Charles B Johnson, president and coo of Cessna,pointed out,as our supply chain processes house the majority of our cost, it was necessary to create a more strategically aligned supply chain that yielded the most competitive quality, delivery, flexibility and value. This was a major driver underlying the transformation process at Cessna."The challenge for most firms is to maximize supplier performance contributions and capability improvements at levels better than competitors. A firm which can accomplish this is in a position to achieve competitive advantage through its purchasing and sourcing processes". Source: Adapted from S. Avery, "Cessna Soars," Purchasing, September 4th 2003, pp 25 - 35. Required:

a)Is it possible for firms in a supply chain to compete along all the competitive dimensions? Discuss? (12 marks)

b)How do you think the drivers of supply chain performance could increase competitiveness for this supply chain? Be brief and concise. (13 marks)