Every Australian or overseas visitors in Australia Essay Example

many of its acquired stores, including the opening of the first 1st Choice Liquor Superstore in Tooronga, Victoria.

In 2007, Wesfarmers acquired Coles for over $20 billion, making it the largest takeover in Australian history (Coles 2012). The acquisition marked the beginning of a new phase for Coles, with Ian McLeod appointed as the new managing director. McLeod, who had prior experience with organizations such as Wal-Mart, immediately began assembling a team of skilled individuals to drive change within Coles (Korporaal 2008, Coles 2012).

Under McLeod's leadership, Coles underwent both physical and managerial transformations. Wesfarmers implemented a new organizational structure and McLeod introduced a mix of democratic and participative management styles to drive success (Coles 2012).

During the interviews, it was revealed that McLeod set up an internal "Ask Ian" function for employees to communicate with him. In addition, McLeod's experience in various department stores allowed him to participate in certain changeovers at Coles. Wesfarmers reformed the organizational structures of Coles to the matrix model, which combines line and functional structures. This structure, although complex, is resilient to change. McLeod's team had unique skills and experience to handle different situations, so utilizing both line and functional departments maximized outcomes for Coles (Korporaal 2008, Coles 2012). The reformatting of Coles by McLeod and his team was a great success. Coles now focuses on budgeted households as its major customer group, which enhances the power of its brand products.

Research carried out by Coles on households working within a budget revealed that many families grapple with preparing meals without triggering financial hardship. Consequently, they initiated a triumphant $10 dinner campaign in partnership with a renowned Australian chef. Nonetheless, the influence of

the populace should not be underestimated. According to Coles' community report, there are more than 18 million customer transactions happening every week in Australia – an impressive record. The total number of team members at Coles is 102,520, where 59% are permanent staff members. Out of these employees, females make up 56%, while males constitute 44%. In terms of work distribution: about 93.4% of workers function within the stores and around 6.6% serve in logistics and store support roles. Since it was bought over by Wesfarmers towards the end of 2007, various brands and products have been introduced by Coles.

Currently, the Coles brand encompasses a range of supermarkets including Coles and Bi-Lo, as well as Coles Express, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars and Spirit Hotels. In addition to broadening its portfolio of brands, Coles has concentrated on developing superior private label products that provide consumers with more options and advantages. Coles' product lines are divided into five categories: Coles Finest, Coles Brand, Coles SmartBuy, Coles Organic and Coles Green Choice. Given the vast array of products and brands under its umbrella, it is essential for Coles to maintain an advanced system to manage its supply chain logistics efficiently (Coles 2012). The term 'supply chain structure' pertains to the network of businesses or entities participating in production processes and delivering goods or services from origin to end-users (Sandeep & Ashish Kumar 2007). As a sizeable conglomerate operating in Australia's market space, Cole's distribution system is not only comprehensive but also highly flexible. Unlike other enterprises in the field that rely on conventional systems for managing merchandise flow across their respective networks; Cole's boasts an

exceptional distribution system comprising fifty-two centres based throughout Australia. This companywide operation can be broadly classified into three distinct sections depending upon the types of goods involved as well as delivery speed requirements: general commodity distribution; grocery items plus frozen food delivery; along with fresh produce distribution.

Furthermore, the enterprise takes into account economy and efficiency requirements. The general distribution centre distributes goods at a 26% slower turnaround speed, while the rapid distribution centre processes goods at a 70% faster turnaround speed. Additionally, the supplier directly distributes 4% of goods to the store. (Alan 2004)
Coles Company has chosen to outsource its logistics to Lin-Fox Company, which works with over 1000 suppliers. These suppliers deliver goods to Coles warehouses using Lin-Fox trucks. Suppliers and manufacturers obtain goods from packaging suppliers locally and internationally. Coles primarily purchases food and products from suppliers, manufacturers, and farmers. Additionally, Coles operates its own production line. Some goods are purchased in bulk and stored in a large central warehouse.

The responsibility of a distribution center is to distribute goods. Stores place orders, and a team picks stock off the shelves and packs them onto cages. These cages are then loaded onto a truck and distributed to stores. The stock is organized based on the FIFO (first in, first out) system. Customers can purchase goods from the stores. Coles also caters to online customers, who can place orders and receive delivery within 24 hours. These customers include both business and private customers. Previously, this delivery service was handled by Lin Fox Company, but now Coles has its own team handling deliveries.