Posted: December 13th, 2015

Write at least two paragraphs for 1, 2 and 3 and use a reference. For number 4, simply construct a reply to the other students’ post. 1. With DHL promising increased competition in the US express package (integrated carrier) industry, various stakeholders would greet this prospect quite differently. In this discussion forum, address the following: Choose one of these stakeholder groups and explain from their perspective why you oppose or support the entry of DHL in the US domestic market: Federal, state and/or local government FedEx and UPS management and employees DHL management and employees Labor unions and package shippers Use the theories of various market structures to support your postings. 2. Describe at least one example of a firm that is using dynamic pricing to increase revenue. Be as specific as possible. 3. Supply chain-related electronic auctions have been increasing in sophistication and popularity over the years. Using the Internet, briefly describe at least one firm that offers electronic supply chain-related auctions and summarize the services they offer. Also, please share their Internet address with your classmates. 4. REPLY TO: Based on your own experience or research, briefly describe at least one example of a public or private enterprise that has outsourced the management of one or more of its supply chain related activities. Include in your answer the name of the firm, the name of the third party, and a brief statement regarding the benefits claimed. In your opinion, what are the downside risks? An example from my experience where a public or private enterprise that has outscored the management of one or more of its supply chain related activities is the Department of Defense. In order to meet mission requirements the agency moves hundreds of thousands of service members annually. While the government maintains oversight of the program, it has outsourced transportation management to private industry. The government works with hundreds of transportation vendors to provide traffic services/management on a shipment by shipment basis. Industry then takes those shipments, combines them with several others, and delivers economy/competitive pricing. It would be too expensive for the government to maintain the fleet necessary to provide these services cost effectively. The benefits are that the government can work with private enterprise to achieve cost savings, while helping the economy through working with business. The downside risk of working with private enterprises is that the government is exposing itself to supply chain risk. These risks can be as simple as one vendor who has cash flow/debt issues, to port congestion problems delaying shipments from arriving on time. A good example of these risks was when the government changed the contractor for moving privately owned vehicles of service members. Many vehicles were lost and delayed sue to inexperience and poor time of contractor change (seasonal business) related to peak demand (link to article below). Chapter 15: Sourcing Decisions in a Supply Chain 1. After reviewing the last three lines of Table 15-4 in your text, as the buy-back price for each disc increases from $0 to $6 while the wholesale price is held constant at $7, what happens to profits for the music store (the retailer) and the supplier (the manufacturer)? What about overall supply chain profitability? What is the lesson to be learned from this exercise? The information presented in Table 15-4 assumes that there are no costs associated with returning the “buy-back” products to the supplier. As the transportation costs to return the goods being bought back increases, what happens to the profitability of the supply chain? Chapter 16: Pricing and Revenue Management in a Supply Chain 2. Right click and download the Pricing to Multiple Segments data to your hard drive. What happens to prices and profitability when the sensitivity for customers that are willing to wait (i.e., segment 2) increases from 40p1 to 80p1? What did you learn from this exercise? Note: Use the “Solver” capability under the ”Tools” menu (but you must set sensitivity in cell C6 to desired level before you run “Solver”). 3. Right click and download the Dynamic Pricing DataPreview the documentView in a new window to your hard drive. What happens to the quantity purchased and profitability if the price sensitivity increases to from 1.8p3 to 1.9p3 in the third period? What did you learn from this exercise? Note: Use the “Solver” capability under the ”Tools” menu (but you must set sensitivity in cell C8 to desired level before you run “Solver”).

Write at least two paragraphs for 1, 2 and 3 and use a reference. 

For number 4, simply construct a reply to the other students’ post.

1. With DHL promising increased competition in the US express package (integrated carrier) industry, various stakeholders would greet this prospect quite differently.

In this discussion forum, address the following:

• Choose one of these stakeholder groups and explain from their perspective why you oppose or support the entry of DHL in the US domestic market:
  • Federal, state and/or local government
  • FedEx and UPS management and employees
  • DHL management and employees
  • Labor unions and package shippers
• Use the theories of various market structures to support your postings.

2. Describe at least one example of a firm that is using dynamic pricing to increase revenue. Be as specific as possible.

3. Supply chain-related electronic auctions have been increasing in sophistication and popularity over the years. Using the Internet, briefly describe at least one firm that offers electronic supply chain-related auctions and summarize the services they offer. Also, please share their Internet address with your classmates.

4.  REPLY TO:

Based on your own experience or research, briefly describe at least one example of a public or private enterprise that has outsourced the management of one or more of its supply chain related activities. Include in your answer the name of the firm, the name of the third party, and a brief statement regarding the benefits claimed. In your opinion, what are the downside risks?

An example from my experience where a public or private enterprise that has outscored the management of one or more of its supply chain related activities is the Department of Defense. In order to meet mission requirements the agency moves hundreds of thousands of service members annually.
While the government maintains oversight of the program, it has outsourced transportation management to private industry. The government works with hundreds of transportation vendors to provide traffic services/management on a shipment by shipment basis. Industry then takes those shipments, combines them with several others, and delivers economy/competitive pricing.
It would be too expensive for the government to maintain the fleet necessary to provide these services cost effectively. The benefits are that the government can work with private enterprise to achieve cost savings, while helping the economy through working with business.
The downside risk of working with private enterprises is that the government is exposing itself to supply chain risk. These risks can be as simple as one vendor who has cash flow/debt issues, to port congestion problems delaying shipments from arriving on time. A good example of these risks was when the government changed the contractor for moving privately owned vehicles of service members. Many vehicles were lost and delayed sue to inexperience and poor time of contractor change (seasonal business) related to peak demand (link to article below).

Chapter 15: Sourcing Decisions in a Supply Chain

1. After reviewing the last three lines of Table 15-4 in your text, as the buy-back price for each disc increases from $0 to $6 while the wholesale price is held constant at $7, what happens to profits for the music store (the retailer) and the supplier (the manufacturer)? What about overall supply chain profitability? What is the lesson to be learned from this exercise?

The information presented in Table 15-4 assumes that there are no costs associated with returning the “buy-back” products to the supplier. As the transportation costs to return the goods being bought back increases, what happens to the profitability of the supply chain?

Chapter 16: Pricing and Revenue Management in a Supply Chain

2. Right click and download the Pricing to Multiple Segments data to your hard drive. What happens to prices and profitability when the sensitivity for customers that are willing to wait (i.e., segment 2) increases from 40p1 to 80p1? What did you learn from this exercise?

Note: Use the “Solver” capability under the ”Tools” menu (but you must set sensitivity in cell C6 to desired level before you run “Solver”).

3. Right click and download the Dynamic Pricing DataPreview the documentView in a new window to your hard drive. What happens to the quantity purchased and profitability if the price sensitivity increases to from 1.8p3 to 1.9p3 in the third period? What did you learn from this exercise?

Note: Use the “Solver” capability under the ”Tools” menu (but you must set sensitivity in cell C8 to desired level before you run “Solver”).