Dell’s Supply Chain- Assessment 2

In 600?800 words, respond to a series of questions about the past success and current challenges of Dell’s supply chain, and offer your thoughts regarding Dell’s distribution strategy, based on assigned library articles.

The Dell Company supports a supply chain that is not only pertinent but one that has transitioned to fulfill the needs of the changing and competitive market. Initially, Dell used supplier selection techniques that entailed one supplier. The company is extremely successful such that its products are produced to meet customers’ needs. The organization is using different statistics to forecast the requirements of the future window.  It also needs to make sure that it has a speedy turnover from the time an order is placed and when it is received by the client. Moreover, Dell wants to be in a position to track the products, something other firms do not do. Many firms use different parties to build product once orders are placed.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

?Competency 1: Design a supply chain to support an organizational strategy.

?Explain why a company’s supply chain strategy is successful.

?Competency 2: Improve efficiency in the supply chain.

?Describe the main challenges facing a company.

?Competency 3: Manage a supply chain in order to satisfy customers.

?Competency 4: Communicate in a professional manner that is consistent with expectations for supply chain managers and participants.

?Exhibit proficiency in writing, critical thinking, and research; adhere to APA style and formatting.

Context

Supply Chain Basic Functions:

?Planning.
?Sourcing.
?Making.
?Delivering.

Fundamental decisions are required from supply chain managers to define strategy in developing a supply chain that will effectively meet these four requirements.

Supply Chain Planning

Planning or forecasting includes decisions needed to define operations of the other four supply chain functions. Three approaches to supply chain planning are:

?Demand forecasting.
?Product pricing.
?Inventory management.

Sourcing or procurement involves decisions that determine the source of the resources that a firm requires for operations. This function traditionally included activities such as purchasing, consumption management, vendor selection, contract negotiation, and contract management. Recent global developments and trends in outsourcing have made this a dynamic changing role for supply chain managers.

Making or producing is the economic process of converting resources into goods and services. Typical activities in this function include product development and design, operations facility management, and production scheduling.

Distribution or delivering can include order management, delivery scheduling, and order processing. Inventory placement and delivery centers are of prime importance in supply management as the cost effectiveness of the entire system can rely upon the efficient delivery function.

Question to Consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

?Why is it important to consider uncertainty when evaluating supply chain design decisions?

?What are the major sources of uncertainty that can affect global supply chain decisions?

?Consider the financial, logistic, political, natural, cultural, and technological sources of uncertainty.

Resources

The following resources are required to complete the assessment.

Library Resources

?Gray, M. (2007). Revolving around the customer [supply chains customisation]. Manufacturing, 86(6), 28?31. doi:10.1049/me:20070603.

?Kapuscinski, R., Zhang, R. Q., Carbonneau, P., Moore, R., & Reeves, B. (2004). Inventory decisions in Dell’s supply chain. Interfaces, 34(3), 191?205. doi:10.1287/inte.1030.0068.

?Blanchard, D. (2012). Dell taps into innovation to reach emerging markets. Industry Week/IW, 261(11), 45.

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Uncertainty Impacts the Supply Chain

Weather can impact a supply chain:

The tsunami in Japan interrupted global supply chains. Automotive assembly plants had to halt production to due shortages of parts out of Japan. The automotive supply chain is as complex as it gets. There are approximately 20,000 parts in a car, and if only one of those parts is unavailable, the finished product cannot be shipped. When a critical supplier is unable to produce material, the entire system breaks down.

Labor Issues can impact a supply chain:

A three-week labor strike at the port of Auckland, New Zealand which included all port workers, plus over 3,000 truck drivers shut down any imports into or exports out of Auckland. Port workers and truck drivers were striking since wage and benefits negotiations had collapsed.

War can impact a supply chain:

The threat of an air strike on the Iran nuclear facilities which could lead to a Middle East war has forced oil prices to increase, impacting many manufacturers and consumers. If a war actually begins, the price of oil could jump since supply lines will be closed.

Electrical power outage can impact a supply chain:

About 70,000 homes and businesses were without electricity for an extended period of time in Sydney, Australia, causing factories, air and seas port operations to shut down. Power outages are more prevalent and serious in the summer time when there is the peak electrical demand.

Political conflicts can impact a supply chain:

The political uprisings in Egypt have caused economic turmoil since factories have ground to a halt, investment has declined sharply, and companies are moving operations out of Egypt, all due to the political uncertainty in the country.

Credits

Subject Matter Expert: Dr. Bob Goldwasser

Interactive Design: Christina Adams

Instructional Design: Mo Yang

Project Manager: SueAnn AdamsBottolfson

Image Credits:? Khaled Desouki AFP/Getty Images
? Philippe Lopez AFP/Getty Images
? Stringer/Getty Images
? travellinglight/istockphoto
? nolimitpictures/istockphoto

Library Resources

?Blanchard, D. (2010). Supply chain management best practices. (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

?Bhatnagar, A. (2009). Textbook of supply chain management. Lucknow, India: Word-Press.

?Drake, M. (2011). Global supply chain management. New York, NY: Business Expert Press.

?Greeff, G., & Ghoshal, R. (2004). Practical e-manufacturing and supply chain management. Oxford, England: Newnes.

?Farooqui, S. U. (2010). Encyclopedia of supply chain management: Volume I. Mumbai, India: Himalaya Books Pvt.

?Farooqui, S. U. (2010). Encyclopedia of supply chain management: Volume II. Mumbai, India: Himalaya Books Pvt.

?Farooqui, S. U. (2010). Encyclopedia of supply chain management: Volume III. Mumbai, India: Himalaya Books Pvt.

Internet Resources

?Malik, Y., Niemeyer, A., & Ruwadi, B. (2011). Building the supply chain of the future. McKinsey Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Building_the_supply_chain_of_the_future_2729

?Sustainable Supply Chain Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sustainable-scf.org/

Resources

?Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2016). Supply chain management: Strategy, planning, and operation (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Assessment Instructions

Dell has been selling computers for over 25 years with its unique, direct build-to-order sales model. After reading the related articles from the Capella library (linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading), answer the following questions:

?Why has Dell’s direct supply chain been so successful?

?Describe the main supply chain challenges that Dell is now facing and provide your recommendations for solving them.

?Was Dell’s decision to sell its products via retail outlets a viable solution? Do you agree with this distribution strategy? Why or why not?

The assessment should be written in a Microsoft Word document 600?800 words in length. All written assessments should follow APA rules for attributing sources.