Good Case Study On Dole: Buying From Vendors Around The World

Dole: Buying from Vendors around the World

How does Dole maintain the highest quality in its products?
Dole is able to maintain the highest quality products buy going into partnerships with reliable vendors and producers. They implement the business to business buying process. Dole has 7000 independent growers all over the world. Dole representatives choose vendors and producers who are able to meet the strict quality standards of the company. Dole gives precise and concise specifications for their products. Their growers are under the supervision of Dole and they are required to grow exclusively for Dole. Dole also trains their people so that they are able to enforce the quality required for each Dole product.
Vendor performance analysis is conducted regularly to check whether they meet the Dole standards and if they don’t, their contract will no longer be renewed. In addition to vendor performance, Dole also gives importance on feedback from customers to ensure that they are satisfied with their products.

Why are firm delivery dates so important to Dole?

Firm delivery dates are so important to Dole because if their products are not on the shelves, it would mean lost sales for them. Dole products should be in the stores when the customer needs them. Since their products come from different parts of the world and shipping takes a long time for products to reach the shelves, it is essential that delivery dates are fixed and not flexible. Firm delivery dates would also mean that Dole products arrive on time and in perfect condition. If delivery dates are not exact, the products sold in the market might no longer be fresh and of sub-standard quality, which is the last thing that Dole would want.
Since Dole’s products are fruits and vegetables which have varied growth cycles, it is crucial for Dole that all year round these products are available in the market. The image of Dole will be tarnished if consumers want their products, yet they are not available because of failed delivery dates. Aside from the high quality of Dole’s products, reliability is also one of its competitive advantage, which they cannot sacrifice.

References

Dole Food Company, Inc. (2015). Timeline- history. Retrieved from dole.com: http://www.dole.com/Company-Info/Timeline
McGraw-Hill Irwin. (2008). Business to business - Featuring Dole.