identify and apply Supply Chain and Logistics Management tools/methods to solve operational problems

INDIVIDUAL CASE STUDY GUIDELINE

The purpose of this assignment is to identify and apply Supply Chain and Logistics Management tools/methods to solve operational problems and improve Supply Chain and logistics performance. To this purpose, you should find an interesting Supply Chain and logistics problem from the real business world and think about how you can apply the tools/methods that you learned in this course to solve the problem.

More specifically, each individual should:

· Find a Supply Chain and logistics problem from the real business world (from his/her own work or from any company)

· Identify specific Supply Chain and logistics tools/methods that can be applied to the problem

· Apply an appropriate Supply Chain and logistics tool/method or a set of appropriate tools/methods to propose a solution to the problem

· Analyze the expected results that may be obtained when the solution is implemented.

The report should be 8 – 10 pages in length including the cover and appendices, with 1” margins on all sides, double-spacing, and 12 point font. The cover of the report should include title, class code and name, section number, your full name, and date of completion.

The report must follow the outline below:

1. Executive summary (no more than one page)

– Summarize what is the problem, what Supply Chain and logistics tools/methods have been applied to the problem, and what are the expected results of the proposed solution.

2. Background information

– Clearly state whether the problem is from your own work or from business articles/cases. If it is from business articles/cases, provide its source (title, author, name of the journal, date published).

– Briefly introduce the company background (e.g., name, products, business size, location, internal/external interesting facts, etc).

3. Problem Identification and Description

– Identify and describe the problem clearly and specifically.

– You should focus on a single Supply Chain and logistics problem, although you can introduce several other issues for informational purposes. General operations or management problems are not acceptable.

– The problem may involve either Supply Chain and logistics decision-making or process improvement.

– This section must include a problem statement starting with, e.g., “This paper considers the problem of determining …”, “The main problem of the firm is how to …”, etc, either in the beginning or at the end of the section.

4. Supply Chain and Logistics Management tools/methods that can be applied

– Describe what specific Supply Chain and Logistics Management tools/methods can be applied to the problem and why they are appropriate to the problem. This section should make it clear that you understand the tools/methods you are about to use.

5. Application of Supply Chain and Logistics Management tools/methods

– Choose a Supply Chain and Logistics Management tool/method or a set of tools/methods among the ones provided in section 4 and apply it to propose a solution to the problem.

– In this section you “must show your calculations”, which means that you must use real or estimated/simulated data in solving the problem or analyzing the process. It is NOT acceptable to provide only general descriptions of how the tools/methods can be applied.

6. Analysis of expected results

– Analyze the expected results of the proposed solution. You should compare between before and after the implementation of the proposed solution and justify the proposed solution clearly.

– The expected results may include cost/revenue impact and/or improvement of Supply Chain and logistics performance such as delivery time, accuracy, reliability, and cost. You must be specific to receive full credit.

7. Conclusion