QSO $330$ Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview

The final project for this course is the creation of a supply chain evaluation. Supply chain management $($SCM$)$ is a holistic view of a company$$s efforts to source, procure, receive, store, and deliver products. These products can be raw materials for a manufacturing process, consumer goods for a retail chain, or a collection of items that will be joined in some way before ultimate delivery to the customer. In today$$s global economic environment, SCM takes on an increasing level of complexity as companies attempt to reduce costs, drive efficiency, and remain compliant with the corporate social responsibilities that today$$s consumers demand.

For this project, you will act as the lead consultant to Walmart as it attempts to improve its overall supply chain. The ultimate recommendation you make will be based upon your analysis of the current SCM and your insight on how to improve demand forecasting, sourcing, transportation, and warehousing options to optimize the overall operation. This project will showcase your ability to balance the competing requirements of reducing cost and increasing efficiency while remaining at the forefront of sustainable operations for the industry. Your analysis and recommendations will be formatted into a supply chain evaluation for Walmart$$s executive team to use to optimize their supply chain management in this very demanding environment.

The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final product will be submitted in Module Seven.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

Analyze operational and logistical issues related to supply chain management using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methodologies

Determine pertinent issues and potential constraints for problem solving regarding supply chain management

Develop distribution solutions based on supply chain management principles that address network inefficiencies

Recommend appropriate cost$-$saving strategies and risk mitigation plans for supply chain implementation

Prompt

Using the provided Walmart China case study, create a supply chain evaluation in which you assess Walmart in terms of its demand forecasting, sourcing, transportation, and warehousing processes in order to develop SCM recommendations that will reduce costs and risks to the business operation. It is strongly recommended that you thoroughly review the prompt below before you read the case study, and you should continue to refer to the prompt as you read. You should format your analysis and recommendations as if you were a consultant hired by Walmart.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

Executive Summary: In this section, explain the purpose of your brief and highlight key information and findings that will aid the understanding of the more in$-$depth analysis and recommendations to follow.

Demand Forecasting: In this section, first assess the supply and demand side of Walmart$$s product flow, including the customer$$s needs and the supplier$$s capabilities, in order to then identify potential alignments that will keep cost and waste at a minimum.

Evaluation

Analyze Walmart$$s suppliers in terms of their abilities to meet the demand of customers during steady$-$state and peak operations. How effective are each supplier$$s inventory reorder points and economic order quantities? Support your analysis with quantitative examples.

Additionally, describe demand$-$forecasting constraints that exist within the supply chain. For example, consider the distance of the stores and the compatibility of the products in terms of shipping, storage, and so on$.$

Recommendations: Based on your evaluation, recommend strategies for better aligning the supply and demand side of Walmart$$s product flow that will keep cost and waste at a minimum.

Sourcing: In this section, first evaluate the network sourcing strategy of Walmart in order to then identify possible areas in need of improvement that will leave room for future expansion.

Evaluation: Assess the current network sourcing strategy and determine whether or not the number and quality of suppliers is the optimal mix for the operation. To what extent do the current suppliers meet steady$-$state and peak demand? Are they consistently providing products that meet or exceed Walmart$$s quality standards? Defend your assessment with examples.

Recommendations

Recommend a strategy to optimize the sourcing network that takes into account current operations and leaves room for future expansion. Be sure to consider any alternative sources of materials available to the organization in your response.

Recommend a standard procedure