1. a) Which of the following statements is FALSE? I. If fast response time to the customer is the overriding factor, go with Build-to-Stock II. Modular design helps keep a lid on spiraling costs and customer wait times in Configure-to-Order III. A key distinction between Build-to-Order and Engineer-to-Order is that in the former the supply chain is not even designed IV. Move toward greater personalization and higher focus on supply chain risk mitigation in Covid-era is leading to many long-standing supply chain networks becoming obsolete V. All the above statements are TRUE b) Which of the following statements is TRUE? I. Extensive collaboration through all stages of a product's lifecycle can help reduce demand uncertainty II. Music and fashion trends are fast changing and call for an Agile Supply chain III. To mitigate supply uncertainty it is useful to counter the bullwhip effect IV. Unanticipated demand spikes in a high lead time environment can lead to out of control supply chain costs V. All the above statements are FALSE c) Which of the following statements is FALSE? I. Companies tend to focus more energy on competitive bidding and contracting, than on supplier development or aligning incentives II. Getting purchasing involved early enough in product development helps them fulfill one of their core missions in the Supply Chain III. Managing suppliers to minimize cost, maximize speed alone will guarantee sustainable competitive advantage IV. Outsourcing has to be measured in terms of its overall supply chain profitability offset by the additional risk being assumed V. All of the above statements are TRUE
2. Which of the following statements are FALSE? I. A Chase strategy is meaningful when the cost of carrying inventory is high, and costs to change levels of machine and labor capacity are low II. A Time Flexibility strategy uses utilization as a lever, and is only viable when you have excess machine capacity and workforce flexibility III. A Hybrid strategy is often a tailored approach that combines the best of all aggregate planning strategies IV. A disadvantage of a Level strategy is that large inventories may accumulate, and customer orders delayed V. None of the statements are FALSE
3. For each of the following statements indicate TRUE or FALSE. I. New Product Introduction poses unique challenges to any supply chain ... a disciplined roadmap, collaboration (across functional areas, with suppliers and customers, especially with Supply Chain area) and rigor/thoroughness are crucial for success TRUE / FALSE II. Vendor-Managed Inventory is an effective strategy for retailers to increase inventory turns because of a combination of lower inventories and higher fill rates TRUE / FALSE III. Exploiting product substitution allows the supply chain to improve product availability by increasing safety inventory TRUE / FALSE IV. The major benefit of cross-docking is that little inventory needs to be held, products flow faster, and handling costs are lower because of greater coordination of inbound and outbound transportation TRUE / FALSE V. A "hybrid" governance model is generally preferable to vertical integration or outsourcing for global supply chains TRUE / FALSE VI. The prevalence and severity of barriers to e-Commerce adoption depends both on the type of product and the profile of the customer TRUE / FALSE VII. Traditional retailers with highly efficient supply chains, who focus on developing innovative/immersive experiences both in store and online, and who leverage their customer data to manage product assortment/pricing, stand the best chance to fend off pureplay online retailers for a fair share of the customer's eCommerce business TRUE / FALSE
4. Company Alpha faces an average monthly demand of 250 units with a standard deviation of 25 units, and Company Beta has an average annual demand of 5000 units and a standard deviation of 250 units. Average inventory held by Alpha is 50 units, while the average inventory held by Beta is 100 units. Which of the following statements is TRUE I. Demand variability is a bigger issue for Beta than Alpha II. Demand variability is the same for Beta and Alpha III. Demand variability is a bigger issue for Alpha that Beta IV. Relative to demand, Alpha keeps a higher inventory level than Beta V. Relative to demand, Beta keeps a higher inventory level than Alpha VI. Relative to demand, both companies have same inventory levels