McDonald’s Restaurants

McDonald’s is a peculiar corporation because their supply chain and inventory management revolves around their franchises. Ultimately it is the franchise that sells their products and McDonald’s acts as the supplier of the products. One of the main goals of McDonald’s is to create a similar experience in any restaurant a customer visits. McDonald’s employs an inventory and supply chain system called Time Based Competition (TBC). TBC is the process by which a firm will try to gain a competitive advantage by getting their products to market faster than the competitors.

(Chung, 1999, p. 299) Other restaurants wanted to create large franchises within large regions and were eager to establish franchisees all around the country in order to maximize quick short-term profits. McDonald’s employed a different method called TBC in which they planned which franchises would benefit most from their supply and which franchises would need to be dropped because of a lack of commonality between franchise regions.

This may seem foolish at first to forego any short-term profits, but "McDonald's, on the other hand, was willing to sacrifice the quick franchising profits by selling one franchise at a time and by emphasizing uniformity and QSCV (Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value). " (Chung, 1999, p. 299) This solved the problem of controlling their supply chain (the actual restaurants) and maximizing the QSCV for all restaurants that McDonald’s supplied. McDonald’s was correct in not following the logic of other competitors such as Dairy Queen whose franchises "withered because of their inability to control their large territorial franchises.

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" (Chung, 1999, p. 299) It seems strange that McDonald’s is the largest franchiser in the nation, and yet they employed a system of smaller is better. This worked for them and is still maintained today. It is because of this lack of a sprawling territorial franchise system that McDonald’s is able to deliver their supplies and still maintain QSCV. This is one instance where a giant corporation gained a competitive advantage by thinking locally instead of regionally. Dell Computer Dell Computer appears to have mastered the supply chain and inventory management problems faced by many companies.

Dell utilizes a distinct system from all its competitors that mainly relies on common sense and efficiency. Dell Computer uses a system borrowed from the Japanese called the KABAN system. (Fitzpatrick & Burke, 2000, p. 13) The first trait of this system is the proximity of suppliers to Dell factories. Proximity is important to the supply chain because it helps needed materials arrive to factories quicker. With shorter distances to deliver, the costs associated with manufacturing are undoubtedly cut dramatically.

Dell manages close proximity to a high degree by "[insisting] that all its suppliers warehouse the bulk of Dell-required components in facilities located within 15 minutes of a Dell factory. "(Fitzpatrick & Burke, 2000, p. 13) Basically if Dell is going to receive supplies from a supplier they would need to have a warehouse within 15 minutes of a Dell factory or Dell does not even bother doing business with them. This aspect of Dell’s business is similar to the power that Wal-Mart maintained over various suppliers.

Regulations such as this can only be made by a leader in the industry such as Dell. Another way Dell manages inventory and the supply chain is by becoming intimate with the buyer directly. Dell works directly with its suppliers in order to help cut down on unneeded inventories. This system of intimacy is denoted by: Dell assist[ing] its suppliers in streamlining their component inventories by having their customer service representatives suggest or market standard system configurations to buyers.

Therefore, suppliers are able to reduce the number and variety of components they warehouse. (Fitzpatrick & Burke, 2000, p. 13) Dell therefore helps its suppliers and in turn the suppliers help Dell with efficiency in their supply chain and inventory system. It is a mutual understanding of what the supplier has on hand, proximity of the supplier, intimacy with the buyer, and communication/assistance with the supplier, which all helps Dell become a leader in the customized computer field. Dell has also conducted a system to control inventory and supply even further.

Dell has implemented a Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory procedure when dealing with customer orders. Dell accomplishes this procedure by not requesting materials from suppliers and subcontractors until a customer has made an order through the Dell system. (Fitzpatrick & Burke, 2000, p. 13) It is in Dell’s own established principles that they can employ a JIT system. As Fitzpatrick and Burke suggest, "this latter purchasing policy and the close proximity of suppliers permits Dell to develop a JIT production scheduling system. "(2000, p.

13) The avoidance of an overabundance of generic finished products is what Dell is attempting to avoid. Unlike other manufacturers, Dell does not want to maintain a huge inventory of computers whereby the customers have few options in choosing. Dell must employ their systems in order to allow the customer freedom in what they purchase. It is the combination of "JIT, the avoidance of retail vendors in its value chain, and the marketing of standard system configurations [that] permit Dell to avoid maintaining extensive inventories of finished goods. "(Fitzpatrick & Burke, 2000, p.13).

Dell’s system relies on stringent measures and regulations that are intended to increase quick delivery, cut down on inventory, and ultimately lower costs to the consumer. Conclusion Supply chain and inventory management are important items for any company. The examples of Wal-Mart, Ford, McDonald’s, and Dell Computer all demonstrate how a company can strive or die according to how they handle their suppliers and their inventory.

References Agrawal, M. K. , & Pak, M. H. (2001). Getting Smart about Supply Chain Management. 22. Agrawal, M. , Mercer, G. A. , & Kumaresh, T. V. (2001). The False Promise of Mass Customization. 62. Brookes, M., & Wahhaj, Z. (2001).

The Economic Effects of Business to Business Internet Activity. 95. Chung, C. H. (1999). Balancing the Two Dimensions of Time for Time-Based Competition. Journal of Managerial Issues, 11(3), 299. Epps, R. W. (1995). Just-in-Time Inventory Management: Implementation of a Successful Program. Review of Business, 17(1), 40+. Fitzpatrick, W. M. , & Burke, D. R. (2000). Form, Functions and Financial Performance Realities for the Virtual Organization. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 65(3), 13. Johnson, B. C. (2002). Retail: The Wal-Mart Effect; Information Technology Isn't the Whole Story Behind Productivity. 40+.

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