Group Report/Final Project

The primary purpose of the final project is to allow students, working in groups of 2-4, to apply the concepts of the
course to a specific industry or firm of particular interest. It enables students to delve into supply chain issues in
greater depth than is possible during our class discussions.

The final product will be a report that analyzes the supply chain of a particular firm or industry. Firm-specific
reports tend to mimic case studies where students analyze an existing supply chain, identify its strengths, and
recommend improvements (more details below). Industry reports tend to mimic “white papers” that describe various
industry practices, the risks and challenges that exist, and offer examples of specific leading practices resulting in a
competitive advantage. Ideally, students will write a white paper that an industry leader could read and obtain ideas
for execution and learn about successful (or unsuccessful) supply chain change initiatives.

I expect the paper to be 10-20 double-spaced pages (excluding exhibits, diagrams, and references). Students should
include a table of contents with references to numbered pages. Students should anticipate spending twenty-five
hours on this project and the subsequent write-up. Please note that length is not as critical as rigorous reasoning
coupled with writing that is clear and concise (see general grading guidelines included in the syllabus).

All groups are to submit a brief two paragraph description of the firm or industry you are investigating by the stated
deadline. If you are working with a firm, I want details of your contact(s) and an overview of the data you are
expecting to receive. If this is an investigation of a firm or industry through the media and secondary data, I would
like to see preliminary research indicating where data will be obtained and the direction of the study.

Below are some general guidelines for a project that focuses on a specific firm. Those working on an industry can
tailor the questions as needed. A good report will read like a mini-case, bringing up the important points related to
the firm’s success. The objective is to apply the tools and concepts from the course (e.g., operations/strategy
matching, process mapping, responses to variability, measures of responsiveness, pooling, tailored sourcing, etc.) to
your analysis of this firm.

Specifically, the report should:

1. Describe a firm or division within a firm that relies on its supply chain performance. Describe both the
firm’s business strategy (market position, firm size, growth strategy) and its supply chain strategy. Also
discuss the primary processes and resources of the firm.

2. Assess the alignment and integration of the supply chain strategy with the organization’s business strategy
and its overall goals.

3. Analyze how effectively the supply chain strategy is being supported through the organization’s resources,
assets, people and processes. What is the current supply chain structure in terms of information, inventory,
transportation, and facilities?

4. Identify areas of mis-alignment and mis-integration, and the problems/issues they create. What does the
supply chain need to be able to do particularly well in terms of cost, quality, time, flexibility, and
responsiveness? Is it lacking any key capabilities?

5. Develop recommendations at both strategic and operational levels to enhance the performance of the firm
or industry under review.

6. Consider practical issues such as implementation (short-term, long-term), risk management, organizational,
and cultural change.

These are merely general guidelines and points that I feel are typically included in existing case studies. I am not
looking for a report with six points in the sequence listed above. Students should add to or alter the above list to fit
the context of your project.

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Finally, students should make it very clear what part of the report is based on your own thinking and what part
summarizes pre-existing outside sources through the use of endnotes and/or footnotes. It is extremely important
and part of the honor code that you explicitly identify and refer to all significant external sources utilized in
your report. This includes papers you may have written for other classes, documents you may have received from
the focal company, interviews with industry experts, etc. It is expected that students will be aware of and build on
existing work as well as incorporate your own critical thinking to synthesize, critique, and move forward this
existing knowledge base.