As a supply manager committed to the efficiency of the supply chain operation, it is critical to be aware of strategies for improving productivity and quality. This course has prepared you to improve an organization’s supply chain. The final project for this course is the creation of a supply chain management plan. The final product allows you the opportunity to connect theory with reality through research on an industry and company supply chain. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. Prompt: For your third milestone, you will analyze plans for inventory management and the impact of the manufacturer’s production strategy, identify and analyze your centralized and decentralized distribution strategies, analyze the impact of production strategy and contracts, complete an analysis of performance measurements on your industry’s supply chain, and discuss how the supply chain creates a competitive edge. This milestone is due in Module Seven. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: I. Inventory Management: a) Product Selling Season: Determine whether seasonal or generic products or both are sold. Determine if the selling is seasonal, steady, or hybrid. b) Retail Inventory Strategy: Using the information you received from your interview with the industry retail store manager, determine what inventory policy strategies the store has adopted for order quantity, safety stock, and reorder level. c) Impact of Manufacturer’s Production Strategy: What impact does the nature of selling have on the supply chain? Consider domestic and foreign supply base, safety stock levels, reorder points, and demand variability. Identify the production strategy for the company (continuous/mass production, batch production, or project-based). II. Distribution Management: a) Centralized Distribution Strategy: Describe your centralized distribution strategy. Explain why the strategy was selected and identify potential risks based on your distribution strategy. b) Decentralized Distribution Strategy: Explain why the strategy was selected and identify potential risks based on your distribution strategy. III. Product Supply Contracts: a) Production Strategy and Contracts: Complete an analysis of the impact of the production strategy on the supply chain. Identify the appropriate production strategy and contracts for the supply chain, such as daily deliveries, weekly deliveries, and monthly deliveries of supplies. Consider stable ordering versus high variability. Be aware that multiple strategies may be employed. If more than one strategy is used, be sure to discuss when the contract approach is used and why. IV. Performance Measurements: Complete an analysis on how the industry supply chain performance is measured. Explain the performance measures used to measure performance for each of the following parts of the supply chain. a) Manufacturing: Identify the performance measure and explain how they attempt to perform better than their competitors. Be sure to address addresses quality, cycle time, and takt time. b) Distributors: Identify the performance measure and explain how they attempt to perform better than their competitors. c) Retailers: Identify the performance measure and explain how they attempt to perform better than their competitors. d) Third-Party Logistics Company: Identify the performance measure and explain how they attempt to perform better than their competitors. Be sure to addresses cost, efficiency, and wavelength. e) Supply Chain Competitive Edge: Discuss how the supply chain creates a competitive edge. Be sure to consider low cost, service levels, wide distribution network, and quality level in your response.
