Purchasing and supply chain: BIC Company

Résumé du document

The group's history began in 1945 BIC while Marcel Bich and Edouard Buffard mount a factory spare part for pens in Clichy. In 1950, BIC Cristal pen is launched: it went on to sell hundreds of billions of copies. BIC is expanding internationally in 1950 (Italy, Brazil, United Kingdom, United States and Scandinavia) by buying foreign subsidiaries (Waterman Pen Biro Swan). BIC arrived in Japan and Mexico in 1965 and launched in 1973 lighters and razors in 1975. During its development, the BIC group explores new markets (coloring, sport, correction pens, adhesive labels) through the acquisition of companies such as Sheaffer, Pimaco Tipp-Ex or Antalis.

It also continues its expansion in Eastern Europe and Asia, through partnerships, for example with Cello Pens in India.
Activities include BIC stationery, lighters, shavers, promotional products and other products such as BIC kayak or BIC Sport Phone (launched in 2008).

Present in 160 countries, BIC is a world leader in the market for pocket lighters and European leader in stationery. He moved up to second place on the market for razors in America and Europe and employs approximately 10,500 people worldwide.

The economic model of BIC Group is the production and marketing of mass consumer products universal, mainly disposable, good quality and low price. Every day 5 million lighters, 10 million razors and 24 million stationery items from BIC Group are sold all around the world. 80.5% of BIC products are made in BIC factories.

Extraits

[...] Indeed, BIC products require the purchase of raw materials, such as plastic, resin oil, gas, palladium . These main raw materials are also listed, which can affect the operating result of mismanagement of the company. To optimize its investments and purchases of raw materials, the BIC group must therefore make a good analysis of the demand of its customers. To determine whether the company BIC adopted during the period studied strategy based on these constraints upstream, it should study the various inventory turns. [...]

[...] Time horizon: - Short term: BIC has to forecast its employee numbers. Indeed, when the demand is stronger, BIC needs more people in its factories. That's why BIC has to establish a timetable for each factory which is depending on the demand (employees can work more but can't work less anyway). BIC also has to forecast the production in order to optimize the utilization of the machines (to save money) but also for the transportation of the final product (save money and minimize the ecological footprint). [...]

[...] There are 3 units of production in this factory: BIC Cristal, BIC Orange, M10 and spares: Production of needed elements (beads, ink, plastic) The assembly of the pen Packaging Pens are sent to the distributors Chapter II Supply chain Strategic management of the BIC Supply chain: EFFICIENT BIC coordinate their flows of materials and services in order to minimize inventory and maximize efficiency. The demand of pens is predictable and the products are stable. The priority is to produce at low cost. It's a full pull-based supply chain (make-to-order). [...]

[...] It also continues its expansion in Eastern Europe and Asia, through partnerships, for example with Cello Pens in India. Activities include BIC stationery, lighters, shavers, promotional products and other products such as BIC kayak or BIC Sport Phone (launched in 2008). Present in 160 countries, BIC is a world leader in the market for pocket lighters and European leader in stationery. He moved up to second place on the market for razors in America and Europe and employs approximately 10,500 people worldwide. [...]

[...] The whole is then assembled on an acetal copolymer machine. o The inks are developed and manufactured locally from solvents, resins, dyes and additives o The pen cartridge is manufactured from plastics material around a hot compressed coil o Silos outside plant store plastics beads required for the manufacture of sleeves of pens: the clip, the toothed wheel, the tappet body, the cover and the cartridge. Bic Cristal pen is composed of 7 elements (counting the ball crimped onto the tip, and the spring) all produced in the plant Bic 2000. [...]