Research On Horizontal Cooperation In Supply Chain Distribution Networks

With the rapid development of the world economy and the progress of modern scientific technology, the modern thoughts and methods of management have beening changed and developped continuously, the competitive character and status have changed fundamentally during the economic activities. Under such a background, competition between enterprises has changed into the one between supply chains.At present, the market competition has changed from single enterprise to mass,so we should not only study on the integration and cooperation at a single enterprise,but also study on the integration and cooperation between two supply chains during studying supply chain horizontal cooperation.People usually pay attention to the vertical integration between supply chains, common cases include vertical cooperation between motor manufacturers and suppliers,for example, JIT, or between consume manufacturers and suppliers, for example,ECR.In this paper, we mainly put an eye view on supply chain horizontal cooperation which is paid less attention to. Our target is to prove that this horizontal cooperation is helpful to improve the production efficiency of supply chains. Horizontal cooperation is a method of optimizing distribution networks. The research results show that the production efficiency of supply chains and service level have improved.There are five parts in the paper. The central contents and main outcomes are as follows:The first part is introduction and summary of literatures. We introduce the research background, goal, significance and contents firstly.Then,relative literatures are reviewed and the research methods and frames of the paper are pointed out.In chapter 2, we analyze relative contents on distribution networks in supply chains. Firstly, we discuss the layout strategies of supply chain distribution networks,then expatiate the means of analyzing cost factors in supply chain distribution networks, next, analyze how to design the models of supply chain distribution networks,lastly, discuss how to measure the performances. In chapter 3, we develop a theoretical background of horizontal cooperation in supply chain, and then use the theory to analyze two coordinational quick-consumed manufacturers. This case analyzes how to improve the production efficiency of supply chains through horizontal cooperation qualitatively and quantitatively.In chapter 4, the case in this dissertation describes distribution cooperation of two manufacturers, the analysis results show that the production efficiency of supply chains and service level have improved by process optimizatiom and structure optimizatiom.In chapter 5, the contents of research and conclusions of the dissertation are summarized and the prospects for future research directions are presented. The part summarizes the main views and indicates the defects as well as advice and expectations of future work.The innovation in the dissertation includes two aspects. These are as follows:1. We extend our research scale from single chain and vertical integration to two chains and horizontal integration, and discuss the two-supply-chain cooperation through common distribution networks.2. Basing on analyzing the arrangement strategies of supply chain distribution networks, means of analyzing cost factors and arrangement principles , we design the models of supply chain distribution networks by process optimizatiom and structure optimizatiom. Enterprises can reduce logistics cost and improve the production efficiency of supply chains through the model and the operation ways.3. Other than most papers studying on supply chain distribution networks from non-competitive manufacturers side, the paper researches on it from competitive-cooperation manufacturers side. This is the new research view.