Supply Chain Movement Q3 2012: special E-fulfilment

CONTENTS

Theme: E-fulfilment

7  | News & Background

10 | Profile Neil Humphrey, Unilever

Since announcing Unilever’s bold sustainability targets for halving its environmental impact by 2020 and doubling its revenue, the company’s business leaders have been completely transparent about the motivations behind their daring decisions. One crucial factor in achieving their goals will be the global supply chain, and the man in charge of facilitating that in Europe is Neil Humphrey, SVP Supply Chain Europe and Chairman of the Unilever Supply Chain Company. His task for the coming months is to implement new (sustainability) strategies, new business objectives and to reintegrate the supply chain back into the heart of Unilever´s business.

16 | Management article e-fulfilment

There are still many questions about e-fulfilment for which there are no ready-made answers. Different retailers make different decisions about outsourcing versus insourcing, and some of them subsequently change their minds. Cross-channel retailing and front and/or back-end collaboration with other webshops are further areas in which retailers each choose what they consider to be the best approach. The only thing we can say for certain is that cross-channel retailing and horizontal collaboration are on the increase.

23 | Facts & Figures e-fulfilment

24 | Case study Rituals

Home & body cosmetics company Rituals puts its consumers first, which means that passion for its products is more important than efficiency in its logistics. The company’s distribution channel, comprising both its own shops and franchised stores, is a strong driver of innovation, which is in turn a key factor in its success.

28 | Insight Global Trade Management

The international flow of goods is full of pitfalls. Unannounced inspections by customs and other governmental bodies are the cause of many interruptions in the chain. In addition, international trade can incur many – and often unnecessary – costs, such as when companies pay too much in duty, tax or customs bonds, or because they receive fines for not complying with all the regulations. Moves are being made to simplify the situation.

32 | Mindmap for cross-channel management

Continuing online sales growth is leading to increasing front-end and back-end collaboration between webshops. Taking a joint approach to logistics would help them to further benefit from economies of scale. Supply Chain Magazine and Manhattan have created a mindmap to outline the route, including road signs indicating potential hazards along the way.

35 | Tools & Technology

36 | Supply Chain Agenda of Petri Jarvinen

Telecommunication giant, Nokia, has seen many transformations. It started out as wood pulp mill in 1865 and took its name a few years later from the Nokianvirta river in Finland. Peak sales and profits came in 2007 but since then Nokia has faced tough competition from iPhone and Android based devices. In 2011 operating profit was minus 1.1. billion euros. Stephen Elop, formerly of Microsoft, was appointed CEO in 2010 in an attempt to turn fortunes around again. Since then the company has been undergoing a massive transformation. Petri Jarvinen, Global End-to-End Supply Chain Capability Architect, of Nokia, talks to Supply Chain Movement about his role within a company undergoing a metamorphosis.