Using MS Project create a Gantt chart

Checkpoint 1 - Section 3 - Group 5

For our Project we decided to interview a local family business called Cindy’s market and deli on Cole street. After interviewing both owners and their only employee (their daughter), we understood that this market and deli has been in the same location and within their family for over 60 years. This seems like plenty of time to create an efficient system with few errors; however, after talking with the family we were able to see that there was one main issue. The owners explained to us that because they have so many products as well as a deli, they must source their inventory from a variety of vendors every day. Also, one of the owner’s, Tony, picks up the bread for the deli from Boudin himself every day morning. He also picks up the meat for the deli every other day from his sister’s business in Millbrae.

The current issue is that some of the vendors do not properly stock inventory or stock inventory punctually, which can lead to a loss in profit and customer loyalty. In addition, it is a hassle for the owner Tony to pick up the inventory for the deli himself every day (up to two pick-ups per day). The fact that their inventory is sourced from such a large number of vendors creates confusion, added errands, and communication breakdowns in terms of inventory and payments.

The owners eluded that this issue could be solved by a one-stop-shop for all of their inventory. This one-stop-shop would only require one point of contact to take care of all of their inventory needs for both the market and the deli. With only one point of contact and one account to be paid every day, things would run much more smoothly and many less payment, delivery, and inventory issues would arise.

Why is it Important?

The issue is important and interesting because there are many small business owners who need to deal with a number of different companies to get the products that they need. In our case, Cindy’s market deals with 7 or more companies on a daily basis for restocking their inventories. Also, they need to constantly do business with a number of different sales people to get what they need. This leads to inefficiency not only in the part of the business owners, but also from the vendors who needs to hire sales person and pay for their expenses. The grocery industry is a very big industry which mostly consists of either very small businesses (pop-and-mom) or a huge company (Safeway, Whole Foods, etc.). For these small businesses who does not have advanced warehouses or intricate supply chains, dealing with the inventory itself is a nightmare, especially if there are different people who needs to be dealt with.

Who are the Stakeholders?

The main stakeholders are the business owners; they have had the business for 60 years and have kept it running. They are the ones that get all their products/produce to their shop. They want to an easier access or way of transportation of their products. The management team and workers, because it’s a family owned business, have a lot to gain in the improvement of their supply process. They will gain more time to work on their business instead of using that time in acquiring the supplies for their business. The Vendors are also stakeholders in this operation as they are a part of the day to day business at Cindy’s. Without the vendors, Cindy’s would be unable to do business. The customers are stakeholders as well; Cindy’s has been running for a long time and their frequent consumers rely on their food supply to be there.