Questions and Answers of Managing Supply Chain

9. The following best describes our approach to collaboration with SC partners:a. Our focus is transactional, seeking to obtain the best terms on price, delivery and quality.b. We strategically
8. In our organization, the top SC executive(s) currently have influence and/or authority in the following areas:a. Demand planning and forecastingb. Capital investments in productionc. Capital
7. The following best describes the role of data-driven decision-making in our SC.a. Our SC people make decisions with limited data, based on the manual collection of historical data or by
6. Data science leaders are currently utilized in our company in the following way:a. If we utilize data scientists, it is on a project-specific basis.b. Data science leaders are emerging and
5. The following best describes the culture and behaviors that we seek to develop in SC personnel at all levels of the organization. (check all that apply):a. Reaching across functional boundaries to
4. Based on the priorities of our senior management and organizational structure, the following best describes today’s status of crossfunctional collaboration between SC and other departments in
3. Our job performance and compensation metrics for SC personnel can best be described in the following way.a. SC personnel are primarily measured and compensated based on the traditional SC metrics
2. The following best describes how we develop and retain the talent needed to implement our DSC strategy.a. Our company’s strategy for developing and retaining talent is applicable to all
1. Our current personnel recruiting program supports our transformation to a DSC in the following way.a. We are not currently recruiting positions specific to the needs of the DSC, nor doing anything
9. The following best describes SC’s role in collaboration with customers to generate demand:a. Our focus is transactional, seeking to obtain the best terms on price, delivery, and quality.b. We
8. The following best describes how SC manages the trade-off between SC costs (inventory level, transportation, etc.) and customer satisfaction (example, on-time in-full).a. We struggle to reduce the
7. The following best describes the current metrics we use in managing SC performance:a. We primarily use traditional SC metrics that focus on our internal performance.b. We are starting to test and
6. If SC is involved in demand stimulation, the following sources of data are utilized. (check all that apply)a. Internal historical datab. Customer datac. Customer’s customer (consumer) datad.
5. The following best describes the role our SC function has in stimulating and shaping demand.a. SC responds to demand forecasts and orders.b. SC is involved in consensus demand forecasting, but not
4. The following best describes the current level of agility and adaptability of our SC:a. Our SC operates in a way that makes it difficult to react to changing market demands.b. We can rapidly
3. The following best describes SC’s involvement in the evaluation and adjustment of our business models.a. SC is reactive to any changes in business models.b. SC is consulted in the development of
2. The following best describes how demand forecasting is done at our organization.a. Demand forecasting is done using available historical data and sales forecasts.b. Demand forecasting is done with
1. Currently the following sources of data are integrated into our demand planning and forecasting. (check all that apply)a. Internal historical datab. Customer datac. Customer’s customer
8. Are there potential risks inherent in the digital supply chain strategies outlined by this firm? If you do think there are risks, what are they and why do you think they might be causes for
7. Why do you think data lake users might not trust the data they are using that is provided to them? What can the program team do to improve the level of trust in the data?
6. Do you think the firm’s legacy organization creates a unique set of challenges in its digital supply chain transformation?
5. Do you think that the digital supply chain means different things for different companies depending on what industry they are in, what segments they serve, what channels they address, and how
4. Did the case company narrative include anything about customers and consumers of the company’s products? Is the transformation approach customer centric?
3. Is there anything you might do differently in developing a strategic approach for enabling the case company to take advantage of the benefits of the digital supply chain?
2. Do you agree with the transformation leadership team that the data lake program was the starting point for and the key enabler of all things digital in the supply chain?
1. What are some the issues with implementing large-scale data governance and provisioning programs?
10. Are there potential risks inherent in the digital supply chain strategies outlined by this firm? If you do think there are risks, what are they and why do you think they might be causes for
9. How do you think the company’s marketing and sales departments differ from those of other industries and markets?
8. What are some examples of competitive threats that the case firm should be aware of? What kinds of digital supply chain strategies might they be competing with?
Do you think they would be a lot different than efforts required for the industrial chemical division?
How would the case firm go about developing plans for those segments and sectors?
7. What about more consumer facing businesses, like home improvement products?
Do you think the case firm has done a good job of prioritizing its efforts?
6. How would you decide where to start in developing digital transformation plans?
5. Can this firm afford to defer it shift to a more digitally integrated organization?
4. How common do you think it is to have a risk averse culture in organizations like the case company? What can be done from a leadership perspective to help change culture and reduce cultural
3. What sorts of challenges do you think the firm will encounter as it attempts to implement some of its technology strategies like IoT sensors?
2. Do you think the firm’s legacy organization creates a unique set of challenges in its digital supply chain transformation?
1. What are some of the challenges associated with digital supply chain transformation for business conglomerates?
6. Are there global or industry level issues that might turn this complex and elegant set of digital strategies on its head? Will these actions described in the case be enough to offset the
5. Are there potential risks inherent in the digital supply chain strategies outlined by this firm? If you do think there are risks, what are they and why do you think they might be causes for
4. How do you think the firm’s attempts at centralizing key capabilities, standardizing core processes, and promoting digital mindsets are received by the different, diverse, and fairly independent
3. How do you think this case company finances its digital supply chain improvement projects?
2. What are some examples of competitive threats that the case firm should be aware of? What kinds of digital supply chain strategies might they be competing with?
1. This case company seems to have covered many of the bases needed to achieve transformational performance from the digital supply chain. From the case materials, do you see any potential blind
What would you do to make a business case for new technology investments? How would you measure the business impact of the results?
What could you do to ensure your technology investments are aligned to your supply chain transformation strategy? How are technology investments made within your company?
How do you maintain awareness of new technology that can enhance your supply chain performance?
What actions could you and your team take to more effectively utilize emerging relevant technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, 3D printing, etc. to improve your
Will the deployment of digital technologies enable new business models for your firm? If not, can you think of ways it could? If so, what leadership actions should you take to drive changes in your
7. What can supply chain do to help create more innovative products that will delight customers, increase satisfaction, and increase revenues?
6. What is the difference between a “value stream” and a supply chain?
5. How much support do you think this firm’s supply chain leadership Digital Supply Chain Talent 67 will need in order to accomplish its stated goals and experience performance improvements?
4. Are there individual oriented interventions that will move the needle on the firm’s business challenges?
3. Is the case presenting challenges that are technology focused, or more about organizational behavior?
2. What are some examples of competitive threats that the case firm should be aware of? What kinds of digital supply chain strategies might they be competing with?
1. What kind of digital supply chain segment strategies might help the case company improve in its stated metrics and goals?
Recognize and counteract emotional responses to boundary spanning requirements that are “overwhelming and difficult to manage” for practitioners.
Promote and reward integration behaviors critical to end-to-end digital implementation
Consider creating smaller, independent, cross-functional Business Units to speed transformation
Develop organizational strategies to suit “new and different” or a“part of operating model” culture
Develop and launch purposeful training that helps with skills, as well as attitudes and behaviors Drive Performance and Action
Build communities – be realistic about training, but don’t minimize the importance
Drive a Leadership Imperative involving digital human interactions
Pay attention to culture and build your employment brand
Align with HR (research shows signs of misalignment)
Develop bold new roles now to harvest benefits in the future(“data science engineer”) – SCM and problem-solving skills are still kings Develop Action Plans and Set Goals
Build and interact with communities – pay attention to geographies –outside sectors
Evaluate your organizational culture as well as your current skills
Attract and retain scarce digital talent using new creative sourcing
Are there human emotional considerations that may allow bias or create implementation barriers if left unaddressed?
Is there a standard project management approach to implementing DSC plans? Are project teams permitted to create their plans or align with an organizational approach?
Are you utilizing a rapid project life-cycle approach to implementing your DSC actions? Who do you have in place to staff these project teams? Do you have the right mix of talent and skills?
Where does digital transformation start in the organization? Smaller agile business units? Broadly across multiple segments?
Do digital collaboration tools enable your workforce?
Do you have a digital talent strategy that is explicitly linked to your segmented transformation goals?
Does your DSC transformation plan adequately consider how your organizational structure promotes or inhibits integrated end-to-end behavior?
6. Do you think a similarly designed leadership intervention might have similar impacts and outcomes in your own or other firms?
5. How much support do you think this firm’s supply chain leadership exhibits towards accomplishing its stated goals and experience performance improvements?
4. Is the case presenting challenges that are technology focused, or more about organizational behavior?
3. What are some examples of competitive threats that the case firm should be aware of? What kinds of digital supply chain strategies might they be competing with?
2. Do you think this kind of leadership program could improve the degree of strategic alignment of supply chain associates across a global firm? Why or why not?
1. What do you think of this firm’s approach to driving leadership behaviors and setting goals for itself?
7. Does this case firm’s strategy also account for developing innovative products that will delight customers, increase satisfaction, and increase revenues?
6. How much support do you think this firm’s supply chain leadership will need in order to accomplish its stated goals and experience performance improvements?
5. How could the case company ensure that there is support and compliance from its associates as they begin to transition over to utilizing data and information generated by the end-to-end systems
4. Is the case presenting challenges that are technology focused, or more about organizational behavior?
3. What are some examples of competitive threats that the case firm should be aware of? What kinds of digital supply chain strategies might they be competing with?
2. Is this case example a true example of the digital supply chain we have defined it in this book? Or is it more traditional?
1. How did the case company obtain the support, both operational and financial, to undertake such a large-scale integrated supply chain initiative?
What are the leadership implications of making these ideas happen?
How will you allocate resources and prioritize improvements?
How will you access the data you will need to become more demand focused? Are there other functional areas or stakeholders you will need to involve?
How does your plan deepen or extend the company's relationship with its customers? What are the data sources that will help the company to either better sense, manage, match, or stimulate demand?
What does your team recommend the organization do that is practical and implementable within 2 months?
What can your organization do to improve its level of supply chain lower latency or real-time responsiveness?
What can you do to enable your own company’s supply chain function to take on a greater role in stimulating and shaping demand?
Can you identify and access new sources of real-time data that could improve your company’s ability to sense demand? What are they?
5. Determine business actions: brilliant data scientists, analytics experts, complex data lakes, algorithms, and models ultimately require leaders to take action on insights. Knowing how to react to
4. For data sources you can acquire or access, a plan for how to use it is needed. Big data sets, while exciting to have access to, will not automatically provide useful or accurate insights.

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