1. What is strategic flexibility? Describe how the Japanese companies can achieve strategic flexibility and surpass their American counterparts in the long run?
2. Explain why mass production is not generally appropriate to today's environment.
3. Discuss the long-run effect of quality improvement on a firm's profitability.
4. What are the key drivers in supply chain management today? Explain.
5. Can a factory be fast, dependable, flexible, produce high-quality products, and still provide poor service from a customer's perspective? Explain.
6. Explain "customer franchise" in services and how can it be developed.
7. Explain the importance of the role of technology in supply chain management. Give example.
8. Compare and contrast the dimensions of TQM vs. TQS. Explain.
9. Explain the relationship between quality, perceived quality, and customer satisfaction.