Personal systems and print powerhouse
HP ’ s supply chain scale
HP INC .
about how we manage our suppliers and customers . Cash is king and there are times where this is as important as cost reductions .”
Personal systems and print powerhouse
The ultimate consequence of continuous supply chain improvement is that HP can now deliver to customers its best ever product portfolio . It is the worldwide leader in commercial PCs , workstations and printing , and outright leader for all PCs and printing in EMEA .
Add to this renowned graphics solutions and rapidly-growing 3D printing prowess , and it becomes clear that the supply chain requirements to fulfil this stature are formidable .
Schmitz explains : “ Although we have just two distinct franchises , the variety of products and consequent supply chain needs are huge . Within printing we start with volume printers and corresponding supplies , and end up with graphics solutions and now 3D printers . A 20-metre long printing press will require a very different supply chain compared to an ink cartridge that we sell millions of every year . Within Personal Systems we have high volume PCs and customised solutions , to high end workstations and accessories , which require targeted supply chain solutions .”
HP ’ s supply chain scale
To grasp an idea of the sheer scale of the supply chain operation required to keep HP ’ s global engine room running , Schmitz breaks down oftcited annual numbers into facts and figures by the minute . Every 60 seconds the company ships 35 PCs , 26 printers and 280 ink and toner cartridges into more than 100 countries in Europe , Middle East and Africa – a supply chain which does not sleep .
“ We can talk about billions of dollars and millions of units over the course of a year , but something more tangible to grasp the scale of HP ’ s supply chain is to picture what we ship in a single minute ,” Schmitz says . “ This is operating 24 / 7 and needs to be active 365 days a year .”
80 March 2017