Determining the Optimal Level of Product Availability Assignment 1. Consider two products with the same cost but different margins. Which product should have a higher level of product availability? Why? 2. Consider two products with the same margin carried by a retail store. Any leftover units of one product are worthless. Leftover units of the other product can be sold to outlet stores. Which product […]

Discussion On Transportation in a Supply Chain 1. What modes of transportation are best suited for large, lowvalue shipments? Why? 2. Why is it important to account for congestion when pricing the use of transportation infrastructure? 3. Wal-Mart designs its networks so that a DC supports several large retail stores. Explain how the company can use such a network to reduce transportation costs while replenishing […]

Sourcing Decisions in a Supply Chain Discussion 1. What are some ways that a firm such as Wal-Mart benefits from good sourcing decisions? 2. What factors led Wal-Mart to own its trucks although many retailers outsource all their transportation? 3. How can a supplier with a lower price end up costing the buyer more than a supplier with a higher price? 4. Explain why, for […]

Order Pricing and Revenue Management Assignment 1. In what ways can a retailer such as Nordstrom take advantage of revenue management opportunities? 2. What revenue management opportunities are available to a manufacturer? How can it take advantage of these opportunities? 3. What revenue management opportunities are available to a trucking firm? How can it take advantage of these opportunities? 4. What revenue management opportunities are […]

Discus Information Technology in a Supply Chain 1. Which processes within each macro process are best suited to being enabled by IT? Which processes are least suited? 2. What are some advantages of the software as a service (SaaS) model? Why has it been successful in the CRM space? 3. Why is supply chain management software dominated by the ERP players like SAP and Oracle? […]

Discussion On Sustainability and the Supply Chain 1. What are some benefits to improved sustainability of a supply chain? 2. What are some challenges that limit the effort put in by supply chains to improve sustainability? 3. Describe the “tragedy of the commons” in the context of supply chain sustainability. What are some “mutually coercive” mechanisms that could be implemented to encourage supply chain sustainability? […]

Order Building a Strategic Framework Assignment 1. Consider the purchase of a can of soda at a convenience store. Describe the various stages in the supply chain and the different flows involved. 2. Why should a firm like Dell take into account total supply chain profitability when making decisions? 3. What are some strategic, planning, and operational decisions that must be made by an apparel […]

Order Achieving Strategic Fit and Scope Assignment 1. How would you characterize the competitive strategy of a high-end department store chain such as Nordstrom? What are the key customer needs that Nordstrom aims to fill? 2. Where would you place the demand faced by Nordstrom on the implied demand uncertainty spectrum? Why? 3. What level of responsiveness would be most appropriate for Nordstrom’s supply chain? […]

Discus Supply Chain Drivers and Metrics 1. How could a grocery retailer use inventory to increase the responsiveness of the company’s supply chain? 2. How could an auto manufacturer use transportation to increase the efficiency of its supply chain? 3. How could a bicycle manufacturer increase responsiveness through its facilities? 4. How could an industrial supplies distributor use information to increase its responsiveness? 5. Motorola […]

Discus Designing Distribution Networks and Applications 1. What differences in the retail environment may justify the fact that the fast-moving consumer goods supply chain in India has far more distributors than in the United States? 2. A specialty chemical company is considering expanding its operations into Brazil, where five companies dominate the consumption of specialty chemicals. What sort of distribution network should this company utilize? […]