Personal Reflection Question – Total Marks – 25 (max word limit – 700)

1. Choose any two market leaders in the sector that you are currently working or choose Zara and H&M from the fashion retail industry.

1. List out some of the major challenges faced by these companies regarding inventories and logistics. As a supply chain manager, what will be the strategies implemented by you, to manage these challenges ( 5 marks ,150 words)
2. How do you think you can improve the risks associated with supply chains of these companies. Do you feel warehouse management has a major role to make these supply chains more effective ? (5 marks ,150 words)

2. Case: Deere & Company is the market leader in the manufacture and supply of machinery used in agriculture and construction. In 2014, Deere & Company was listed 80th in the Fortune 500 America’s ranking and was 307th in the 2013 Fortune Global 500 ranking. They had a diverse product range that was made to order and retail activity was extremely seasonal with most of the sales occurring between March and July. Their supply chain strategy of replenishing dealers’ inventories weekly, using direct shipment and cross-docking operations from source warehouses located near Deere & Company’s manufacturing facilities were proving too costly and too slow. So, they wanted to launch an initiative to achieve a 10% supply chain cost reduction within four years.

Note: You can use the company date which is available in web for public viewing.

1. As per your analysis, what are the major challenges faced by Deere & company which is making the supply chain too costly and too slow (7 marks ,200 words)
2. Develop a plan to address these challenges and achieve a minimum of 10% supply chain cost reduction within four years(8 marks ,200 words)