Supply Chain Management Essays (Examples)

Supply Chain Management
Founded in 1903, Ford Motor Company now manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. Ford employs about 164,000 people in about 70 plants worldwide. The company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. According to Ford's corporate website, in 2010 Ford earned $6.6 billion, their highest net income in more than 10 years.

In 2010 Ford launched 24 new or redesigned vehicles in key markets around the world. Ford expects 70% of its growth in the next 10 years to come from its Asia Pacific and Africa region. By 2014 at least 80% of the vehicles sold under the Ford brand globally will be built off 13 core platforms. By bringing suppliers into the development process earlier, Ford hopes to generate a healthier and more efficient supply chain.

The recession had at least one positive effect for Ford: it forced them to closely examine their supply chains, analyze their assumptions, and…

Supply Chain
There are a lot of benefits of supply chain management, to the point where it is absurd to ask what they are. What benefits are there of not engaging in supply chain management? None. So the reverse is also true. Supply chain management, among other things, ensures that you get the products/materials you need on time, on cost and to spec. While this obviously enhances the firm's value, it also enhances customer value. Customers get products at a lower cost, with fewer delays, and also to spec. The benefits of supply chain management are often passed onto the customers to help the firm gain competitive advantage.

Supply chain integration reflects the process by which the supply chain system is integrated with the demand system. An example would be a retail store that sees demand for snow shovels in advance of a blizzard, and the integrated system ensure that manufacturers can…

G. eza Nasiri, Hamid Davoudpour, & Behrooz Karimi. (2010). The impact of integrated analysis on supply chain management: a coordinated approach for inventory control policy. Supply Chain Management, 15(4), 277-289.

Link: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1865246&show=pdf

The concept of the demand-driven supply network (DDSN) and its implications on inventory control and management are discussed in this analysis, along with examples being shown of how these objectives can be achieved despite uncertainty in key markets. This analysis also includes insights into how integrated supply chain programs and initiatives can be used for creating an entire DDSN framework which can cut inventory cycle times significantly from existing orders and create more effective frameworks for managing new ones.

obert A Novack, & Douglas J. Thomas. (2004). The Challenges of Implementing the Perfect Order Concept. Transportation Journal, 43(1), 5-16.

Link: http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/114593329.html

The concept of the perfect order is predicated on having the right product in stock at the right time to fulfill the…

Managing Supply Chain
Managing the supply chain

The organization that I work for deals in interior finish of houses with the range of services being the floor finishes, plumbing works and sanitary ware, home furniture and office furniture as well as curtains. The outsourcing levels within this organization run to close to 70-75% of the goods and services. In as much as there are some materials that are manufactured by the company, most of them are outsourced. Once the tenders are secured for making a final fine finish to a given block of offices, the company often outsources the skills and manpower from the companies that deal in these interior finish and decorations. The company also outsources for the skilled manpower that helps in the assembly of furniture that is delivered to the homes or offices where they secure orders. Even though the company has a few transportation vehicles that helps in…

Supply Chain Management
Hypothesis defined

Concepts of SCM and the evolution to its present day form

Critical factors that affect SCM

Trust

Information sharing and Knowledge management

Culture and elief -- impact on SCM

Global environment and Supply Chain management

"Social" and "soft" parameter required for SCM

Uncertainties

This chapter aims to give an outline and scope of the study that will be undertaken in this work. The study lays out the issues faced by manufacturing organizations when it comes to the management of supplies, inventory, operations and distribution. Any study that can help organizations understand the factors that impact the management of these resources in an organization is beneficial. This chapter also contains the purpose and the hypothesis of this study.

Purpose of this study organization, big or small, is driven by the need to generate profits for its stakeholders. As a result, these organizations are constantly looking for new ways to increase their profitability. While management concepts have been…

Supply Chain Management
Purchasing and Supply Management: A Key to Competitive Advantage

Purchasing and supply management is an essential function of any business. egardless of the size of the business, or the product are service that they offer, every business depends on some type of supply in order to produce goods or services. If supplies do not arrive on time, the business could be it a standstill. This not only means lost money and lost time, but it also means angry customers and potentially lost business. This research will support the thesis that purchasing and supply management play a significant role in customer relations and maintaining competitive advantage.

Definition of Purchasing and Supply Management

Purchasing and supply management means placing attention on the procedures and policies of the organization in the acquisition of goods with which to produce their products. According to Johnson, Leenders, & Flynn (2010), many academics are only concerned with the…

Supply chain management careful attention paid process sees materials, information, finances move supplier manufacturer wholesaler retailer consumer. Supply chain management focuses efficiently effectively coordinating flows supply chain process companies.
Supply chain management

True or false: Coca-Cola's experience with inventory forecasting supports the principles set forth by CPF

The modern day economic agents function in a more and more dynamic business environment, in which they have to simultaneously serve the growing needs of numerous categories of stakeholders, such as customers, employees, business partners, the general public and so on. In such a setting, the firms devise and implement a wide array of methods and strategies by which to serve these needs and to also maximize their chances of attaining their pre-established business goals.

Given this complex setting, companies across the globe turn to supply chain management as a mechanism of integrating all actors which ensure the efficient creation of the products and their reaching the…

"Wal-Mart has the biggest IT systems of any private company in the world and supply chain Wal-Mart has made important investments in supply chain management" (Why Wal-Mart's supply chain is so successful, n.d.).
Wal-Mart's way of doing business is founded on a low price approach and low transportation expenses which permit it sell its products at the lowest achievable prices. "In return for its Everyday Low Price Strategy, Wal-Mart's suppliers, both large and small, either break even or make profit supplying at Wal-Mart's stores. But the real winners are Wal-Mart's customers who save thousands of dollars buying at low prices. Since Wal-Mart stores began selling groceries almost three dozen regional grocery suppliers have struggled to match or simply run out of business. On average Wal-Mart's annual sales are $350 billion and it has more than 7,000 stores, 120 distribution centers and operations spanning fifteen countries. Nearly two million employees at…

Second, greater education about the values and benefit of this approach to managing projects needs to be completed (Brady, Maylor, 2010). Third, the inertia and lack of motivation to change needs to be quantified and shown to managers to see how their lack of commitment and urgency are hurting their businesses. All of these factors center on the value of time and its precious nature as a resource (Brady, Maylor, 2010).
eferences

Brady, T., & Maylor, H.. (2010). The improvement paradox in project contexts: A clue to the way forward? International Journal of Project Management, 28(8), 787.

Casamatta, C., & Guembel, a.. (2010). Managerial Legacies, Entrenchment, and Strategic Inertia. The Journal of Finance, 65(6), 2403.

Jacobs, obert, & Chase, ichard. (2010). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Upper Saddle iver, NJ: McGraw Hill Higher Education. 13th Edition.

What is the difference between statistical process control (SPC) and statistical quality control (SQC)?

The goal of statistical process…

This shift in responsibility that a payoff can force over time needs to be dealt with from a business process management and change management standpoint over the long-term (Jacobs, Chase, 2010). By concentrating on the unique requirements and needs of the internal stakeholders, payoff analysis can be profitable and productive over the long-term.
eferences:

Juan Alberto Aragon-Correa, & Enrique a ubio-Lopez. (2007). Proactive Corporate Environmental Strategies: Myths and Misunderstandings. Long-ange Planning, 40(3), 357.

Jacobs, obert, & Chase, ichard. (2010). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Upper Saddle iver, NJ: McGraw Hill Higher Education. 13th Edition.

MacMinn, ichard D., & Han, Li-Ming. (1990). Limited Liability, Corporate Value, and the Demand for Liability Insurance. Journal of isk and Insurance, 57(4), 581.

6. What strategies are used by supermarkets, airlines, hospitals, banks, and cereal manufacturers to influence demand?

There is an abundance of strategies used by retailers and members of distribution channels, healthcare providers, service providers and consumer packaged…

In addition to this, the company is pressured into reducing the time in which the product will be recalled, the situation will be analyzed, and the items in case will be replaced with proper ones.

The pressure exerted by the public is also very important for the company in handling the product recall. The company must ensure that the public does not turn against the company. In order to achieve this, it is important to communicate with the customers the details of the product recall process.

7. In terms of accountability, contracts represent only a small part of the process. But negotiating a good contract does not suffice (Ernst & Young, 2009). In addition to this, specialists in the field state that metrics must be measured, and customers should also be held accountable in certain situations.

eference list:

1. Factbox -- Johnson & Johnson's recent product recalls (2010). euters. etrieved August 15, 2010 from…

Standardization of the longest lead-time parts and those with the highest variable costs are essential for manufacturers to stay profitable. Standardization also needs to be dictated by the implications for suppliers of key parts and subassemblies. Standardizing on long lead-time items that also have little demand variability would be the best decision.
Based on your knowledge and/or experience of Total Cost of Ownership (TOC), discuss what you think are the two most critical components of TOC.

Total Cost of Ownership's most critical areas are the recurring costs over the lifetime of an asset and the services strategies to minimize these costs. The second most critical component is the planning prior to development or manufacture to ensure that maintenance for the asset or system is as high in terms of reliability as possible (Heilala, Montonen, Helin, 2007). It is also critical on this second point to engineer in a low time to…

This dynamic is more than an experience effect or network effect, as it is multiplicative across the many members of the supplier network, in effect creating an entirely new platform for sharing knowledge and information. The reliance on analytics for creating the necessary integration links and platforms for decision making also dominate this phase of maturity in any supply chain network (Wang, Huang, Dismukes, 2004).
With the findings that what gets measured dictates the culture of an organization as much as how information is shared across the network, the development of an effective DDSN framework can begin. The initial steps of creating a common set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics first needs to be completed, and the integration points across each area also defined. Third, there is the need for defining the idealized state of metrics performance followed by a best practices benchmark for comparable supply chain networks.…

Though it is not entirely necessary for the approach taken to be a novel one, the research here will consider that there are yet undetermined impacts on the merchant of such a system. Thus, a second part of this methodology will be focused upon once the literature review has provided us with sufficient data to surmise a framework for the automated system. As this automation would impact the ordering systems used by merchants outside of Imperial Tobacco, it will be important to gather feedback from such vendors. They will be asked through survey to cite pros and cons to the prospect of automated online ordering, which would likely be effective once a merchant signed to the program reached a certain inventory minimum.

As to current and unresolved issues on the subject, the input of merchants should supplement the literature review in order to demonstrate a clear course of action that will…

This lack of tust within the supply chain has a ippling effect acoss the flow of goods and sevices, and should theefoe be addessed with a high degee of pioity. Tust must be built though a pocess of egula communication acoss the supply chain, which includes all paties involved in the flow of goods.
Communication can be established by a vaiety of means. In addition to electonic communication, face-to-face communication via meetings is also a good idea. Tust is easie to establish by means of pesonal meetings, whee ideas and infomation can be shaed among the vaious stakeholdes. Tust can also be established and maintained by means of a contact stipulating that infomation is not to be shaed with paties outside the supply chain o those who do not have a diect inteest in the supply chain itself.

A long-standing elationship with supplies will also ceate a basis of tust if…

Communication was kept constant, so any problems were dealt with before they resulted in delays.
Demand forecasting

Demand forecasting is a critical aspect of World Co's success. It is essential that new product lines are responsive to the consumer's needs and desires. Both aggregate demand for the products sold by the company, as well as category-specific demand for specific types of clothing was closely monitored (aman & Fisher, 2001, pp.6-7). esponsiveness was also required to minimize wasteful production of unpopular lines of clothing and reduce the build-up of unsold inventory. Monitoring of past inventory and current sales, as well as speedy transmission of information between headquarters and the factory floor enabled demand forecasting to have a significant impact upon inventory waste reduction.

Inventory

Department store's significant impact upon sales of product lines such as Untitled meant that brands were constantly struggling for better placement within expensive retail spaces. But cost savings were achievable…

Strategic Supply Chain Management: Case Study I. Executive Summary
Strategic supply chain management consists of strategic, tactical and operational levels, wherein general planning, short-term process decision-making, and day-to-day operations are planned and executed. This case study examines the supply chain issues of Krebbler-McCray Home Products and provides recommendations together with an integration implementation and monitoring plan to address both the long and short term issues presented in the case. The report is organized in the following sections: Issues Identification, Environmental Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, Alternatives and Options, Recommendations, Implementation, and Monitor and Control. It covers the strategy and market position of the company, the supply chain decisions that have to be made, evaluation criteria, possible alternatives, quantitative and non-quantitative analysis, how the best strategy can be implemented, and how the company be know whether the strategy has been successful.
The main points of this summary are the following:
1. The issues identified consist of
a.…

Transportation Economics and ERP Implementation A Brief Summary of the Organization
Wal-Mart is an American public corporation established in 1962. The company runs a chain of warehouse stores and discount stores located across the globe. Today, Wal-Mart is the leading grocery chain internationally. The company offers a wide selection of products in their over 8000 stores worldwide (Sehgal, 2011).
The Role of Transportation Economics in Wal-Mart’s Transportation Decisions
Transportation is one of the most critical economic activities for Wal-Mart. By shifting goods from where they are sourced to locations where the demand is high, transportation is an essential logistic function that links Wal-Mart to its customers and suppliers. This activity supports the company’s economic utilities of time and place. By place, the customers must always find the goods at any given place they demand it. Time utility means that Wal-Mart must ensure that customers can access the goods whenever they need it (Sehgal, 2011).
At…

Why are you interested in the UW Foster Master of Supply Chain Management Program? How will this degree help you achieve your career goals? Ever since I started studying business administration, I became almost obsessed with the ways large firms like Amazon or Wal-Mart manage their supply chains. I would often start thinking about how I could do a better job, not with Amazon or Wal-Mart of course, but with other companies whose supply chains were not being optimized. The more I learned about supply chain management, the more I recognized that this was a line of work that I was both interested in and drawn to as a student. My personality type and traits also lend themselves to this line of work. Knowing always that I would participate in some level in managing business, I started to think more critically about exactly how I would go about contributing to the…

1. Beach, R., A.P. Muhlemann, D.H.R. Price, A. Paterson, and J.A. Sharp. Manufacturing Operations and Strategic Flexibility: Survey and Cases, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 20, 1, 2016a. This journal article outlines the need for flexible manufacturing operations throughout a supply chain. The journal emphasized globalization and its impact on the multinational organization. Here the article addresses many of the common problems associated with global supply chains and how inflexible they have become. The article calls for a much nimbler supply chain predicated on technology and constant information exchange for all stakeholder groups. This includes the suppliers, retailers, wholesalers, and customers. The article notes that constant communication through technology provides supply chains with a continuous stream of feedback and data, which can then be used to further improve efficiencies and data analytics within the organization.2. Carter, P.J., R.M. Monczka, and J. Mossconi. Looking at the Future of Supply…

Legal and Acquisition and Supply Chain Management (SCM) Issues Supply chain management is a field that continues to advance as technological advancements and globalization continue affecting the business environment. Changes in supply chain management are also attributable to the emergence of new global alliances that enable businesses to connect on various aspects of the supply chain (Association for Supply Chain Management, 2018). As supply chain management evolves, business owners, leaders, and managers face a variety of legal and other issues. Legal and acquisition and supply chain management issues characterized the modern supply chain framework. This paper examines a case study involving some legal, acquisition, and other issues relating to supply chain management. Some of the issues included in the analysis include contract formation, risk of loss, and tort liability.
Case Scenario
Smith’s Imports, a corporation registered in Florida and headquartered in Miami, ordered a shipment of wine worth $10,000 on January 2, 2015,…

Describe a recent professional or academic experience in which you have taken an active leadership role and the impact it had on your organization. One of the things I like most about the company I work for now is the organizational culture. We work in teams in a supportive environment that encourages creative thinking. My supervisors have a transformational leadership style that has rubbed off on me, helping me overcome my initial shyness. When I was given the opportunity to be in charge of the Nestle account, I knew it was my time to shine. In fact, my supervisor said exactly that when she handed over leadership of the project to me. It was the first time I was appointed team leader. My supervisor placed her trust and confidence in me, and through this experience I have been able to properly delegate responsibilities to other team members in ways that have…

Abstract A supply chain is essentially a network incorporating elements such as facilities, distribution alternatives and individuals working primarily towards procuring and transforming products in order to deliver and distribute them among prospective buyers. One may regard it as an artery which gives industrial life to a company or enterprise. Supply chain disruptions cause companies to falter and even, in the worst case, eventually shut down (Exforsys, 2010).
“Excellence” is a word employed to denote the trait of being tremendously good at doing a given task. The briefest scrutiny into what supply chain excellence implies will probably lead one to the following conclusion: excellence is delivery of the right goods, in the appropriate quantity, at minimal prices, to suitable clients at the time and place required. But this is undeniably and understandably easier said than done. Although the aforementioned definition is quite precise, the concept, in actual fact, goes deeper, entailing numerous…

Supplier Selection and Evaluation Process Steps in the Supplier Selection and Evaluation Process
Supplier selection and evaluation process consists of six different steps as follows:
The first step involves the identification of potential suppliers. At this stage, the buyer considers the competitive global economy and focuses on discovering the new viable suppliers. Moreover, it will consider issues such as the importance of discovering new suppliers, the reasons for screening the qualifications presented, the actual screening process that looks at aspects such as reference checks, surge capacity availability, and buy-in from the internal customer(s), and the creation of a supply base. In the second step, the supplier is requested to provide information about their products and or services. The information given will depend on the Request for Information (RFI), Request for Proposal (RFP), and Request for Quotation (RFQ) documents. The contractual terms between the buyer and suppliers will be stated in the third step.
The…

Supply Chain Ann
Supply Chain Management Annotated Bibliography

Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2010). Supply chain management: Strategy, planning and operation (4th ed.).Upper Saddle iver, NJ: Prentice Hall

The text by Chopra & Meindl (2010) is an excellent starting point for this discussion, primarily because it serves as a rather exhaustive introductory reading on the subject. Providing academic explanation of the basic premise of supply chain management and an extensive investigation of the strategies used for maintaining and evaluating this business dimension, the Chopra & Meindl text is a highly useful primary and frequently employed reference source on the subject.

Lee, H.L. (2002). Unleashing the power of intelligence. International Commerce eview: EC Journal, 2(1), 61-73.

The above source is well-supplemented by the article from Lee (2002), which adds a discussion about technological and practical advancement to the subject. Here, Lee identifies shifts both in capability and orientation, particularly vis-a-vis the Efficient Consumer esponse (EC) strategy…

Supply Chain Management and Concentrated Clusters
Distribution Systems

Author's Notes

Concentrated Clusters and Improvement in Supply Chain Management and firm's overall performance

Clusters are geographic concentrations which comprise of interconnected organizations or associations that manufacture products or deliver a service to a particular industry or field. Clusters are mainly a mix of companies belonging to the same industry or located in the same technological facility sharing resources like infrastructure, suppliers and distribution networks. It mainly consists of three or more companies with downstream extension to channels and customers and lateral extension complementary goods' manufacturers including companies with industries related skills, technologies and inputs (Cognizant 20-20, 2011).

Concentrated clusters have immensely wide benefits to each firm's performance, particularly performance pertaining to supply chain management efficiency. There are certain common characteristics which clusters hold and thus benefit the firms in improving their overall performance and supply chain management are; physical proximity, complementary core competencies, activity base, collective…

In addition, outsourcing is seen as one way of freeing HR professionals within the client organization from more mundane and time-consuming tasks so as to better concentrate on core competencies and provide a more consultative and strategic role (Cooke 186). Although the growth of HR outsourcing business has been dramatically facilitated by the introduction of innovations in information and communication technologies (ICT) throughout China in recent years, many companies also report an increasing use of e-HR in-house. For example, in some large Chinese organizations, employees are encouraged and even expected to use e-HR to update their personnel records as a cost-saving initiative (Cooke 186).

Based on the available evidence from secondary sources of data, the outsourcing of HR in general remains relatively limited in China; however, there are trends of the increasing use of external providers for their services such as recruitment and training (Cooke 186). According to the atson yatt's…

The Japanese retail industry has intricate processes that keep demand management and inventory and production management efficient as a hybrid process that mixes automation and manual work. Given how many of the processes in the Japanese retail industry are comprised of manual and automated approaches to coordinating and communicating, it would take years for an outsider to understand how these specific processes interrelate to each other. Another factor that would significantly limit the potential of a non-apparel chain to replicate World's supply chain is the intensive coordination it allows production workers have, including their ability to create higher levels of process innovation vs. more traditional assembly line workers. Another factor is the intricate demand forecasting and aggregate demand practices World relies on. The specific approaches to forecasting for the Untitled line is also highly specific to Japanese retailing, and could not be easily imitated by outsiders, as this process…

At the same time, it will provide the various subcontractors with specifications on how they can create the different parts. Once this occurs, it means that the overall process has been shortened from design to product implementation.
Identify slack in the activities not on the project critical path.

The different slack activities that are not on the projects critical path include: circuit, battery, display, camera and user interface designs. The slack in this part of the structure is 1. At the same time, other areas that would fall into categories that are not on the critical path include: hardware research and prototype testing. The slack for these areas are: 9 and 6. When you put these different elements together, this highlights, how there could be a possible slack that will range from 1 to 9 days. This is important, because it is underscoring possible delays and challenges that could be faced…

CPM is critically important from a supply chain management standpoint in optimizing inventory positions by location throughout a distribution channel as well (Omar, 2009). All of these factors contribute to the automating of CPM and PET through organizations who are heavily reliant on their supply chains to gain a competitive advantage. The optimization of inventory workflows using CPM and PET contribute to that competitive advantage over time. PET and CPM also can be used to measure the financial impact of these strategies over time as well. That is the future direction of EP and Web Services in manufacturing specifically.
Services Scheduling

Services scheduling is difficult due to a variety of factors. First, services are by definition a commitment of future value delivered. Completing services may take an exceptionally longer period of time than anticipated and the act of providing a service is not a finite asset; it is rather the attainment…

I. Major Factors The management of Dream Beauty Company, a manufacturer of consumer beauty supplies and cosmetics, is concerned with the increased costs of its supply chain management. The firm’s supply chain costs recently reached an all time high of $130,000, which could be attributable to various factors including additional sales and increased costs for order fulfillment. Currently, the Dream Beauty’s total order fulfillment is averagely three days despite the order size. Dream Beauty Company has received 3600 orders, provides excellent customer service, and has a discount policy for the channels it services.

II. Major Problem
Despite its highest standards of customer service and industry benchmark in order fulfillment, Dream Beauty Company is experiencing problems in increased supply chain costs and needs to examine the effectiveness of its three-day order fulfillment cycle.

III. Possible Solutions
Dream Beauty’s major problem can be addressed through several potential solutions because of the various issues in the firm’s supply…

I will equip myself with knowledge and skills to efficiently and effectively manage staff, resources and projects so that I execute my role as a supply chain manger well. I will have an extensive comprehension of supply chains, logistics and procurement processes. I will consistently employ best practices so as to increase efficiency, cut costs and improve performance while still delivering high quality results in the set timelines. I am now looking to take on a challenging new managerial role. The role will help me grow professionally and ensure I use the experience and skills I have gained throughout my career well and to make a major contribution to the organization.
Academic and Work History

I have earned a relevant undergraduate degree and also have professional experience relevant to the position sought. My career has involved working as a D2D sales representative and as a retail associate. I also own a small…

Contracting and Procurement in Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Management 5960

This paper comprehensively describes the contracting and procurement function in the supply chain management of an organization. The paper starts with an introduction to the supply chain management and proceeds by discussing the importance of contracting and procurement function for an organization. The paper also describes the whole contracting and procurement process and highlights some risks and ethical issues associated with this function.

Contracting and procurement is the acquisition of raw material, goods, or services from external suppliers or vendors. It is one of the most important functions in the supply chain management of an organization. An effective and efficient contracting and procurement is vital in achieving success in the industry and satisfying the stakeholders through manufacturing capabilities. This paper comprehensively describes the contracting and procurement process which business organizations generally follow while purchasing raw material for their business.

The contracting and procurement…

Contact Bundling Impact on Small Business Pefeence and Minoity Set Aside
Small and minoity owned businesses ae equied by law to eceive a cetain pecentage of bundled contacts which educes the amount available fo lage businesses, and often causes a buden to the small businesses.

Causes: Bundling occus because contacts ae often close enough to the same that they ae moe easily completed togethe. Howeve, some of these contacts become geate than the scope of a small o minoity business.

Impact: Small and minoity owned businesses ae often bette off not taking these lage contacts.

Reduce the bundling equiement.

Shot-tem solution: Make smalle contacts available to smalle companies at a geate ate, and educe the numbe of bundled contacts that contacting entities have to give to small companies.

Long-tem solution: Rewite the law so that small companies eceive moe of a benefit fom bundled contacts. Ensue that thee is a geogaphical equiement included, and that the…

Supply Chain Management increasingly positioned a key strategic enabler helping organisations ADD VALUE push boundaries performance" ( e-business shortens supply chain) the eport yo submit largely work-based thoughts, ideas, views, opinions words.
Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management is increasingly been positioned as a key strategic enabler helping organisations to add value and push the boundaries of performance

The modern day buyers are more and more pretentious; the organisational staff members are more and more demanding; the competitive environment is more dynamic; the legislations change and the technology evolves. Virtually, the internal and external environments of the firms are in a continuous process of change and the organisational leaders have to devise a wide array of mechanisms by which to cope with the new challenges, to take advantage of their opportunities and to limit their threats.

One important tool used in this direction is represented by Supply Chain Management. The current project as…

A comparative study of logistic operation in the military vs. commercial organization
The past two decades have witnessed drastic transformations in civilian as well as military logistical settings. The commercial sector has been transformed by mass retailing, technological advancements, deregulation impacts, supply chains, etc. which have posed challenges to the commercial logistical setting. Simultaneously, military logisticians saw the Cold War era and associated strategies, a whole new kind of enemy, evolving military employees and sustained combat maneuvers within Third-World settings (Rutner, Aviles & Cox, 2012). Both groups have encountered tough choices, in addition to being pressured to review and perfect their corresponding logistical processes. But the question of whether both have been growing at the same rate remains to be answered.

Contemporary corporations are required to simultaneously achieve reduced costs, superior quality and superior logistics performance. They are facing increasing pressures to modify their offering to address changing requirements, promote technological growth,…

4-4. Describe the Hierarchical and Matrix Organizational Design.
The hierarchical organizational theory has its roots in the command and control of the military institution. In such a structure, decision making and communication follow a top-down pattern. Employees are expected to respond to their supervisors. In a matrix design, employees have cross-functional responsibilities. Therefore, employees report to different supervisors in different departments such as logistics, marketing, and production (Murphy & Knemeyer, 2014).

4-10. Discuss The Reasons Why Logisticians Might Be Concerned With Theft.

Theft is a global issue affecting not only logisticians but also business owners and consumers alike. Nowadays, the sourcing of raw materials and manufacturing of goods happens in every corner of the globe just as the warehousing, shipping, and consumption of the finished goods. However, cargo theft can occur at any given point in between hence compromising product availability and integrity. Although their insurance provider may reimburse a company for the…

Home Depot and Management Tool
• Company background -- must include sales and employment data. Products or services provided. ize vs. major competition.

The Home Depot (NYE: HD) is the world's largest home improvement chain and the fourth-largest retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. Founded in 1978, Home Depot has about 2,500 locations in each of the 50 states as well as in the 10 provinces of ten provinces of Canada and in Mexico and China. It also operates an online company. The company's headquarters are in Cobb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta and its CEO is Francis Blake.

Home Depot targets the do-it-yourself (DIY) and professional markets with its selection of some 40,000 items, including lumber, flooring, plumbing supplies, garden products, tools, paint, and appliances. Home Depot also offers installation services for carpeting, cabinetry, and other products. (Hoover.com)

According to Forbes.com:

The Home Depot stores sell an assortment of building materials,…

Improvement at Wal-Mart Stores
How can the logistics processes be improved in your organization?

The logistic process of Wal-Mart provides results that have propelled the retail giant to the top income earning company in 2007. They are the first store to assume the first place in sales in the Fortune 500 magazine, exceeding giants in the energy sector: Chevron and Exxon Mobil; and manufacturer: General Motors. Wal-Mart's growth is based on the organizational structure established on logistic excellence, and logistics are vital. Logistics is about supply chain; having the right supply chain is no longer just an interesting opportunity. It is a survival skill. The fallacy is that Wal-Mart is in the retail business, but in reality, it is in the distribution business. Wal-Mart is obliged to bring products from the docking station to the client's doorstep in less than 72 hours and calls for the highest efficiency level in its…

Revese Logistics Tends and Pactices
Dake Nash

RLMT 401 Revese Logistics Data and Secuity Resilience -- Summe 2015

Revese Logistics Tends and Pactices

Revese Logistics (RL) entails the management of mateials fom thei points of use to the disposal o ecovey stages. In this case, focus elates the cuent pactices and tends in RL as employed in vaious oganizations. The pape addesses diffeent aspects elating to RL that include pefomance metics, etuns pocessing, and collaboation. Pesent pattens in RL emanate fom esults of typical etun pocesses. Futhe, the pape endeavos to discuss economic challenges expeienced in evese logistics and othe supply chain issues.

Intoduction

In most cases, supply chain management (SCM) eseach entails the fowad flow pocess. The pocess engages the tansfomation of aw mateials into final poducts (Dekke & Fleischmann, 2012). Futhe, the flow pocess incopoates the movement of goods fom the supplies to the end consumes. Howeve, little attention has chaacteized the evese mateial…

Managing the Supply Chain
Research an extended enterprise supply chain and identify key issues

Value driven supply chains are based on a variety of practices and assumptions. They tend to use the supply chain management to create a competitive advantage to improve a company's performance. The benefit of strategic supply chain management is seen in how an enterprise like Wal-Mart has used its supply chain to obtain an advantage over rivals. For instance, Wal-Mart excels in terms of cost and speed by erecting all domestic outlets within a day's drive of a warehouse and operating a trucking fleet. It has created economies of scale and distribution speed that peers cannot match. When K-Mart decided to compete against Wal-Mart head to head in terms of price, the sophisticated logistic system of Wal-Mart enabled it to withstand the price battle. Unfit to beat its competitor's costs and speed, K-Mart plunged into bankruptcy.

Research the industry…

Supply Chain Management Study eview
Singhry (2015) identifies a number of issues that affect supply chain management effectiveness. This identification serves as the problem or gap in literature that the study attempts to address. The problems are several, from "weak corporate technological culture" to "technological paradox" (a phrase that is not defined), and the apparent issues are technology-related (Singhry, 2015, p. 259). However, Singhry (2015) also cites the conflicting data produced by studies related to the relationship of supply chain tech and performance. The main goal of the study is to provide a guide for how to improve performance in the supply chain management area.

Singhry's research (2015) is effective in its ability to address specific issues, such as establishing a theoretical background for the study. He defines technology adequately by stating that it is a "dynamic capability" against the concept of collaboration which he posits is a "dynamic process." The point…

Supply Chain Management: Transshipment and Inventory Pooling
Transshipment and Inventory Pooling

Transshipment and inventory pooling are among the most commonly-used inventory distribution strategies. Simply stated, inventory pooling (also referred to as lateral transshipment) is the storage of a single stock of inventory at a common point, with the aim of shipping the same to different retailers in multiple markets, each with its own demand patterns (Swinney, 2011). In other words, it is the pooling together of demands from multiple geographic markets (Swinney, 2011). A perfect example of an inventory pooling arrangement is illustrated when 5,000 Cadillacs are parked at the GM regional distribution office in Ohio, awaiting shipment to different parts of the state.

Transshipment, unlike inventory pooling, takes place at the retail level. It simply can be defined as the "shipment of items between different facilities at the same level in the supply chain to meet some immediate need" (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky &…

Supply Chain Management
Intangible Qualities of a Public Transportation System

Among the intangible qualities of a public transportation system include; safety, riding comfort, ease of using the service, convenience in use and reducing stress to individual commuters and the road systems. If a public transportation system is safe from accidents and crime commuters will find them ideal for use in their day-to-day activities. Commuters' daily preference for public transportation system would make the service provision more viable and easy to maintain. Subsequently the public transport system would flourish and remain for a longer period. iding comfort comprises of availability of a sitting area while waiting, comfortable seats in the buses or commuter train and cleanliness. This attribute factors in the perception of satisfaction with the atmosphere during travel allowing commuters to embrace public transport system in their daily errands. Subsequently the public transport would have a reliable demand sufficient to sustain the…

Supply Chain Integration can have a direct impact on the financial status of a business (Afshan, 2013). Therefore, in order to better regulate and ensure a profit in business, it is essential to understand the complex nature of supply chain integration and how various relational aspects of the supplier-customer-company chain can be altered or attenuated to more positively impact the business's profitability. Thus this topic is an important research subject because it can enhance the future of business practices around the world.
Description

The research topic of this study is to identify the factors that influence supply chain effectiveness and enhance business profitability. This topic relevant especially today as the world teeters on the brink of a global recession. Supply chain integration and effectiveness is one aspect of a business dynamic that can, if properly understood and adjusted, save businesses from financial loss (Afshan, 2013; Amue, Ozuru, 2014; Kutner, 2009).

My working thesis…

role of supply chain management in the management of the product and how various concepts of supply chain management can be applied to get better results for the chosen product.
Heated crib mattress and the diaper bag with an installed camera is an innovative product and its supply chain requires a cross functional approach which includes the management of the raw materials movement into the organization, internal processes of materials and then finally delivering the goods to the final customer. The supply chain will be flexible and would focus on the core competencies of the product by reducing the costs through keeping the inventory at the minimum required level. This will increase the cost efficiency of the organization. However this is only possible if the team is able to predict the demand of the customers accurately. Daily logistics operations will be kept to minimum by increasing the number of organizations…

As is shown in the case, CCBCC begins with an intensive commitment to the initial collaborative planning phases of ensuring front end alignment with their distribution channel partners. Joint business plans ensure the company has the ability to effectively plan for spikes in demand more effectively than traditional, and less flexible means allow for. The collaborative planning phase of the CPF Model is essential for ensuring a high degree of logistics coordination and collaboration has been achieved (Bonet, 2005). The collaborative forecasting process including sales forecasting, exception management and resolving expectations, all essential for making a strategic commitment to CPF function correctly, are also evidence in the CCBCC implementation (Ireland, 2005). Finally the steps of creating and fine-tuning order forecasts, defining identifying exceptions and resolving exceptions to drive orders are also evidence in how CCBCC creates demand management workflows with the applications installed. It is very important to realize…

SCM
Supply Chain Management

An Overview of Supply Chain Management which Includes Two Recent Examples

Supply Chains as a Competitive Advantage

Apple Inc.

al-Mart's SCM

Supply chain management (SCM) stands at the forefront of operation management in most organizations. The concept of SCM involves how to transform inputs and add value to a product or service. The efficiency and effectiveness of a SCM function has a direct effect on how successfully the business can compete in the marketplace. Some of the focal points of SCM deal with how to remove communication barriers between and organization and its suppliers, how to effectively coordinate activities, monitoring progress, and controlling internal and external processes to make the production capabilities as reliable as possible.

Although there are many aspects to effectively managing a supply chain, one of the most important aspects to effectively managing a supply chain is to create better downstream visibility and coordination with suppliers. Through coordination and improved…

Supply Chain Management
Of the many processes, systems and platforms in any company, its supply chain is the most critical for continually meeting customer expectations and delivering high quality products and services. Managing supply chains so they are demand-driven and meet and exceed customer expectations is essential if a business is going succeed over the long-term and earn trust through continual, predictable execution to customer requirements (Ellinger, Shin, Northington, et.al. 2012). The challenge however is that supply chains are often very complex, multiple layers deep, requiring an intensive amount of effort to keep coordinated and synchronized while also staying aligned with rapidly changing product requirements over time. Adding in the need to launch new products quickly to attain revenue growth, and the full complexity of supply chain management becomes clear. The intent of this analysis is to evaluate the pros and cons of integrating a supply chain and specifically evaluate…

Operations Management & Supply Chain Management
The case study is touches on the development and production of a board game known as X-Opoly, a game similar to the famous monopoly. X-Opoly was the idea of two students in their first year at college who envisioned creation of a knockoff real estate game similar to monopoly. However their business underwent rapid growth and currently they expect to sell about 50,000 units. Over the period of the next five years they project increase in sales by 25% each year. The order for the games come in two distinct manners, with the first being ordering for an already existing game and the second being a new game. For a new game to be ordered for, the client and an employee in the art department normally sit down and come up with a design according to the specifications of the client. The time taken to…

Operations Management
Supply Chain Management at Dell Computer Corporation

Supply chain management systems have historically been designed to bring increasingly higher levels of automation and standardization of processes throughout supplier relationships, fulfillment, quality management and services. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century the concentration on lean supply chain performance sought to drill out every errand and unnecessary step and costs from supply chain collaboration, planning and execution (Foreman, Gallien, Alspaugh, Lopez, Bhatnagar, Teo, Dubois, 2010). This was especially the case in high technology industries including personal computers where the greater the level of standardization, the higher the level profits and lower the costs. Lean supply chain management and manufacturing was the approach Compaq took to establishing an early market share lead, yet was quickly challenged by Dell with its innovative uses of build-to-order supply chain management and rapid mass customization selling techniques (Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2005). The intent of this analysis…

Apple: Supply Chain Management System
Today, Apple is regarded not only one of the most successful, but also one of the most innovative companies in the world. The company has in the past raked in significantly higher returns than its peers, thanks to its unique approach to doing business. As a matter of fact, when it comes to supply chain management, Apple is regarded a market leader by most analysts.

Apple's Logistics and Supply Chain Management System

The company's supply chain management system could be broken into four general parts. These include, sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and finally, return. It is important to note, from the onset, that Apple sources most of its raw materials from diverse locations -- particularly Europe, China, and the United States. The most critical raw materials for the manufacture of the company's numerous electronic devices include integrated circuits, the appropriate optical drives, microprocessors, and LCDs (Crandall, Crandall, and…

Overall the proper supply chain management system provides a company with an obvious competitive advantage.
Improvements to this system, supplier certification

This particular system has been quite advantageous for Dell and other companies. However, all supply chain management systems can be improved. One of the changes that can be made is an increase in the options that are available to consumers. Increasing such options will increase customer satisfaction and lead to greater customer loyalty. In addition this improvement can lead to an even greater competitive advantage for the company.

As it pertains to supplier certification all supply chains benefit greatly when suppliers are certified. As it pertains to quality management the ISO 9000 standards are often sought after. These standards provide companies with certain guidelines that are designed to assist them in attaining total quality management. As it pertains to supply chain management these standards are important for suppliers because they ensure…

Purchasing and Supply Chain Management: Apple
Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.) is one of the largest American multinational companies that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. The company began in the business of personal computers but has expanded into a giant of global reach (lLinzmayer 1999). Currently, they are best known for McIntosh computers, the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. They are the proprietors of the Mac OS X operating system and the iTunes media browser. They offer the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software, iWork productivity software, and Aperture for professional photographers. Their current list of offerings is extensive and includes other applications for specific industries or uses.

Apple's current distribution system includes a chain of their own retail stores in ten different countries around the globe. They also have an online store where they hardware and software products are sold. Apple's major competition is Microsoft.…

Applications Decision Models Supply Chain Management
How will emerging web-based technologies and decision models change supply chains in the future? The response to this question has incredible stakes. It is projected that the Internet has the prospect to capture more than $1 trillion from the $7 trillion spent every year on mechanisms, supplies, and services globally (USA Today, 2008, p. I). How this will occur is a high-priority subject in many industries and companies at the moment. In this paper, I endeavor to develop our indulgent of this serious issue by developing a conceptual framework for how supply-chain companies may react to emerging technologies in order to make competitive leeway's. The model suggests that one method by which buyers and suppliers can together perk up their competitive position is to study how to intelligently incorporate the new technologies into their day by day activities and methods. This can be done through…

Auto Supply Chain
Supply Chain Management in the Auto Industry

The benefits of effective supply chain management are manifold. The ability to project sales, production, demand and inventory in correlation to one another is essential to ensuring that an automaker maintains critical demand schedules.

Benefits and Risks:

Remarkably, the benefits and risks of supply chain management in the automotive industry are closely intertwined today. On one end of the spectrum, auto makers are finding that there is a sudden surge in demand for both automobiles and associated parts. According to the text by Miziolek (2011), maintaining a rapid and responsive supply chain strategy has helped many automakers to stay on pace with this rising demand. However, there is a considerable risk that many face today. As Miziolek notes, the sudden rise in an industry that was struggling to stay afloat half a decade ago means that demand for shipping needs has suddenly outstripped supply.

By…

green supply chain operations are important in today's marketplace. Sustainable growth and development is at the top of the news today, for a number of reasons. More people are developing an awareness of green issues and sustainability, and more people are demanding a greener footprint from the industries they do business with or purchase their products. Because supply chains are such an important part of most businesses, it is important for supply chain management to recognize the many benefits of going green with their supply chains.
Going green has become an important business issue for a number of reasons. First, a swell of public opinion is pushing businesses to go green, because of concern for business' contribution to climate change and other global environmental problems. In addition, green living has become much more common and trendy, and informed consumers are demanding more accountability for the companies where they purchase goods…

Operations Management
WalMart Supply Chain Innovation

WalMart is the world's largest retailer and know as a leader in supply chain management. The way in which WalMart has innovated in terms of the way that the supply chain is management which has included looking at the structure and processes used in the supply chain as well as embracing and leveraging technology. The results have been a reduction in costs and improvement in overall efficiency.

The innovations at WalMart are not all recent; with WalMart constantly adapting and changing. One of the first major innovations, and one which is still in use today started during the 1980s, was the removal of links in the supply chain. A strategy adopted by the company with the aim of creating create efficiency and cutting costs was the development of direct relationships with suppliers, working directly with the manufacturers are supplied many goods, cutting out the middle person (Taub,…

Salee Company Limited suffers this setback. Therefore, it should align itself in a position to maximize profits by looking in to the ways of reducing the loss. Mr. Somsak Pruksawan of the Salee Industry Public Company Limited admits that every organization, large or small businesses suffers various types of obstacle when performing businesses. Their problem is the management of the waste and the plastic defects. The management of the company notes that the company faces various difficulties. These problems range from the upstream of supply chain processes to the end customers or the consumers of their products. The material cost varies with the mass of material that that facilitates the process and the price unit of that material. The heaviness of material is vividly a result of the proportion volume and material density. However, the fraction's maximum wall widths play a role (Lindsay, 2010, p.57).
The weight of raw material…

e-Business on Supply Chain Management
With an increased competition in the marketplace, one can observe an increase in product offerings in the market. This should lead to shorter product life cycles. It has therefore become essential for retail firms to better manage their supply chain process so that they can better control the supply and demand aspects of their product portfolio.

It is, however, interesting to note that with the advancement of information technology, the trends in determining demand and supply forecasts are changing. Experts have now successfully identified the best practices developed and maintained by some of the leading retailing firms. They have utilized this particular information to develop more effective solutions for supply chain management. In order to bring future improvements to the supply chain management of an organization, it is essential to develop an information system of the highest quality, operated and maintained by well-qualified and trained professionals.…