Responsibility for outsourcing these business functions

Assignment Help Operation Management

Reference no: EM132274755

1. Reducing New Product Stockouts at Coles

You have been employed in the supply chain management organization of Coles for the past two years. You are very excited when you are asked to join a team being formed to address serious inventory management problems often associated with the introduction of new products. Too often, customers who make a trip to Coles to purchase a highly advertised new product are disappointed to find the store is out of stock of that particular item. Such stockouts result in lost sales for both Coles and the product supplier and the potential loss of customers as shoppers look elsewhere to find the new product. The resulting loss of customer goodwill can have a longterm effect on sales. Solving this problem will require a balancing act; the company needs to carry sufficient inventory of new products to meet customer demand while avoiding excessive inventory levels that increase costs.

The team you have joined consists of nine people representing the finance, marketing, and supply chain management organizations at both Coles and two of Coles’ largest suppliers. The team is charged with looking at a wide range of solutions, including improved analytics and forecasting systems, customer-loyalty analysis tools to provide insights into customer buying patterns, and improved distribution methods to cut costs and delivery times.

Review Questions

Identify some of the advantages of running a virtual team such as this. What are some of the keys to success when working with a virtual team?

What sort of complications might be expected when forming a multi-organizational virtual team?

Critical Thinking Questions

The leader of the team has asked that each member share a brief personal background paragraph that outlines the individual’s knowledge and experience relevant to solving this problem. Create a paragraph for a team member who is a well-qualified, but relatively inexperienced representative of the Coles supply chain management organization.

What actions would you recommend to minimize potential start-up issues for this virtual team?

2. Outsourcing Accounting Functions

You have been employed for two years in the accounting department of a midsized multinational consumer products company. Your performance has been outstanding, and it is clear that management feels you have great potential with the firm. However, you are quite surprised when your manager calls you into her office to tell you that you have been chosen to lead an effort to identify an outsourcing partner for the payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable functions. She assures you that there will be an excellent assignment for you after the outsourcing is successfully completed and all is functioning well in one to two years.

Review Questions

What benefits might your organization gain from outsourcing basic accounting functions?

Identify at least three major organizational challenges associated with transitioning these functions to an outsourcing firm.

Critical Thinking Questions

What concerns do you have about taking on responsibility for outsourcing these business functions?

What questions about this assignment would you like to have addressed?

Reference no: EM132274755

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