Assignment – Supply Chain Mapping
Learning Outcome: This assignment is designed to practice the tool of supply chain mapping and provide a first-hand experience with the complexity of supply chains. Directions: Identify your “FAVORITE PRODUCT” – then using your personal knowledge and open-source media, create a supply chain map for that product. The focus is on identifying inter-firm relations, visualizing the network complexity and then determining the need to manage, monitor or not-monitor various links within the supply chain. See Figure 11-1 in the textbook for a basic example of a supply chain map for a Manufacturer, Figure 11-2 for a Retailer, and Figure 11-3 for a Raw Material Supplier. Your map will need to be more complex than these Figures, but must meet the requirements below. Grading Criteria: Part A: Requirements for Map:
1. Draw the map to fit on 1 page (8.5”x11”) with legible text a. May be hand-drawn b. Map must contain at least 1 raw material supplier (dirt) and at least 1 post- consumer customer (dirt) c. Align suppliers and customers into labeled tiers
2. Clearly identify the focal firm by name and the product/product-line being analyzed 3. Be sure to identify key suppliers/customers by name (others can have hypothetical names) 4. Highlight managed, monitored and not-monitored links (using line styles to differentiate) 5. Include non-members and their appropriate links (clearly differentiate from members)
Part B: Requirements for Evaluation: 1. Limited to 1-page (APA format not required) 2. Summarize the focal firm and product/product-line studied 3. Briefly identify 3 issues of concern as seen on this supply chain map 4. Recommend 1 potential improvement for each item in #3