The stages of supply development for supply chain metrics

The stages of supply development for supply chain metrics are as follows:

• Stage 1: Planning- It requires companies to decide on their operating strategies by weighing the merits and demerits of diverse options presented by intercontinental supply chains.
• Stage 2: Sourcing- It involves organizing how the organization will acquire its cargo at the best possible cost, at the correct time as well as in the correct quantity.
• Stage 3: Making- This constitutes scheduling of production operations, testing of products, packing, and eventually releasing the products. It may also include managing rules governing, performance, data storage, regulatory compliance, and facilities.
• Stage 4: Delivering- It entails all the steps from processing client inquiries to choosing distribution plans and transportation choices. Warehouse and inventory management strategies should also be clearly stated at this stage.
• Stage 5: Returning- It incorporates all that pertains to the management of all returns of defective goods or “end of life” products. This includes product condition identification, returns authorization, shipment scheduling, refunds provision, and defective product replacement.

The most challenging stage is stage 1, planning because all the other four stages depend on its effective execution. Before outlining what will happen in each of the subsequent stages, goals of any operation that will take place in the supply chain are first stated in phase one.

Question 2

The components of information quality include integrity, objectivity, and utility. Objectivity is composed of substance and presentation elements. The element of presentation ensures that information is presented accurately, clearly, and completely without bias, whereas substance ensures information reliability and accuracy. On the other hand, the utility component is concerned with information validity and integrity deals with information security.

All the components of information quality are focused on information completeness, accuracy, and consistency. This has a considerable impact on the quality of decision making. For instance, research has shown that better information quality results in more effective and accurate interpretations of a specific situation or issue. This, in turn, determines the situations and issues requiring attention.

Question 3

Production efficiency and connection to different logistic systems solely depend on transportation. The existence of a variety of products and services brings about a diverse range of transportation needs, thus the reason for the existence of diverse modes of transportation such as road, water, rail, and air. Each of these modes has its advantages and disadvantages, as shown below.

Mode of transportation

Merits

Demerits

Road

-Highly flexible in terms of using different routes to reach the required destination.

-It can avail door to door services.

-The security of the cargo is highly guaranteed, and it gives an opportunity for the selection of a suitable carrier for cargo.

– -It is climate dependant

-Long distances result in high costs.

-It is associated with low productivity

Air

– Fastest speed.

-Highly reliable.

– It is affected by adverse.

-weather conditions

-Very expensive

Water

– Most economical for the transportation of bulky goods.

-Accidents are rare hence safer.

-It is cheap to construct and maintain.

-The most affected by adverse weather conditions.

-Requires high initial capital investment

-It is slow.

Rail

– It has more ability to load and offload cargo.

-Rarely affected by climatic conditions.

-High frequency of delivering goods over long distances.

-No traffic or congestion is experienced

– High initial capital investment.

-Expensive to construct and buy fuel consumed.

Transportation needs are diverse. This depicts that there may not be a more suitable mode of transportation than another. All is required is for individuals to prioritize their needs, understand shipment options available, and compare costs when they are planning for shipment.

Question 4

Appropriate methods for goods transportation are chosen based on the cost, goods durability, goods nature, and consumer market fragment as explored on the following goods.

• Apple Ipad -The appropriate mode of transportation for apple iPad is air. This involves the use of airplanes. The mode facilitates the faster movement of stock. This means that the company responsible ties up less money in stock on credit before it can be sold. Besides, the air mode is the safest, given that the longtime taken using water transportation has some risks of cargo sinking or getting hijacked.
• Pressure-treated lumber- The appropriate mode of transportation for pressure-treated lumber. It involves using huge ships. This because the cargo is bulky and requires a huge shipments which the ship can provide. The cargo is also durable. Meaning it will reach its destination without losing value no matter the number of days taken.
• True Religion jeans- Air will be the appropriate mode of transportations. It entails using airplanes. Considering the high demand for True Religion jeans, quick delivery to customers is required, and the air is the fastest mode of transportation that can guarantee faster delivery.
• Coal- The appropriate mode of transportation for coal is rail. It encompasses using rail trunks or trains. This is because rail has a relatively low maintenance cost and long-life permanent assets, making it cheap. Besides, the large shipments provided by this mode ensures the transportation of coal in bulky.

Question 5

The process of supply chain transformation usually requires organizations to strive towards aligning the supply chain with their overarching business objectives and goals to acquire maximum efficiency. The process is overwhelming and organizations experience various challenges. Therefore, they are required to consider some priorities to make the process a success. For instance, organizations should first decide on their chief goals and orientate their supply chain activities around those goals. Organizations should then let the stated goals to shape the pattern that the supply chain goals should take.

Finally, organizations should aspire to create well-defined planning processes.