Week 4 Case Study
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Shoreline Community College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
BUS141
Subject
Industrial Engineering
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by GrandTank12534
Week 4 Case Study
Rachel Kaiser
1. The case alludes to the idea of early design involvement. This means having
engineering designing in quality, low-cost packaging, serviceability, determining the
type of materials, etc.
how would this potentially align with their desire to be
competitive in the current market that McKenzie discussed in the paragraph?
Having engineering involved in early design development could assist in being competitive in a few
different ways. Supply management could have suppliers involved in the design process to help
determine what the most cost-effective materials would be, and making sure those materials align with
the engineer's designs. For example, maybe the supplier has a new type of packaging material that is low
cost and high quality but wouldn’t meet the engineer's required specifications. In this case, the supplier
and the engineers could work together to determine what other material would meet those specs, but
also align with the budget. Supply management could also have engineering and suppliers work together
to share information on costs for different types of materials, so that engineering knows what their
options are for staying within the budget on designs.
2. If a buying company has an objective of involving suppliers early during product
development, what types of questions should the buying firm ask a supplier during
evaluation and selection. No right and wrong answers here, but I would like you to
think about it as if you were the head of purchasing. What kind of things would you
want to know?
What materials would you recommend for the application?
What are the lead times and costs?
What are your production capacities?
Have you worked with any similar companies?
Have you worked recently on any similar projects? If so, what was the outcome?
What are the potential risks of this project?
What would the environmental impacts of this project be?
What do you need from us to ensure timely completion?
What does a typical purchase agreement/contract look like?
3. What are some of the barriers and issues that might inhibit the success of early
supplier involvement during process development? How can this organization
overcome these barriers or address these issues? Maybe this is a niche market or
there are few suppliers, and they have all the leverage. Think about things like
distance and capability, etc.
Some potential barriers and issues may be:
Finding a supplier within the required budget
Finding a supplier with the right production capabilities or production within required lead time
Disinterest from suppliers in development of products
Lack of communication or slow response time from supplier
In order to avoid issues like these, it is important to properly evaluate suppliers. Supply management
must do its due diligence in selecting suppliers. For example, they could require suppliers to fill out a
questionnaire to make sure they meet the necessary requirements. They could also visit the supplier
facility to establish a good working relationship, see what equipment they use, and confirm the technical
capabilities that are needed.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help