Abstract

In 2018, despite knowing about the growing demand requirements for its mid-range apparel products in the North American market, the management of Adidas failed to source the required products from its suppliers spread across the Asian region on time. Adidas outsourced its manufacturing requirements across the globe to different partners. The present case provides an insight into the concept of responsive supply chains, their needs and their features. It also illustrates how Adidas’ production processes were unable to meet demand and the initiatives taken by the company to ensure products reached the customers on time.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• What are responsive supply chains?
• How can a responsive supply chain be developed?

Keywords

Adidas supply chain; supply constraints; mid-range apparel; manufacturing outsource; global suppliers; responsive supply chains