Give a brief overview of time-based competition and how organisations have evolved to make their supply chain processes faster. (15%)

Assessment Task

 

Distribution is not simply a matter of moving products from point A to point B. The driving force behind distribution and transportation in today’s highly competitive business environment is speed. One of the primary quality attributes on which companies compete is speed of service. Customers have gotten used to instant access to information, rapid Internet-based order transactions, and quick delivery of goods and services. As a result, walking next door to check on what’s in the warehouse is not nearly fast enough when customers want to buy a product now and a company has to let them know if it’s in stock. That demands real-time inventory information. Calling a trucking firm and asking it when it will have a truck in the vicinity to pick up a delivery is not nearly fast enough when a customer has come to expect delivery in a few days or overnight. That also requires real-time information about carrier location, schedules, and capacity. Thus the key to distribution speed is information.

 

Deliverables and Assessment Breakdown

 

Prepare an individual report that covers the following aspects:

 

Give a brief overview of time-based competition and how organisations have evolved to make their supply chain processes faster.                                      (15%)

 

Review current literature on time-based competition, identifying the key elements required to be successful in delivering great quality in time-sensitive operations. Your review must give examples that demonstrate wider reading including facts and figures from a variety of industries. Your review must also evaluate the information presented and give the reader an insight into your educated viewpoints on the subject and the content you have presented.                                                             (40%)

 

Apply the ideas/concept of time-based competition to an organisation you are a familiar with. Outline how they deliver their products/services using time-based competition concepts. In your discussion consider the industry and other environmental constraints that influence their approach.                      (30%)

 

Critically evaluate their effectiveness compared to industry standards and their prospects going forward.