Kaplan College San Diego Supply Chain Management and Logistics Essay

Need help with my Management question – I’m studying for my class.

Study Guide-01

• Chapter 01 – Introduction
  • Explain the evolution of logistics (e.g. how deregulation impacted logistics? What is transport intensity?)
  • Define logistics and supply chain management (SCM)
    discuss various views on logistics and SCM (e.g. what is the difference between logistics and SCM?)
  • Apply logistics and SCM concepts in different contexts, i.e., service setting.
• Chapter 02 – Globalization and International Trade
  • Discuss the catalysts of growth in international trade and illustrate this idea using the expansion of container shipments across the globe
  • Measure the logistics performance using key dimensions such as infrastructure, tracking & tracing, to name a few
  • Understand and apply the concept of transfer pricing
  • Measure the shipping connectivity using measures such as LSCI, CPCI, LSBCI (e.g. what is the difference between LSCI and LPI?)
  • Discuss the factors considered for foreign direct investment (FDI)
  • Discuss the directional imbalance that exists in container shipping (e.g. what are the reasons for this directional imbalance? How to solve the issue of empty container repositioning?)
• Chapter 03 – Supply Chain Relationships
  • Discuss the impact of globalization on the manufacturing sector
  • Explain the factors considered in outsourcing
  • Discuss the role of order winner and order qualifiers in evaluating suppliers
  • Explain the factors considered in off sourcing
  • Distinguish off sourcing from outsourcing
  • Discuss the problems leading to failure in outsourcing
  • Discuss the role of integration and collaboration in a supply chain (e.g. why trust is important? What is the difference between integration and collaboration? What are the collaboration methods?)
• Chapter 04 – Supply Chain Strategies
  • Discuss the approaches to devise corporate strategies (e.g., top-down, bottom-up) and how supply chain strategy can be integrated into corporate strategy
  • Reflect on the evolution of manufacturing strategy and how lean & agile strategy contribute to mass customization
  • Explain the importance of lean and agile supply chain in reducing the waste and improving the responsiveness (e.g. seven types of wastes, product postponement strategy, standardization of products)
  • Match supply chain strategies with products (e.g. mapping cost-effective, time-responsive supply chain strategies to functional & innovative products; mapping lean, agile strategies to predictable & unpredictable demands)

Sample Exam Questions – 01

Sample Exam Questions

Please note the following are sample questions for you to understand how questions could be framed to test your knowledge regarding this subject. However, these questions by no means represent all the concepts/areas that are included in the exam.

1. What are the causes of the directional imbalance in the global freight?
2. How do logistics and supply chain management differ?
3. Differentiate ethnocentricity and polycentricity?
4. Mutual benefit between suppliers is difficult to achieve. Why?
5. Explain product postponement using an example.
6. Given the product costs, selling prices, and taxations of a specific product in two different countries, please pick a transfer price that generates the maximum cost savings for the company (I did illustrate this idea with an example during the lecture!)
7. Explain the distinction between integration and outsourcing.
8. Assume your company is manufacturing toothpaste. Pick a supply chain strategy for this product and explain your choice.
9. What is decoupling in a supply chain?
10. What are the three typical levels of firm strategy?