《供应链管理》课后答案.doc

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1、【精品文档】如有侵权，请联系网站删除，仅供学习与交流供应链管理课后答案.精品文档.CHAPTER ONE Understanding the Supply Chain1 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.When a customer purchases a can of soda at a convenience store, his pur

2、chase represents the end of a supply chains delivery of an item and the beginning of information regarding his purchase flowing in the opposite direction.The supply chain stages include customers, retailers, wholesalers/distributors, manufacturers, and component/raw material suppliers. A customers p

3、urchase moves product towards the customer and dollars and information towards the retailer.The retailer places an order from the wholesaler/distributor to replenish stock, thereby moving information back up the supply chain while moving product down the supply chain. As the order is filled, the ret

4、ailer will move dollars back up the supply chain.The wholesaler/distributor transmits information and dollars to the manufacturer who produces product and ships it down the supply chain to the wholesaler.Finally (or initially, depending on your perspective) the manufacturer moves orders (information

5、) and dollars towards suppliers in exchange for material flow into their production processes.2 Why should a firm like Dell take into account total supply chain profitability when making decisions?Dell realizes that their ultimate success lies with the success of their supply chain and its ability t

6、o generate supply chain surplus. If Dell was to view supply chain operations as a zero sum game, they would lose their competitive edge as their suppliers businesses struggled. Dells profit gained at the expense of their supply chain partners would be short lived. Just as a physical chain is only as

7、 strong as its weakest link, the supply chain can be successful only if all members cooperate and focus on a global optimum rather than many local optima.3 What are some strategic planning and operational decisions that must be made by an apparel retailer like The Gap?As The Gap plans supply chain s

8、trategy it must first consider the marketing functions pricing plans in order to structure a supply chain consonant with these plans. Strategic considerations such as the capacity of each supplier and assembly operations, sourcing decisions and how logistics are to be handled are all part of the des

9、ign. The supply chain must also settle on communication channels and frequencies. Supply chain planning takes the strategic decisions as a given and seeks to exploit efficiencies in the chain to maximize supply chain surplus. The entire chain should collaborate in forecasting and planning production

10、 as to achieve a global optimum. The forecasts should take into account planned promotions and known seasonal fluctuations in demand.The operational decision take the plans as a given and make day-to-day decisions to process customer orders, allocate resources to certain customers, trigger orders fr

11、om supply chain members, and deliver product.4 Consider the supply chain involved when a customer purchases a book at a bookstore. Identify cycles in this supply chain and the location of the push/pull boundary.All supply chain processes can be broken down into four process cycles that connect the f

12、ive stages of the supply chain; the customer order cycle, the replenishment cycle, the manufacturing cycle, and the procurement cycle.The customer order cycle connects the customer with the retailer; this connection is made as the book, perhaps Supply Chain Management by Chopra and Meindl, is select

13、ed and paid for by the customer.The replenishment cycle connects the retailer and the distributor and is triggered by the retailers need to fill the empty shelf space with another copy of this tome.The manufacturing cycle connects the distributor and the manufacturer. As demand for the book is reali

14、zed and distributors empty their warehouses, they signal the manufacturer to print another million copies to fill their empty warehouses.Finally, the procurement cycle connects the manufacturer and the supplier. The manufacturer requires raw material inputs of paper, ink, etc., to begin the assembly

15、 process for another batch of Supply Chain Management.The push/pull boundary exists where demand switches from reactive (pull) to speculative (push) production. For most bookstore supply chains the push/pull boundary is between the customer order cycle and the replenishment cycle. The customer order

16、 pulls the book from the book store shelf but the initial production of the book was triggered by a build order that moved materials along the supply chain to the retail outlet.5 Consider the supply chain involved when a customer orders a book from Amazon. Identify the push/pull boundary and two pro

17、cesses each in the push and pull phases.In Amazons original operations design the push/pull boundary existed betwixt the retailer (Amazon) and their distributor. Amazon ordered product from the distributor and the customer order arrived. Today, Amazon has six warehouses where it stocks an inventory

18、of items it is confident that will sell. In this scenario, the push/pull boundary exists between the customer and the retailer.Processes in the pull phase are the order fulfillment, shipping, customer returns, and customer billing. Processes in the push phase are production, stock replenishments, sh

19、ipping, and payment.6 In what way do supply chain flows affect the success or failure of a firm like Amazon? List two supply chain decisions that have a significant impact on supply chain profitability.The success or failure of a company like Amazon is decided by the effective function of its supply

20、 chain. The flow of products from publishers to distributors to customers must be rapid and reliable in order to satisfy customers. The flow of information back through the supply chain allows all members to coordinate efforts. The flow of money allows all supply chain members to maintain operations

21、. Supply chain profitability is influenced by sourcing, promotion, and fulfillment decisions.CHAPTER TWOSupply Chain Performance: Achieving Strategic Fit and Scope1. How would you characterize the competitive strategy of a high-end department store chain such as Nordstrom? What are the key customer

22、needs that Nordstrom aims to fill?The Nordstrom web site states the following. Over the years, the Nordstrom family of employees built a thriving business on the principles of quality, value, selection, and service. Today, Nordstrom is one of the nations leading fashion retailers, offering a wide va

23、riety of high-quality apparel, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children at stores across the country. We remain committed to the simple idea our company was founded on, earning the trust of our customers one at a time.Nordstrom fills customer needs for high quality fashion merchandise and

24、 outstanding levels of customer service. Price is no object for the typical Nordstrom shopper.2. Where would you place the demand faced by Nordstrom on the implied demand uncertainty spectrum? Why?Implied demand uncertainty is demand uncertainty due to the portion of demand that the supply chain is

25、targeting, not the entire demand. A high-end department store chain such as Nordstrom falls on the high end of the implied demand uncertainty scale. The fashion items that Nordstrom stocks have extremely high product margin, high forecast errors and stockout rates, and once the season is over, these

26、 items are sold at deep discounts at their Nordstrom Rack outlet stores.3. What level of responsiveness would be most appropriate for Nordstroms supply chain? What should the supply chain be able to do particularly well?Supply chain responsiveness takes many forms, including the ability to respond t

27、o a wide range of quantities, meet short lead times, handle a large variety of products, build innovative products, meet a high service level, and handle supply uncertainty. The Nordstrom supply chain must be highly responsive in the areas of handling highly innovative fashion products, customer res

28、ponse, and service level; they are effective in supplying well-heeled customers with merchandise and their return policy is legendary in the Pacific Northwest.4. How can Nordstrom expand the scope of the strategic fit across the supply chain?Scope of strategic fit refers to the functions within the

29、firm and stages across the supply chain that devise an integrated strategy with a shared objective. By adopting an intercompany interfunctional scope strategy, Nordstrom will maximize supply chain surplus. Nordstrom can move in this direction by working with their suppliers as if they are actually o

30、wned by Nordstrom. Rather than viewing the supply chain as a zero-sum game of inventory cost minimization and profit maximization, Nordstrom must recognize that spreading the wealth and occasionally taking on more inventory than is optimal for them will result in improved customer service. The inter

31、company interfunctional scope of strategic fit requires more effort than the other approaches presented in this section; Nordstrom must evaluate all aspects of their supply web.5. Reconsider the previous four questions for other companies such as Amazon, a supermarket chain, and auto manufacturer, a

32、nd a discount retailer such as Wal-Mart.Amazon focuses on cost and flexibility by providing books, music and a host of other household products at low prices. Customers place orders online and expect to receive purchases in a number of days. Customer orders are processed at central warehouses or are

33、 drop shipped from suppliers by mail or common carrier. For the most part, the implied demand uncertainty for Amazon is low as they cast such a wide net. Amazons supply chain must be responsive in terms of flexibility; they handle an incredibly diverse range of products. Amazons supply chain should

34、be able to provide low prices wide variety and reasonable delivery schedules for its customers. In every link of the supply chain, Amazon must function on the cost-responsiveness efficient frontier in order to support its competitive strategy.A supermarket chain focuses on cost and quality, with som

35、e specialty chains adding flexibility by carrying a broader range of products that may be targeted towards customers interested in organic products or ethnic cuisine. Implied demand uncertainty for a supermarket chain tends to be low; shoppers are typically repeat customers and have a constant deman

36、d level. The supermarket supply chain must be responsive by receiving produce quickly to ensure freshness and have a high service level. Supermarket supply chains tend to be well-established and can improve strategic fit by emphasizing speed to maintain freshness, hence perceived quality.Auto manufa

37、cturers have extremely complicated supply chains that are increasingly focused on flexibility and lean operations. Implied demand uncertainty for auto manufacturers varies considerably by target market and manufacturer. Automotive supply chains among the big three in the United States have made grea

38、t progress in the last decade and recognize that they must be responsive from a time and flexibility standpoint. Wal-Marts supply chain is obsessed with cost and is facilitated by a low implied demand uncertainty, their impressive logistics system and their management information systems. Their supp

39、ly chain is able to respond quickly to fill a wide variety of products to keep merchandise on Wal-Marts shelves. Wal-Marts level of coordination along the supply chain is excellent; it would be difficult to point out areas where true intercompany interfunctional scope of strategic fit has not been a

40、chieved. The sole supply chain criticism that surfaces is an occasional report that suppliers feel as if supply chain surplus is not shared equitably.6. Give arguments to support the statement that Wal-Mart has achieved very good strategic fit between its competitive and supply chain strategies.The

41、best argument to support the statement that Wal-Mart has achieved very good strategic fit is their success as a company. Competition today is supply chain versus supply chain, not company versus company, so a companys partners in the supply chain often determine the companys success. Wal-Marts strat

42、egic focus on cost is evident in their competitive, product development, supply chain, and marketing strategy. Their marketing strategy of advertising every day low prices appeals to consumers and does not disrupt the supply chain by causing surges in demand. Visiting one of their big box stores rev

43、eals low-priced merchandise, both national and store brands, stacked from floor to ceiling without elaborate displays or decoration. Wal-Marts logistics and information systems are famous for coordinating their entire supply chain and allowing it to meet customer needs at minimal cost.CHAPTER THREES

44、upply Chain Drivers and Metrics1. How could a grocery store use inventory to increase the responsiveness of the companys supply chain?The logistical driver of inventory encompasses all raw materials, work in process, and finished goods within a supply chain. A grocery store can be more responsive in

45、 the eyes of its customers if it offers a broader variety of SKUs and/or maintains a greater quantity of each SKU. A greater quantity of each SKU is problematic for highly perishable items like produce, meat, fish, etc. For these items, a grocery store supply chain should be set up to permit frequen

46、t orders so that freshness is ensured and a stockout situation wont exist for a significant length of time. A grocery store supply chain should use historical demand patterns for seasonal items to relieve stress on all members and provide customers with product during peak demand periods.2. How coul

47、d an auto manufacturer use transportation to increase the efficiency of its supply chain?Transportation, a logistical driver, entails moving inventory from point to point in the supply chain. The trade-off in transportation is between the cost of transportation and the speed at which product is tran

48、sported. Slower modes of transportation reduce cost, but could be a reasonable approach if suppliers are co-located with the assembly operations. If the supply chain is designed in such a way, and assembly operations are located with proximity to markets, then the supply chain can be run cheaply wit

49、hout holding too much inventory in transit.3. How could bicycle manufacturer increase responsiveness through its facilities?Facilities, another logistical driver, are the actual physical locations in the supply chain network where product is stored, assembled, or fabricated. A facility that is designed to be flexible can respond quickly to market demands by retooling to produce different models or products, whereas a dedicated facility cannot