Richlu Manufacturing and Richardson International

Post-Interview Report

Richlu Manufacturing is a sportswear manufacturer founded in 1939, and heavily invests in designing and manufacturing high-quality insulated outerwear. Its products are sold under various brand labels including work hose, tough duck, golden goose, and work kind among others (Company-Listing, 2020; Tough Duck, 2020). Richlu serves global clients, with major regions including Europe, the United States, New Zealand, and Japan (Company-Listing, 2020). Richardson International is the leading agribusiness in Canada, dealing with food processing and manufacturing (Richardson International, 2020). The international company serves clients globally, which is the major reason for investing heavily in global logistics and transportation. For businesses looking for expansion strategies or exploring new markets, seeking business dissertation help can get them the most reliable guidance.

The responsibilities under comparison are logistics manager at Richlu and logistics coordinator at Richardson. These responsibilities are undertaken by Ricky Doug and Allison Garvie respectively, and have more similarities than differences. Both individuals are charged with ensuring that inventory is effectively managed, transportation processes are well managed, and streamlined to reduce costs. Furthermore, the two positions also deal with the facilitation of receipt and delivery of products and managing and reviewing freight and transportation costs and rates (Juttner, Peck, & Christopher, 2010; Mordor Intelligence, 2019). Additionally, both responsibilities should ensure that employees in their departments are well managed and developed. Despite the many similarities, a logistics coordinator is more involved with the finer details of receiving raw materials and coordinating all the shipment of the said materials, but further coordinates the shipment and delivery of finished products. This is different from a logistics manager, whose scope does not, in most cases, include dealing with the finished products. At Richlu, Ricky Doug mainly plays the role of a human resources expert by ensuring that employees in his department are well-managed and that all rules and regulations as well as laws regarding labour are observed, especially to avoid involvement in forced and trafficked labour (Suhrawardi, 2019). Furthermore, he ensures that their apparel logistics are well coordinated, especially by partnering with and managing manufacturers and suppliers, and maintaining constant communication with customers. Regarding Richardson, Allison Garvie, the logistics coordinator, mainly ensures the effective coordination of all logistics activities including shipment, receipt, and delivery of raw materials and finished products. Furthermore, he looks at quality assurance through closely monitoring and managing suppliers/manufacturers. Despite the differences, both positions are charged with the role of streamlining transportation processes to reduce costs and thus realise wide margins (Juttner, Peck, & Christopher, 2010; Mordor Intelligence, 2019). Consequently, it is important to note that effective planning, especially in organising and managing both financial and human resources, is heavily involved in ensuring that both the two positions discharge their responsibilities and roles effectively and successfully (Suhrawardi, 2019).

To conclude, the lessons learnt as regards logistics are that effective planning is a must if one wants to achieve positive results. Furthermore, coordination of the available resources in a manner that maximises success and reduces costs is crucial. This is also achieved trough streamlining all transportation processes, which ensures that the input costs are minimised. Consequently, it is clear that logistics is a key part of any organisation, and the failure of this department has severe implications on operations costs, and can adversely affect profit margins.

References

Company-Listing (2020). Richlu Sportswear Winnipeg Pants & Sportswear Mfg. Ltd. Retrieved on 22nd February 2020 from:

Juttner, U., Peck, H., & Christopher, M. (2010). Supply chain risk management: outlining an agenda for future research. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 6(4): 197-210. DOI

Mordor Intelligence (2019). Apparel logistics market- growth, trends, and forecast (2020 - 2025). Retrieved on 22nd February 2020 from:

Richardson International (2020). About us. Retrieved on 22nd February 2020 from:

Suhrawardi, R. (2019). The big issues facing fashion in 2019. Retrieved on 22nd February 2020 from:

Tough Duck (2020). Tough Duck: For those who get it done. Retrieved on 22nd February 2020 from:

Looking for further insights on Procurement and Acquisitions Management? Click here.