Description
In this assignment, you are going to analyze the supply strategy of an organization. Preferably, you will select the organization where you currently work or one where you previously worked. If this is not possible, you may select a well-known company on which you will be able to gather significant supply chain information.
There are many supply issues that will impact a company’s operation. Supply management professionals must be able to recognize these, evaluate their importance and prioritize them. Based on these priorities they must ensure the right suppliers are selected and managed.
For this assignment, answer the following questions:
What are the top three supplier performance dimensions that your organization is most concerned about? You may use table 3.1 for a list of relevant factors. Explain why your company prioritizes each of these. Do you think they are using the right ones?
How does your organization manage its relationship with its key suppliers? Is there an established program, is it based on personal connections, or something else? Should they change the way they do this? Explain.
How does your organization use forecasting? Explain.
A) What do they forecast and how frequently do they generate new forecasts?
B) Where do they get their data and any issues with data collection?
C) Which methodology do they use?
D) How do they evaluate the performance of their forecasts? Are the error metrics (MAD, MSE, etc.) good? Would you recommend using a different methodology?
Reference: Principles of Supply Chain Management
Joel D. Wisner; Keah-Choon Tan; G. Keong Leong
