Define supply chain management in your own words.

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Alexis Geissinger---Module One—Introduction to Supply Chain Management

SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS (2–4 sentences)

1.

Define supply chain management in your own words.

a.

Supply chain management is the oversite of a product as it moves from supplier,

manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer who sell the product to the customer.

2.

Explain the concept of value-enhancing benefits by giving THREE examples of benefits that

may be realized by a firm that successfully manages its supply chain.

a.

Value-enhancing benefits are increases in sales as well as high product quality. Also,

value-enhancing benefits have high levels of customer service; for example, 1800

phone numbers and customer service that are open 24/7.

3.

Explain the difference between logistics and supply chain management.

a.

Supply chain management involves the integration of business processes among

participants and the supply chain acts and reacts as one entity. On the other hand,

logistics is a subset element of supply chain management.

4.

List three concepts used by supply chain managers in an attempt to make a firm more flexible

and responsive to customers' changing needs:

a.

To make a firm more flexible and responsive to customers supply chain managers use

lean manufacturing, quick response and JIT.

ESSAY QUESTIONS (8–10 sentences)

1.

Discuss the differences between supply chain partnerships of the past and those that have

developed today.

In the past supply chains were an independent organization. This means that each

supply chain made their own rules and only had to rely on themselves. On the other hand,

today supply chains are partnerships. These partnerships should ideally share the same ideas.

Also,

collaboration

on the design side should be shared and agreed upon.

Unlike the past one

company had all the say. Today both parts of the partnership have say about the development

and delivery of the product. This could be why it takes longer for products to come out

because if the partnerships do not agree than it postpones the development of new products.

2.

List the four elements of supply chain management and provide a short description of each of

the four elements. What types of failures might each of those elements create within the

supply chain? Why might those results be linked to errors in a particular element?

The four elements of supply chain management are purchasing elements, operations

elements, logistics elements and integration elements. Purchasing elements that may fail are

finding suppliers. Not every supplier will have what is wanted to purchase. This could lead to

an error in not getting the product out to the retailer on time. An operation element that may

fail is the quality of the product. This could be because the company wants to cut costs, thus

the company has a lower quality product. Logistic elements that may fail are if there is not

enough of the product made. This error could come because if a new product is being made

the company could underestimate how popular the product is going to be and then there not be

enough. Integration elements that may fail are the planning of the supply chain. If the supply

chain has late deliveries this could make the product fail.

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3.

Starbucks sells coffee and other items and consumables through their tens of thousands of

worldwide outlets. Starbucks must satisfy its worldwide clientele with premium-quality

beverages, foods, and products that are representative of the Starbucks name and image.

What approach does Starbucks use to distribute their premier, beverages, foods and products

that are representative of the Starbucks name and image?

To keep Starbucks name as well as image Starbucks begins with selling top of the line

coffee, food and products. This helps with their customer base too because majority of

Starbucks customers come from repeat customers. Starbucks distributes their products in retail

stores as well as Starbucks Café’s. To have a successful coffee Starbucks uses different high

quality coffee beans. This improves the tastes of the coffee and the quality of the coffee

Starbucks sells. All of the elements improve the Starbucks as well as the image of the world

wide coffee chain.