Resilience PLC (Resilience) is a component design and supply company which is at the cutting edge of the high-tech IT industry. It is managed by Ian (sales), Connie (production) and Ivan (research and development). The firm has been operating for 15 years and has endured significant peaks and valleys. Resilience thrives on innovation and diversity. One might say, “… there is never a dull moment”.

The following dialogue represents the start to a typical day in the life of Resilience.

Customer (RUV Institute of IT Innovations): “Ian, I want to re-order more of model C. I need the same design as last time but twice as many quantities of model C.

Sales Manager of PLC (Ian): “Fabulous, I’ll get the team onto it”.

Ian phones Connie (production manager) “Connie, can we do more of those model C parts for RUV? They want to double the quantity”

Production manager (Connie): “Can’t do. Unfortunately, our supplier changed their specs and the material is no good for model Cs.

Ivan hasn’t yet sent the specifications to our new potential supplier though”.

Questions:

1. Identify the issues in the above scenario.

2. Assess where there may be a deficiency in the manufacturing/raw material inventory of Resilience.

3. Would it have been reasonable for Connie the production manager to have expected Ian the sales manager to have been more proactive by enquiring of Customer RUV at the time of their last order delivery whether they would be ordering any more model C product in the near future or not, so as to ensure that Resilience had components at the ready.