As a supply manager committed to the efficiency of the supply chain operation, it is critical to be aware of strategies for improving productivity and quality. This course has prepared you to improve an organization$$s supply chain. The final project for this course is the creation of a supply chain management plan. The final product allows you the opportunity to connect theory with reality through research on an industry and company supply chain. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final product will be submitted in Module Nine.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

Develop an understanding of the elements of design critical to position the supply chain to achieve competitive advantage

Develop the capability to identify supply chain cost and revenue drivers, and design customer fulfillment strategies to optimize financial performance

Understand the contribution of strategic sourcing to the competitive advantage of the firm, and requirements for achieving strategic advantage through supply management

Examine the importance of cross$-$functional integration and inter$-$firm relationships in achieving competitive advantage through supply chain activities and processes

Understand the role of information technology and data management in effective supply chain management

Understand the impact of globalization on supply chain management

Identify current trends and best practices in supply chain management

Prompt

In this assessment, you will create a supply change management plan that assesses various aspects of the supply chain for a company selected from one of the following industries:

Personal Computers

Automobiles

Books

Pharmaceuticals

Furniture

Your industry$/$company must be approved by your instructor in Module One of the course.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

Introduction:

Project Overview: Provide an overview of your entire proposal.

Industry and Customer Value: Identify the factors that are valuable to the customers of your industry and write a summary of your findings.

Industry Overview: Brief description of industry revenues and where the company fits within the industry.

Top Competitors: Discuss the top three to five competitors based on revenue.

Company Selected: Justify your company choice. Provide background information on the company selected. Background information should include the size of the industry in revenue, primary competitors, primary suppliers, and customer base.

Network Design:

Suppliers: Identify the top three criteria the company will use to select suppliers. Consider factors such as cost$,$ location, quality, and value added work.

$3$PL Firms: Identify the top three criteria the company will use to select third$-$party logistics $(3$PL$)$ firms. Be sure to address quality, delivery, cost, wavelength, and tech support.

Distribution Centers: Identify the top three criteria the company will use to select distribution centers. Be sure to address cost, location, delivery, and space.

Retail Stores: Identify the top three criteria the company will use to select retail stores.

Pricing Management:

Customer Categories: Provide a description of the customer categories from a product$-$pricing management perspective.

Organization Categories: Provide a description of how the company would choose to use customer categories for pricing management and why.

Inventory Management:

Product Selling Season: Determine whether seasonal or generic products or both are sold. Determine if the selling is seasonal, steady, or hybrid.

Retail Inventory Strategy: Using the information you received from your interview with the industry retail store manager, determine what inventory policy strategies the store has adopted for order quantity, safety stock, and reorder level.

Impact of Manufacturer$$s Production Strategy: What impact does the nature of selling have on the supply chain? Consider domestic and foreign supply base, safety stock levels, reorder points, and demand variability. Identify the production strategy for the company $($continuous$/$mass production, batch production, or project$-$based$).$

Distribution Management:

Centralized Distribution Strategy: Describe your centralized distribution strategy. Explain why the strategy was selected and identify potential risks based on your distribution strategy.

Decentralized Distribution Strategy: Explain why the strategy was selected and identify potential risks based on your distribution strategy.

Product Supply Contracts:

Production strategy and contracts: Complete an analysis of the impact of the production strategy on the supply chain. Identify the appropriate production strategy and contracts for the supply chain, such as daily deliveries, weekly