Supply Chain by the Numbers
   
 

- August 16, 2012
   
  Supply Chain by the Numbers for Week of Aug. 16, 2012
   
 

JC Penney's Bold RFID Move; Beat Up Those Suppliers is Top Cost Strategy; Amazon Locks Up a New Fulfillment Approach; Clopay Closes the Door On Good Inventory Year
   
 
 
 

$500 Million

That's about how much JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson just said the retailer spends on labor in its stores manually processing transactions at traditional POS stations - a number he believes will be pared substantially through a rollout of 100% RFID tagged items in stores, mobile POS, and self-service stations by early next year. "You'll be able to check out anywhere anytime," Johnson said in a Forbes interview last week. This escalation of its RFID program could have big ramifications for the supply chain.
 
 



 
 
 

35%

Number of manufacturing company respondents who cite better procurement practices (beat up those vendors!) as the top opportunity to reduce supply chain costs, according to a new major supply chain study from IDC Manufacturing Insights. The number 2 choice was the adoption or expansion of Lean/Six Sigma type programs, at about 17%. Procurement may seen as a "too easy" target, but IDC notes outside procurement costs comprise the top expense for most manufacturers.
 
 
 
 
 
50+

Number of "Amazon Locker" locations the online giant already has inplace in the US, with more being added rapidly. What is an Amazon Locker? A secure storage location in a grocery store, convenience store, or other location that can be used to securely drop off and store an order for pick-up. This solves the problem, especially in city environments, of no one being at home to accept the parcel delivery.
 
 
 
 
 
31%

That's how much holding company Griffon, owner of such businesses as Ames True Temper and Clopay building products and garage doors, was able to reduce its Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO) in 2011, one of the top individual company performances in our annual inventory performance review, published this week based on data from REL. Griffon lowered its DIO in 2011 to 53 days, from 76 in 2010.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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