Etapa 5: Acondicionamiento del software de procesamiento de señales de vibración y

Exhibit 4.4 is an illustration placing the nucleus firm in the center of the new value perspective. Consider a network with a major industry player assuming that position — General Motors, Sara Lee, Coca-Cola or Pepsi, Citicorp, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, etc. This type of firm has the scale and position to assemble all the players listed around its environment. Together, these constituents draw up the process map that describes their relationships in detail. Beginning with one or two of the most trusted partners, the nucleus firm begins diagnosing where improvements can be brought to those process steps.

On the buy side (the usual starting position), the firm works with all manner of important suppliers to find the means to optimize processing. Buying and selling portals are considered to leverage a larger buy and find additional sources of materials and supplies. Auctions are tested. Balanced

50  The Supply Chain Manager’s Problem-Solver

scorecard techniques that evaluate the total cost of ownership are imple- mented. Electronic procurement techniques are introduced to reduce the transaction costs for both parties and selective outsourcing is considered. In later stages of collaboration, the firm returns to this side to find the means of cooperating together to build new revenues, often in nontradi- tional market sectors.

Working with one large manufacturer of carbonated beverages, we were able to reduce the total cost of production by a third, as the best external source (contract bottler, for example) was used for each territory sector and necessary raw materials were bought in an aggregated manner by the nucleus firm and its contracted manufacturers. We also found the way to work together with these contractors on selling one of the largest private-label deals to one of the largest retailers in the U.S.

On the product side, the nucleus firm expands its collaboration with design partners and complementers, firms needed to complete a design or product introduction. Using the experience gained with the suppliers, the technique is extended, often with some of the key suppliers in attendance. Product planning and strategy become a joint effort, as does sales product configuration. Requirements management becomes a shared interest as the parties work to smooth the flow of parts and supplies into the design center and later into manufacturing. Teams work on product content, necessary resources, and schedule optimization, helping all parties get to lower costs and higher efficiencies.

In advanced efforts, electronic bid, proposal, response, and purchasing techniques are introduced. Technology selection and implementation is done jointly. Hosting and application service provision become a team effort. Ford was very successful with this overall approach when it introduced the Mondeo model to its European buyers in a record-setting 16 months — unprece- dented in an industry that typically works with a 48- to 60-month cycle. The secret was allowing the component suppliers and external designers to have direct access to the design process. That means the partners were connected via their computer-aided design and manufacturing systems into Ford’s cen- tral design system. Suppliers were able to make direct design contributions. Plans and specifications were reviewed online, approvals were accelerated, and changes were handled in a matter of days and not months.

On the enabler side, the nucleus firm and selected network partners work with external firms to better handle logistics, credit, regulatory compliance, and payments. Particular progress has been made here as firms are forming virtual logistics networks that seek out, from hundreds of potential trans- portation companies, available capacity in planes, trucks, railroad cars, and

Mistake 3: Aversion to External Advice  51

ships. (An elaboration on this subject will be presented in Chapter 8.) They also cooperate on architecture and design of new systems, planning for pro- motions and distribution, and how to optimize use of joint assets. Order and inventory management become key issues here as these enablers are solicited to find ways to get to the next level of improvement.

On the sell side, the nucleus firm now considers the many channel options and develops solutions with each of its constituent customers. A DuPont will work with other corporations to find more efficient ways to send chemicals and products such as Nylon, Teflon, and Spandex to firms needing these raw materials for further processing. Kraft Food will work with food distributors Fleming or Supervalu to distribute its products to small grocers, and to major retailers Kroger and Safeway for direct-store distribution to their retail out- lets. Together, these firms look at sharing customer segmentation data and analyses. They design portals and network exchanges to better facilitate bid- ding and order entry. Call center design becomes a joint effort.

For all of its positive aspects, there are impediments to successful collab- oration. The process requires credible, accurate, and timely data. There is also a need to understand the real costs of business activities. These require- ments often restrict a firm from participating in collaboration, particularly if they have not sufficiently completed levels 1 and 2 of their supply chain

Exhibit 4.4 Adding detail to collaborative commerce; be wary of the imped- iments. Nucleus Firm Product Side Enabler Side Buy Side Sell Side Contract Manufacturers Manufacturers Suppliers Retailers Other Corporations Distributors & Resellers Design Partners Logistics Providers Risk Management Providers Regulatory Compliance Providers Partners Enablers Credit Service Providers Payment & Clearing Providers Suppliers Customers

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progression. Collaboration proceeds best when parties of equal capability are sharing their best ideas. Having to educate a slower or less capable partner takes more time than the typical patience displayed in today’s dynamic busi- ness environment.

Sufficient skilled people must be available to do the analysis and work on the requisite implementation teams that result from collaborative efforts. That is particularly true of a traditionally strapped function — information technology. With technology being such an integral part of the solutions that will be developed, a firm is wise not to enter into collaboration without the available time from those who will design the future systems.