Dell's Supply Chain Strategies
A Knowledge-Based Analysis and Modelling of Dell’s Supply Chain Strategies
Areti Manataki
Master of Science Artificial Intelligence School of Informatics University of Edinburgh 2007
Abstract
Supply Chain Management is becoming more and more important for the success of today’s business world. Dell has realized this trend from its very first steps and has become one of the most successful PC companies in the world by putting emphasis on its supply chain, orchestrating its build-to-order and direct sales strategies. While most of the literature that covers Dell’s business and supply chain strategies is too theoretical, we suggest an analysis of a lower level using knowledge-based techniques. So, we have developed a business process model for Dell that captures its supply chain strategies, and which is strategic, business-goal-oriented and executable. In order to make this BPM executable we have designed and implemented a workflow engine that simulates BPM execution and calculates the related total time and cost. Using the workflow engine we have then run experiments on Dell’s BPM improvement and on its comparison with a traditional PC company, thus providing a useful framework for supply chain strategies’ comparison. This work is expected to provide a good insight into the successful supply chain of Dell on the one hand, and demonstrate whether knowledge-based techniques can provide good analysis of business and supply chain strategies in general on the other hand.
i
Acknowledgements
I would first of all like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Jessica Chen-Burger, for her guidance and help throughout this project, as well as for the support in difficult moments of the project period. I would also like to thank Dimtrios Mavroeidis and Ioanna Manataki for their participation in the evaluation procedure of the developed business process model.
ii
Declaration
I declare that this thesis was composed by myself, that the work contained herein is my own
Areti Manataki
Master of Science Artificial Intelligence School of Informatics University of Edinburgh 2007
Abstract
Supply Chain Management is becoming more and more important for the success of today’s business world. Dell has realized this trend from its very first steps and has become one of the most successful PC companies in the world by putting emphasis on its supply chain, orchestrating its build-to-order and direct sales strategies. While most of the literature that covers Dell’s business and supply chain strategies is too theoretical, we suggest an analysis of a lower level using knowledge-based techniques. So, we have developed a business process model for Dell that captures its supply chain strategies, and which is strategic, business-goal-oriented and executable. In order to make this BPM executable we have designed and implemented a workflow engine that simulates BPM execution and calculates the related total time and cost. Using the workflow engine we have then run experiments on Dell’s BPM improvement and on its comparison with a traditional PC company, thus providing a useful framework for supply chain strategies’ comparison. This work is expected to provide a good insight into the successful supply chain of Dell on the one hand, and demonstrate whether knowledge-based techniques can provide good analysis of business and supply chain strategies in general on the other hand.
i
Acknowledgements
I would first of all like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Jessica Chen-Burger, for her guidance and help throughout this project, as well as for the support in difficult moments of the project period. I would also like to thank Dimtrios Mavroeidis and Ioanna Manataki for their participation in the evaluation procedure of the developed business process model.
ii
Declaration
I declare that this thesis was composed by myself, that the work contained herein is my own