Seven-Eleven says it can keep abreast of these partly by keeping an eye on the weather. The reports also compare today s temperature with yesterday s. The same 10 C can feel very different depending on whether it was 1 C or 20 C the day before. This is critical for predicting food purchases, points out Mr Usui. Finally, Seven-Eleven s electronic investment has also improved the efficiency of its supply chain.
Orders flow quickly.
Those sent in by 10am, for delivery after 4pm, are electronically processed in less than seven minutes. They are sent to 230 distribution centres that work exclusively for Seven-Eleven. Truck drivers carry cards with bar codes that are scanned into store computers when they arrive with a delivery. If a driver is often late, the operator will review his route and might add another truck to lighten the load. In the same way, Seven-Eleven also helps vendors and manufacturers to control their inventories.