What recent changes have caused supply chain management to gain importance?
With so much productive capacity and room for expansion in the United States, why would a company based in the United States choose to purchase items from a foreign firm? Discuss the pros and cons.
Describe the differences between functional and innovative products.
What are characteristics of efficient, responsive, risk-hedging, and agile supply chains? Can a supply chain be both efficient and responsive? Risk-hedging and agile? Why or why not?
What would be the supply chain for a bank loan? A dentist making a filling?
Could you have a bullwhip effect in a service activity such as staffing a call center?
As a supplier, which factors about a buyer (your potential customer) would you consider to be important in setting up a long-term relationship?
For the value density problem in Example 10.2, what would the effect be if a competing firm offers you a similar service for 10 percent less than Federal Express's rates?
What are the advantages of using the postponement strategy?
Describe how outsourcing works. Why would a firm want to outsource?
What is so different about Li & Fung's approach to working with their customers? Would this approach work with functional products like toothpaste and basketballs?
What are the basic building blocks of an effective mass customization program? What kind of companywide cooperation is required for a successful mass customization program?
