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LEARNING STATEMENTS4
In Module 3, you proposed a global manufacturing firm, examined product characteristics, and identified some relevant resources to support the development of your upcoming logistics plan. Now that your proposal has been approved, the next project steps are logistics plan outline and expanded resource list. This outline will in turn support the creation of your full logistics plan paper in Module 8.
Step 1: Review the .
Note that your business plan outline will need to…
· Show the hierarchical relationship or logical ordering of information, using the APA basic outline format.
· Be formatted according to APA guidelines, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font, with one-inch margins on each side.
· Include proper citations of references and quotes. All sources used must be included in the Reference section (see step 5).
Step 2: Create an outline of your logistics plan.
The outline will be a set of sections/headings (and sub-headings) that identify the important elements of the logistics plan to support your firm’s international operations. These headings and sub-headings will become your Table of Contents for your final Logistics Plan submission in M8. Note that you will also provide supporting detail in Step 3.
Company Description – Provide an explanation of your chosen firm and its inventory
· Provide an overview of your 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.
Step 3: Populate your outline with supporting details
Per the Step 1 example, your outline should be more than just heading and sub-headings; it should include supporting detail.
· For each sub-heading, you should provide at least two supporting details (points).
· Each detail should be written concisely yet clearly, so readers understand the point that you intend to cover in your final project.
· Complete sentences are acceptable but not required. Paragraphs provide too much information and should NOT be included.
In Module 8, you will translate this outline into a complete 9-11 page logistics plan covering all project sections.
Step 4: Update your list of business plan resources with 4 additional resources.
These should be resources that you have used (or plan to use) to understand your product characteristics, government regulations, and international considerations and aid the development of your logistics plan. These resources should be in addition to the resources that you identified in your M2 proposal assignment. As such, you should now have 10 resources.
· Note that at least 6 of those 10 resources must be scholarly.
· If you are unclear as to what qualifies as a scholarly resource, please reference the
Step 5: Submit your thesis statement, project outline, and resources as a single APA formatted document.
APA formatting includes a title page, reference page, double spacing, one-inch margins, and headings.
