01 Jan In the opening module

saint MGT309 module 1 discussion

Chapter 1 of your text introduces an interesting buzzword—”the perfect order”—and lists its various characteristics. What are your thoughts on this? Have the authors come up with an exhaustive list? What can be added? For example, perhaps disposal recycling can be added to the list. Put the “prefect order fulfillment list in your own words?

saint MGT309 module 2 discussion

In inventory management, the complement of the stock effectiveness rate (which is marketing-responsive focused) is the inventory turnover ratio (which is marketing-efficient focused). Why is this so? In other words, why is the stock effectiveness rate a marketing-responsive measure? Why is the inventory turnover ratio a marketing-efficient measure?

Respond to two of your classmate’s discussions.

saint MGT309 module 3 discussion

From time-to-time, a logistician must dispose of obsolete items; however, the logistician should first get a budget for the disposal. Why do you think this is necessary? Assuming it is worth nothing, why not just dispose of the items? How does accounting and finance get involved in this? After answering these questions, conduct a brief Internet search to determine how companies get rid of their obsolete inventory items.

Respond to two of your classmate’s discussions.

saint MGT309 module 4 discussion

Chapter 6 of the text is all about forecasting. It stresses the importance of an accurate demand forecast since almost all of logistics is based on these forecasts. We position inventory based on these forecasts. We schedule manufacturing runs based on these forecasts. We book transport based on these forecasts. The undecided question is who should be making these forecasts for the firm—marketing or logistics? There are arguments supporting each; however, for the point of this discussion, let’s suppose that it is marketing that wins the toss and gets to make the forecast. The forecast is going to be either accurate or inaccurate. If it is accurate, everyone is happy. If it is inaccurate, you will be stocking either too much or too little. So we move to the discussion tasking at this point. How would you set up a control system that rewards marketing for making an accurate forecast and penalizes them for making an inaccurate forecast?

Respond to two of your classmate’s discussions.

saint MGT309 module 5 discussion

As you study Chapter 8 on transportation, and as you review the module content, you will learn about transport efficiencies brought about by the introduction of the standard intermodal shipping container in the 1970s and 1980s. This container brought us logistics globalization, which is the biggest thing to hit logistics since the interstate highway system. 1. Research information on the land-bridge concept whereby containers originating in east Asia and destined for markets in western Europe head eastward across the Pacific in a container ship, land on the west coast of the U.S., are put on a unit train across America to a port on the east coast of America, and then head eastward across the Atlantic in another container ship. There are also offshoots to this major land bridge concept. One is called the “origin mini bridge” which has cargo originating on the west coast of the United States and heading for Europe cross America by train and then off to Europe by container ship. Another is a “destination mini bridge” where the origin of the cargo is in east Asia and the destination is the east coast of the United States. Here the cargo heads eastward across the Pacific and takes a train route to the east coast of the United States.For each of the land bridges—(1) the main bridge, east Asia to western Europe via U.S. unit trains, (2) the origin minibridge, U.S. west coast to Europe via US unit trains, and (3) the destination mini-bridge, east Asia to east coast U.S. via U.S. unit trains—answer the following questions (a) What are the alternatives transport routes that these bridges are replacing? (b) How big is this market?(c) What are the savings in time and costs in using these bridges versus the alternatives?

Respond to two of your classmate’s discussions.

saint MGT309 module 6 discussion

Our text mentions that many functions occur in a warehouse beyond just the storage of items. One of the functions mentioned is reverse logistics. For this discussion, research the various component operations that fall under this umbrella term of “reverse logistics” and put together a paragraph or two that captures the activities and importance of this function.

Respond to two of your classmate’s discussions.

saint MGT309 module 7 discussion

One of the major forces working on logistics is customer expectations. Customers are no longer passive but are active. Let me pose five relatively recent customer information tools: Angie’s List, Craig’s List, Facebook, scanner cell phones, and Internet searches. Write a short paragraph for each discussing how they will lead to shorter customer gratification cycles, shorter dwell times, shorter customer lead times, and more frequently, on-time deliveries of smaller quantities all along the logistics chain.

Respond to two of your classmate’s discussions.

saint MGT309 module 8 discussion

In the opening module to this course, we made great effort to make the distinction between supply chain operations and logistics operations; however, we commented that many people use the terms interchangeably. So our question here at the end of the course is this: do we need to make such a strong distinction between supply chain operations and logistics operations?

Respond to two of your classmate’s discussions.