Before: The consulting firm targeted the OEM for this proposal because it identified the following issues in the OEM’s MRO purchasing system: large supply base with 1,800 vendors, excessive number of employees at different levels: purchasing group, store, plant and HR, and unofficial communications between vendors and OEM plant managers. The most inefficient and time consuming factor was exchanging all the information and data in the form of hard copy documents and EDIs.…
We need to change our supply chain in order to make it more cost effective and profitable. After careful analysis we recommend the implementation of a partial virtual integration system, similar to the system used by Dell Computers. With this system, Ford will use information technology and the internet to interact and transact with both their suppliers and their customers. Ford can increase their sales by providing better customer service and faster communication from the supply end through to the manufacturing division and right on to their end user, the customer.…
You must SHOW WORK AND PROBLEM SET-UP for CREDIT. You have to SUPPORT your answers by calculations and/or reasoning.…
2.4: What are the risks, cost & benefits for each organization in the supplier development initiative?…
After carefully analyzing Ford’s existing supply chain, I realized the main issues that Ford have are its large base of suppliers, suppliers does not have enough IT capability to support the requirements of Ford and it appears that Ford and their dealers have not too much communication in obtaining the accurate forecast. Meanwhile I am also aware of its highly complex nature of auto manufacturing comparing with computer industry. It would be applicable for the customers to place order online as all their concerns are the price and specification. However with several 10 thousand dollars’ car, the customers would prefer to go to dealership to do test drive. Thirdly, I also realized it is an urgent need to modify their supply chain to make it more cost effective and more profitable. Therefore my decision is the partial implementation and execution of the virtual integration direct business model that has been used by Dell. Through this model, Ford will use the emerging information technologies and internet as well as new ideas from high tech industries in order to provide forecast and replenishment plan to their suppliers and allow end users to place order directly and make modification. Furthermore, Ford can boost its sales by providing better customer service and by having faster communication between suppliers, manufacturers, and customers in the value chain. This proposed system will have to run concurrently with the existing supply chain so that Ford will cover both market segments at the same time. Ford should set up a special department in order to handle this new business process. Investment in new high tech IT equipments is required as well as training should be provided before the new project’s kick off date. Suppliers’ computers should be linked to Ford’s master computer network and customers should be made aware of this new shopping experience for buying an automobile. To measure the performance of this model, Ford should schedule…
“Honey it’s me, someone took my gas while we were shopping and I’m over near the base of Putney Mountain. Please, bring some gas,” she screamed.…
When Ford was founded in 1903, Henry Ford followed the classical management thought to a “T” (no pun intended!) They made one car in one color. The classical management thought believes there is “one best way” to do things to accomplish a goal. Ford wanted to produce cars quickly to meet with demands, so at that time the classical management thought made perfect sense. Another part of the classical management thought is that managers constantly look for ways to improve the process of doing things.…
The Constitution does not contain a provision explicitly declaring that the powers of the three branches of the federal government be separated. Yet, separation of powers serves various goals. Separation prevents concentration of power and provides each branch with the arson to fight off encroachment by the other two branches. The system of separated powers is designed to maximize freedom.…
Pick any car model manufactured by a domestic auto maker. For example, consider the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. a. The supply chain for a car typically includes the following components: 1. Suppliers for raw materials 2. Suppliers for parts and subsystems 3. Automobile manufacturer (Ford, in this example). Within a company, there are also different departments, which constitute the internal supply chain: i. Purchasing and material handing ii. Manufacturing iii. Marketing, etc. 4. Transportation providers 5. Automobile dealers b. Many Þrms are involved in the supply chain. 1. Raw material suppliers. For instance, suppliers for steel, rubber, plastics, etc. 2. Parts suppliers. For instance, suppliers for engines, steering wheels, seats, and electronic components, etc. 3. Automobile manufacturer. For instance, Ford. 4. Transportation providers. For instance, shippers, trucking companies, railroads, etc. 5. Automobile dealers. For example, Hayward Ford. c. All companies involved in the supply chain want to maximize their respective proÞts by increasing revenue and decreasing cost. However, companies may employ different 2…
One tool presently available is e-buy. A tool developed with other large buyers and our Parent company Boeing. Since 80% of the procurement transactions are for these “day-to-day” buys, it is imperative these new processes target this segment. Making the process dimplier and more efficient on these “day-to-day” buys will leave us more time and resources to promote and invest in supplier management programs with our “critical” or “strategic” suppliers. Most of which supply the “traceable” items required. Investing in supplier management will enable BAL to attain total overall cost in the purchase of critical items. Since procurement is only one sector of the information systems at BAL, the time is right for us to look at inexpensive ways to integrate our other “back end” legacy systems to take full advantage of interacting with suppliers and customers alike. This can be achieved by working with our present ERP provider, WDS, to contract with other information system providers to find an inexpensive way of reaching our goals. BAL’s information systems help to execute our core business. This will enable us to leverage new business which is the key to growth and profitability. Now is not the time to “sit-on-the-fence”. If we do, we run the risk of losing our strategic advantage.…
The director of supply chain systems at Ford has two options to consider before implementing its new strategy towards the company 's supply chain strategy. First, it must consider virtual integration, and modeling its supply chain after companies like Dell. Secondly, it should consider the possibility of continuing the organization 's current supply chain strategy based on the intuition that Ford 's supplier network has more layers and more companies than Dell (Austin, pg. 1).…
This is the part of the paper where we provide an update related to the actual decision by the company in the case. For the Ford case study, it is difficult to tell exactly what happened in regards to virtual integration. However, several Web sites that mentioned Ford in regards to both supply chain management as well as virtual integration. One example specifically, talked about Ford’s purchase of some supply chain management software. This information could be viewed in two very different ways. My opinion is that through the use of virtual integration, Ford was able to reduce the number of vendors that it deals with (although there are still many), and wanted to further increase its economies, hence the purchase of the supply chain management software. The other opinion would be that Ford never took off with the virtual integration idea, and that is why they needed to purchase this supply chain management software, as everything is in such shambles.…
In reality, the materials and supplies that it takes to build the parts of a car do not come from just one supplier. It is not uncommon for there to be an entire network of suppliers, and suppliers to those suppliers, and so on. These suppliers of suppliers are often called second tier suppliers, and third tier, forth tier and maybe fifth tier suppliers (Schneider, 2004). After the materials and parts are created, they are sent to the manufacturer. When discussing the supply chain of an automobile dealership, it is important to understand that the actual car manufacturer is the largest and most important part of that chain. The parts that created by the supplier are not just sent to one place, these car manufacturers have assembly plants all over the world. It is here in the manufacturing plants that the materials, parts and supplies are…
Toyota faced a challenge related to the poor visibility and low quality of a supplier for the Suprima model. The Japanese brand, being related to a top quality product and a Just in Time manufacturing scheme could not afford to have stock out problems nor not meeting consumers’ demand for quality.…
1) What benefits will Nissan gain if its procurement of parts is combined with Renault’s parts procurement on a global basis? Are there any costs to this change? What problems does Nissan create if it abandons the keiretsu system for purchasing parts? In what ways might the Internet facilitate this change?…