Reference no: EM133580955

Assignment: Supply Chain and Competitive Advantage Analysis

Currently, none of the company's competitors has a production facility in Latin America. To reach this untapped market, the chief executive officer (CEO) is considering opening an additional manufacturing facility in Latin America. The operations management team has been directed to analyze the factors (including global) that need to be considered when deciding where to locate a new facility and report the recommended factors for consideration to the CEO. The team will also need to analyze how a life cycle assessment will help the company reduce its ecological impact, including making a case to the CEO that the benefits are worth funding the effort. The company has the following four goals for establishing a new facility:

I. Increasing its customer base in the untapped Latin American market

II. Reducing the company's ecological footprint

III. Reducing production cost

IV. Enabling multicultural collaboration opportunities between the operation's functional teams (marketing and sales, finance, and operations) in the U.S. and Latin America facilities

By answering the bullet points below, your operations management team will analyze the factors (including global) that need to be considered when deciding on where to locate the new facility and show how a life cycle assessment will help the company reduce its environmental impact, including making a case to the CEO that the benefits are worth funding the effort.

I. Use decision making and life cycle assessments to determine opportunities for sustainability in operations.

II. Differentiate which location factors below should be considered.

III. Describe the expected multicultural collaboration.

IV. Evaluate the following aspects of the life cycle

A. Cradle-to-grave assessment
B. End-of-life programs
C. Reduction of costs and materials used
D. Reuse of parts of returned products
E. Recycling

V. Summarize key points from the research methods and sampling analysis discussed above.

Address the following in the Supply Chain and Competitive Advantage Analysis:

I. Introduce the reader to facilities location decision making and using life cycle assessments to determine opportunities for sustainability in operations.

II. Differentiate what location factors below should be considered by your furniture company's CEO and operations management team when determining the location for the new manufacturing facility and explain why each selected factor is relevant to achieving the company's four goals.

A. Country

1. Government
2. Culture
3. Customer preference
4. Labor
5. Resources
6. Financial
7. Technological
8. Market

B. Region

1. Raw materials
2. Markets
3. Labor
C. Community

1. Education
2. Shopping
3. Recreation
4. Transportation
5. Utility cost
6. Taxes
7. Regulations

D. Site

1. Land
2. Transportation
3. Zoning
4. Other restrictions

E. Global

1. Trade agreements
2. Technology
3. Legal
4. Regulatory

F. Multicultural collaboration (across business functions)

III. Describe expected multicultural collaboration opportunities between marketing and sales, finance, and operations teams in the United States and their peers who will work at the new facility in Latin America.

IV. Evaluate the following aspects of the life cycle assessment for the ability of each to help your furniture company reduce its ecological impact and operations costs, including making a case in support of funding the assessment to the CEO:

A. Cradle-to-grave assessment

B. End-of-life programs

C. Reduction of costs and materials used,

D. Reuse of parts of returned products

E. Recycling

V. The conclusion should summarize key points from the research methods and sampling analysis discussed above.