| # Standard (STA) Standard product-driven processes occur when items and services are offered to the market without the possibility for the customer to modify features or appearance. Because no customization takes place, products with similar characteristics can sometimes be found from other sources. To compensate, the subsequent high tendency to shift suppliers, market differentiators are proposed. In this often highly competitive environment, immediate availability, low price, complex promotion programs, as well as generic or customer-specific, value-added services (VAS) are the key business drivers. An extremely high number of demands from multiple geographical areas are supplied through a highly repetitive process with a very short expected lead-time from available stock, or direct deliveries, from manufacturing or supplier sources. Distribution control is directed towards a diverging flow. Based on standard characteristics with customer influence, multiple products are supplied from few sources in large quantities, to be quickly spread over a large number of demands with low quantities. Emphasis lies on inventory deployment and availability/cost balanced control, from quick delivery with value added service to large number of demands. |