This is the Assignment
You will begin your Key Assignment for this course in the Phase 4 Individual Project. In Phase 4, you will complete Part 1 of the Key Assignment and submit it as a draft. In Phase 5, you will add to the assignment, make changes based on feedback from your instructor, and hand in as the final assignment.
For this Discussion Board, you will post an outline of the full Key Assignment to the Discussion Board for your main post. You will need to read both the Week 4 and Week 5 Individual Project assignments so that you can create your outline. The outline should combine the section headings and subheadings that are specified in Key Assignment Part 1 (Phase 4 IP) and Part 2 (Phase 5 IP). The purpose of submitting your outline is to share it with your classmates for feedback.
Remember to keep your assignment in outline form; it should not contain paragraphs. It should parallel the sections and subsections of the Phase 5 Key Assignment.
Each student should complete at least 1 quality response to a classmate during the week using the 3-stage approach to identify the following:
What was done well
Weaknesses
Areas for improvement
There is an expectation that grammar, spelling, punctuation, and format are correct and professional.
Primary Task Response: Your first task is to post your own Key Assignment Outline, with details to support the headings, to the discussion area so that other students are able to review your plan. Attach your document to the main discussion post, and include any notes you feel are appropriate. The purpose of this assignment is to help improve the quality of the Key Assignment Draft you will complete next week.
Extra Notes Needed
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Part 1 of Key Assignment
Develop a Supply Chain Management Strategy Proposal, specifically dealing with the following scenario. The scenario centers around the choice of a location for a new distribution center for your firm’s insulated cooler products. As you know, these are large and bulky and take up a lot of room in either a truck (from a warehouse to retail stores or in a warehouse itself). Your factory is in the Chicago area, and you do not want to move it, nor outsource the manufacturing. Your product is used year round in the southern states and southwest, and in the summer months on the east coast.
How would you determine the ideal warehouse location? What factors would go into your choice of locations? Describe at least 3 factors.
Describe the pros and cons of setting up your own trucking fleet to take product from your factory to the new warehouse vs. using common carriers.
Given the high dollar value of your inventory, how can you ensure accuracy of both purchased raw material inventory (in your factory) as well as of the finished product itself in your factory and at the new warehouse?
How will planning for equipment capacity needs been done if you use a forecast-based system versus a demand management (JIT) -based system?
Create a finished goods production plan MRP (and component B procurement plan) given the following:
Production cycle time = 1 month
Each finished good item requires 2 Part B’s; part B has a 1 month procurement lead time
Beginning finished product inventory is 1,000
Forecasted sales are as follows:
Month 1: 1,000
Month 2: 1,100
Month 3: 1,150
Month 4: 1,200
Month 5: 1,200
Month 6: 1,300
Safety Stock: On the first day of each month, you want to have that month’s sales already in inventory
Capacity of the plant is 1,300 units
Download the blank MRP template to complete your MRP.
Part 2 (850–1,150 words)
What would be some key performance indicators that you as the supply chain manager should be measured against in your Part 1 strategic plan?
Keep in mind that you are a consumer products firm trying to improve customer service levels, reduce excess inventories, and so forth. Identify at least 5 of these indicators, showing the formula to calculate them and the source of the information. Describe why you picked these indicators.
For each one, if the indicator showed you being worse than your target, what areas of your SCM system would you look at for possible remedies?
Now assume the plant capacity is only 1,100 per month, but your forecast remains as above. Describe in words, not numbers, how this would change your production plan if your planned safety stock levels are still to be maintained.
Please submit your assignment.
