There are many examples of successfully leveraged added value, including the following: Body Shop use a system called SPEX to accurately speed up export docu- mentation and process. General Electric use the web to schedule shipments from networked ware- houses. They also reduce purchasing staff by 50% because of their intranet system. The Ford Motor Company use an intranet to track spare parts shipments. Typically. the US experience is that 10% to 15% of supply chains costs can be stripped out using on-line methods. At Cisco the entire buying process is controlled through the intranet with suppliers being asked to quote online.
Opportunities presented by the Internet include: Better and easier purchasing procurement. Direct ordering and scheduling - inventory management. Tracking where product is in the supply chain and transportation. Managing Out of Stocks (OOS) better. Ability to invoice online. Ability to link support information e.g. marketing promotions/campaigns, product specifications and launch dates. Reduction in human element of process and cost savings down the line. Ability to manage customer service and complaints handling. Ability to manage the buying function. Handling systems, warehousing, packaging process and returns. The Internet has proven to be an important communication link with vendors, and has bound together the supply chain