Components can be ordered just when required and a massive reduction in the traditional stockpiling, associated with traditional supply chains in the car industry, can be achieved. 当汽车零件调配成为一种必需,而且在汽车工业中,与传统供应链相辅相成的传统贮存的大量减少就能够实现。 Ford at the end of the 1990s was investing $400 million in its UK dealers and European plants to implement this scheme and aimed to cut the ‘order-to-delivery’ time to only fifteen days from six weeks, as was the case in 1992.福特公司在20世纪90年代末期将4亿美元投入英国及欧洲市场,贯彻执行这一计划,旨在将“订单交货”时间从6周削减为15天,1992年就发生了这样的事。8.4 Selecting intermediaries 8.4 选择中间物There are several important issues that can help a manufacturer to assess the relative merits of potential partners: 以下几点比较重要,有助于制造商评定潜在合作伙伴的优缺点• financial position; 财务状况• depth and width of product lines carried; 生产线具有的广度和深度• whether competitive lines are carried; 生产线是否具有竞争性• evidence of marketing, sales, and promotional ability; 市场,销售,提升能力的外在迹象如何。• approach to order processing and fulfilment; 订单的处理和履行情况如何• capability and or/willingness to invest in IT (e.g.EDI);是否愿意 和/或 有能力 在IT上面投资 (如,电子数据交换)• reputation within the industry; 业界声誉• reputation in local, national, and international markets; 在本地、国家、国际市场上的声誉• willingness to share data;是否愿意数据共享 • capability in technical and support servicing (if relevant). 技术支持服务能力如何(如果相关)Not surprisingly, these are very similar to the comparable list of intermediary requirements for their partners that were listed earlier. 这些与之前罗列对他们的合作伙伴的要求之条款相似,这并不奇怪 A number of methods can be devised for evaluating potential channel partners, in terms of their likely contribution. 就这些潜在的合作伙伴可能做出的贡献而言,可以设计出许多方法来评估他们One method for selecting wholesale representatives has been developed by Marshall and Siegler (1993) and is outlined in Box 11.1. 1993年,Marshall和Siegler发扬光大了其中一种如何挑选批发商代表的方法,在Box11.1中有讲述。The exercise is not easy. 联系并非容易While it may be possible to obtain a relatively accurate picture of an intermediary's financial position, it becomes more difficult to judge such factors as enthusiasm, managerial capability, or willingness to upgrade existing facilities. 当对准确了解一个中转商的财政状况(这种情况)变成可能后,判断一些因素诸如他热心的程度、管理的能力,或是否愿意升级当前的硬件就变得更加困难。Judgement has to be used in interpreting results.评判不得不用于解释结果。