SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT -Essay

1:Explain the push / pull process.What is a push / pull boundary?Provide an example on where (and why) a push / pull boundary should be used.

2: It is important that a company achieves strategic fit between its supply chain strategy & its competitive strategy.Provide four examples of goals that could be conflicting if there is not a strategic fit.Explain the impact if the conflicting goals are not resolved.

3: When evaluating the financial stability of the supplier or a customer, there are eight non-conventional entries in a balance sheet, an income statement or a cash flow statement that you should "watch for..."Explain why these entries raise a red flag & require additional detail.

4: Explain how distributors add value to a supply chain & improve its performance.Also, pick / explain one (of many) factors that determine whether or not distributors should be used.

5: Import duties & exchange rates affect the location decision of a facility (or a sourcing decision on a supplier) in a supply chain.List 2 reasons for including a foreign location in the supply chain.List 2 reasons why a foreign location should be avoided.

6: What are the main reasons why offshoring fails?What are the risks & how are they mitigated?What are the major opportunities & how are they captured?

7: The Sourcing process has deliverables that include Commodity Profiles, Industry Profiles, TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) Elements, Porter's 5 Forces Model, Selection Criteria, Willing & Able scatter plots & Negotiation Grids.Briefly explain the purpose / reason behind each one of these.

8: What are the 3 macro processes that rest on the TMF (Transactional Management Foundation) & what do they aim to accomplish?Briefly explain the types of information generated by these 3 macro processes (& how the information is used).