Reference no: EM132244097

Question: Part 1: 1. Why is it that rail does not have a greater share of the freight market in the United States?

2. What is required to make cross-docking a viable solution for a logistics provider? What are the pros and cons of relocating a small or mid-sized manufacturing firm (that makes mature products) from the United States to China?

3. Jacobs and Chase (2018, pg. 379) tell us, "..., there are many techniques available for identifying potential sites for plants or other types of facilities. The process required to narrow the decision down to a particular area can vary significantly depending on the type of business and the competitive pressures that must be considered. As we have discussed, there are often many different criteria that need to be considered when selecting from the set of feasible sites." When I worked for AT&T we closed about 12 Network Operations Centers in the U.S and built one in Denver and one in Conyers, Ga (just east of Atlanta. Can anyone figure out what method or technique we used to identify potential relocation sites?

Part 2: 1. With so much productive capacity and room for expansion in the United States, why would a company based in the United States choose to purchase items from a foreign firm? Discuss the pros and cons. As a supplier, which factors about a buyer (your potential customer) would you consider to be important in setting up a long-term relationship?

2. Describe how outsourcing works. Why would a firm want to outsource?

3. There has been dramatic growth in outsourcing in the logistics area. Logistics is a term that refers to the management functions that support the complete cycle of material flow: from the purchase and internal control of production materials; to the planning and control of work-in-process; to the purchasing, shipping, and distribution of the finished product." Why have we seen a shift on outsourcing of logistics? What are the benefits?

Part 3: Summary of and thoughts on the topic of outsourcing.

175 to 300 words each required.