Technology And Analytical Method Support Communications At All Levels Of The Organizations You Selected?

The Supply Chain Management System used at Lowe’s is a collaboration process. According to LeRoy Allen, Senior Vice President of Logistics for Lowe's Companies, as cited by Real Results Magazine (2012), Lowe’s has more than 3,000 suppliers and having effective communication with all of them is difficult. Providing them with key information helps them, not only run their own business but assists Lowe’s in running theirs. This model was designed to efficiently run the supply chain together (para. 2).

Apple is a global company represented in many parts of the world, but born in the United States by computer wizards by the names of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who founded the company back in 1976 (Capon, 2008). The organization deals with the design and sale of computer hardware, software and offers tech support to its customers. Examples of the hardware the company manufactures and sells include mobile phones, personal computers, iPads, tablets and iTunes with associated brands, like the MacBook and iPhones that represent Apple’s driving force towards its success. It is recognized as a brand leader in consumer electronics by the world in terms of quality and customer satisfaction and despite the wide product range, Apple manages each product in a distinct way that is a single business unit (Mittan, 2010).

Apple Inc. commonly known as Apple has effectively managed to be a successful company in a very competitive consumer electronics industry by been innovative and differentiating the company’s products with similar products in the markets by offering high quality products and good customer service while the actual manufacturing of the products is outsourced to trusted third party suppliers. On a wider perspective, the company has set high standards that even the company itself has to be on its level best to maintain the standards that it has set. Over the last few years, the consumer electronics market has

During the game, I realized that wide gaps in orders of every role in the supply chain such as factory, distributor and retailer create inventory management challenges. For example, distributor records 0units between week1-week 4 compared to retailer within the same period. The retailer records 3units, 5units, 2units and 2units between weeks 1- week 4. The same applies to factory with 0units from weeks 2-4. Addressing inventory management problems requires developing an average unit level to avoid disappointing customers when demand

The warehouse needs to understand their role in rerouting deliveries. The IT group must understand their very important role of backing up of data. Because of this, each department should be reviewing their plan quarterly to allow for updates. The plan should be reviewed each time a major change is made, such as a new location is opened or computer systems are converted.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is extended to suppliers, customers, and other business partners to enables both smooth integration of a different company business systems as well as effective and secure communication. ERP would facilitate collaboration in its business processes. Supply chain management (SCM) manages the supply chain end-to-end processes that start with the design of the product and end when it is sold, consumed, or used by the end consumer. SCM is to reduce uncertainty, variability, and risk, and increase control in the supply chain, thereby positively effecting inventory levels, cycle time, business processes and customer service. Collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) is a business practice in which suppliers and retailers collaborate in planning and demand forecasting in order to ensure that members of the supply chain will have the right amount of raw materials and finished goods when they need them. Collaborative planning is designed to synchronize production and distribution plans and product flow, optimize resource utilization over an expanded capacity base, increase customer responsiveness, and reduce inventory.

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

Abstract John Deere is a well-known company with products manufactured in the U.S. as well as plants in Brazil, India, China, Mexico, France and Germany (Holstein, 2008). This process allows John Deere to sustain the needs of its customers without having to ship from a sole location, enabling the company to keep cost down, save time and increase their profit margin. Deere provides a huge selection of parts through their dealer network with more than 800,000 items in inventory. To meet their goals, Deere maintains an extensive infrastructure with an impressive supply network that is driven by a process known as rear/forward inventory deployment strategy. This strategy enables the company to meet their goals; which are to deliver requested

As higher demands continued to be placed on GMM’s production and distribution operations, its transportation network lacked collaboration. In effect, each operation was making individual logistics decisions, creating costly redundancies and inefficiencies throughout the supply chain. However, On-time delivery is critical in their business, and they consistently meet their customers' requirements. With cost, service and punctuality always at the forefront, consolidates shipments, manages carriers, and optimizes air, sea and ground routes. (Penske, 2010)

As director of Supply Chain Systems, Teri Takai recommends implementing virtual integration strategies from companies like Dell to portions of Ford’s supply chain strategy. Although there are several key differences between the companies, the restructuring plans of Ford 2000 have set a viable foundation to implement Dell’s virtual integration strategy in inventory management, customer service and support and suppliers’ management. The redesign of the process must include design not only of the supply chain but also of fulfillment, forecasting, purchasing, and a variety of other functions that historically been considered independently within the Ford hierarchy. Teri

(Bowersox, D.J., Closs, D.J., and Cooper, M.B. (2010). Supply Chain Logistics Management. (3rd Edition) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Ford should trim its supplier networks down to one- or two-tier and select the suppliers with advanced and compatible IT capabilities. In the meantime, Ford should pay more attention to building and strengthening the data linkages – like communicating inventory levels and replenishment needs regularly with vendors - to facilitate the sharing of information in real-time fashion. Ford also needs to encourage the dealers to improve their IT ability and much more involve them in forecasting demand.

The class text states that Supply chain management is frequently divided into supply chain planning applications, supply chain execution applications, logistics management, and warehouse management. Often when companies fail at implementing an efficient supply chain because of the planning section, or inaccurate demand forecasts. The text states electronic data interchange is one of the earliest uses of information technology for supply chain management, Electronic data interchange is the use of the Internet for everyday business transactions. “In this era of information a firm’s supply chain should operate at speed of thought and this is possible only by enhanced e-speed communications and information sharing with their critical partners.” (4)

In this textbook, materials management includes all activities in the flow of materials from the supplier to the consumer. Such activities include physical supply, operations planning and control, and physical distribution. Other terms sometimes used in this area are business logistics and supply chain management. Often, the emphasis in business logistics is on transportation and distribution systems with little concern for what occurs in the factory. Whereas some chapters in this text are devoted to transportation and distribution, emphasis is placed on operations planning and control. Distribution and operations are managed by planning and controlling the flow of materials through them and by using the system’s resources to achieve a desired customer service level. These activities are the responsibility of materials management and affect every department in a manufacturing business. If the materials management system is not well designed and managed, the distribution and manufacturing system will be less effective and more costly. Anyone working in manufacturing or distribution should have a good basic understanding of the factors influencing materials flow. This text aims to provide that understanding. APICS defines the body of knowledge, concepts, and vocabulary used

The variability of logistics performance is quite relevant. ALP has not been able to guarantee a reliable service to its customers in the last years. There seems to be a lack of organization when providing the service to the customers, in the sense of establishing priorities and