Supply Chain Comparison
In the computer industry, the supply chain management of the B2C website, officedepot.com, and the B2B website, stapleslink.com will have a description of each website’s supply chain processes explained. There will be a discussion of the similarities and differences of how a B2B and B2C perform the supply chain process. Finally, there will be an analysis of why the similarities and differences exist for the B2B and B2C’s business model and any improvements.
B2B Supply Chain: stapleslink.com
The B2B Company, stapleslink.com, is an eBusiness solution for office supplies for small, medium, and large size businesses. The stapleslink.com website has a feature to allow businesses to assign purchases to a specific budget or cost center. Businesses also can set up a specific account to arrange a 48-hour delivery for pre-selected, but limited products that the company’s purchasing department has set up. This allows for automating the calculation of the sales tax, price, and total for each electronic transfer of orders (Ayers, 2002).
Stapleslink.com has collaborated with many businesses in which a criterion, such as a minimum of a set dollar amount that the business must follow in order to receive discounts on products. When a business sets up a corporate account, all employees must then use this account for online purchases which starts the supply chain process. The employee can select how the product is delivered by the urgency of the need. Typically, stapleslink.com uses carriers such as Fed Ex, UPS, or DHL or the desires of the customer for delivery. The success of a corporate account allows for discount on products that are typically used by the business and can easily be restocked based of the consumption of the business spending habits.
Typical B2B supply chain (Waters, 2007).
B2C Supply Chain: officedepot.com
The B2C Company, officedepot.com, is an eBusiness solution for office supplies for the consumer....