segunda-feira, junho 06, 2011

Fazer batota!

Há anos que escrevemos isto por aqui, que chamamos a atenção para a vantagem da rapidez, para a vantagem da flexibilidade, para a vantagem da proximidade, para a vantagem da diferenciação:
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"In designing their value chains, companies typically focus on three things: revenue (price, market size, and ancillary sales), cost structure (direct and indirect costs, economies of scale and scope), and resource velocity (the rate at which value is created from the applied resources, typically captured through lead times, throughput, inventory turns, and asset utilization).
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Reducing Risks

Often companies that have lowered their business model risk have done so by delaying production commitments, transferring risk to other parties, or improving the quality of their information.

Delaying production commitments.
Speeding up the production process is the most obvious way to do this. It usually means producing in higher-cost locations, which goes against supply chain orthodoxy. But surprisingly often the gains from reducing demand uncertainty outweigh the added costs. This approach lies behind some very remarkable innovations. (Moi ici: Quando os políticos falam da legislação laboral e da necessidade de mais lexibilidade, penso sempre - a nossa maior flexibilidade é a nossa localização)

Consider the famous Spanish clothing retailer Zara. Branded clothing companies have traditionally focused on managing costs by organizing their sourcing, production, and distribution as efficiently as possible. As a result, they may need as long as 12 to 18 months to design, produce, and deliver a new line of clothing. That means they have to make big bets on future consumer preferences and demand. Bearing this risk has consequences for the bottom line through inventory write-downs (if the clothes don’t sell) or for the top line through stock-outs (if people want more than you’ve made).
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Zara reduced the likelihood of these consequences by designing a hyperfast supply chain that turns a new line around in two to four weeks - making it much easier to keep pace with consumer preferences. Of course, there is a price: The comapny makes most of its products in an expensive location (southern Europe), ships them to stores often (weekly), and uses and expensive mode of transportation (air). But Zara's success demonstrates clearly that a focus on managing demand risks can trump a focus on costs."
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Trechos retirados de "How to Build Risk into Your Business Model" de Karan Girotra e Serguei Netessine, publicado no número de Maio da HBR.

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