Distribution & Supply Chain Management

students will complete the following work relating to Distribution & Supply Chain Management:

Many of us dont think about the amount of times a product may exchange hands before its put on the shelf. Depending on the product, it could very well be made of parts sourced from all over the world that had to come together on a rigid schedule to ensure it is on the shelf for a specific date. The planning and attention to detail that goes into setting up a distribution or supply chain is immense. It often considers different time zones, partners, several modes of transportation, traffic patterns, and consumer shopping habits (just to name a few areas).

For this exercise you will be examining your favorite products, how theyre made, and how complex their supply & distribution chain really is. The format of the content can be done however you like, but it must be presented in a formal report and formatted appropriately. (See rubric on Brightspace for details)

Part 1: Think of a piece of technology you have purchased in the past couple years and address the following:

• Create a list of the different parts involved in making this product (be as detailed as youd like!). List a minimum of 5 parts. Ex. Laptop: screen, touch pad, battery, hard drive, processor, key pad, RAM, etc
• To the best of your ability, provide insight into where these parts come from (ie. Within the same market or imported from another country? Be specific if you can).
• Where is the main market for this product geographically?
• To the best of your ability, estimate how many days worth of transportation are involved in this supply/distribution process? Include the time it takes to receive the parts to make the product in addition to how long it may take to be put on the shelf after it leaves the manufacturing plant.
• Lastly, how many different parties are involved in the distribution process? ie. Does it go directly from manufacturer to the retailer, or is there a wholesaler involved also?

Part 2 After collecting the information above, evaluate the distribution and supply chain of this product by answering the following points in 2 to 4 paragraphs total:

• Now that youve looked into the supply chain and distribution process, what are your thoughts? Were you surprised by the amount of parties involved in making your product? Explain your thoughts.
• Do you think this system could be more efficient? Provide one method or tactic covered in class in your response (2 methods for pairs)
• Touch on one of the main factors that ensure a supply chain will work well (see text/PowerPoint). Describe how this factor fits in this products supply/distribution chain and why its important. (Touch on two main factors in pairs).
• Knowing the effect that distribution & supply chains can have on the environment, can you address any solutions that could reduce the carbon footprint without causing any disruptions or delays to the current standards? (Provide at least 2 solutions for pairs)