Wk 8 - strategic initiatives.

Question 1

SCM is the management of info flows between supply chain stages to maximise total effeciveness & profitability. 5 stages.

PSMDR

Answer 1

Plan
Source
Make 
Deliver 
Return

Question 2

Discuss the planning stage of SCM.

Answer 2

• manage resources to meet customer demand.

* Metrics for efficiency, cost & quality & value.

Question 3

Discuss the source stage of SCM

Answer 3

• Develop pricing, delivery & payment processes w reliable suppliers.
• Metrics for monitoring & improving relatinoships.

Question 4

Discuss the make stage of SCM

Answer 4

• All steps in manufacturing products.

* Metrics measure quality, output & productivity.

Question 5

Discuss the deliver stage of SCM

Answer 5

• Plan and control transportation & storage of supplies from suppliers to customers.

Question 6

Discuss the return stage of SCM

Answer 6

• Network for receiving defective / excess products & supporting customers.

Question 7

Define Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Answer 7

• Managing all aspects of customer relationship with organisation to increase loyalty & retention thus profits.

Question 8

How do CRM systems help understand & manage customers.

Answer 8

• Identifies types of customers.
• Designing individual customer marketing campaigns.
• Treat each customer as an individual.
• Understand customer buying behaviours.

Question 9

What are business processes & business process re-engineering?

Answer 9

• Business processes are standardised sets of activities that accomplish a specific task.
• BPR is the analysis & redesign of these processes to make them best in class.

Question 10

Define and state the importance of ERP - enterprise resource planning.

Answer 10

• Integrates all departments & functions in an org. into a single IT system.
• Employees can make decisions based on org. wide info on all aspects of the business.

Question 11

How do you define success in relation to an IT system.

Answer 11

• Identify KPI’s tied to business drivers.
* KPI’s to be jointly set by business & IT experts.
• Nominate metrics to indicate the extent to which KPI’s have been achieved.

Question 12

How a company decides if an information system helps make a business successful

Answer 12

It’s impact relative to it’s production cost v sale price.

Question 13

IT efficiency metrics measure how well a system works (speed & availability). Name some common metrics.

Answer 13

• Throughput – volume of info
• Speed – speed per transaction
• System availability – hours availability
• Accuracy – accuracy over bulk transactions
• Web traffic – no. views, visitors
• Response time - per attempt to access

Question 14

IT effectiveness metrics measures if a system works (customers find useful). Common effectiveness IT metrics are.

Answer 14

• Customer satisfaction -
• Conversion rates – how well a customer is reached.
• Financial – revenue relative to cost.
• Missed opportunities –
• Drop outs – customers using a new feature.
• Ultimate test – recommend this to a friend?