Chapter1：1.Whycanthecurrentmovementtowardestablishingsupplychainsbecharacterizedasarevolution?Becausethecurrentmovementtowardestablishingsupplychainshasreshapedcontemporarystrategicthinking.Twomassiveshifts,supplychainrevolutionandarelatedlogisticalrenaissance,inexpectationandpracticeconcerningtheperformanceofbusinessoperationsarehighlyinterrelatedbuttheyaresignificantlydifferentaspectsofcontemporarystrategicthinking.2.Comparetheconceptofamodernsupplychainwithmoretraditionaldistributionchannels.Bespecificregardingsimilaritiesanddifferences.Traditionaldistributionchannelstypicallyhadanorderfulfillmenttimeof15-30days.Butifsomethingwentwrong,thistimewouldincreasedramatically.Itwasacommonpracticetomaintaininventoryateverystageofthesupplychainlikeretailers,wholesalers,andmanufacturers.Themarketwascharacterizedbyscarcitytotheprimarygoaloftraditionalmodelwastoensureavailabilityofproducts.However,todaycustomerswantmoreoptionsinproductofferings.Modernsupplychainisgearedtowardsmeetingthechangingconsumerneeds.Transportationcapacityandoperationalperformancehasbecomemorereliableandeconomical.Logisticalsystemsarecapableofcapableofdeliveringproductsatexacttimes.Socustomerorderscanbefulfilledfaster.Withmassivedevelopmentininformationtechnology,theneedtomaintaininventoryhasreduceddramatically.Theoccurrenceoffailures,characteristicoftraditionalsupplychain,hasbeenreplacedbyacommitmenttowardszero-defectofsixsigmaperformance.Inessenceahighlevelofperformanceisachievedatalowertotalcostwithcommitmentoffewerfinancialresourcesthanthatinthepast.3.Whatspecificroledoeslogisticsplayinsupplychainoperations?Logisticsistheprimaryconduitofproductandserviceflowwithinasupplychainarrangement.Itistheworkrequiredtomoveandtopositioninventorythroughoutasupplychain.Itisacombinationofordermanagement,inventory,transportation,warehousing,materialhandlingandpackagingasintegratedthroughoutafacilitynetwork.Logisticsisessentialforeffectivesupplychainconnectivity.4.Describe“integrativemanagement”.Bespecificconcerningtherelationshipbetweenfunctionalityandprocess.Thechallengetoachievingintegratedmanagementresultsfromthelong-standingtraditionofperformingandmeasuringworkonafunctionalbasis.Sincetheindustrialrevolution,achievingbestpracticehasfocusedmanagerialattentiononfunctionalspecialization.Theprevailingbeliefwasthebettertheperformanceofaspecificfunction,thegreatertheefficiencyoftheoverallprocess.Thefundamentalchallengeofintegratedmanagementistoredirecttraditionalemphasisonfunctionalityinanefforttofocusonprocessachievement.Integrativeprocessmanagementseekstoidentifyandachievelowesttotalcostbycapturingtrade-offsthatexistbetweenfunctions.Thefocusofintegratedmanagementislowesttotalprocesscost,whichisnotnecessarilytheachievementofthelowestcostforeachfunctionincludedintheprocess.5.Intermsofenterpriseextension,describetheimportanceoftheinformationsharingandprocessspecializationparadigms.Theinformationsharingparadigmisthewidespreadbeliefthatachievingahighdegreeofcooperativebehaviorrequiresthatsupplychainparticipantsvoluntarilyshareoperatinginformationandjointlyplanstrategies.Theguidingprincipleisthatinformationsharingisessentialamongsupplychainparticipantstocollectivelydothethingscustomersdemandfasterandmoreefficiently.Theprocessspecializationparadigmiscommitmenttofocusingcollaborativearrangementsonplanningjointoperationswit...
