AN APPRAISAL OF PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION POLICY

AN APPRAISAL OF PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION POLICY (A CASE STUDY OF YOYO PURE WATER ENUGU STATE)
 
ABSTRACT
This study focused on the impact of physical distribution policies on pure water.  A case study of Yoyo pure water. To carry out the research work, some of the following objectives were set out. To determine if consumers are satisfied with the distribution policies adopted by Yoyo pure water in Enugu metropolis. To determine the impact of distribution on the profitability of Yoyo pure water company. To offer solutions and suggestions on how to tackle and alleviate distribution problems identified. Based on these, four hypothesis were formulated data were sourced using questionnaire.  Extensive literature review on past work, text books, journals on the area of study were carried out. Bourley’s formula was used to determine the sample size of the customers while a census of the staff was carried out. The data collected were presented on statistical tables, analyzed and interpreted while the research hypothesis was tested using chi – square. From the analysis, the following findings were made: That Yoyo company make their products readily available to their customers. That the distribution policies of Yoyo pure water company lead to increased customers patronage and impact positively on the profit of the company. Based on this, the following recommendations were made. That the company should continue improving on their distribution policies. That the company should also maintain good and efficient services to it’s customers. That the company, should continuously monitor the marketing environment so as to ensure continued relevance of its distribution policies on serving the market efficiently and effectively.
 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1       BACKGROUND OF STUDY.
Many people have myopic ideas about distribution they misconstrue it as a strategy, which applies only to manufacturing and marketing.In these days of rapidly changing needs and business circumstances it is important that Yoyo worker/staff/management should thoroughly appreciate the importance of distributions and reliance to the services. As satchet water industries relies on distribution for it survival and profitability, it is inevitable that it should develop and resilience to adopt the changing economic of its customers, which are becoming more sophisticated and complicated.
Provision of satchet water in Nigeria is faced by myriads of problems ranging from inadequate extension service, poor input distribution high cost of labour etc. however, the most serice but often the most neglected is the distribution and marketing.
To understand fully what distribution of satchat water service means to customer one has to forest understand the meaning of distribution in general, distribution is not only to loading, unloading and movement of finished goods form the producer to their final destinations. The present demands, its this areas of marketing cannot be easily understood unless one looks at the various activities involved in distribution.
Producers of goods and service made product available to their customer through various avenues called channels of distribution. This term owes its origin according to Zikmunal etal (P.312) to a French word for earn, thus suggesting a path through which something moves. Channels of distribution all, therefore the routes or paths through which goods and services pass as they move from their producers or manufactures to their buyers. They can be viewed, according to stern and his colleagues (stan etal: 1982, P.3) as sets of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption
Though their is need to satisfy the customers need there is also a need to make profit for the existence of yoyo industry. The main objective of distribution is to provide goods and service available to customers distribution also involves the strength and weakness of the company.
Proper distribution implies providing the right services at the right time, at the right price at the at the right customers and in the right place.
1.2              STATEMENT OF PROBLEM.
This study is centred on the distribution of satchet water for this  business to survive. It must be prepared to uphold the distributions concept of the supremacy of the distributions concept of the supremacy of the customer. Upholding the supremacy of the consume involve identification and satisfaction of specified needs.
The needs and wanted of customers have got to be cleanly and subsequently satisfied by designing the services that at least approximates to the customer derives.
The following problems are discovered.
1.                  The industry has not realized the importance of distribution in their activities and its rarely carried.
2.                  The industry rarely uses expert hands in marketing their services.
1.3              OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
In the light of the identified problems of the satchet water industry as defined above, the study aim critically at the yoyo pure water with a view to discovering the specific problem of the industry, especially in the area of consumer orientation and consequently, advising management on how to improve distribution devices to satisfy customers needs efficiently and so ensure the survival of the business units that make up the industry. Based on this, the following are specific objectives the research is designed to achieve:-
1.                  To evaluate the distributions practice of satchet services industries.
2.                  To know if and there are prospers for greater productivity in the services offered to the public.
3.                  To know effective distribution, is on consumer patronage.
4.                  To estimate in advantages or disadvantages to the customers.
5.                  Finally to investigate the prospect of reducing the problems of in adequacies of tools and machineries.
1.4       FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS:
The formulated hypothesis in the study include:-
Ho:      Consumers are not satisfied with the quality of services as presently offered by the satchet water industry.
Hi:       Consumers are satisfied with the quality of services as presently offered by the satchet water industry.
Ho2:    The distribution network of YoYo satchet water inefficient
Ho2:    The distribution network are efficient
Ho3:    The choice of satchet water is not influence it’s availability.
Ho3:    The choice of satchet water is influenced by it’s availability.
1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:
The result of this work will substantially help management of Yoyo to be aware of the type of services their customers desire to obtain any obstacles there.  This awareness is of great importance as it will enable them to attract and machtain sufficient customer patronage to ensure profitable operations through the adoption of the distribution concept.
The prospective satchet water will also benefit from the research since it will afford him as knowledge of the problem inherent in satchet water business that is likely to encounter and help them to avoid them.  Furthermore, the research exercise entails.
This work can also be useful to prospective satchet water by serving as a guide in decision making if new eventually go into satchat water business.
Finally the research will lead to increase outelligence of the workers on the field to satchet water business.
1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY:
This research work look at the physical distribution policy of the research is going to focus only in Yoyo pure water Enugu.
1.7       DEFINITION OF TERMS:
1.                  Channels of distribution – goods and services available to their customer.
2.                  marketing strategic – defines the broad principal or comprehensive plan of action by which the business unit expect to achieve it’s marketing objective on a target market (Etgel 1997:330)
3.                  Physical distribute – this is the movement of raw materials or finished goods from the product plant to the target consumer (Ebue 1996:92)
4.                  Problem is the phenomenon that is occurring why research is being out.