Supply and demand of Walmart and its product flow

    submit an assessment of the supply and demand of Walmart and its product flow, as discussed in the Walmart China: Supply Chain Transportation case study. You will also evaluate the network sourcing strategy of Walmart to identify areas that may be in need of improvement and will leave room for future expansion. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: Demand Forecasting: In this section, first assess the supply and demand side of Walmart’s product flow, including the customer’s needs and the supplier’s capabilities, in order to then identify potential alignments that will keep cost and waste at a minimum. A. Evaluation Analyze Walmart’s suppliers in terms of their abilities to meet the demand of customers during steady‐state and peak operations. How effective are each supplier’s inventory reorder points and economic order quantities? Support your analysis with quantitative examples. Additionally, describe demand‐forecasting constraints that exist within the supply chain. For example, consider the distance of the stores and the compatibility of the products in terms of shipping, storage, and so on. Sourcing: In this section, first evaluate the network sourcing strategy of Walmart in order to then identify possible areas in need of improvement that will leave room for future expansion. A. Evaluation: Assess the current network sourcing strategy and determine whether or not the number and quality of suppliers is the optimal mix for the operation. To what extent do the current suppliers meet steady‐state and peak demand? Are they consistently providing products that meet or exceed Walmart’s quality standards? Defend your assessment with examples. B. Recommendations