Chapter 2, Problem 3P

Ohio Logistics manages the logistical activities for firms by matching companies that need products shipped with carriers that can provide the best rates and best service for the companies. Ohio Logistics is very concerned that its carriers deliver their customers’ material on time, so it carefully monitors the percentage of on-time deliveries. The following table contains a list of the carriers used by Ohio Logistics and the corresponding on-time percentages for the current and previous years.

1. a. Sort the carriers in descending order by their current year’s percentage of on-time deliveries. Which carrier is providing the best service in the current year? Which carrier is providing the worst service in the current year?
2. b. Calculate the change in percentage of on-time deliveries from the previous to the current year for each carrier. Use Excel’s conditional formatting to highlight the carriers whose on-time percentage decreased from the previous year to the current year.
3. c. Use Excel’s conditional formatting tool to create data bars for the change in percentage of on-time deliveries from the previous year to the current year for each carrier calculated in part b.
4. d. Which carriers should Ohio Logistics try to use in the future? Why?