SSSM ASSIGNMENT
Topic: Outsourcing & Logistic Process of Decathlon
(Sport Kits Retailer)
Submitted by,
Pratik Adsul – 181035
Manish Bodal – 181023
Under the Guidance of :
Prof. Dr. Vivekanand Pawar
Prof .Balashankar Ramdas
LET’S START WITH GLOBAL SPORTS INDUSTRY AND IT’S
RETAIL INDUSTRY:
Estimated value of Sports Industry is about $ 1.5 Trillion (Plunkett Research USA) at
2014.
The Global Retail Sporting goods market holds substantial opportunities for sporting
goods suppliers due to strong product demand in the three market segments: athletic
apparel, athletic footwear, and equipment. Asia and Rest of World represent good growth
market for retail sporting goods industry over the forecast period. According to Lucintel,
the market is forecast to reach an estimated $266 billion in 2017 with a CAGR of 4%
over the next six years (2012–2017).
The sporting goods industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the
manufacturing and retailing of sporting goods, such as camping equipment, exercise and
fitness equipment, athletic uniforms, specialty sports footwear, apparel, and accessories.
As the study indicates, the global retail sporting goods industry is highly fragmented.
North America currently dominates this market. Some of the major players in this market
are Nike, Adidas, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. A combination of factors such as
demographics and consumer spending impacts market dynamics significantly.
INDIAN MARKET SCENARIO:
The words 'sports goods' have become synonymous with the passion that India has for
sports. The sports goods industry in India is nearly a century old and has flourished due
to the skills of its workforce. Being labour-intensive in nature, the industry provides
employment to more than 500,000 people. The nucleus of this industry in India is in and
around the states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Jalandhar in the state of Punjab and Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh account
for nearly 75 per cent of total production.
Together, the two towns house more than 3,000 manufacturing units and 130
exporters.
About 60 per cent of the sports goods manufactured in Jalandhar consist of
different kinds of inflatable balls.
The Indian sports goods industry also has a presence in the cities of Mumbai,
Kolkata and Chennai, albeit at a lower scale.
Exports - A Momentous Growth
India's share of the global sports goods export market is expected to grow manifold, with the
country establishing the credibility of its goods in the international market. Indian
sporting goods are well known around the world and have made a mark in the global
sports goods market. The industry exports nearly 60 per cent of its total output to sports-
loving people the world over.
The sports goods market in India was valued at US$ 2 billion in 2012-13. The
market is growing as 35-40 per cent a year and is expected to reach US$ 3.6
billion by 2015. The growth is expected on account of increasing awareness about
health and fitness in the country.
India exported sports goods worth around US$ 256 million in 2013-14 as
compared to US$ 214.95 million in 2012-13 and registering a growth of about 19
per cent.
The major items to be exported during 2013-14 includes inflatable balls, cricket
bats general exercise equipments, sports nets and protective equipment for cricket.
Sports Goods Export Promotion Council
The Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC) promotes the export of sports goods
and toys from India. SGEPC represents the leading 200 manufacturers and exporters of
sports goods and toys in India.
COMPANY HISTORY
History and the need of branding:
The company history is a classic case of adaptation to market changes and incorporation
of strategies according to the “pull” of the industry. At a time in 1976 when it was
incorporated branding of products was not a very strong determinant of value
addition. This was for the fact that only a few names were present in the sports retailing
arena competing with almost similar products but due to the contemporary push
strategies, huge instauration (gap between demand and supply) and low demand creation
in the market neither was innovation required and nor was branding.
In 10 years with new company’s coming into the market creating a need to have
differentiated products Decathlon went into the mode of co-creating its products
best suited to its customer base. So it started off as a primarily trading brand working in
Lille,France. Finally 10 years later in 1996 it went a step further it creating its own
“Passion brands” catering to different sports and adventure universes (such as team
sports, racket sports, hiking etc. ) and creating new “Umbrella brands” (Btwin, Quechua,
Domyos etc.). The brands were further improvised with co-branding through very strong
component brands such as “Shimano” for its Btwin. All strategies incorporated were
not successful in the long run and thus were eliminated after assessment. A few Co-
brandings did not come up with best results and after scrutiny they were subsequently
dropped because it did not seem to create any significant value addition to the products.
The testing of each product is done separately by the specialized teams are hence the
headquarters of each category is located in places where the surroundings enable the
product testing. (Aqua products in a coastal location, hiking products in a
mountaineering location etc.)
Company Category:
Decathlon in a nutshell is an innovative cost leader the industry of sports retailing.
The company works with a lean supply chain model for efficient and cost efficient
production which is its primary motive. Now for a cost leader it is immensely difficult to
be innovative because innovation costs(R & D, IP etc) it shoots up the cost of end
products and thus any company tends to be “Stuck in the middle” of not being either a
cost leader or an innovator. Decathlon business model compensates for the innovation
expenses through cutting down costs in marketing and advertisement departments by
primarily promoting its brands through “word of mouth” promotion through its
stakeholders at large which might be the least aggressive promotion strategy in the short
run in the contemporary market scenario, however deemed to be the most impactful in
the long run creating a huge portfolio of brand ambassadors among its stakeholders.
Competitive Advantage:
The products were added unique value through it’s in store experience, CRM strategies,
value for money and never before heard after sales service policies in the sports retail
which gave replacement guarantee (2 years) on its products.
Expansion:
The company started expanding once it felt it product mix was up to the global standards
and initially it expanded stores in France and then expanded throughout Europe through
various expanding its retail catchment areas. The company turned its attention to both
east and west in USA and China in the 2000s. China was a mammoth success while
USA did not make such an experience due to demographic and strategic mismatches.
It came to India in 2009 after FDI relaxation and viewing the market potential the
company went into a vigorous expansion mode almost similar to China. A very unique
promotion policy that the firm incorporates is by respecting a nation’s sporting
sentiments and inclination. In China there is a huge number of people into racket sports
(Artengo) and Basketball (Kipsta) hence the company has a huge infrastructure in a prime location
providing 9 basketball courts, table tennis tables etc. In India they created an umbrella brand for
cricket enthusiasts. In India, it has promoted the cricket sports through its brand FLX
(engineered in India for India).
Currently the company is generating revenue of close to 10 billion Euros through it 975 retail outlets
worldwide.
Decathlon Industry Attractiveness and Position:
Henry Porter’s High Moderate Low
Five Forces
Threat from Industry X
competitors
Buyer bargaining X
power
Supplier bargaining X
power
Threat from new X
entrants
Threat from X
substitutes
Main Competitors: Nike, Adidas, Dicks Sporting Goods, Sports Direct, Columbia Sports.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Decathlon
Industry: Sports retail
Employees: 68,000
Turnover: 10 billion Euros (2014-15)
Number of stores: 975
Retail countries: 22
Production countries: 23
Brands: As below
OPERATIONS
1. DESIGN
2. MANUFACTURING (OUTSOURCED)
3. RETAIL
WHAT IS SOURCING
Strategic sourcing is a broad, more transformational process, performed at a higher
organizational level. Strategic sourcing takes the procurement process further, examining
the whole supply network, its linkages, and how they impact procurement and purchasing
decisions. The focus is more on the Tier 1 supply network, value creation, risk, and
uncertainty in the supply chain and the overall responsiveness and resilience of the supply
chain.
Managing sourcing and procurement processes
Strategic sourcing and delivering customer value
The size of the organization spend and financial significance
Understanding buyer-supplier relationships
Global procurement competitiveness
Strategic Sourcing Methodology
As noted previously, strategic sourcing is a broader and more comprehensive process
than procurement. We consider here a seven-step methodology that details the strategic
sourcing process. Overall, the process begins with the development of the appropriate
strategy, which provides direction for all ongoing organizational efforts. The appropriate
strategy is influenced by the value discipline of the organization. As highlighted next,
Michael Porter has persuasively argued that there are three generic competitive strategies
for positioning the organization in the marketplace:
Overall cost leadership— Requires efficient-scale facilities, tight cost and
overhead control, standardized customer offerings, reduced network costs, and a
low-cost operational model.
Differentiation— Requires creating products and services that are unique and
build customer loyalty.
Focus—requires serving a particular target segment very well by addressing its
specific needs based on a clear understanding of the marketplace.
SOURCING METHODOLOGY:
Step 1: Strategic Sourcing Team Meeting (Annual)
The first step in the process is the kickoff meeting for the upcoming calendar or fiscal
spending year. Essential to the success of this meeting is the establishment of the
strategic sourcing committee, which should include, at a minimum, the chief operating
officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO), and if used, the chief procurement officer
(CPO). We also recommend the inclusion of other key stakeholders: design, R&D,
operations management at a very high level, marketing management (to ensure the needs
of the customer segments have a voice), manufacturing team members, quality assurance
representatives, and transportation team members (assuming the organization has its own
private fleet).
The agenda of this first step should cover the scope and scale of the products and services
that are purchased, an understanding of the requirements and specifications for needed
products and services, plus any new sourcing opportunities. Among the procurement
activities discussed in this first step are the three Ds as well as the components of the
triple bottom line (TBL):
Define the current needs—A procurement transaction is usually initiated in
response to either a new or existing need with a recommended supplier. In the
case of unacceptable on-time fulfillment or quality issues, there may be a request
to change suppliers. In either case, once the need is identified, the procurement
process can begin. The need can be identified by any of a variety of functional
areas in the organization.
Define and evaluate internal requirements—After the products and services
have been identified, some type of measurable specification or set of criteria must
represent each requirement.
Define whether to “make or buy” Before outside suppliers are solicited, the
purchasing firm must decide whether it will make or buy the product or service.
Today, in an effort to focus on the core competencies of the organization, more
and more noncritical components and services are being outsourced. Before being
made, such decisions require a complete understanding of the resources,
capabilities, and processes available outside the firm.
Sustainability and the triple bottom line - Sustainability planning and a review
of where the organization is with its plan should be on the meeting agenda.
Strategic sourcing describes how an organization intends to create and sustain
value for its current shareholders. By adding sustainability to the agenda, we add
the requirements to meet these current needs without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs. The strategic sourcing team must
consider the mandates related to the ongoing economic, employee, and
environmental viability of the organization. Economically, the company must be
profitable. Employee job security, positive working conditions, and development
opportunities are essential. The need for nonpolluting and non-resource-depleting
products and processes presents new challenges to supply managers as well as
operations
The first step should include a strategic spend analysis. A frequently used definition of
strategic spend is the dollar value of the goods and services critical to the mission of the
organization. This analysis supports an understanding of the amount to be spent by
category, supplier type, and internal user and will examine the current sourcing
approaches being used by the purchasing team (e.g., annual rebate program versus
traditional market-based pricing with no rebate allowances). Specific supplier
recommendations made by the CFO and/or CPO on key product categories should be
considered part of the scope for the strategic sourcing team meeting. The procurement
team must honor these recommendations: They are contractual agreements made at the
executive level and typically carry with them a financial remuneration provision based on
some measurable criteria, such as volume or day’s sales outstanding.
More often than not, the organization is unable to develop a comprehensive spend analysis
due to a lack of centralized spend data. With the appropriate information, this assessment
facilitates recommendations for improvements in the overall sourcing process and
identifies any potential associated financial benefits that could be contractually obtained.
Step 2: Assessing the Supply Market
This second step in the strategic sourcing process involves making sure that all the
potential sources of supply are identified and viable mechanisms are in place for
comparing their capabilities to those of other potential suppliers. As the supply market is
being assessed, special attention should be paid to the following issues:
A comprehensive assessment of the supply market will include a thorough market
analysis. The supply market might be a highly competitive market with many
suppliers, an oligopolistic market with a few suppliers, or a monopolistic market
with a single entity supplier. With a clear understanding of the market,
procurement professionals will know the number of suppliers in the market, the
bargaining power of the buyer and supplier, and which method of purchasing
might be most effective.
Whether or not they are currently being used, it is important to identify all
possible suppliers that might be able to satisfy the user’s needs. With all of
today’s foreign services, this can be a daunting task, particularly determining their
capacity, process technology, quality, flexibility, and market effectiveness.
The supplier assessment must include a prescreening of all possible suppliers.
When developing and evaluating user requirements, it is important to distinguish
between “needs” (demands) and “wants” (desires). The needs for a product or
service are those dimensions that are critical to the user; wants are those that are
not as critical and are therefore negotiable. Prescreening reduces the pool of
possible suppliers to those that satisfy the user’s needs. In our example of steel
reinforcement bars, several suppliers will have them in stock in standard lengths
and available for shipment within a 24-hour window. A “want” might be having
them pre-cut to specific lengths and bent to specific dimensions for a contracted
job. This “want” may require a series of tests by internal engineering staff to see whether the
supplier is capable of meeting the desired specifications.
This second step should recognize the need to simplify purchasing complexity and, whenever
possible, reduce the number of products or services needed. Simplification and
standardization are the criteria for improving this step. Also, attention should be given to
an understanding of pricing points and opportunities for consolidation of the spend.
Doing so creates greater leverage for the user and enhances supplier relationships. The
enhancement of the supplier relationship is discussed in more detail in Chapter 5,
“Understanding Buyer-Supplier Relationships.”
Step 3: Developing the Sourcing Strategy
It is important to fully develop a sourcing strategy that defines the dimensions of the process
and the steps to be followed. Due diligence is the cornerstone for developing a sourcing
strategy. A key aspect of due diligence is the supplier portfolio screening process, which
includes initial supplier research and screening, development of a request for information
(RFI) and a request for proposal (RFP), site visits and follow-up discussions, and supplier
selection. Although the strategic sourcing committee may not play an overt role here, it
will play a key part in the ultimate selection of Tier 1 suppliers.
The purpose of the RFI is to establish whether or not a supplier has the resources,
capabilities, and processes to be considered for a more extensive analysis. It will
request information on the company’s background, financial stability, the
locations of its manufacturing and distribution facilities’ locations, markets
served, its ability to provide R&D support to users, its quality systems, and
cultural insight. No pricing information is requested in the RFI.
The purpose of the RFP is to gather information relevant to the user company’s
needs and wants. Here the potential suppliers are asked for specifics on how they
would respond to the request. The potential suppliers are requested to detail their
manufacturing and distribution facility locations, lead times, capabilities, and
grade and quantity pricing associated with fulfilling the required specifications.
The sourcing strategy should also include the quantitative and qualitative criteria for supplier
selection to be used by the strategic sourcing committee. The selection criteria in
Step 3 should directly relate to the issues addressed in Step 2. An outline of typical supplier
selection criteria is shown in Table. An alternative evaluation matrix (multiple weighted
criteria) for final assessment in a product category is illustrated in Tables, “Managing
Sourcing and Procurement Processes,” making use of Importance Scores and
Achievement Scores to assess the suppliers’ capabilities for a particular product group.
Table: Supplier Selection Criteria
Area of Focus
MANAGEMENT ATTITUDE
SOCIAL COMPLIANCE
QUALITY SYSTEM
PRODUCT QUALITY
PRODUCT MASTERY
BASIC LEAN CULTURE
PRODUCT PRICE COMPETITIVENESS
CAPACITY AVAILABLE
FINANCIAL HEALTH
EXPANSION PLANS
Step 4: Executing the Sourcing Strategy
This step essentially begins with an evaluation of the suppliers that successfully passed
the RFI and RFP screening process and concludes with the awarding of a contract. The
pool of suppliers that have passed the screening criteria are deemed acceptable to provide
the user’s needs and wants. It is now possible, based on the prescreening in Step 2 and
the final assessment of qualified suppliers in Step 3, to determine which supplier or
suppliers can best meet the user’s negotiated requirements. If the item or items are fairly
standard and there is a sufficient number of potential suppliers, this activity may be
accomplished through the use of competitive bidding. Without these basic conditions, a
more elaborate evaluation may be necessary, as in our earlier example using an
engineered specification of ASTM A615 Grade 60 for deformed steel bars.
The selection of the ultimate supplier is key! The choice of suppliers determines the
relationship that will exist between the organization and the supplying firms and the
ultimate levels of collaboration, trust, intimacy, procedural justice, and cooperative
norms. The levels of these relationship components are discussed in Chapter 5. They
determine whether the relationship will be a routine partnership or a strategic alliance
built over many years.
Step 5: Implementation and Integration of the Contractual Agreement
The key components of Step 5 are the finalization of the contractual agreement, planning
the transition process (particularly if switching suppliers), and the receipt of the specified
products or services. With the receipt of the order under a new contract, the procurement
team begins the generation of performance data necessary to establish a vendor
evaluation system. Another element of Step 5 is the implementation of a benchmarking
system aimed at determining the savings generated by the contracted vender.
The proper receipt of goods and services is of vital importance. Many smaller and single-
site organizations have centralized receiving in one department. If just-in-time (JIT)
inventory management systems have been implemented, materials from Tier 1 suppliers
or supplier partners bypass receiving (and inspection, if this function is in place) and are
delivered directly into production.
The prime purposes of receiving are as follows:
1. To confirm that the order placed has actually arrived.
2. To check the condition of the shipment.
3. To ensure the quantity ordered has been received.
4. To forward the shipment to its proper destination.
5. To ensure the proper documentation of the shipment is included.
Shortages may occur because material has been lost in transit, short-shipped and not
reported by the supplier, tampered with in transit, or damaged in transit. Physical counts
can be forced by blocking receiving from having access to the quantity ordered. If
accurate amounts are entered into the system, the order is closed out, inventory records
updated, and the invoice cleared for accounts payable to authorize payment based on the
terms and conditions negotiated.
Step 6: Supplier Performance Measurement and Improvement
A critical and key step in the strategic sourcing process is the measurement and
programmed improvement process for supplier performance. This involves the ability to
provide “time, quantity, and place utility” in the form of goods and services for the
benefit of the consuming organization. Because there is no value in the product or service
until it is in the hands of the customer, the distribution and transportation functions of the
supplier’s business are all about making the product or service available. Availability is
in itself a complex function, impacted upon by a number of factors. These factors might
include delivery frequency and reliability, stock levels and order cycle, and lead time
variability. Ultimate customer service is determined by the interaction of all those factors
that affect the process of making products and services available to the consumer.
In practice, companies have varying views of supplier performance. LaLonde and Zinszer
in a study of supplier service practices and measurements suggest that service
effectiveness can be reviewed under three headings:
Pre-transaction elements
Transaction elements
Post-transaction elements
A more in-depth review of LaLonde and Zinszer’s work is provided in Chapter 3, “Strategic
Sourcing and Delivering Customer Value.”
Step 7: Maintenance of Records and Relationships
The final step is to update records, including supplier performance scorecards developed in
Step 6. Electronic files of the order-related documents are stored. Legal requirements,
accounting standards, company policy, and judgment dictate which records are to be kept
and for how long. For example, a purchase order is evidence of a contract. It may be
retained much longer (normally seven years) than the requisition, which is an internal
memorandum. The basic records to be maintained, either manually or electronically, are
as follows:
PO log, which identifies all POs by number and indicates the open or closed
status of each
PO file, containing a copy of all POs, filed numerically
Commodity file, showing all purchases of each major commodity or item
reflecting date, supplier, quantity, price, and PO number
Supplier history file, showing all purchases placed with major (Tier 1) suppliers
Outstanding contracts against which orders are placed, as required (proof of
meeting the required volume stipulated in the contract)
A commodity classification of items purchased
A database of suppliers that have been used and are currently being used
Savings generated by contracted supplier, by product category, by program type
(JIT program, inventory turns improvement, or additional payment terms and
conditions)
Additional records files may include:
Labor contracts, giving the status of union contracts (particularly contract
expiration dates) and the union involved.
Tool and die records showing tooling purchased, date of purchase (put into
service), useful life (or production quantity), usage history, price paid, ownership,
and plant location (which facility site is using them). These purchases can be
transaction-specific investments (TSIs) by the organization and are considered
proprietary for a specific customer. The costs of the tooling are typically amortized
over the useful life and charged back to the customer.
Minority and small business purchases, showing dollar purchases from each. Any
special contractual arrangements are noted.
Bid-award history, showing which suppliers were ask to bid, amounts bid, number
of no bids, and successful bidder, by major product category. This record file
would include any reverse-auctions conducted and which outside firm conducted
them.
Rebate programs and awards earned by the organization and the particulars used to
calculate the rebate and when it was collected. Also, any gain sharing programs the
organization was involved in, the supplier involved, the payout, and the specific
details of the program.
DECATHLON INDIA LOGISTICS & Outsourcing:
In India Decathlon has a tie up with 3rd party Logistician which is APLL Logistics. Decathlon
India has various warehouses which can be categorized as following –
1. CAC- Mother Warehouse in India, Bangalore. Area of up to 4 lac
Sq. Mt. It contains 30-40 Lakh quantities of item codes at any given
point of time.
2. CAR- Situated in India, Bangalore. Area of up to 1.5 Lac Sq. Mt. It
contains 4-5 Lakh quantities of item codes.
3. HUB- Situated in Ghaziabad, Hapur. It is comparatively small
warehouse comprising the total area of 20,000 Sq. Mt. Contains up
to 50,000 item codes.
Due to the constant high demand of sports goods in northern
region, Decathlon is opening a new CAR in Gurugram, in the
Delhi-NCR area, which will start operating from September, 2016.
Decathlon has redesigned its logistics network with the introduction of a new
infrastructure plan that was completed in 2005. The first step was the
opening in Paris of a large continental 50,000 m2 warehouse, to be in stock
and that will serve the rest European products to the stores.
The new scheme includes the creation of a second type of store. In the future,
the multi-regional facilities, will cater to the twelve regional warehouses
that the French firm has in Europe. It is planned to build three of these
distribution platforms on the continent, but none of them will be located in
Spain, where the company has two regional centers, one in Getafe (Madrid)
and one in Sant Esteve de Sesrovires (Barcelona).
The backbone of the logistics chain in Europe will be completed with the
creation of logistics, contract or own hub for the receipt of goods from
suppliers. the location is not yet determined, but in any case, will depend
on where the manufacturers are. With this initiative, the company expects
subcontractors to help reduce lead times and enhance the charge transport
in bulking up the Decathlon store that will later serve these products to
stores. The ultimate goal is to ensure filling trucks and reduce delivery time
to stores.
International Plataform
The Decathlon product are manufactured in fifteen countries around the
world. However, the production, which is always outsourced, is centralized
in geographical areas. In the Spain the French firm has its Bicycle suppliers,
mainly in Mataró (Barcelona). In Catalonia, he has plastic products, such as
shower caps, socks and metal components are also manufactured.
However, the Catalan community has lost a large part of the production of
Decathlon, which has gone to Portugal. Morocco is another country that
provides numerous articles for Decathlon, especially textiles, while in Asia
sneakers and balls occur.
The displacement of the Spanish production to Portugal answers a new policy
of the French firm globally. Previously always the same products were
manufactured in two different places, just in case a provider failed. But
now they just have two different qualities for the same item, so that now
only select the best supplier for each reference.” Decathlon select and
monitor the components and materials as well as the design of the
products marketed under its brand.
The challenge of deadlines
In 2001, the store of Sant Esteve Sesrovires reached an average of 15 hours in
the preparation of orders, from the time of receipt of an order to exit the
truck to the store. For the current year, management has set itself the
challenge of twelve hours, under the average of the entire sequence: the
picking, preparing the product, pack it, check it, put it in the dock, and
upload it to the truck.
In the international arena, the target set by the Decathlon logistics in 2005
provided a range of two to 72 hours for delivery, “regardless of whether
the reference should come from the continental store, regional or
multiregional” says Cristina Gaitan, head of logistics for Decathlon
northeastern Spain.
The procurement of stores has also been modified as some changes are
introduced in the supply chain. Previously, the priority was to always have
stock on the premises, so they were served daily as many times as
necessary as long any reference didn’t finish . Following an assessment of
the costs, the company opted to get them one day shipping, but with much
more material.
On-line orders
The Decathlon products are also available via the Internet, but to do so, you
must go to the French website (address on the local network in each
country has a link). Orders that are made in the French portal are served
from the corresponding regional warehouse. This has meant that, nowdays,
on-line sales are still residual in Spain. For this reason, one of the projects
that the company has in mind is enable an own Spanish channel page for
sale.
CONCLUSION
Being a cost leader in an industry which highly depends on technology and innovation is not
easy. Hence the prime challenge is to identify the market pull as fast as possible and procure
the products of the best quality at the best prices. For that identification of capable suppliers
who are ready to collaborate and/or manufacturing infrastructure is required where the
suppliers bargaining power becomes too high. And subsequent cost reduction through removal
of vestigial operations can be answer to the market penetration strategy ensued by Decathlon.
The sports retailing industry is growing by leaps and bounds in the domestic market by around
35-40% CAGR.