The Final Project will be a fun and practical activity where you can apply what you are learning in the course to a select manufacturing firm and create a logistics plan. Your task for the Final Project will be to design a logistics network plan for products manufactured by your chosen firm.
Here are the key deliverables for the final project which you will work on throughout the semester. Additional detail regarding this week's deliverable is provided below. Detail on subsequent stages will be provided later.
· Module 2: Research Project Topic (proposed product and product characteristics)
· Module 4: Project outline
· Module 8: Full logistics plan
Module 3 Deliverable: Research Project Details
Here's what you need to do this week.
Step 1: Review the logistics plan stipulations for the project.
Select a manufacturing firm, real or imagined, that distributes finished goods both domestically and internationally.
Company
· Your company (whether real or imagined) should be a US-based firm.
· Your product may be produced in the US or internationally. You must provide researched justification for your choice to manufacture domestically or internationally.
Product Characteristics
· While your firm may handle many different inventory items, for the purposes of this project, you should limit your examination to two to five-items in each of the categories below. Using the information regarding product characteristics found within the module resources (including module notes) and outside resources, provide the below components (as they relate to inventory control):
· Product description and characteristics of raw materials utilized in the manufacture of your firm’s finished goods.
· Product description and characteristics component parts utilized in the manufacture of your firm’s finished goods.
· Product description and characteristics finished goods manufactured by your firm.
If you are unclear on any of these stipulations, please post to the Course Q&A forum.
Step 2: Explain/justify your manufacturing firm choice and product characteristics examination in a 1-2 page essay.
After carefully reviewing the Step 1 stipulations, provide a clear explanation of the following:
· What is your chosen manufacturing firm and what are the finished goods produced by this company?
· What are some of the raw materials and component parts utilized to manufacture finished goods within your chosen firm?
· What are some product characteristics of raw materials, component parts, and finished goods that are held as inventory within your chosen firm?
Proposing an appropriate manufacturing firm and product description may take some research. You may want to consult some of the references you are identifying in the next step.
You will not be able to move forward in your project until your instructor approves your manufacturing firm choice and product characteristics description.
Step 3: Compile a list of at least 5 intended project resources.
These should be resources that will either support your examination of product characteristics or inventory control decisions within the logistics network or your analysis of other functions within the logistic network.
· Note that at least 3 of your resources must be scholarly.
· If you are unclear as to what qualifies as a scholarly resource, please reference the ONLINE LIBRARY It may be helpful to review Step 6 relative to subsequent project phases and potential areas of related research.
Step 4: Submit your essay and resources as a single APA formatted document.
Addressing the prompts in the steps above. APA formatting includes title page, reference page, double spacing, one-inch margins, and headings. The title and reference pages are required but do not count towards the 1-2 page count (associated with the justification).
Step 5: Preview final business plan deliverables
For the final logistics plan (which you will outline in Module 4 and then final submit as a 9-11 page paper in Module 8) you will be responsible for addressing the following:
Title page and table of contents
Introduction
Company Description – Provide an explanation of your chosen firm and its inventory
· Provide an overview of your global manufacturing firm including the following:
· Company’s name (real or imagined)
· Location of company headquarters
· Location of manufacturing location
· Location of warehouses and/or distribution centers (You must have at least one facility within a foreign country.)
· Location (city, state, country, region) where your firm’s products are sold (Your firm must distribute finished goods to at least one international location.)
Product Characteristics
· While your firm may handle many different inventory items, for the purposes of this project, you should limit your examination to two to five-items in each of the categories below. Using the information regarding product characteristics found within the module resources (including module notes) and outside resources, provide the below components (as they relate to inventory control):
· Product description and characteristics of raw materials utilized in the manufacture of your firm’s finished goods.
· Product description and characteristics component parts utilized in the manufacture of your firm’s finished goods.
· Product description and characteristics finished goods manufactured by your firm.
Outsourcing
· Provide justification for your decisions to outsource logistics requirements or to perform those requirements within your firm. You must support your decision with information that you find within the module resources. There is no right or wrong decision if you can justify your choices with information found within resources.
Inbound Logistics
· Provide an explanation of packaging and handling considerations for the raw materials and component parts utilized in the manufacture of your firm’s products. Consider the challenges of packaging and handling as it relates to both transportation and warehouse operations.
· Provide an examination of considerations (such as locator systems, material handling equipment, etc.) impacting inventory control decisions in warehouses utilized in your inbound logistics strategy.
· Explain the role of warehouses that would be utilized for raw materials and component parts.
· Examine the transportation requirements for raw materials and component parts from suppliers to place of manufacturing. Your examination must include a justification for your decisions related to intermodal networks utilized for raw materials and component parts sourced domestically and internationally.
· Explain how government regulations would impact the transportation and storage of the raw materials and component parts used to manufacture your chosen product.
Outbound Logistics
· Provide an explanation of packaging and handling considerations for the finished products sold by your chosen firm. Consider packaging and handling as it relates to both transportation and warehouse operations for the finished products that your firm manufactures.
· Provide an examination of considerations (such as locator systems, material handling equipment, etc.) impacting inventory control decisions in warehouses/distribution centers utilized in your outbound logistics strategy.
· Identify the number of warehouses/distribution centers that your firm will utilize in their distribution plan. You must provide justification for your choice based on information that you find within the resources.
· Examine the transportation requirements for your firm’s finished products from the place of manufacturing to the end user. Your examination must include a justification for your decisions related to intermodal networks utilized for finished products sold domestically and internationally.
· Explain how government regulations would impact the transportation and storage of finished products.
· Examine relevant considerations relating to transportation and distribution of finished goods internationally.
Reverse Logistics
· Explore how the following considerations would influence the reverse logistics plan for your product:
· Government regulations
· Packaging
· Refurbishment
· Returns
· Transportation
· If any of the above considerations are not applicable to your product, you must provide an explanation (based on references) of why that component would not be applicable to your logistics plan. For instance, if your product is such that refurbishment is not applicable to your product, please explain why your products could not be refurbished and support the explanation with referenced information.
Conclusion
· That summarizes your logistics plan.
References
· Resources that you have used to support the development of your business plan. To receive full credit, you must utilize 6 different resources, 4 of which must be scholarly.
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