Improving The Complex Network : Cisco

3. How can supply chain design and integration help John Wolf reduce investment and space requirements while maintaining adequate service levels?

A supply chain is a net work of firms. Thus, each firm in the chain should build its own supply chains to support the competitive priorities of its services or products. Two distinct designs used to competitive advantage are efficient supply chains and responsive supply chains. Efficient supply chains work best in environments where demand is highly predictable. The focus of the supply chain is on efficient flows of services and materials keeping inventories to a minimum. The firm’s competitive priorities are low-cost operations, consistent quality, and on-time delivery. Responsive supply chains designed to react quickly in order to hedge against uncertainties in demand. Work best when firms offer a great variety of services or products and demand predictability is low. Typical competitive priorities are development speed, fast delivery times, customization, variety, volume flexibility, and top quality. Tables below show the environments and design features that best suit each design.

Cisco acknowledged that there were initial barriers to the flow of information and the ease of supply operations between them and their business partners who produced products for Cisco’s consumers. They initiated a Supply Chain Management Initiative to improve their operations by automating the supply chain and improving information flow between Cisco and its partners.

Order processing involves the following steps: customer orders item(s), order received by the manufacturer, order processed by the manufacturer, credit verified by the credit department, order packed and loaded on to truck for shipment, order shipped to customer, and finally, order receive by customer and added to inventory (Nobilis, 2011). Having a competitive supply chain is not successful unless Target has the technologies to deliver the good or service to consumers in an efficient, effective manner.

In a typical supply chain, raw materials are procured and items are produced at one

Using an intelligent network designed to balance logistical expenses with swift order turnaround, Deere is able to provide superior customer service and support for aftermarket sales. Deere has optimized its logistical model using what they call the “rear/forward inventory deployment” strategy, which has proven effective. This simply means that the slow moving and out-of-date SKU components are centrally distributed, while

The stakeholders associated with this project are broken down into four categories, based on three processes of inventory management and a category for stakeholders that do not necessarily fall into any of the categories of inventory management. Raw materials receiving stakeholders include supervisors, receiving area teams, raw materials delivery partners and inventory clerks. Manufacturing with inventory stakeholders include manufacturing staff and inventory clerks. Final product shipping stakeholders include, Riordan Manufacturing’s customers, sales staff, sales order clerks, shipping department and inventory clerks. Additional stakeholders include members of the IT department tasked with maintenance and management of technology proposed in this service review and Hugh McCauley, Chief Operating Officer of Riordan Manufacturing.

Effective supply chain management can provide an important competitive advantage for a business marketer, resulting in improved communication and involvement among members of the chain, increased motivation, and decreased costs. Tracking the movement of and demand for components used to manufacture a product across a variety of potential and actual suppliers, provides insight and the ability to respond instantly to shortages, surpluses, and changes in market conditions. It seeks to optimize production, decrease manufacturing time, minimize inventory, streamline order fulfillment, and reduce cost.

While category 5 enhanced (CAT 5e) is the current standard for network connections, the ABC Company is looking to expand in the future. With this in mind, category 6 enhanced (CAT 6e) is recommended for the proposed cabling infrastructure. While CAT 5e provides good electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection, it only has a limit of 1-gigabit transmission speed. CAT 6e, provides EMI protection also, but has the capability of up-to 10-gigabit transmission between clients and servers. Because of how quickly networking technology advances and equipment speed evolves, CAT 6e cabling would be the optimal choice for the growing ABC Company. To utilize CAT 6e cabling efficiently, proper network configuration and

Excellent customer service is a way to set the organization apart from its competitors. Differentiation can be achieved through fast and correct execution of product ordering. To improve on the order process it is important to have the correct information provided in a timely fashion to all divisions. For integration to be successful information must be available throughout the entire supply chain.

Apple is a worldwide company that has proved its success from the very beginning starting with Steve Job’s vision and guidelines for Apple’s operation processes. Apple follows a strict set of operational strategies for its supply chain system. The customer’s demands come first in the supply chain with cost cutting strategies closely following. The next strategy involves setting ambitious targets to make significant improvements annually, slow yet steady. The fourth operational strategy is simplifying the product and process while adopting a process view of the organization via face-to-face meetings. Next is the process involves dealing with any problems that may arise with the necessary changes to address it. The final process is centered on enhancing business relationships within the company and outside it as well.

Customers today also want to know about company supply chains before placing orders because their own customers have many concerns about the environment, ethical sourcing, manufacturing transparency and sustainability. A fully customized supply chain management feature can provide information to customers directly through the websites and generate notifications when suppliers, vendors or supply chain details change. Customers can look for parts based on serial numbers, study materials and request special fabrications based on supply chain information.

4241). This well-organized formation enables information sharing and joint decision-making among the members in the network, which in turn optimizes the supply chain streamlining processes in Almost 21. For example, cost minimization, better information and product flow arrangement, power expansion is achieved by inviting small firms to be a member in the network, thus strengthening intimacy with customers and fostering company reputation. Therefore, these features increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s supply network.

Innovative products in supply chain management have a very high uncertainty life span in terms of demand from consumers. Not only is the uncertainty of demand an important factor, it is also important for companies to understand how and when to share information with partners and customers along the supply chain in order to please the consumers demand, and stay two steps ahead of demand uncertainty. Innovative products also have higher cost, and they are very difficult to forecast. Although, it is not an easy process, it can very well be done. The main concern is consistent communication and hard work from Distribution Center (DC) management, Supply Chain managers and directors, operation managers, etc. Furthermore, maintaining a high-quality communication through the supply chain will improve and control logistics costs, and will definitely make the supply chain more competent. Companies that create and manufacture innovative products such as Hewlett-Packard (HP) have to deal with attacking tough supply chain management challenges on a daily basis in order to remain top competitors within their industries.

Allow me to start by thanking you for this opportunity and for the valuable time and effort that your organization has put in preparing for this RFP. It is always a privilege to work with high-caliber professionals as you are.