Supply Chain Management Block 3 - 2023 Assessment Questions Task One a. What are the two basic types of competitive advantage a company may pursue? b. Explain how a SWOT analysis is converted to a business strategy? c. Describe the process of performance management in detail (you can add a diagram to illustrate it). (One Page) Task Two a. Explain how sustainability comes into your work as an SCM practitioner - how does it impact your supply chain activities? b. Explain how and why Outsourcing is a key management approach in SCM? c. Explain why it is difficult to get all the members of your supply chain to share information that would allow the entire supply chain to perform more effectively and thereby serve the end-customer better. How can this be fixed? (One Page) Task Three a. Explain how our negative balance of trade with China could affect our BOP (Balance of Payments) in South Africa? b. Explain some of the arguments for and against Protectionism in a country's trade policy - use examples. c. Explain how to mitigate the risks of International Trade - if you're the buyer and if you're the seller. d. If you live in a poor community with high unemployment - where no-one has any cash - Explain how you can use barter and counter-trade to continue getting and giving services to each other. Give details - including how you would decide what each service is worth - and what it can be exchanged for? (One and a Half Pages) Task Four a. Explain the difference between External and Internal Supply Chain risks - and give some examples of each? b. Explain why scenarios are a useful way to explore risks in your business and how they can help you to plan for how to deal with them? c. What is the difference between a Sensitivity analysis and a Scenario analysis and explain why you need a plan B and C and maybe even D? d. Why is it important to test your contingency plan/s and what do you do after you test it/them? (One Page) You are part of a SCM team that has been asked to prepare a plan to create a new business in partnership with a Chinese company - that will import the main components for electric bicycles from China to assemble here - with some bits being produced locally - to sell in the whole Southern African region (with South Africa being the main market). Your job is to explore the issues involved in creating this new business and exploring all the implications for the supply chain that will span the two continents. Your plans must cover the following aspects of the business: - The key elements that will be involved in developing a strategy for this new business - that will allow you to optimise its operational supply channels. Justify your decisions in detail (not less than 1.5 pages for this section). - An evaluation of the main influences that you will need to take into account in setting up your supply chain. Justify your suggestions in detail (not less than 1.5 pages for this section). - Outline the main concerns you have regarding the international purchases that the new business will have to make and explain how you protect the new business against any possible risks that may emerge in this area. Explain why you make each decision (not less than 1.5 pages for this section). - Draw up a plan that will allow you to assess the risks that may arise from this process - explain how you will identify them and what your options will be once this has been done. Use references. Include the creation of various scenarios and various alternative plans if some of the risks come about - and don't forget to explain how you will check if your plan works. Make sure you justify each decision you make (not less than 1.5 pages for this section). Task Six a. Examine why balancing supply with demand is necessary to ensure sustainable supply chains. How would you maintain availability of stock through optimal inventory strategies? b. Explain why a specific inventory system is chosen based on its advantages for customer satisfaction. How is MRP and just in time effectively used in this organisation by verifying the linkages with CRP? (One Page)