• The textbook discusses the process of selecting suppliers in an organization. Consider a purchasing process in an organization you are familiar with and describe the process by relating the concepts from the textbook in your response. What factors do they consider? Do they use a supplier ranking method? How do they determine the price of the item? Does environmental responsibility influence supplier selection decisions? Consider asking someone in the purchasing department of the organization you selected to obtain answers to these questions.
• Review the characteristics of demand and provide examples of the different demand patterns, stable and dynamic demand patterns. Why are independent demand items the only ones to be forecasted?
• Why is it important to include both quantitative and qualitative forecasting techniques when developing a forecast?