Logistics warehousing and

transportation management

Designing the Distribution

Network in a Supply Chain

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-1

 Outline
The Role of Distribution in the Supply Chain
Factors Influencing Distribution Network Design
Design Options for a Distribution Network
E-Business and the Distribution Network
Distribution Networks in Practice
Summary of Learning Objectives

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-2

 The Role of Distribution
in the Supply Chain
Distribution: the steps taken to move and store a
product from the supplier stage to the customer stage
in a supply chain
Distribution directly affects cost and the customer
experience and therefore drives profitability
Choice of distribution network can achieve supply
chain & Logistics objectives from low cost to high
responsiveness
Examples: Wal-Mart, Dell, Proctor & Gamble,
Grainger
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-3
 Factors Influencing
Distribution Network Design
Distribution network performance evaluated along
two dimensions at the highest level:
– Customer needs that are met
– Cost of meeting customer needs
Distribution network design options must therefore be
compared according to their impact on customer
service and the cost to provide this level of service

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-4

 Factors Influencing
Distribution Network Design
 Elements of customer service influenced by network structure:
– Response time
– Product variety
– Product availability
– Customer experience
– Order visibility
– Returnability
 Supply chain costs affected by network structure:
– Inventories
– Transportation
– Facilities and handling
– Information
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-5
 Service and Number of Facilities
(Fig. 4.1)

Number of
Facilities

Response Time
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-6
 The Cost-Response Time Frontier

Local FG
Hi
Mix
Regional FG

Local WIP
Cost Central FG

Central WIP

Central Raw Material and Custom production

Custom production with raw material at suppliers

Low
Low Response Time Hi

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-7

 Inventory Costs and Number
of Facilities (Fig. 4.2)

Inventory
Costs

Number of facilities

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-8

 Transportation Costs and
Number of Facilities (Fig. 4.3)

Transportation
Costs

Number of facilities

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-9

 Facility Costs and Number
of Facilities (Fig. 4.4)

Facility
Costs

Number of facilities

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-10

 Total Costs Related to
Number of Facilities
Total Costs
Total Costs

Facilities
Inventory
Transportation

Number of Facilities
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-11
 Variation in Logistics Costs and Response
Time with Number of Facilities (Fig. 4.5)
Response Time

Total Logistics Costs

Number of Facilities
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-12
 Design Options for a
Distribution Network
Two key decisions when designing a distribution
network between pair of stages, such as supplier to the
Manufacturer or even service company serving
through its distribution or FG to its end customers
1. Will product be delivered to the customer location or
picked up from a preordained Site?
2. Will product flow through an intermediary (or
intermediate location)?

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-13

 Design Options for a
Distribution Network
Manufacturer Storage with Direct Shipping
Manufacturer Storage with Direct Shipping and In-
Transit Merge
Distributor Storage with Carrier Delivery
Distributor Storage with Last Mile Delivery
Manufacturer or Distributor Storage with Consumer
Pickup
Retail Storage with Consumer Pickup
Selecting a Distribution Network Design

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-14

 Manufacturer Storage with
Direct Shipping

Manufacturer

Retailer

Customers

This is also called drop

shipping . W.W. Grainger,
Product Flow
Nordstrom, eBags Information Flow
Inventory cost will be lower –transportation cost will be higher, Facilities
© 2007 Pearson Education and handling cost lower, Information Significant investment is required 4-15
 In-Transit Merge Network
Factories

Retailer In-Transit Merge by

Carrier

Customers

Dell and sonny use this Product Flow

Information Flow
Inventory similar to drop shipping, Transportation somewhat lower, facilities and handling higher than drop
shipping, investment in information management cost is somewhat higher than drop shipping
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-16
 Distributor Storage with
Carrier Delivery

Factories

Inventory: higher
Transportation :
lower
Facilities: somewhat Warehouse Storage by
higher Distributor/Retailer
Information : simpler
structure

Customers

Good for industrial Product Flow

distributor /amazon Information Flow
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-17
 Distributor Storage with
Last Mile Delivery

Factories

Distributor/Retailer
Warehouse

Customers

• Inventory: higher
• Transportation: very higher Product Flow
• Facility handling will be higher
• Information management : Information Flow
© 2007similar
Pearson Education 4-18
 Manufacturer or Distributor Storage
with Customer Pickup
Factories

Retailer Cross Dock DC

Seven
eleven

Pickup Sites

Customers

Inventory can match any option , Transportation lower as

Customer Flow
compared with all other options, Facilities cost will be higher
. Information management cost will be some investment
Product Flow
© 2007 Pearson Education Information Flow 4-19
 Comparative Performance of Delivery
Network Designs
Retail Storage Manufacturer Manufacturer Distributor Storage Distributor Manufacturer
with Customer Storage with Direct Storage with In- with Package storage with last storage with pickup
Pickup Shipping Transit Merge Carrier Delivery mile delivery

Response Time 1 4 4 3 2 4

Product Variety
4 1 1 2 3 1
Product Availability 2 3
4 1 1 1
Customer Experience
5 4 3 2 1 5

Order Visibility 1 5 4 3 2 6

Returnability 1 5 5 4 3 2

Inventory 4 1 1 2 3 1

Transportation 1 4 3 2 5 1

Facility & Handling 6 1 2 3 4 5

Information 1 4 4 3 2 5
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-20
 Linking Product Characteristics and
Customer Preferences to Network Design
Retail Storage Manufacturer Manufacturer Distributor Storage Distributor storage Manufacturer
with Storage with Storage with In- with Package Carrier with last mile delivery storage with
Customer Direct Shipping Transit Merge Delivery pickup
Pickup

High demand product

+2 -2 -1 0 +1 -1
Medium demand product
+1 -1 0 +1 0 0
Low demand product
-1 +1 0 +1 -1 +1
Very low demand product
-2 +2 +1 0 -2 +1
Many product sources
+1 -1 -1 +2 +1 0
High product value
-1 +2 +1 +1 0 -2
Quick desired response
+2 -2 -2 -1 +1 -2
High product variety
-1 +2 0 +1 0 +2
Low customer effort
-2 +1 +2 +2 +2 -1

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-21

 E-Business and the Distribution
Network
Impact of E-Business on Customer Service
Impact of E-Business on Cost
Using E-Business: Dell, Amazon, Peapod, Grainger

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-22

 Distribution Networks in Practice
The ownership structure of the distribution network
can have as big as an impact as the type of distribution
network
The choice of a distribution network has very long-
term consequences
Consider whether an exclusive distribution strategy is
advantageous
Product, price, commoditization, and criticality have
an impact on the type of distribution system preferred
by customers
© 2007 Pearson Education 4-23
 Summary of Learning Objectives
What are the key factors to be considered when
designing the distribution network?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of various
distribution options?
What roles do distributors play in the supply chain?

© 2007 Pearson Education 4-24