Global Operations & Logistics Research on Mark and Spencer, UK

The Global Operations & Logistics Research on Mark and Spencer, UK

Running Head: Report
Executive Summary
In today’s globalized market, organizations are paying more attention towards delivering
additional value to the consumers. The emphasis on consideration of organizations is giving
products and administrations that are increasingly profitable contrasted with its competitors.
This powers supply chain network to be progressively responsive and achieve competitive
advantage. The phenomenon of competitive advantage is witnessed to be discussed very deeply
in organizational strategies. Modernized management approach locates the logistics on the
strategic level rather than placing it on simple support activity position in order to gain and
sustain a competitive position in the market. Logistics management has a huge contribution in
achieving competitive advantage; especially when the customer service and low-cost factors are
combined together. Effective logistics aims to meet the consumer's requirement at the
affordable prices along with facilitating the flow of information, funds and production material
amid the supply chain partners of the organization. From this point of view, logistics
management can place the organization ahead of all its core competitors by ensuring adequate
and efficient services like delivering the products to the customers as and when required at the
right time.
The report discusses the role of effective logistics management in achieving the competitive
advantage of the organization named “Marks and Spencers” that operates in a global supply
chain network. Such giant retailers like M&S need to focus on the procurement of material,
transportation, inventory, information & facility management, customer service while the
implementation of their strategic planning with the main objective of enhancing the efficiency
in all manner to accomplish competitive advantage. Right management of these components
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Running Head: Report
will leave no stone unturned for M&S to gain an advantageous position. Sharing real-time data
and information, much accurate forecast, agility and minimized cost in the supply chain network
can be accomplished by logistics-oriented strategy. The entire report is divided into four major
components. The first component discusses the global supply chain network of the selected
organization. The second component describes the rationale for M&S's facility location;
followed by the third component which presents how M&S have gained competitive advantage
via its impressive logistics management. The last component narrates the main discussions of
the report and also highlights some recommendations for Marks and Spencer to sustain its
position in future.
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Running Head: Report
Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Inbound Logistics.........................................................................................................................4
Outbound Logistics......................................................................................................................5
Overview of M&S...........................................................................................................................6
The global supply chain network of M&S......................................................................................7
Supply chain & Logistics.............................................................................................................9
Supply chain strategies followed by M&S................................................................................10
The rationale for facility location..................................................................................................13
Competitiveness achieved.............................................................................................................15
Conclusion & Recommendation....................................................................................................20
Recommendations......................................................................................................................21
References......................................................................................................................................22
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Running Head: Report
Introduction
The supply chain is a dynamic process which incorporates the continuous flow of information,
funds and items amid different stages. A supply chain network consists of different components
which collectively work together to facilitate the continuous flow or moment of the products.
This network starts with the customers, which means that it gets initiated as soon as the customer
places an order to the company and it gets terminated until the order for the customer is
successfully completed. The market has emerged out to be very demanding and uncertain in
recent years, so it demands that organizations should be very flexible in terms of logistics
management and supply chain activities if they really want to achieve competitive advantage
(Svosve, 2018).
Logistics management includes the processes like planning, implementation, monitoring and
controlling of the adequate flow of material, final goods, spreading of information from
originating point till the desired end with the target of achieving customer satisfaction at utmost
priority. Logistics activities are majorly classified in two broad categories.
Inbound Logistics
This category of logistics is related to the smooth and financial savvy inflow of raw materials
and other pertinent input required from the suppliers to the production plant necessary for the
manufacturing process. Organizational management has to maintain cordial relationships and
regular interface with all the associated suppliers for the adequate management of this type of
logistics activity (Sai, 2018).
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Running Head: Report
Outbound Logistics
This category of logistics is also known as supply chain management which incorporates
moment of finished goods from manufacturing plant to the customer end. For the appropriate
administration of outbound logistics, the administration needs to keep up a persistent interface
with transport administrators and channels of dispersion (Li, 2014).
Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics activities (Sai, 2018)
The main objective of each supply chain activity should be to maximise the total value
generated. This project report aims to determine the M&S’s accomplishment of competitive
advantage among its competitors through its appropriate effective logistics management. The
main objective of the assignment is to study and analyse how does M&S manage its logistics
activities. The secondary objectives are to search the information pertaining to the supply chain
of M&S, to discuss the supply chain management strategies, to interpret them
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