Assignment 2: LASA 2—Evaluating a Supply Chain (Operations Management)

Assignment 2: LASA 2—Evaluating a Supply Chain (Operations Management) 

In this assignment, you will develop an understanding of the supply chain. You will provide your assessment of a supply chain in the form of an evaluation. This assignment is the second of the two LASA assignments you will complete in this course.

Using the Argosy University online library resources and the Internet, research methods of evaluating supply chains. Select at least three (3) scholarly sources to support the information in your presentation.

Description of LASA:

In this assignment, you will evaluate a supply chain.

Scenario:

You are consulting for the same organization that you worked for in LASA 1. The organization has asked you to design a supply chain and implement a program to monitor its performance with respect to sustainability. They have also asked you to give recommendations for improving upon your plan as the organization grows. The chief executive officer (CEO) has asked you to present your design and recommendations in a PowerPoint presentation at a meeting with the executive management team.

Instructions:

Your presentation should include the following information:

1. Evaluate the organization’s facilities with regard to capacity and location. Determine whether the organization has enough capacity and whether or not the facilities are strategically located.
2. Conduct an inventory analysis of the firm.
   • Evaluate the firm’s ERP system.
   • Evaluate the firm’s inventory management systems.
   • Identify the firm’s inventory costs.
   • Determine the firm’s optimum order quantities.
   • Identify the firm’s seasonality adjustments and reorder points.
3. Describe the systems used to monitor the performance of the suppliers.
   • Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs).
   • Describe the firm’s risk management strategies.
4. Identify the firm’s conflict management strategies.
5. Recommend strategies, tools, etc. the organization can use to improve or expand upon the supply chain in the future.
6. Identify any potential ethical issues that could have a negative impact on the organization and make recommendations to address them.

In addition to the slides in the presentation, include a detailed outline in the speaker notes section explaining the content on each slide. Use at least three (3) scholarly sources to support the information in your presentation. Be sure to cite the sources for your information.

Make sure your presentation adheres to the following Presentation Guidelines:

• Create a presentation that is professional and visually appealing.
• Include a combination of text and graphics.
• Do not write out your entire presentation on the slides. Use bullet points of keywords and short phrases instead of long sentences and paragraphs.
• Create your presentation (slides and Speaker Notes) using language that can be easily understood by the intended audience.
• Use APA formatting for your slides and Speaker Notes (outline).

Develop a 10–15-slide presentation (including the title slide and reference slide) in PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

Notes from LASA 1 

Introduction

Sam Walton is credited for finding Walmart in the year 1962. The Company became publicly incorporated in the year 1969, and henceforth it traded publicly 1970. For this reason, it is true to say that the company is not family owned because it is owned by its stakeholders (Kampf, 2007) However, family members of Walton still have control of the company because they own half the trading shares. Being one of the most successful companies in the world, it is in the list of Fortune Global. As at 2013, it had $469 billion gained through sales and as well had hired over 2.2 million employees of which more than 1.3 million are based in the United States (Kampf, 2007). For this, it is true to say that it is one of the most successful companies globally. As a result, this paper discusses the Strategy, operations as well as the organizational structure of Walmart. It also identifies some possible ethical issues that the management faces.

Strategy

Business Strategy

The company makes use of a combination strategy of differentiation as well as cost leadership. The company provides a wide range of services and products. It does this by this through ensuring that it provides very high quality and way cheaper products than what competitors do provide. It has put its emphasis on rethinking the ways of completing their support and primary activities in a bid to maintain its competitive levels through which differentiation is done.

In evaluation, it is true to say that the company has a well-structured supply chain management chain which as a result is important in the implementation of the cost leadership strategy. Much more the company has made use of Justin time inventory. Through this, the company has been able to cut costs through enforcing the use of fuel efficiency in its transportation trucks. It has greatly decreased the empty miles taken by its trucks and as well getting more pallets for loading its products.  Walmart has once again made of use technology which has indeed played a key role in its supply chain. For this reasons, it has been able to manage supplier and customer relationships, strategize on its transportation routes to be less expensive, forecast on inventory levels and much more come up with an accurate prediction of its demand.

Strategy at Corporate level

On critical reason which strategists urge to be the reason for the success of the company is the fact that it concentrates on a single business. This translates to the fact that 95% of its revenue majorly is given by its grocery business. In the past 30 years, the company has uccessfully employed this strategy of a single business a fact that has contributed effectively the gradual growth of this company (Teece, 2014). It has once again believed in its concept diversification under which it has greatly benefited from its advantages.

Strategy at International Level

The company is ranked position 1 in fortunes global list. It has been able to enter the global market due to the use of its multinational strategy of doing business. Through this strategy, it treats it customers in different countries differently, and as a result its productivity and productivity are very high. Experts say that it has been rather imperative for the company to properly cater for preferences of customers. The company employs the philosophy for different stores and different folks (Teece, 2014).

Global competitiveness plan

The company has operations in over 27 countries. In fact, it has more stores in other countries more than it does in the U.S. In 2015 it had 6,189 stores in the global market compared to 4,987 in the United States. Regarding retailer Canada, Brazil, China, Mexico and The United Kingdom provide the largest market for its products (Teece, 2014). It owes its success in the international market to its global competitiveness plan.