Procurement

(Essentially one question, please only answer if you intend to complete all eight parts)

1. What are the differences between an SME business and a global business in terms of how they identify their sources of supply?
2. How does consumer opinion impact on sourcing decisions?
3. Which environmental factors should be considered when trying to identify the total cost of procuring goods in low-cost countries.
4. Are rules, like the EU Procurement Regulations, useful in certain markets and what might the different procurement issues be between the private and public sector?
5. What elements of risk are there in terms of sourcing and procuring goods from a Western source versus a low-cost country source such as Vietnam?
6. What actions could Mattel take to minimise product recalls in future?
7. What sustainability criteria would you include in a sourcing strategy and how would you manage and measure them in practice?
8. How might technology and social networking impact on procurement activity?