Chain supply

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Question 1

Factors that determine the success of a supply chain are many some can be controlled by the supply chain itself, and others is under the control of the customers, one of the factors under the control of the supply chains is making use of modern technology which can help the supply chain to tell what is in demand, instead of the supply chain management guessing what the customer s may need and the quantity. Use of Manugistics fore casting software and chain supply planning tools assists in knowing the right number of goods to be delivered, the quantity, time and customers who needs the product. As in the case of Perdue farms, which has made use of technology to their benefit as they can now know the exact number of turkeys to deliver, the right time to deliver, and the right customers who the turkey is to be delivered to. Another factor that can affect the success of a supply chain is tastes of the customer which can change overnight after the chain has already brought in the goods.

Question 2

Use of gift cards during the holiday is another way that the supply chains can improve their chances of success by taking advantage of the season of giving during Christmas. This can be done by the retailer giving cards to people around the supply chain business as many might be people living around and may come later to buy at the supply chain distributing cards to customers getting into the business premise as some may later come to shop and to redeem the gift cards. From a report, in 2006 from a research showed that the effects of the cards are seen during the months of January to February as only 20 percent of the cards are redeemed few weeks after Christmas, and the remaining 80 percent is redeemed later in January and February when many people who had received the gift cards go to redeem them. Many multi billion companies use this method to reach more clients and in the process maintaining the customers that they already have, as Haskins said a business dealing in supplies are as good as their supplier supply chain and the supplier’s ability to have a quick incorporated view of the total demand and supply.

Question 3

Prof. Brian statement implies that, information is more important than records because at times what is sold needs to coordinate with the inventory to make sure the company does not struggle to know what is needed and when, what is in short supply. Proper information can help the supply chain make split decision, if anything should happen to the supply chain. Flexibility is very vital and is a major tactic that helps both the retailer s and manufacturers to sell their products; at times, a product may be in demand in different regions of a country and is not in demand in another part of the country with the right information a company can make a kill by moving its product where the demand is high. A company without the right information may not be able to detect changes in the market, and it means they might end up taking goods to a region that does not need them. Which may result to losses as the goods if perishable might go bad or the company will have to lower their prices so as to sell the goods.