Supply Chain Management and Lean Six Sigma in a Retail Environment

Abstract

This qualitative research evaluated the as-is supply chain management and logistics retail processes of Dell, a manufacturing company that also has retail operations globally. Dell has an online channel capable of serving millions of customers annually. This research focused on Dell’s retail operations in Canada and the United States and the challenges of managing the supply chain requirements of meeting customer demand. The goal was to identify issues with process execution leading to decreased service to customers and increased costs to the manufacturer. A literature review provided information regarding best practices in supply chain management and the leading process-improvement methodology. Results of the study revealed the factors hindering successful supply chain management and process execution: (a) velocityfocused operation, (b) organization and culture, (c) competency of staff, (d) lack of process improvement strategies, (e) departmental logistical collaboration, and (f) failure to integrate supply chain best practices specific to retail.