IKEA is a privately held international low-cost home-furnishings retailer. It was founded in 1943 in Sweden by Ingvar Kamprad, but is now owned by a Dutch-registered foundation, which is still controlled by the Kamprad family. This foundation, whose offices are in the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium, is called Inter IKEA Systems B.V.; it is the owner/franchiser of the IKEA trademark and the IKEA Concept. Originally, IKEA sold pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewelry and nylon stockings or practically anything Kamprad found a need for that he could fill with a product at a reduced price. Furniture was first added to the IKEA product range in 1947 and, in 1955, IKEA began to design its own furniture. The company motto is: "Affordable Solutions for Better Living". At first, Kamprad sold his goods out of his home and by mail order, but eventually a store was opened in a nearby town. It was also the location for the first IKEA "warehouse" store which came to serve as a model for IKEA establishments elsewhere and on March 23, 1963, the first store outside Sweden was opened in Asker, a Norwegian municipality outside Oslo. This opening marked the beginning of a long trend of internationalization.
[...] Here is a sketch of the process of unloading and controlling when merchandise is received at the platform. Focus on unloading and control in the IKEA platform supply chain Warehousing In order to warehouse the goods received, IKEA has to be able to double stack them. But, when they arrive at the platform, they have been transported on plastic items that can not be used for warehousing (loading ledge Cf.II.3.c) Therefore, operators have to put the merchandise on wooden pallets to be able to double stack them. [...]
[...] If this trend goes on and takes even more importance, it is the whole concept of platforms and warehousing that is at stakes. Indeed, what mission will platforms have to fill if they are a chain link that is likely to be suppressed? In the long term, companies try to shorten as much as possible the chain from goods making to delivery in stores and ideally, the best solution would be for each store to order directly what it needs to it suppliers. [...]
[...] These operations and steps are modelized below. Modelization of the supply chain in Saint Quentin Fallavier's platform 2 Organization of the operations Unloading and controlling As we mentioned above, the first action in IKEA platform supply chain is to receive goods. There are two main ways of delivery for goods: by roadway and by railway as containers represent only a very small part of goods received Speaking in terms of trucks, wagons and containers, it represents trucks wagons and 250 containers. [...]
[...] Therefore, all the logistics dimension of a platform won't be needed anymore. Of course, it seems rather extreme to talk about the “eviction” of platforms from the supply chain but it is true nevertheless that their activity will be strongly reduced. Another trend that deals with the development of e-commerce will also probably have an impact on the role of platforms. It started in England because it was not possible anymore for IKEA to open new stores; therefore IKEA had to find another way of expanding its market shares and developing its activity. [...]
[...] The principal advantage of the St Quentin Falavier depot is its situation. Its position is really strategic because it is at the heart of the French road network, at a crossroad between Paris and Marseilles. The following map illustrates the point: Operations Modelization 1 Organization of the supply chain The goal of the depot in St Quentin Fallavier is to receive merchandise from suppliers and centralize it in order to re-distribute it according to orders. Of course, this task has to be carried out as fast as possible and without errors which implies a precise and efficient organization. [...]
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