Hewlett Packard: Performance Measurement in the Supply Chain

Published 16 Jun 2004
Reference 5192
Topic Operations
Region Global
Length 13 page(s)
Summary

In a maturing market, HP’s attention moved from Return on Sales to Return on Net Assets. Mismatches between demand and supply, aggrevated by a long supply chain, were a burden on profit. HP realized that conventional logistics costs (warehousing, inventories, transport) were only the tip of the iceberg. Hidden underneath were large costs due to price protection, material devaluation, returns and obsoletes (Inventory Driven Costs). Uncovering all true demand/supply mismatch costs allowed HP to redress the situation and restore competitiveness.

Teaching objectives

The case aims to illustrate the strategic impact of supply chain management and the increasing cost of supply/demand mismatches. To enable sound decision making (e.g. in prioritizing supply chain improvement projects), a clear link needs to be established between supply chain performance indicators and bottom-line impact.

Keywords
  • Supply chain management
  • Performance measurement
  • Inventory-driven costs
  • Financial performance
  • RD0504
  • AR2004
  • AR0304