Application Of Lean-Agile Thoery In Integrated Supply Chain Of DKL

With the increasingly intensified competition in the market caused by the continuous improvement of customer requirements, companies have to switch the focus from increasing its market competitiveness to enhancing the competitive advantage of the entire supply chain. For that only can be able to provide low-price products, the supply chain has been impossible to lead the market. Customers demand quick response for their request while they desire products affordable. However, the traditional mode of supply chain operation and the methods of supply chain management have been unable to meet the high demands of customers on both products’price and service. In this case, the integrated application of lean thinking and agile thinking in the operation and management of the supply chain can reduce wastage of operations and give quick response to the changes from the market, which effectively improve the overall supply chain competitive advantage.As a case to study, the article chooses the Europe’s largest Group for sporting products-DKL-who is integrating the lean and agile thinking in its integrated supply chain. There is a detailed description, analysis of its supply chain operations status and the three major problems in its supply chain management-long path of transferring information in the supply chain weakening the speed of response; general capacity not matching with seasonal demand, as well as traditional way of production restricting the advantage of price. The article elaborates how to help solve three main issues in DKL’s supply chain through integrating the lean-agile thinking, such as using the80/20rule, separating the basic demand and fluctuant demand and setting up the CODP in the supply chain. Besides, it also tries to have deep discussion about the application of lean thinking and agile thinking in the DKL integrated supply chain management, respectively, from three aspects-Improvement of the transmission of information in the supply chain, the optimization of the supply and demand configuration and promotion of price advantage.