Question: Reducing New Product Stockouts at Coles
You have been employed in the supply chain management organization of Coles for the past two years. You are very excited when you are asked to join a team being formed to address serious inventory management problems often associated with the introduction of new products. Too often, customers who make a trip to Coles to purchase a highly advertised new product are disappointed to find the store is out of stock of that particular item. Such stockouts result in lost sales for both Coles and the product supplier and the potential loss of customers as shoppers look elsewhere to find the new product. The resulting loss of customer goodwill can have a longterm effect on sales. Solving this problem will require a balancing act; the company needs to carry sufficient inventory of new products to meet customer demand while avoiding excessive inventory levels that increase costs. The team you have joined consists of nine people representing the finance, marketing, and supply chain management organizations at both Coles and two of Coles' largest suppliers. The team is charged with looking at a wide range of solutions, including improved analytics and forecasting systems, customer-loyalty analysis tools to provide insights into customer buying patterns, and improved distribution methods to cut costs and delivery times.
Review Questions
1. Identify some of the advantages of running a virtual team such as this. What are some of the keys to success when working with a virtual team?
2. What sort of complications might be expected when forming a multiorganizational virtual team?
Critical Thinking Questions
1. The leader of the team has asked that each member share a brief personal background paragraph that outlines the individual's knowledge and experience relevant to solving this problem. Create a paragraph for a team member who is a well-qualified, but relatively inexperienced representative of the Coles supply chain management organization.
2. What actions would you recommend to minimize potential start-up issues for this virtual team?