Woodmere Products

Judith M. Whipple

John Smith had just returned from what may prove to be one of his most important sales calls. John, a sales representative for a top window fashion manufacturer, had been meeting with a representative from HomeHelp, a major home decorating retailer. It seems the buyer, Nan Peterson, and the product team she heads had just returned from the annual Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals Conference. At the conference, Nan's team had attended several sessions on time-based logistics strategies. Even though Nan and her

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team had just been exposed to the new strategies, they felt it had the potential for significant competitive advantage in their industry.

At the meeting with John, Nan explained that HomeHelp is an entrepreneurial company that encourages product teams to try new products and channel relations. The few rules a team has to follow are simple: (1) deal only with manufacturers (no independent distribu- tors are contacted) and (2) keep costs low and service high. The second rule highlights HomeHelp's basic business philosophy. HomeHelp is a design and home decorating retail chain that follows the warehouse club format. As such, a premium is placed on maintaining low overhead to support an everyday low price (EDLP) strategy. Service is also a premium since HomeHelp targets two distinct customer segments: do-it-yourself consumers, who need special in-store guidance, and interior decorators, who need speedy checkouts and convenient delivery or pickup.

Nan explained that the team has been considering applying time-based logistics strate- gies to window fashions in order to improve product availability and the ability to offer a broader variety for in-store customers while reducing overall inventory. HomeHelp's close relationship with professional decorators requires continued attention to improve its profit- ability to ensure long-term growth. Interior decorators need convenient and exacting ser- vice, and HomeHelp feels that time-based logistics applied to window fashions could be an important step to improving competitiveness.

HomeHelp's main concern is that the window fashion industry as a whole appears to be trailing other industries in terms of sophisticated logistics operations. For example, the win- dow fashion industry has invested little in information technology and maintains high inven- tories throughout the channel, including at the retail level. The high inventories resulted from the variation and complexity in HomeHelp's product line. The results other firms reported for their innovative logistics applications gave HomeHelp a new insight into how an alliance with a window fashion manufacturer might create a best practice distribution system with lower costs and less inventory.

Nan told John that his company, Woodmere, had the potential to achieve an exclusive distribution arrangement with HomeHelp if the two firms could develop time-based logisti- cal capability. Woodmere was chosen since the business press had recently featured articles on its new organization plan that focused on channels of distribution and leading-edge logis- tics strategies. In addition, Woodmere was beginning to invest in information technology. Nan felt both firms should be able to reduce overall channel cost and offer customers supe- rior product availability. Her specific request was for John to formulate a tentative proposal within 3 weeks to strike while the iron was hot. Nan knew the timing and unexpected oppor- tunity created a great challenge for Woodmere, but she explained that HomeHelp strives to remain leading edge. Furthermore, HomeHelp wants to increase annual growth to 20 percent and feels that window fashions offer the best opportunities. As such, top manage- ment attention is on this potential business arrangement.

As John walked to his regional sales manager's office, it was hard to conceal his excite- ment. The potential agreement HomeHelp offered was enormous. However, the effort required to get all groups at Woodmere involved would be great. The first step was to con- vince top management of the unique opportunity so that a team could be formed to create the proposal HomeHelp was expecting.

John's boss, Frank Harrison, was on the phone as John walked in. John carefully planned his words while Frank finished his conversation. As Frank hung up the phone, John blurted out, "We've got the potential for an exclusive with HomeHelp, but they want a customized delivery system. The proposal's due in 3 weeks. I think we need the top brass in on this one. It's big."

Frank's reply was typical. "It's not April 1 again already, is it John? What's the prob- lem with our current system? Three weeks! It will never happen." After John explained the

meeting with Nan, Frank got on the phone to arrange a senior management review. Surpris- ingly, a business planning meeting was scheduled for the coming Friday. Frank and John could get on the agenda under new business. What a break! It was Wednesday and John began to reorganize his calendar to concentrate on the Friday meeting.

The first item John focused on was researching HomeHelp. He discovered that Home- Help operated over 400 warehouse style stores in 38 states with the average store being over 80,000 square feet and offering 25,000 different products. Typical sales breakdown is 50 percent wallpaper, 25 percent accessory pieces, 20 percent lighting and electrical fix- tures, and 5 percent window fashions. The window fashions sold included (1) cellular shades in various designed, pleated fabrics; (2) wood blinds in a variety of colors and fin- ishes; (3) fashion verticals made in fabrics or PVC; and (4) standard aluminum mini blinds. Woodmere is one of three manufacturers that currently supplies the first three types of window fashions sold at HomeHelp. Woodmere does not offer aluminum mini blinds.

HomeHelp was the industry leader with 10 percent of the $80 billion home decorating retail market. The forecast is for the retail home decorating market to reach $100 billion in five years. Industry observers predict that HomeHelp is positioned to enjoy up to 20 percent of total industry sales. HomeHelp is also the first major player in its market to offer online orderingcompetitor's Internet pages offer product and store information only. Online sales are estimated to increase to $500 million by year end. HomeHelp is anxious to see how its online services can be expanded to manufacturing partners to reshape the business and ordering processes.

HomeHelp is dedicated to service. In-store classes illustrate design techniques, repair and installation procedures on wallpaper, drapes, and lighting and electrical fixtures. The classes are taught by HomeHelp's employees, most of whom are retired professional decora- tors and contractors. HomeHelp provides installation service in a majority of its stores as well as professional decorating services. Both services are offered on a fee basis.

Propartners also tend to be technically sophisticated and, thus, are using the Internet to price competing products as well as compare lead times. Nan would want to involve a group of clients in the Propartner Program in an evaluation of any new strategy.

Second, each HomeHelp store's inventory is restricted to display items plus a limited inventory of fast moving products. Typically, only 20 percent of customer orders for window fashions can be filled from store inventory. This is for two reasons: (1) only standard sizes are held in inventory and (2) typically only high trend colors and fabrics are held in inventory. If a store does not have a window fashion and the order is a standard size/trend color or fabric, an order for the item is forwarded to a regional warehouse where the item is picked from inven- tory and sent to the store the following day. If the order is highly customized, then a custom order must be placed with the manufacturer. Window fashions from the regional warehouse are available for delivery or customers can pick up 2 days after the original order, assuming the warehouse has stock. Otherwise, the piece is not available for shipment or pick-up for 7 to 10 days because of interfacility transfer or because manufacturer shipment is required.

Currently, 25 percent of all orders for window fashions are custom orders. The remain- der are standard products held in inventory at the store or the regional warehouse. How- ever, custom orders are expected to increase as customers select non-standard size windows (e.g., arched or oval window shades). Propartners has also indicated to HomeHelp that the trend is toward more cellular shades and wood blinds rather than standard mini blinds and draperies. Further, consumers want a variety of colors and designer fabrics not generally found in-stock.

Since many Propartners work on remodeling projects, unexpected problems and delays can easily cause schedule changes. On a day-in and day-out basis. The exact time of win- dow fashion delivery and installation is difficult to gauge. Propartners would like to be able to place an order 48 hours (or less) before expected completion to reduce rescheduling.

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Working on shorter timetables would improve their efficiency and cash flow and is per- ceived by Propartners as a major benefit. Currently, Propartners buy mostly from indepen- dent dealers who have more flexible delivery programs.

Friday's meeting was long. Frank and John weren't scheduled to present until near the end and they hoped it wouldn't run overtime, forcing them to be rescheduled. Finally, it was their turn. Frank started the presentation and discussed how long and hard a struggle it had been to develop a relationship with HomeHelp. Then John spoke of the benefits. He built on the need to develop new business relationships because Woodmere was involved in an alliance with a retailer in financial trouble. This retailer, Happy Home & Living, had historically accounted for 25 percent of Woodmere's sales, but this figure was dropping dra- matically. Happy Home & Living's erratic purchases were creating undercapacity in Wood- mere's manufacturing facilities.

Furthermore, HomeHelp had a relationship with decorators, a customer group that Wood- mere had been targeting under its reorganization plan. Woodmere's image was as a value leadergood quality at a low price. Attracting professional decorators to its products would definitely enhance Woodmere's image. Furthermore, Woodmere hoped to have some direct contact with professional decorators to get firsthand information on upcoming fashion trends.

Finally, an exclusive arrangement with HomeHelp appeared critical for the future. Win- dow fashion manufacturing is heavily consolidated among a few key players, meaning stiff competition. While the home decorating industry remains heavily fragmented, HomeHelp is a leader and appears positioned to grow faster than competitors. Even though HomeHelp currently only has 10 percent of the market share, they have unlimited growth potential and are often referred to as the Walmart of the home decorating industry.

Reaction from senior management was mixed. While many were excited about the poten- tial, they were also cautious. The long-term relationship with Happy Home & Living that had prospered for 50 years was clearly becoming a potential problem for Woodmere. Relying on Happy Home & Living had created a false sense of security, and when Happy Home & Living suffered financially, Woodmere also suffered. Furthermore, Happy Home & Living's reputation as a quality retailer was beginning to decline. In fact, it was getting the reputation for providing low-quality, outdated products. Top management was afraid to launch another close relationship that tied Woodmere's success to another company. Frank responded that HomeHelp had achieved at least 10 percent growth each year for the last 15 years. The main reason for this growth was its advertising strategy, which convinced consumers who couldn't afford a new home that they could afford to remodel/redesign their current one.

Another concern was the shift in traditional operations necessary to support a custom- ized delivery system. While no concrete evidence was available on the exact requirements of customized delivery, it was still apparent that the service being requested was unique, nontraditional, and might require major reorganization and financial investment. Also, sev- eral board members wondered how traditional customers, not interested in time-based logis- tics, would benefit. Their specific concern was that the commitment to HomeHelp would increase the overall cost of doing business with all customers. In short, some customers would be overserviced at a cost penalty. There was also concern that Woodmere's current system could not provide the service HomeHelp Required.

John agreed these were serious concerns, but reminded the group of the potential benefits that could result from a successful shift to time-based logistics. Not only was the exclusive agreement with HomeHelp important, but this "test case" with a major retailer could forge a leading-edge path for Woodmere, resulting in difficult-to-duplicate competitive advantage. Furthermore, John was convinced that HomeHelp would make a move to time- based logistics with or without Woodmere. After extended discussion, the group decided to assign a task team, with John as the leader, to determine if an arrangement with HomeHelp was in Woodmere's best interest and, if so, to develop the requested business proposal. The

proposal would need approval before the presentation to HomeHelp. A special review meet- ing was scheduled in 2 weeks.

First, John felt the team had to detail Woodmere's current operations. Then, an appro- priate time-based system would need to be defined and compared to current operations to isolate changes necessary to offer excellent service support. A modified system would also need to be outlined and the cost and benefits determined. The issue of coexistence of cur- rent and time-based response capabilities was also a concern.

Current Operations

Woodmere currently has two manufacturing facilities and six regional distribution centers. One manufacturing facility is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while the other is in Hol- land, Michigan. The Grand Rapids facility produces fabric-covered items, such as cellular shades. The plant in Holland produces wood blinds and PVC vendicals. The six distribution centers are located throughout the United States with one adjacent to each manufacturing facility. Orders are received from customers electronically as well as by phone through sales representatives. Only 40 percent of Woodmere's customers are electronically linked to the ordering system.

Woodmere's manufacturing facilities forecast sales to create the production schedule. Forecasts are locked in one week prior to assembly at 75 percent capacity. Three of the distri- bution centers carry a full line of product inventory and seek to maintain a minimum on-hand quantity for each product. When inventory hits the predetermined minimum, a restock order is sent to the appropriate manufacturing facility. The other distribution centers stock only the fast-moving products. When a customer order is received it is assigned to the distribution center closest to the customer. If the product ordered is not available, the required item is transferred from the closest distribution center that has the required stock. If multiple prod- ucts are ordered, the original order is held until the out-of-stock item is available to ship so customers receive all requirements in one delivery. No shipments are sent directly from the manufacturing plant to the customer; all orders are processed through a distribution center.

Woodmere's customers are dealers at the retail level who maintain their own inventory of Woodmere's products. When customer inventory is low, they place replenishment orders. These orders are transmitted to Woodmere's designated distribution center. Distribution centers review their orders nightly in an effort to consolidate truckloads and schedule efficient delivery routes. When a full load is available, orders are assembled and loaded to facilitate sequenced delivery. Typical order cycle time is 3 to 6 days when inventory is available at the initially assigned distribution center. Interfacility inventory transfers typically add 2 to 3 days to the order cycle. When an item is backordered to a manufacturing plant, 8 to 12 more days are added to the order cycle. When factory backorders are required, a partial order may be sent to the dealer or retailer; however, no firm policy exists concerning when to ship and when to hold partial orders. Currently Woodmere uses a national for- hire carrier to handle all its outbound deliveries to customers and interfacility movements between distribution centers. This carrier is already working with food and clothing custom- ers that operate on a time-based logistics system.

Time-Based Logistics

John felt it was important for the task team to talk with a representative from another company concerning its experience with time-based logistics. John contacted an old college roommate working at JeanJean, a clothing manufacturer, to see if he could help. John's old roommate, Phil Williams, arranged for John's team to visit JeanJean to discuss QuickJeans, its proprietary time-based system.

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In JeanJean's system, retailers play a major role. When a product sells in a retail store, the bar code on that product is scanned, and the POS information is transmitted electroni- cally to JeanJean. POS data detail the size, color, and style of product sold and are transmit- ted directly to JeanJean's manufacturing facilities where they are used to derive production schedules in response to consumer sales. Rapid movement of information replaces the need to forecast. To the Woodmere team, it looked as though information was being traded for inventory. Product replenishment was exact and done within days of the sale depending on each retail store's volume. For example, high-volume stores receive daily replenishment shipments whereas lower volume retail outlets are served less frequently. The time-based sys- tem was flexible and able to accommodate a variety of different replenishment styles based upon individual retail customer requirements.

This type of system reduces response order cycle time and inventory. Since delivery is tied to actual sales, consumer trends are responded to quickly, reducing obsolescence. Furthermore, daily or weekly replenishment cycles allow the retail outlet to carry signif- icantly less inventory while improving stockout performance. JeanJean was also able to reduce inventory by 20 percent by timing production to POS data. This reduction was even more impressive when JeanJean explained that its sales increased by 25 percent. Even though transportation cost doubled, it was more than justified by the savings in inventory and the benefits of knowing for sure that product was needed to service customers.

The QuickJeans solution was technology-driven. EDI used to transmit POS data and bar codes were essential to making the system work. EDI was also utilized for invoicing and payments, advanced shipment notification, and delivery verification. This reduction in paperwork and clerical tasks benefited both JeanJean and its customers.

To implement QuickJeans, JeanJean had to change its fundamental business processes not just with its customers but also within its manufacturing plants. Flexible manufacturing required quick product changeovers to be fully responsive to the POS data. Furthermore, the ability to produce small runs of necessary product was a key requirement.

The management at JeanJean pointed out that one of the most difficult parts of imple- menting time-based logistics was the sales decline that resulted from "deloading the channel." This "sales hit" was created by the false sense of expected sales and anticipatory inventory that resulted from manufacturing according to forecast, not to actual need. JeanJean had to wait until inventory at the retail stores, retail warehouses, JeanJean warehouses, and manu- facturing facilities moved through the channel system before QuickJeans began to work and show the expected benefits. This created tension among JeanJean's top management because it was a cost not originally expected when they bought into the QuickJeans program.

The main cost to implement QuickJeans was the investment in technology. For example, JeanJean invested over $1 million in scanners, lasers needed to make distribution operations fast and efficient, and ticket printers to label products with retailers' unique bar codes. Key retailers spent close to the same amount to purchase new equipment to scan the bar codes. This investment was not a one-time deal, either. The need to reinvest to upgrade technology has remained constant from the start. Some retailers, especially locally owned stores, didn't want to participate in QuickJeans because of the initial investment. However, the retailers that participated were so pleased that most have placed JeanJean on their preferred supplier list.

JeanJean provided John's team with a flowchart of its QuickJeans operation as shown in Figure 1. The chart shows that daily transmission of POS data, as well as any promo- tional specials, is provided by the retailer. This information is used to calculate an initial pro- duction schedule. Inventory already on-hand in JeanJean's warehouse as well as in its retail customers' storage areas is subtracted from the schedule, creating production requirements for all JeanJean's products. These requirements are reviewed by an order specialist, who cre- ates a final production schedule that is transmitted to the appropriate manufacturing plant. This order specialist also manages orders from retailers that are not involved in QuickJeans.

All products are bar coded after manufacturing as required. Delivery is initiated by an elec- tronic Advanced Shipping Notification (ASN) to tell the retailer what products are on the way. Delivery is direct to the retail store unless an alternative delivery site is specified. When the order is received at the designated location, the bar code is scanned and compared to the ASN and invoice. If the information matches, the retailer pays the invoice electronically.

The Proposal

John's team was finally ready to present its time-based delivery system to top management and they hoped the proposal would be accepted. The presentation to HomeHelp was sched- uled in 3 days. The Woodmere task team had worked hard and was confident their proposal had strong selling features for both Woodmere and HomeHelp. The special meeting with top management was called to order.

The task team called the project "Customized Distribution: Creating Time-Based Cus- tomer Response" and began discussing how the proposal was developed, including the meeting with JeanJean. The team felt that Woodmere could benefit greatly from accepting the HomeHelp challenge.

At the end of each day, POS data from every HomeHelp store on in-stock window fashion sales and on custom orders (not in-stock) will be sent electronically. HomeHelp will not carry any Woodmere inventory in its regional warehouses and will only carry a limited amount of window fashions and display items in each store. The POS and custom order information will be sent to a central information service at Woodmere. The information service will sort the data and compare it to inventory on-hand in each distribution center. Window fashions in- stock will be consolidated while those items that are not in-stock will be added to the produc- tion schedule and manufactured the next day. After manufacturing, products will be shipped to the distribution center where the initial consolidation of in-stock items occurred and the entire order will be shipped to the customer via the for-hire carrier. Delivery will be standard for these shipments, meaning an average delivery time of 3 to 6 days. If HomeHelp accepts the proposal, Woodmere expects it can leverage the volume of business with the carrier and achieve a reduction in delivery time to a range of 2 to 5 days. After shipment, the on-hand quantities at the distribution centers will be examined to determine replenishment require- ments. If available inventory is too low, replenishment orders will be sent to the appropriate manufacturing plant.

JeanJeans

PullRetailersDaily POS

PullConsumers

FIGURE 1

QuickJeans: A Time- Based Logistics System

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Forecast

Promotional information

Independent consumption patterns

Status

Requirements

Store/Warehouse inventory

ASN Invoice ConfirmationPayment

Order review

Order process and delivery

Production

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1. What are the major business propositions for Woodmere and HomeHelp to consider in evaluating this proposal? Is time-based logistics the right strategy for each company?
2. What are the benefits and barriers (short- and long-term) to this proposal for both Wood- mere and HomeHelp? What other factors need to be considered?
3. If you were Woodmere's top management, what suggestions would you make to improve the current proposal for long-run viability?
4. If you were HomeHelp, would you accept or reject the proposal? Why?