Search results

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb014393. When citing the article, please cite: Peter Gilmour, George Borg, Peter A. Duffy, Nigel D. Johnston, B.E. Limbek, Michael R. Shaw, (1976) “Customer Service: Differentiating By Market Segment”, International Journal of Physical Distribution, Vol. 7 Iss: 3, pp. 141 - 148.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb014393. When citing the article, please cite: Peter Gilmour, George Borg, Peter A. Duffy, Nigel D. Johnston, B.E. Limbek, Michael R. Shaw, (1976) “Customer Service: Differentiating By Market Segment”, International Journal of Physical Distribution, Vol. 7 Iss: 3, pp. 141 - 148.

The Register of Current Research in the field of Physical Distribution Management has been compiled from the response to a request for such information made to Universities in 23 countries throughout the world. The last register was published in 1972 in this journal.

The International Physical Distribution Environment Involvement in international markets requires an awareness of the variables — both controllable and uncontrollable — which impact on a firm's distribution network. Political, legal, social and economic conditions, market structure and competition and the level of distribution technology available are all uncontrollable factors which influence a firm's distribution planning. Strategy must be directed towards administering physical distribution components so as to minimise costs and provide an acceptable level of customer service. Companies should acknowledge the differences that exist between domestic and foreign activities, and within overseas markets, country variations, regarding levels of customer service and inventory and transportation facilities that can be provided and the associated costs involved. Key managerial elements include packaging and labelling and warehousing and storage facilities dependent upon distribution systems required. Channel of Distribution Strategies Besides market potential, there are a number of reasons for entering international markets — an advanced domestic product life cycle, excess capacity, less internal overseas competition, geographical diversification and, perhaps, for materials/components saving. Four principle strategies for overseas involvement are available: exporting, licencing, joint ventures and ownership. In general firms may follow more than one strategy between markets and as circumstances change in individual market areas. Management of the Export Shipment Export distributors, customs house brokers and foreign freight forwarders are amongst the major organisations involved in exporting activity. Documentation remains of paramount importance. Operating in an unfamiliar financial environment, it is essential that account is taken of exchange rates, tax considerations, levels of inflation and other financial aspects affecting physical distribution; all will impact on profit levels and, if mismanaged or overlooked, will generate losses. Managing International Physical Distribution Activities International distribution management is complex. Success requires the correct answers to a number of difficult issues in order to develop the optimal distribution system for each target market. Planning, implementation and control of all international physical distribution activities is essential to the success of any foreign marketing efforts.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/14635779810245143. When citing the article, please cite: Peter Gilmour, (1998), “Benchmarking supply chain operations”, Benchmarking for Quality Management & Technology, Vol. 5 Iss: 4, pp. 283 - 290.

Most companies establish customer service policies which are then uniformly applied to all customers with the possible exception of providing superior service to the few largest customers. In this article the service provided by the major suppliers in the scientific instrument and supplies industry in Australia is examined. This is contrasted to the service requirements of their customers in toto and by segment. Considerable differences were found between the service provided and the service required. Also service requirements differed significantly between customer segments. Competitive advantage can be obtained by the supplier providing differential service levels by customer segment.

Saleh and Das rightly point out that both the speed and the reliability of a transport mode are important factors in the modal choice for freight movements. Their assertion that reliability may have been over‐emphasised is confirmed by a recent Australian study into the modal choice for freight movements between Melbourne and Sydney where speed was the second most often mentioned factor while reliability was only the twelfth most often mentioned factor.

Over the last decade or so a number of significant research studies have focused on the characteristics of an excellent supply chain. These studies have shifted the emphasis from operational to strategic considerations. The practice of supply chain management has also broadened to include both operational and strategic concerns. A framework was developed to evaluate both the operational and strategic effectiveness of the supply chain which was tested with ten consumer goods and automobile manufacturers. It was found that consumer goods companies had significant room to improve their logistics operations. But none had a logistics strategy to guide the change. Automotive companies, on the other hand, had more sophisticated logistics operations and had plans to improve further over the next two years. The framework described in this paper provides a useful benchmark set for focusing change projects to improve both operational and strategic capabilities of the corporate supply chain.

Examines the use of a non‐metric multidimensional scaling to establish the requirements of shippers, in terms of desirable characteristics for eight different types of movement. Believes that transport companies often develop marketing strategies without paying sufficiently close attention to the shippers' needs. Provides comparisons of actual adverts with requirements of shippers, such as desirable characteristics for differing types of movements. Concludes that some interesting findings have emerged from this study and this approach may prove to be a worthwhile method for transportation companies to re‐evaluate the advert segment of their marketing strategies.

It is now quite widely accepted that there are benefits to be derived from an integrated management perspective of the flows of purchased parts, components and raw materials from suppliers into and through manufacturing facilities, and of finished products through distribution channels to final consumers. There is, however, far less agreement on how an organisation should marshal its resources to actually derive these benefits. Many options exist: the use of computer‐based systems and management information support; the use of analytical tools to help evaluate decision alternatives adjusting the materials and logistics environment to facilitate the exchange between the organisation and its suppliers and the organisation and its customers; establishing more efficient communication networks and coordination methods for interfunctional information exchange; altering the organisational structure to facilitate the administration of materials functions.