Week $3$ Homework Assignment $(25$ Points$)$: Create a High$-$Level Supply Chain Map

In this assignment, you'll explore the supply chain for a specific product rather than an entire company. The goal is to keep it high$-$level while thinking broadly about how products move through a supply chain$-$from the source of raw materials to the end consumer.

What to Do:

Pick a Product: Choose ofte product $($e$.$g$.$ Snickers bar, pencils, energy drink...$)$ from a company and map its supply chain. Focus on the big picture and high$-$level connections. $($You may also select a group of products, if it is easier and makes more sense for the company of your choosing.$)$

Create a High$-$Level Map: Using a graphic design or flowcharting tool of your choosing $($Lucid$,$ Canva, PowerPoint, Excel, Visio, etc.$),$ create a simple but informative map that shows the flow of materials and information. $($Note: You may elect to draw the map by hand. If you do$,$ ensure that it is "clean" and professionally formatted.

Label the Flow: Show how raw materials flow from the very beginning $($e$.$g$.,$ farms, mines, etc.$)$ through suppliers, production, and distribution channels all the way to the end consumer. Don't forget to include the different business channels used to get the product to customers. Label upstream, downstream and reverse flows as well as the various "tiers" of suppliers.

Make Reasonable Assumptions: You may need to make some assumptions about the supply chain details. That's okay! Focus on understanding the major flows and structure, all the way from the ground to the ultimate consumer.

Keep It High$-$Level: Remember, this is not a deep dive into every small detail. Your map should show the key stages of the supply chain without getting overly complicated. For example, don't list every supplier, but rather list just the major categories of suppliers and sub$-$suppliers.

Resources: Refer to the example maps darr we've reviewed in class for inspiration $($see Lesson $2\mathrm{.}2).$ The aim is to help you think conceptually about supply chains, not to map every detail.

Tools You Can Use:

Lucid

Canva

PowerPoint

Excel

Visio

$($Or any similar tool you prefer.$)$