Describe the challenges faced by the company. What were the drivers for change to the supply chain?
The strong competition in the home appliance market, alongside customers’ increased demand sophistication, created the premises for Whirlpool to change its supply chain structure and organization. Looking at Porter’s five forces framework, the main forces that impacted Whirlpool’s supply chain redesign were the intensity of the industry rivalry and the bargaining power of consumers (Porter, 1985). As the case study informs, Whirlpool Corporation needed to transform its supply chain so that it could better satisfy its customers through improved quality of its products and services (“Whirlpool Supply Chain”, n.d.). With this market requirement, the company addressed the ...