MBA $532$ Template for the Team Project Plan and Presentation

This document provides a template that students should utilize to develop their supply chain plan. The sections below list the key building blocks of the five types of plans that students will need to devise to create the master plan for the startup$$s supply chain. The final plan should reflect the network between the startup and its supplier$($s$)$ that enables the production and distribution of a specific product to the buyers.

Executive Summary:

This section can include information regarding the company$$s name, location, products$/$services and key focus areas, target market, the purpose of the proposed plan, the company$$s size$/$scale$,$ and other critical information.

Product Planning:

Students can select from a wide range of well$-$established product development models and follow the necessary steps to guide their product planning. The following represents the steps in one of these models, referred to as $$Stage$-$Gate Approach,$$ which is a conceptual and operational road map for moving a new$-$product project from idea to launch. Stage$-$Gate divides the effort into distinct stages separated by management decision gates $($gatekeeping$).$

$1.$ Scoping

$2.$ Build the Business Case for the Product

$3.$ Development

$4.$ Testing and Validation

$5.$ Launch

Procurement Planning:

Procurement planning is essential for businesses to minimize their purchase costs while maintaining their quality and quantity of goods standards. A procurement plan is a process in which a company decides what they need, who will provide the products, and when orders will be fulfilled. Required sections for Procurement Plan include:

$$ Essential Goods or Services needed

$$ Supplier Selection

$$ Strategic Sourcing

$$ Purchasing and Bid Review Process

$$ Type of Contract

$$ Supplier Performance Evaluation

$$ Supplier Risk Management

Production Planning:

Production planning is a process that takes place within a manufacturing business and that involves making sure that enough raw materials, staff and other necessary items are procured and ready to create finished products according to the schedule. Required sections for Production Plan include:

$$ Demand Forecast

$$ Potential Options for Manufacturing $($i$.$e$.,$ Plant location and Production System$)$

$$ Elements of Lean Systems

$$ Master Schedule for Production

$$ Managing for Quality

$$ Production Monitoring and Controlling

$$ Production Optimization Plan

Distribution Planning:

Distribution Planning is a systematic approach to ensure that the process encompassing the delivery of goods to different distribution centers is done properly while keeping in mind which goods are to be supplied in what quantity at what location in the desired time. Required sections for Distribution Plan include:

$$ Distribution Goals and Objectives $($i$.$e$.,$ Minimizing warehouse and transportations cost$)$

$$ Distribution Flowchart

$$ Order Fulfillment Plan

$$ Warehousing and Inventory Management

$$ Type of Inventory

$$ Inventory Cost

$$ Inventory Management Measures

$$ Transportation Modes and Logistics Outsourcing Plan

Sales Planning:

A sales plan lays out the objectives, high$-$level tactics, target audience, and potential obstacles. It is similar to a traditional business plan but focuses specifically on the proposed sales strategy. A business plan lays out the goals; a sales plan describes exactly how the team will meet those goals. Required sections for Sales Plan include:

$$ Sales Forecast

$$ Demand Management

$$ Ethics and Sustainability Issue

$$ Methods for Sales

$$ Operations Planning and Sales Strategy

$$ Customer Service and Return Management Plan

Sustainability Planning:

A sustainability plan should represent an outline of how the organization plans to achieve goals that create financial, societal, and environmental sustainability. Informed by the organizational system and dynamics of the startup, the team should conduct research to develop and propose an effective sustainability plan. Teams should initially research, find, and study various sustainability plans to acquire useful insights and ideas to build their plan for the startup.