Category: Supply Chain

Overview
The purpose of this discussion exercise is to provide you with a forum to discuss your newly discovered production and operations management concepts considering current issues and real business situations. This is a practice ground for ensuring that your reasoning and foundation of these concepts are secure. This portion of the course requires you to interact with your fellow classmates and critique their submissions.
NOTE THAT ALL THESE TOPICS REFER TO THE OPERATIONS FUNCTION OF A BUSINESS, TO MANUFACTURE A PRODUCT OR CREATE A SERVICE. WE ALL KNOW THAT THESE TOPICS MAY BE USED IN OTHER BUSINESS FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS IN MARKETING OR FINANCE, BUT FOR THE DISCUSSIONS IN THIS COURSE, PLEASE FOCUS ON OPERATIONS EXAMPLES AND ARTICLES.
DIRECTIONS
Concept to complete:
Advantages and methods of sourcing products with “Green” considerations
Then find a current event in an article from the resources below to illustrate that concept:
https://www.wsj.com/
https://ominthenews.com/
http://www.logisticsworld.com/
https://manufacturingdigital.com/
https://www.industryweek.com/
Analysis Post:
After reviewing and analyzing at least one of the current events articles, compose an analysis of that event or situation using the unit operations concept that you selected. Note: Remember to focus upon your selected operations concept in your analysis. (See attached Analysis form templete)

Alliance is a service in which customers pay a flat-rate to Alliance Air and are guaranteed a seat on an airplane between any two locations. To offer this service, Alliance Air pre-purchases daily seats between every pair of major cities. A route, which has been growing in popularity, is between Phoenix and Dallas. Alliance Air is seeking your advice on how many seats to pre-purchase between these two cities so that they maximize their daily profit.
Whenever an Alliance Air customer flies on a pre-purchased seat, Alliance Air obtains $150 in profit. However, if not all of the pre-purchased seats are taken, then Alliance Air has a profit of -$80 by selling the seats at a discount to passengers outside of their customer base. In addition, if Alliance Air has more customers seeking a seat than they have pre-purchased, Alliance Air is forced to book that passenger on a seat purchased that day. In this case, Alliance Air has a profit of -$70 due to the high cost of same-day flights.
Alliance Air understands that its demand is uncertain. Therefore, they have been keeping track of their historical daily demand.
Using this information, complete the following tasks/questions:
Develop an Excel spreadsheet model which can calculate the daily profits for Alliance Air, assuming any particular demand for that day and that Alliance Air pre-purchased 37 seats on the plane. Hint: Your model should include an understock and an overstock formulas.
Fit distribution to Historical Demand data to find a statistical distribution that fits these data best. Then apply this distribution to your demand, and set-up your spreadsheet as a simulation model using daily profits as an output. Run a simulation assuming Alliance Air pre-purchased 37 seats on a plane. What is the average daily profit in this scenario?
How many seats would you recommend Alliance Air to pre-purchase if they wanted to maximize their average daily profit? To answer this question, modify the number of Pre-Purchased Daily Seats from 25 to 55 (in the increments of 5) and fill in the table provided with statistics about the expected daily profits (Note that the average, min and max might keep changing slightly as you record those values, that’s ok). What are the minimum and maximum daily profits if they were to purchase this quantity? IMPORTANT: A. Please complete the problems using Excel, answer the questions asked in Word, and then submit both files.
B. You do not have to automate your table (you can if you wish). Just run six simulations and input your values manually.
C. As during the in-class example, you will need to directly apply your distribution to your uncertain input cell

Guiding questions:How can AI influence the competitiveness in manufacturing companies?
How can AI influence the competitiveness in service companies?
How can AI influence the operation in companies?
How can AI influence the supply chain operations in companies

Week 1: Supply Chain and Reverse Logistics Overview
Review Chapter 10 in the book,
Supply Chain and Logistics Management Made Easy: Methods and Applications for Planning, Operations, Integration, Control and Improvement, and Network Design
by Paul Myerson
Publisher: Pearson
Release Date: April 2015
ISBN: 9780133994261
https://apus.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991002259647805031&context=L&vid=01APUS_INST:01APUS&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Supply%20Chain%20and%20Logistics%20Management%20Made%20Easy:%20Methods%20and%20Applications%20for%20Planning%20%20Operations%20%20Integration%20%20Control%20and%20Improvement%20%20and%20Network%20Design&offset=0
Individual Assignment
This assignment is an introduction to college-level essay writing. Create an essay in APA format. Check the examples in the library writing resources and brush up on writing skills. Develop an essay of two to four pages, excluding title and reference page. Create an introduction using APA section title, repeating the title page byline. Then, use 1st and 2nd level section titles to create topics from the reading. Within each section title (topic) develop essay points by combining information from two or more library articles. Select topics from the course readings. Introduce the topic by paraphrasing information from the class reading. Then, search the library for articles on the topics selected from the class reading. Paraphrasing information from resources (class material and library articles) is a good way to demonstrate understanding of course objectives. Remember to match the title page format, section titles, citations, and references in APA format. Match each type to examples in the library writing resources.
APA Formatting required.
APA GUIDELINES
University of California Berkeley Library APA Style Citation
Purdue University APA Formatting and Style Guide
RESEARCH and WRITING
APUS Online Library Tutorial Center
PLAGIARISM
Avoiding accidental and intentional plagiarism

The case study link is provided below for the Case Study 1. Read and study the case and complete the questions at the end of the study. Use the case study outline below to assist you with your analysis. Questions should be answered using case study format. Ensure that you adequately explain the problem, describe alternative solutions and justify your recommendation. This exercise should be able to be completed in approximately 3-6 doubled space pages. Attached completed Case Study #1 as a MS Word document in the assignment area of the classroom – Case Study #1.
Case Study 1
Case Study Outline (see Outline for Case Analysis below)
OUTLINE FOR CASE ANALYSIS
Title Page (APA formatted)
Case Name:
I. Major Facts
(State here the major facts as you see them. Make statements clear and concise for your own understanding as well as for the understanding of the other students and the instructor.)
II. Major Problem
(State here the major problem as you see it. Emphasize the present major problem. You may wish to phrase your statement in the form of a question. In a few cases, there may be more than one major problem. A good problem statement will be concise, usually only one sentence.)
III. Possible Solutions
A. (List here the possible solutions to the major problem. Let your imagination come up with alternative ways to solve the problem.
B. Do not limit yourself to only one or two possible solutions. These solutions should be distinct from each other.
C. However, you may wish to include portions of one solution in another solution, as long as each solution stands alone. Only in this manner will your subsequent choice be definitive.
D. Briefly note advantages and disadvantages of each possible solution.)
etc.
IV. Choice and Rationale
(State here your choice, A or B or ___ and the detailed reasons for your choice. You may also state your reasons for not choosing the other alternative solutions.)
V. Implementation
(Prepare a plan to implement your choice)
Appendix (Answer case study questions)
Reference Page (APA formatted)

Overview
The objective of this assessment is to develop a clear plan to guide the digital transformation of supply chain operations businesses in a poster format and a summary description.
Learning Outcomes
The targeted Course Learning Outcomes for this assessment are:
CLO1: Improve business logistics and supply chain management operations through the effective implementation of technology.  CLO2: Identify and evaluate supply chain design issues, including ethical issues, and generate effective and sustainable technology solutions.  Assessment details
The objective of this assessment is to develop a clear plan to guide the digital transformation of supply chain operations businesses in a poster format along with a written description summary.
Since the supply chain is big and complex, for the purposes of this assignment, you should focus on one aspect of the supply chain, for example, manufacturing, transport, warehousing, or retail. Examine and identify the common and potential issues in that aspect, and suggest what technology and how businesses can implement in order to enhance the efficiency of their operations. The Plan: The plan should include a clear identification of the kinds of technological transformations required and a detailed process from conception to implementation of the suggested technology to improve operations efficiency. Your plan should include well-explained diagrammatic illustrations of actions, processes, and expected outcomes. The idea is to improve the efficiency of operations in the supply chain through the effective implementation of technology.
Please Note: This assessment task is NOT based on a specific identified organisation but rather on the operations and activities in the specific selected supply chain aspect. You, therefore, need to demonstrate an understanding of the work that takes place in that stage.
Your plan should be thoughtfully and creatively presented so that it is easily understood. This should include the elaborate and appropriate use of a variety of figures, tables and process maps.
Suggested approach to developing the assignment:
The following questions should be used to guide both your reading and the development of your assignment. These are meant as a guide only to formulating your assignment, including what information you should gather, what you should focus on in your critical thinking and how you should present your materials, and NOT as suggested headings, etc.
What are the common and potential issues faced in this aspect of supply chain operations?
What are the common causes of these issues?
What kinds of supply chain technologies could address these issues in order to enhance the efficiency of operations?
How should these technologies be introduced and implemented in the chosen aspect of the supply chain?
The above poster should be submitted along with a 500 words summary of description as one (1) file.
Assessment Criteria This assessment will measure your ability to:
In-depth knowledge and understanding of the operations in regard to the use of supply chain technologies
Develop a technology transformation plan which considers all the business aspects and also social and environmental challenges businesses deal with
Clarity of poster presentation and the description summary
Adequate up-to-date academic references (within 6 years, 2017-2023/2024) from the Internet and the literature to support your framework. Only valid and reliable published academic literature (books, book chapters and journal articles) are considered appropriate, although other sources such as online journals or electronic books may be used as extra references. Do NOT use lecture notes as references. You can, however, use internet sources to identify or develop illustrative situations.
Correct referencing style (Harvard referencing system) used

Solve only question 5 …. Company : Stc ( Saudi Telecom Company ) Ques-5- As an expert discuss, how supply chain managers should manage challenges arising from global supply chains. (3- Marks)
Only 150 words are required … Dont forget to mention the problems and solutions.

Solve only question 5 …. Company : Stc ( Saudi Telecom Company ) Ques-5- As an expert discuss, how supply chain managers should manage challenges arising from global supply chains. (3- Marks)
Only 150 words are required … Dont forget to mention the problems and solutions.

Overview
The objective of this assessment is to develop a clear plan to guide the digital transformation of supply chain operations businesses in a poster format and a summary description.
Learning Outcomes
The targeted Course Learning Outcomes for this assessment are:
CLO1: Improve business logistics and supply chain management operations through the effective implementation of technology.  CLO2: Identify and evaluate supply chain design issues, including ethical issues, and generate effective and sustainable technology solutions.  Assessment details
The objective of this assessment is to develop a clear plan to guide the digital transformation of supply chain operations businesses in a poster format along with a written description summary.
Since the supply chain is big and complex, for the purposes of this assignment, you should focus on one aspect of the supply chain, for example, manufacturing, transport, warehousing, or retail. Examine and identify the common and potential issues in that aspect, and suggest what technology and how businesses can implement in order to enhance the efficiency of their operations. The Plan: The plan should include a clear identification of the kinds of technological transformations required and a detailed process from conception to implementation of the suggested technology to improve operations efficiency. Your plan should include well-explained diagrammatic illustrations of actions, processes, and expected outcomes. The idea is to improve the efficiency of operations in the supply chain through the effective implementation of technology.
Please Note: This assessment task is NOT based on a specific identified organisation but rather on the operations and activities in the specific selected supply chain aspect. You, therefore, need to demonstrate an understanding of the work that takes place in that stage.
Your plan should be thoughtfully and creatively presented so that it is easily understood. This should include the elaborate and appropriate use of a variety of figures, tables and process maps.
Suggested approach to developing the assignment:
The following questions should be used to guide both your reading and the development of your assignment. These are meant as a guide only to formulating your assignment, including what information you should gather, what you should focus on in your critical thinking and how you should present your materials, and NOT as suggested headings, etc.
What are the common and potential issues faced in this aspect of supply chain operations?
What are the common causes of these issues?
What kinds of supply chain technologies could address these issues in order to enhance the efficiency of operations?
How should these technologies be introduced and implemented in the chosen aspect of the supply chain?
The above poster should be submitted along with a 500 words summary of description as one (1) file.
Assessment Criteria This assessment will measure your ability to:
In-depth knowledge and understanding of the operations in regard to the use of supply chain technologies
Develop a technology transformation plan which considers all the business aspects and also social and environmental challenges businesses deal with
Clarity of poster presentation and the description summary
Adequate up-to-date academic references (within 6 years, 2017-2023/2024) from the Internet and the literature to support your framework. Only valid and reliable published academic literature (books, book chapters and journal articles) are considered appropriate, although other sources such as online journals or electronic books may be used as extra references. Do NOT use lecture notes as references. You can, however, use internet sources to identify or develop illustrative situations.
Correct referencing style (Harvard referencing system) used

Discuss uncertainty as it relates to the overall logistical performance cycle. (2) Discuss and illustrate how COVID-19 has affected the logistics and transportation industry.
In your own words (75-125 words), provide a well-written initial post, using proper English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure to the above discussion point(s).