Retail Supply Chain & Logistics Management

Assignment A

1. Define supply chain management and its role in increasing a retailer’s competitiveness.    
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2. Discuss the fundamental requirements for an efficient supply chain. Solve by www.solvezone.in contact for detail.    
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3. Discuss the layout that would be suitable for a supermarket and a department store.
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4. Distinguish between these two terms; logistics and inventory management. Give an example of each.    
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5. Supply chain management is a progression in the value chain from sourcing to satisfy customer needs. Discuss.
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6. Explain the following concepts:

a. Value Engineering/ Analysis
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b. Benchmarking Global Supply Chains

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c. IT-enabled Supply Chain Management
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d. Vendor Management & Development

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7. Explain the key documentation involved in an efficient warehouse management system.
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8. Discuss the advantages of retail automation in supply chain management.

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Assignment B

CASE STUDY

“Cross-docking in the Retail Supply Chain”

Wal-Mart is said to use the concept of cross-docking efficiently and the company delivers about 85% of its merchandise using the cross-docking system. The system runs in such a way that shipments typically spend less than 24 hours in the distribution centers, sometimes even less than 24 hours in the distribution centers, sometimes even less than an hour. Goods are continuously replenished to Wal-Mart stores within 48 hours by using the cross-docking system without having to store merchandise anywhere. The company-owned transportation systems also help Wal-Mart in the speedy replenishment process which facilitates just-in-time replenishments where goods from the warehouse are moved to the store in less than 48 hours every time. The cross-docking locations are also planned in such a way that distances are managed with ease to achieve such time- the bound goal for replenishments. Cross-docking allows Wal-Mart to replenish their shelves 4 times faster than its competition.

Wal-Mart has invested a great deal in this unique cross-docking inventory system which has enabled the company to achieve economies of scale and reduce costs considerably. The company also has invested in state-of-art technology that can track stocks and movement of merchandise. This keeps the organization up-to-date with information about sales and inventory. Wal-Mart had implemented a satellite network system that enables the sharing of information among the company’s wide network of stores, distribution ,centers and suppliers. Cross-docking techniques adopted in Wal-Mart have been delivering optimal efficiencies and results for the organization. The implementation of cross-docking at Wal-Mart has become a model globally for other organizations to follow.

1.    Explain the cross-docking system and its applications in supply chain management. 
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2.    What are the benefits of cross-docking?
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3.    How does cross-docking help Wal-Mart in achieving efficient replenishments?
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Assignment C

1. A(n) __________ is a sequence of firms that perform activities required to create and deliver a good or service to consumers or industrial users.    
 
Options    
effective response system    
demand channel    
materials handling requirements    
supply chain

2. Supply chain manufacturers balance the total logistics cost factors against customer service factors. Which of the following is an example of one of the customer service factors?    
 
Options    
inventory    
order processing    
convenience    
transportation    

3. The four key logistical functions in a supply chain include transportation, warehousing and materials handling, order processing, and:    
 
Options    
communication between buyer and seller    
inventory management    
Order cycle time.    
on-time delivery of the product
4. What is the first step in choosing a supply chain?    
 
Options    
developing an umbrella mission statement    
understanding the customer    
creating a unifying inter-organizational strategy    
determining what the competition is doing

5. Supply chain management is becoming a necessity, especially for large companies, for all of the following except:       
 
Options    
The need to improve operations    
Increasing levels of outsourcing    
Government contract requirements    
Competitive pressures

6. Which of the following is not a supply chain strategy?    
 
Options    
Negotiation with several suppliers    
Short-term relationships with a few suppliers    
Vertical integration    
Virtual companies

7. According to Marshall Fisher, which of the following types of products need to be delivered with efficient supply-chains?    
 
Options    
Custom products    
Innovative products    
Cheap products    
High technology products

8. According to Hau Lee, which of the following types of products need to be delivered with efficient supply-chains?    
 
Options    
Custom products    
High technology products    
Responsive products    
Grocery products    

9. Supply-chain response relates to the following    
 
Options    
How quickly a customer order can be filled    
How quickly a company can react to a new competing product    
a & b    
How inexpensive the product is?

10. The inventory turnover is mathematically the inverse of the    
 
Options    
Gross margin    
Weeks-of-supply    
Cost of goods sold    
Profit

11.  In the fixed-order quantity model, stock-outs may occur during:    
 
Options    
The lead time    
The order time    
The holding time    
The setup time
12. Supply chain manufacturers balance the total logistics cost factors against customer service factors. Which of the following is an example of one of the total logistics cost factors?    
 
Options    
convenience costs    
time    
stockout costs    
communication costs

13. Lead time is:    
 
Options    
also called replenishment time    
typically more important to resellers than to consumers    
defined as the time that passes from ordering an item until it is received and ready for use or sale    
also called order cycle time

14. Which of the following results is not a benefit of JIT?    
 
Options    
Flexibility    
Lower Inventories    
Work Cells    
Lower total setup costs

15. Modes of transportation are typically evaluated based on all of the following criteria EXCEPT:    
 
Options    
accessibility    
perishability    
capability    
dependability    
16. Which of the following statements about railroads is not true?    
 
Options    
Railroads carry bulky items over fairly long distances.    
Railroads apply the unit train concept to intermodal transportation    
Railroad routes are more extensive than water carriers or pipelines.    
Railroads are a relatively high-cost mode of transportation

17. Which of the following statements about air carriers is true?    
 
Options    
One advantage of air carriers is there is  door-to-door delivery    
There are space constraint limitations as to what can be transported in planes.    
This method of transportation is especially effective for time-sensitive goods.
Air carriers are commonly used for perishable flowers, clothing, and electronics parts.    

18. With which customer service factor are quick response and efficient consumer response delivery systems most closely related?    
 
Options    
time    
dependability    
inventory costs    
communication    

19. The objective of logistics management in a supply chain is to deliver maximum customer service and to:    
 
Options    
minimize employee productivity    
minimize relevant logistics costs    
minimize shareholder's return on investment    
maximize employee wages

20. The major purpose of a trailer on flatcar (TOFC) is to:    
 
Options    
attract freight that would normally move by boat.    
implement a JIT transportation strategy both domestically and internationally    
combine the economy of rail carriers with the flexibility of motor carriers    
eliminate the need for containers.

21. A warehouse that emphasizes timely movement of goods:    
 
Options    
is a storage warehouse.    
is a freight forwarder.    
is an inventory expediting center.    
is a distribution center.    

22. The idea of the Value Density calculation is:    
 
Options    
Determining how a product should be shipped considering its weight and val
Finding a carrier that can handle the weight    
Matching the weight of the product with an appropriate carrier    
Finding the minimum cost carrier

23. Dramatic cost savings are possible when efficient transportation systems and information technology can be substituted for __________ costs    
 
Options    
advertising    
personal selling    
publicity    
inventory

24. Which one of the following can have a negative impact on inventory velocity?    
 
Options    
delayed differentiation    
the bullwhip effect    
cross-docking    
bar codes

25. The bullwhip effect is most closely associated with:    
 
Options    
Late deliveries from suppliers    
Demanding customers    
Demanding suppliers    
Inventory buildup

26. Reasons to outsource include:    
 
Options    
To increase costs    
To focus on new and different areas or activities    
To reduce investments in assets    
To increase investments in asset

27. Which of the following is the best candidate for outsourcing by a telephone company which currently performs the function in the house?    
 
Options    
The company's cafeteria    
The company's telephone operators..    
The company's telephone installation department    
The company's bookkeeping and accounting functions

28. What factors the companies do not need to consider when sourcing products?    
 
Options    
Material cost    
Company’s overhead costs    
Transportation cost    
Outsourcing cost

29. Functional products are:    
 
Options    
Staples people buy in a range of retail locations    
Products that change over time    
Do not include products in gas stations and grocery stores    
Products with short life cycles

30. Supply chain management:    
 
Options    
Means procurement only    
Means delivery to end customer only    
Means transportation of good only    
Means linking the supplier to the customers

31. Which of the following is not one of the ways that Wal-Mart created a competitive operations advantage?    
 
Options    
Through the systems that they developed to manage their warehouses and their stores
Location advantage - competing for head-to-head in large urban areas    
Focusing on implementing a total quality management system    
A culture of supporting values, skills, technologies and approaches to motivation

32. Which one is not included in the scope of Quality assurance :     
 
Options    
Failure analysis    
Troubleshooting    
Product design improvements    
Corporate Planning

33. Quality is defined as:     
 
Options    
The degree of excellence at an acceptable price and the control of variability at  an acceptable cost    
How well a product fits patterns of consumer preference?    
The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs    
Cannot be defined

34. Which one of the following is not a true statement?    
 
Options    
Employee behavior is an important issue for quality service    
More attention to employee training and self- management must be paid in a service organization    
The management of quality is easier for services than for manufactured goods.    
Quality characteristics are more difficult to define for service organizations than for manufacturing firms.

35. To ensure success in implementing quality initiatives, the most important factor is    
 
Options     
A reward and recognition program    
A training program to explain and promote the quality initiative.    
Upper management support    
An empowered workforce

36. QMS is the acronym for    
 
Options    
Quality Maint Service    
Quality Monitoring Supervision    
Quality Measurement System,    
Quality Management System     

37. Which of the following is not consistent with the concept of TQM?     
 
Options    
Organizational leadership    
Quality control departments    
Continuous improvement    
Customer focus

38. Performance measures concerned with specific work processes that are virtually the same for all industries refer to:    
 
Options    
Internal benchmark    
Competitive benchmark    
Functional benchmark    
Generic benchmark

39. Value Analysis is a technique about     
 
Options    
Root cause analysis    
Pareto analysis      
Cost of external failure    
Optimizing Materials Cost

40. EOQ is the order quantity that over our planning horizon    
 
Options    
minimizes total ordering costs    
minimizes total carrying costs    
the required safety stock    
minimizes total inventory costs