the
largest internet retailer in world in terms of sales and market share. The supply chain process
adopted by Amazon is quite quick because it is working on online platform. Company directly
sells the products to consumers and does not involve large supply chain networks. Thus, main
advantage of online retailers supply chain is that it is fast and quick and helps in saving resources
of company so that it could be utilized somewhere else to enhance productivity of firm in
market. While, the disadvantage is that it requires time to reach every customer. Therefore, firm
needs to make effective strategies to carry out effective results. Amazon supply chain process is
simple and effective and thus it starts with the customer placing an order. Then the order prompts
a red light to come on in the warehouse which shows the products that have been ordered by
consumer and code is matched with that particular order. Then the product is place and bar code
has been read then the product is shipped which would be reach to customer within 1-7 days.
3. Business in developing their e-commerce capabilities
Amazon aims to improve its e-commerce capabilities so that they can identify the needs
of target market and provide them the same products or services. It is essential for firm to make
the order placement easy so that every consumers can easily visit on website and purchase the
products. However, making the website easy to use helps in involving more number of customers
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Placing of order Matching the
order in warehouse
Order shippedReach to customers
Manufacture Wholsaler Retailer Customers
Distribution
centre

within firm and thus enhance the capabilities of business. Company need to improve its
capabilities through adding varied options such as phone number, live chat option and thus
enhance customer service so that best results can be attained. In the era of globalization, e-
commerce is the best way through which firm can enhance its capabilities and thus feels that it
helps in providing benefit to firm in order to improve its operations.
There are various benefits that could be provided to e-commerce businesses and thus
helps firm to set low cost while starting the e-commerce business. Also, they do not required any
physical store to display their products as they can display on websites. Thus, it helps in reducing
the operating cost and participate in e-commerce. It provides benefit to firm in regard to increase
the sales opportunities and enhance the market share of firm. All such benefits helps company to
improve its products or services.
4. What grants and assistance is available for SME to develop e-commerce
capabilities
There are various grants and assistance which are being provided by Northern Ireland
government for SME to develop e-commerce capabilities. It involves agencies such as Invest NI
which provides funds to SME in order to work with an expert from any University, College or
other Public sector in order to bring new knowledge and help businesses to innovative, develop
and grow. It is essential for Northern Ireland Government to contact with different local
investment agencies in regard to promote them and provide grants and assistance to SME for
developing e-commerce capabilities.
However, all such agencies provides different grants and assistance such as innovation
voucher, three year corporate tax exemption, back to work enterprise allowance etc. helps in
providing all such assistance so that SME can grow and support their business operations,. Also,
it is essential for firm to develop its e-commerce capabilities and thus provide best results to
customers so that they can attain desired results. Therefore, it is also essential for company to get
assistance from government and thus they can expand their business functions. Government of
Northern Ireland contacts with different local investment agencies and thus help in improving the
e-commerce capabilities of different SME.
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