Contents

• This report is based on the following requirement -
• “Supply Chains are only of any interest to customers when they go wrong. Therefore, Supply Chain Resilience is considered as a very important factor in modern Supply Chains”
• The above statement is shown to be true in numerous occasions in the past. Examples include the “Horsemeat Scandal” in processed meat products, “100’s of garment workers crushed to death” in an arguably avoidable factory collapse in Bangladesh, or other “Supply Chain Scandals” in Asia that have affected McDonald’s, Burger King and Starbucks. These scandals (specifically in branded products) have caused significant reputational and financial damage (as well as loss of human life) to different types of industries.
• By taking as an example a Supply Chain that you are familiar with, identify and discuss in detail ONE ONLY important obstacle (such as Demand Forecasting, Inventory Management, Bullwhip Effect, Traceability etc.) that must be overcome to manage that Supply Chain successfully (100% of the assignment grade).
• Typical examples of Supply Chains may include: production of fresh milk, automobile manufacturing, outpatient appointments or accident and emergency departments in public hospitals, banking services, supermarkets, the garment industry, pharmaceutical products, food supply chains etc.
• Some of the data for this assignment may be ‘live’; for instance the horsemeat scandal was reported extensively in the newspapers, on the media and other company accounts. You should use these sources for information on what may go wrong within your chosen Supply Chain. Material for most Supply Chains is easily available and is included in books and articles. Theory of supply chain strategies, relationships and response to breakdown is to be found in textbooks and peer review journal articles.

Description

Supply chain is one of the most important processes within the organization and it directly influences the performance of the organization. Supply chain includes several sub-processes, which have to be effectively aligned to get the product delivered to the end-user. Increasing globalization has led to organizations sourcing the materials and products from low-cost suppliers across the globe. Supply chain process includes several sub-processes and one of them is inventory management. Inventory management has to be effective for the organizations to function effectively mainly the retailers. The business sustainability of the retailers depends on the effectiveness and efficiency of the inventory management. Supply chain needs to resilient to meet the growing and changing needs of the customers, which requires the sub-processes also to be resilient. The report analyses the obstacles to inventory management in Walmart, which is one of the largest retailers in the world.