PUSH/PULL SUPPLY CHAIN MODELS
推動(dòng)價(jià)值鏈模型
A push model of the supply chain relies on manufacturers producing according to historical demand patterns and pushing products out to distributors and customers. Inventory is held at various points as a buffer against unexpected demand or production delays. By contrast, in a pull model demand stimulates production and delivery. Essentially, just-in-time inventory control is a pull model as ordering and production are triggered by customers’ orders. No orders are raised nor production started until there is downstream demand.
供應(yīng)鏈的推動(dòng)模型依賴于制造商根據(jù)歷史需求模式來生產(chǎn),然后將產(chǎn)品推向經(jīng)銷商和客戶。存貨是在不同的時(shí)點(diǎn)可以作為一個(gè)緩沖區(qū)來滿足未預(yù)計(jì)的需求或者生產(chǎn)延誤。與此相反,在推動(dòng)模式下,需求刺激生產(chǎn)和運(yùn)輸。從本質(zhì)上講,無庫(kù)存制度是一個(gè)推動(dòng)模式,因?yàn)樯a(chǎn)是因?yàn)橐延械目蛻粜枨蠡蚩蛻粲唵巍]有訂單,就不會(huì)開始生產(chǎn),直到下游有需求為止。
Of course, pure push or pull models exist only in theory: demand for a product will never cause a supply chain to start mining iron ore and producing steel. Nor will a push model guarantee that products made will be bought. At some point, in every supply chain, demand push will meet demand pull, and inventory will accumulate there. Note that large geographical distances between suppliers and customers, or processes that take time (such as growing crops) make pull systems more difficult to organise.
當(dāng)然,純粹的推動(dòng)模型只存在于理論中:對(duì)產(chǎn)品的需求不會(huì)導(dǎo)致延遲開采鐵礦石和鋼鐵生產(chǎn)。推動(dòng)模型也不能保證產(chǎn)品會(huì)被買走。在某些時(shí)候,在每一個(gè)供應(yīng)鏈,需求推動(dòng)會(huì)滿足需求拉動(dòng)并且?guī)齑鏁?huì)積累。如果供應(yīng)商和客戶之間有大的地理距離或者過程需要較長(zhǎng)時(shí)間(如種植農(nóng)作物),那么推動(dòng)模型將更難組織。
However, inventory can be minimised and customer service improved if all parties in the supply chain can be better synchronised and have the ability to react quickly. For example, a traditional model of replenishing inventory in supermarkets would rely on each supermarket issuing an order to suppliers, probably by electronic data interchange (EDI), once inventory falls below reorder level. However, orders then arrive ‘out-of-the-blue’ at suppliers, who either have to have sufficient production capacity or who have to hold inventories to respond quickly. A better way is to give suppliers access to supermarkets’ inventory records through an extranet so that inventory levels and rates of change can be monitored. Supplies can be dispatched even without having to wait for an order. In this way, suppliers will be much better able to anticipate demand and produce accordingly. Better synchronisation and lower inventory levels have been achieved.
然而,如果價(jià)值鏈中所有各方同步并且必須迅速作出反應(yīng),那么庫(kù)存可以最小化并且客戶服務(wù)將會(huì)改善。例如,一個(gè)傳統(tǒng)的模型就是補(bǔ)充超市的庫(kù)存,這個(gè)依賴于每個(gè)超市的電子數(shù)據(jù),一旦存貨達(dá)到再訂購(gòu)水平,其就會(huì)給供應(yīng)商發(fā)布訂單。然而,意外的訂單使得供應(yīng)商既沒有足夠的生產(chǎn)能力也沒有足夠的存貨來應(yīng)對(duì)。一個(gè)更好的方法讓供應(yīng)商通過外部網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)入超市的庫(kù)存系統(tǒng),使得庫(kù)存水平和變化率可以進(jìn)行監(jiān)控。供應(yīng)商可以在沒有訂單的情況下直接派送。這樣一來,供應(yīng)商將能夠更好地預(yù)測(cè)需求然后相應(yīng)的生產(chǎn)。更好的同步和更低的庫(kù)存水平便可以實(shí)現(xiàn)。
Information technology is of great assistance in moving towards a pull model as it influences the downstream supply chain through the 6I’s of e-business:
l Intelligence – for example, internet sites can track user activity and from that analyse which products are growing or falling in popularity. Information can be fed directly into a data warehouse for subsequent analysis and data mining.
l Interactivity – internet customers can customise their purchases. For example, some computer companies build to order allowing different combinations of hardware and software to be chosen.
l Integration – following on from interactivity, once an order has been placed, the pull process can begin by scheduling component ordering, production and despatch.
l Individualisation – for example, relevant offers can be made to each customer. If someone has bought a particular printer, then subsequently offers can be made to sell ink or toner cartridges.