DareDevil Bikes is a custom racing bikes assembler that designs, assembles, and sells racing bikes to individual customers online through its website. DareDevil has existing long$-$term contracts with reliable suppliers for various bike components such as engines, frames, wheels, gears, brakes, and other accessories. The company procures bike components from its suppliers, assembles them, and sells the finished products to individual customers.

The current supply chain management system at DareDevil is driven by a push$-$based model $($build$-$to$-$stock$).$ In this model, production of bikes is based on forecasts or best guesses of demand for products. Based on such forecasts, DareDevil orders required components from its suppliers and assembles the bikes periodically. These bikes are kept in finished products inventory and pushed to customers. Currently, DareDevil maintains an inventory of finished products, i$.$e$.,$ assembled bikes, only. It does not keep any bike components in its inventory.

DareDevil is considering adopting a pull$-$based supply chain management model. In a pull$-$based model, also known as a demand$-$driven or build$-$to$-$order model, actual customer orders or purchases trigger events in the supply chain. In this model, DareDevil will only keep a small inventory of critical components and will not keep any stock of finished products. Other required components will be ordered from the suppliers as needed when assembling a bike. Bikes will only be assembled after receiving an order and payment from the customer.

The Current Order Fulfillment Process $($As$-$Is$)$

The current order fulfilment process starts when a customer places an order for a certain bike on the DareDevil website. Finished product inventory is checked to see if the product is in stock or not. If the product is in stock payment from the customer is processed and received. Then the product is handed over to the shipping company, which delivers the product to the customer. The order fulfilment process ends when the customer receives the product. If the product is not in the finished product inventory, the customer is notified about the unavailability of the product and a potential sale is lost.

The Current Order Fulfillment Process $($To$-$Be$)$

The future order fulfilment process will start with a customer placing an order for a certain bike on the DareDevil website. After payment from the customer is processed and received, DareDevil will determine the components required to assemble the product. Based on the available critical components in its stock, DareDevil will order required components from its suppliers. After procuring all required components, DareDevil will assemble the bike and hand it over to the shipping company, which will deliver the product to the customer. The order fulfilment process ends when the customer receives the product.

Level of Complexity

For the process model portion of this assignment, you will only need to provide a simple process model for each process using the start$/$end$,$ process or task, and decision symbols connected by arrows. Each process symbol needs to be labeled with the action $($e$.$g$.,$ start might be$$Customer places an order$$and stop might be$$Customer receives product$).$ For all decisions, you will need to label the arrows for a$$yes$$decision and a$$no$$decision$.$ You do not need to include swim lanes or hyperlinks. You may find it helpful to start by listing each action or decision needed, then sketching your flowchart on a piece of paper before starting your flowchart in Visio.

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Specific Tasks

Complete each specific task listed below:

Model and discuss the current $($as$-$is$)$ process.

Create a process model of the current $($as$-$is$)$ order fulfilment process at DareDevil Bikes using Microsoft Visio.Discuss the advantages, benefits, and strengths of the current process.Discuss disadvantages, drawbacks, and weaknesses of the current process.Describe the role different Information Systems could play and the flow of information among them at various steps of the current process.

Model and discuss the future $($to$-$be$)$ prodcess.

Create a process model of the future $($to$-$be$)$ order fulfilment process at DareDevil Bikes using Microsoft Visio.Discuss the advantages, benefits, and strengths of the future process.Discuss disadvantages, drawbacks, and weaknesses of the future process.Describe the role different Information Systems could play and the flow of information among them at various steps of the future process.