Question: Total Marks: 25
1. Choose any two market leaders in the sector in which you are currently working, or choose Zara and H&M from the fashion retail industry.
1. List out some of the major challenges faced by these companies regarding
inventories and logistics. As a supply chain manager, what will be the strategies implemented by you to manage these challenges? ( 5 marks, Min 200 words)
2. How do you think you can improve the risks associated with the supply chains of these companies? Do you feel warehouse management has a major role to play in making these supply chains more effective? (5 marks, Min 200 words)
2. Case: Deere & Company is the market leader in the manufacture and supply of machinery used in agriculture and construction. In 2014, Deere & Company was listed 80th in the Fortune 500 America’s ranking and was 307th in the 2013 Fortune Global 500 ranking. They had a diverse product range that was made to order and retail activity was extremely seasonal with most of the sales occurring between March and July. Their supply chain strategy of replenishing dealers’ inventories weekly, using direct shipment and cross-docking operations from source warehouses located near Deere & Company’s manufacturing facilities were proving too costly and too slow. So, they wanted to launch an initiative to achieve a 10% supply chain cost reduction within four years.
Note: You can use the company data which is available in web for public viewing.
1. As per your analysis, what are the major challenges faced by Deere & Company that are making the supply chain too costly and too slow (7 marks, minimum 250 words)?
2. Develop a plan to address these challenges and achieve a minimum of 10% supply chain cost reduction within four years (8 marks ,Min 300 words)
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