Table of contents :
Introduction
A- A few figures and definitions for a better understanding of the subject
B- From merchant site to delivery
1)- Physical flow
2)-The flow of information
3)-Financial and administrative flows
Conclusion
In the previous article (“Back to school, a time of excitement in the online world”), we looked at the shopping habits of online consumers. Today, we turn our attention to the key players in the internet market: e-tailers.
we took a closer look at the purchasing practices of e-consumers. Today, we are looking at the key players in the Internet market: e-tailers.
NB: If you haven’t read our previous article, click on the blue title… I hope you’ll find some interesting information there! I’d also like to take this opportunity to suggest that you subscribe to our various social networks to keep up with our latest news !
Remember, the back-to-school period is synonymous with excitement and economic challenges. It’s a challenging time for e-tailers, who must continually reinvent themselves to remain competitive, with the aim of meeting consumer demand as effectively as possible.
As you can imagine, behind your one-click purchase there are many steps to take before your parcel arrives…
1-A few figures and definitions
As a reminder :
– The Internet is seen as a new continent, and in France there will be more than 200,000 e-commerce sites by 2020.
– Online commerce, e-commerce, electronic commerce, etc. “covers all commercial transactions carried out remotely via electronic and digital interfaces”. * In the first quarter of 2020, it represented 9.8% of traditional retail trade (source: Fevad).
– Did you know that the term “logistics” comes from military engineering? In fact, this army corps is responsible for supplying troops so that they maintain their operational capabilities over the long term. This concept of organisation has been extended and modernised over the decades to become a fundamental pillar of strategy.
– “e -logistics” or e-commerce logistics is known “as the combination of resources used to manage the various flows of goods within e-commerce structures”. *
– The Supply Chain is the evolution of logistics, defined as “the entire network that enables the delivery of products or services from raw materials to end customers”. *. In more graphic terms, the supply chain is like a locomotive, with all the wagons representing supply logistics: purchasing, stock management, handling, storage, distribution, delivery, etc.
2- From website to delivery
Amazon, Fnac, Cdiscount, Ali Express, Cultura, Yves Rocher, Sephora, E. Leclerc Drive, Carrefour, Ikea, Boulanger, Darty etc. are all e-commerce giants. They are present in a wide range of markets (textiles, cultural products, electronic products and household appliances, beauty and health, food and FMCG, furniture and decoration, games and toys) *.
But the Internet is a vast continent, and it’s home to e-businesses with “weaker” audiences, such as a creative craftsman who wants to sell his products beyond his geographical boundaries, a start-up with promising ideas, or an ephemeral e-shop, for example. But it’s worth noting that these structures together represent a very substantial economic fabric. Perhaps that’s where the term ‘web’ comes from…
We can see that, at different levels, these Internet players all advocate a culture of efficiency.
The supply chain is a complex concept representing all the stages of a product from production to delivery. It is made up of several flows.
A- Physical flow
This is all the movement of goods within the logistics organisation. The diagram above is a simplified representation of the product flow. The suppliers supply the warehouses, the goods are then received, checked, stored, repackaged (preparation of orders), then delivered by specialised carriers (service providers): Colis privés, UPS, Chronopost, Relais Colis, Mondial Relais, DHL Express, Spring Global Delivery Solutions, DPD, Delivengo Easy, Asendia, Colissimo, etc.
As you can imagine, Blocbox is involved from order preparation through to delivery, guaranteeing optimum parcel protection at very low cost.
The physical flow is conditioned by the estimated sales forecasts for a given period. It is easy to imagine that the physical flow linked to the end-of-year festivities is not the same as in the spring…
B- Information flow
The flow of information is closely linked to the physical flow, and the two work in close correlation. For example, “like a large library, a company creates an enormous database which it stores on its servers. This database is a collection of information. It includes the goods on offer, the various people involved in the process, the strategies adopted, the resources made available, etc.” *.
This brain can do two things: firstly, it can answer concrete, tangible questions by answering what, where, how, when and who.
And secondly, it helps to anticipate the overall organisation by analysing, anticipating and forecasting future orders.
C – Cash flow
Although this flow is the most abstract, it is no less vital to the smooth running of the system as a whole. Metaphorically speaking, it is the fuel and lubricant of this fine mechanism.
It represents the movement of money between the various players in the supply chain: partners, suppliers, subcontractors, employees and, of course, it can be denominated in several currencies (US Dollar, Euro, Yen, Pound Sterling, Australian Dollar, etc.).
These financial movements are backed by banking partners that we have already mentioned in the previous article.
So we’re going to focus on a facet of the business that is relatively unknown, yet has a huge financial impact on e-commerce companies. Indeed, several sources indicate an impressive figure of more than 10% of disputes linked to breakages during deliveries. These alarming statistics for this business are a real concern for the major insurance companies. It is interesting to note that a failure linked to the physical flow is immediately reflected in the financial flow…
In addition to the economic aspect of Blocbox in its traditional use, this cushioning material significantly reduces this type of litigation. The “Protection Efficiency” label demonstrates the physical and mechanical performance of Blocbox.
In Conclusion….
The Supply Chain‘s objective is to make its products available at the right time, in the right place and at the best price. If they are well managed, the various flows developed above will guarantee the fluidity and success of the various stages.
Modestly, innovations like Blobox see themselves as strategic allies.
For further details, please consult our Blocbox and/or Ouatbox section.
E.B
To find out more :
https://www.e-marketing.fr/Definitions-Glossaire/commerce-241544.htm
https://www.amalo-recrutement.fr/blog/qu-est-ce-que-la-supply-chain-definition/