DQ 1: What are the different disciplines within a typical supply chain? Compare the various supply chain segments within your own sphere of influence or a company with which you are familiar.
DQ 2: Why is operations management relevant to managers in other organization functions? Base your discussion on your experience of operations within your organization or an organization with which you are familiar. For example, talk with the operations manager in your organization and find out what he/she says, what he/she does, and how he/she works with the organization including the marketing, financial, personnel, and purchasing functions.
DQ 3: Discuss the strategic importance of layout decisions. How can a particular layout affect a company's strategic goals? Provide some specific examples from industry.
DQ 4: Name the five types of customer-introduced variability and discuss options that let companies offer a high level of accommodation at low cost or reduced variability without damaging the service experience. Provide your rationale and at least one source.
DQ 5: Explain the three inventory control models and the driving factor in each model. Provide examples for each one using current companies.
DQ 6: Using one of the companies from DQ 5, describe how inventory planning and accuracy can be defined using the Pareto principle.
DQ 7: Being able to identify opportunities for improvement based on data and other information is a valuable professional skill. Most management and administration positions require this skill, but this can be a highly specialized employment position. This position is often referred to as a "Continuous Improvement Manager" or a slight variation of this title. The primary responsibility of this position is to drive continuous improvement in both quality and productivity while reducing cost and eliminating inefficiencies. If you were a Continuous Improvement Manager in your organization, describe some of the methodology you would apply to identify root causes. What are the tools you would use to help you achieve your primary job responsibilities?
DQ 8: Identify stakeholders and plan how manufacturing or service processes use value stream mapping. What is the benefit and why do companies do it? How would a company measure improvements?
DQ 9: What is the value of sales and operations planning in supply chain integration? What happens if sales does not communicate effectively with operations? What is the value of having medium- and long-term forecasts? How do e-commerce strategies promote growth?
DQ 10: Why would a company outsource parts of its supply chain? Explain the value of this practice and why so many companies use it today. What are some operational challenges that outsourcing can present?
DQ 11: Identify all of the areas of a consumer products company in which statistical quality control can be applied. How do you measure effectiveness of processes using statistical quality control?
DQ 12: Imagine you work for a breakfast cereal company that makes prepared products that are served cold. Your company wants to introduce a new hot breakfast cereal that would require some minimal preparation by the consumer. How would you propose forecasting initial demand for this product? Identify one quantitative and one qualitative technique. How do the techniques complement each other?
DQ 13: Why is project management so important in any field? How can project management be applied to implement supply chain strategies?
DQ 14: Final project: Explain how you would work with your stakeholders to ensure buy-in for and feedback on the project plan.
DQ 15: Reflect on your Process Improvement Project assignment. What challenges have you experienced and how have you resolved those challenges. Are you still looking for solutions?
DQ 16: Speculate what would happen if a step is not completed in the project management process? What are the consequences for all stakeholders? For example, what would be the potential pitfalls if a stakeholder decided not participate in the project implementation.