In vendor managed replenishment, the supplier (vendor) manages the sales forecast and replenishment

Data, the data that is currently being used in the forecasting is outdated. Using data from 2006 does not translate the current needs of customer demand. Using updated data should help with making correct estimates how much inventory should be kept on hand without causing lose in revenue.

However, forecast errors will also lead to unhappy customers, lost sales, and excessive inventory. To minimize errors, retailers should find the right demand forecast. Retailers do not want to have a lot of inventory sitting in the back room and too little inventory that will cause out of stock. Holding huge inventory will cause a retailer to have more expenses and decrease their profit if item is not sold especially if the product is innovative type like electronics. The challenge is to balance the inventory with demand. Communication and contribution from people in functional area is also important to create better information and improve overall accuracy. At this time, customer satisfaction will start to decrease. For example, MPRNews says one of Target loyal customer, Ann Hendricks, she is disappointed with target store in St.Paul. “Too many times, she says that store is out of the milk, coffee, bread, pasta and other staples she wants. At Target, sometimes the whole section of cheeses is blank. There's nothing in there” (Moylan). A loyal customer like Ann Hendricks goes to the Lunds & Byerlys store in downtown St. Paul to buy her grocery

The firm needs to understand the rate at which the items in its stores are depleted to create a system to ensure that the replenishment is done appropriately. According to Bowersox, Closs,

If clients will remain at old place of warehouse they have to face issues with the delay in delivery to their customers.

All goods purchased pass through a receiving department under the direction of the chief purchasing agent. The duties of the receiving department are to unpack, count, and inspect the goods. The quantity received is compared with the quantity shown on the receiving department’s copy of the purchase order. If there is no discrepancy, the purchase order is stamped “OK—Receiving Dept.” and forwarded to the accounts payable section of the accounting

Globalization strategies have been an issue for any organization that intends to increase its international presence. Free Range Foods has decided to grow operations in France, the United Kingdom, and other regions throughout the globe. The recommended strategies Free Range Foods should consider utilizing in order to strengthen its position in the international market are 1) Merger and Acquisition/ Takeover and 2) Strategic Alliances. Both strategies are effective in obtaining an entry into the

The first recommendation for this firm is to adopt a global policy and try and explore new markets so that market growth and market share can be expanded. In case of a firm entering an international market, it requires to analyze the nature of the market and suitably form its marketing strategies in alignment with its business strategy and decide whether it is more beneficial to adopt a global approach or use a strategy that is customized to suit the needs of the local customers.

The present organizational chart of the SC Department in the company includes two buyers, one material control clerk, one expeditor and two shipper/receivers. This structure was functional to the previous strategy because there was a strong focus on the purchasing function. We believe that in order to maximize the SC Department resources in accordance with the new structure the positions and functions of the people with the SC Department will have to be adapted to strengthen the inventory management function of the company. There company could benefit from having one person responsible for forecasting demand. Processes should be reviewed to ensure that the SC Department has sufficient access to information in order to achieve this task. Re-buying will also be of utmost importance now in order to ensure that there is always sufficient inventory to maintain production going.

Since Wal-Mart is a mass market retailer, its primary source of value that it adds to the company is derived from its supply chain. Wal-Mart has suppliers located all over the world and it purchases goods from a wide range of different types of vendors. Many of the company's primary vendors are directly connected to Wal-Mart's IT systems through what is referred to as an electronic data interchange (EDI). An EDI can instantaneous transmit data between Wal-Mart and their vendors. Such information can consist of order information, stock supplies, demand forecasting and many other key supply chain metrics. The advantages of such a system are clear as they can greatly assist creating efficiencies in the supply chain. However, not all suppliers have developed sufficient IT technologies to participate in an EDI program with Wal-Mart. Another option for greater coordination between parties in the supply chain is web-based supplier integration. Although the web-based systems are not quite as sophisticated as an EDI, they are more accessible for many of the smaller suppliers and they have shown to improve long-term coordination, cooperation, and commitment.

H. J. Heinz Company (Heinz) focuses in the manufacturing and marketing of food products in the whole world. The company's strong global presence and brand is one of their competitive advantages in the industry. However, one of the areas of concern to the company is their high debt position. The rise of sales in the restaurant industry and food markets is helpful for the company’s future growth and the growth is effected by the intense competition and changes in consumer preferences.

Grolsch, a company with a strong history and a highly rated product, has just been purchased by SABMiller. The company is evaluating its global strategy in light of the acquisition and determining how to position and sell its beer going forward. Grolsch has positioned itself well to compete internationally and has leveraged several tools (e.g. the MABA framework, strategic analysis) to effectively expand abroad. However, they must assess whether or not the MABA framework is still useful, what type of international strategy they should pursue (i.e. developed vs. developing markets), and if their adaptation strategies will continue to be an asset in their business development. The initial conclusion, detailed below,

Inventory management has two very different, but effective methods: Vendor managed inventory, and consignment inventory. A company may choose to utilize either of these two methods to manage inventory. If a company is able to manage inventory, they will be better able to work the company's capital to the fullest extent. The following paper will identify the differences between the two as well as identify what type of company is best suited for each method.

As discussed in Chapter 21 of our text book, any company that is looking to expand globally must make five key decisions. A firm must decide if: a) they really want to expand to the international market; b) they

The class text states that Supply chain management is frequently divided into supply chain planning applications, supply chain execution applications, logistics management, and warehouse management. Often when companies fail at implementing an efficient supply chain because of the planning section, or inaccurate demand forecasts. The text states electronic data interchange is one of the earliest uses of information technology for supply chain management, Electronic data interchange is the use of the Internet for everyday business transactions. “In this era of information a firm’s supply chain should operate at speed of thought and this is possible only by enhanced e-speed communications and information sharing with their critical partners.” (4)

According to (Hill and Hill, 2012), synchronising all supply chain activities through using the same data, and completing production at the scheduled time, coordinated between the manufacturer and suppliers,