Discussion Questions
- 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?
- How could a bicycle manufacturer increase responsiveness through its facilities?
- How could an industrial supplies distributor use information to increase its responsiveness?
- Motorola has gone from manufacturing all its cell phones in house to almost completely outsourcing the manufacturing. What are the pros and cons of the two approaches?
- How can a home-delivery company like Peapod use pricing of its delivery services to improve its profitability?
- What are some industries in which products have proliferated and life cycles have shortened? How have the supply chains in these industries adapted?
- How can the full set of logistical and cross-functional drivers be used to create strategic fit for a cell phone manufacturer targeting both time-sensitive and price-conscious customers?
- On which supply chain drivers should a firm trying to shrink its cash-to-cash cycle focus?
- Would you expect a brick-and-mortar retailer or an online retailer to have a higher asset turnover? Which supply chain drivers impact asset turnover?