Module 1
Case 1 focuses on Beer as an end item, for the consumer. And you have to become familiar with part of the supply chain with you as a wholesaler. You will also experience the Bull-Whip Effect as you practice in the EBBD simulation. Consider the idea of feedback within a system. Feedback as some form of information that is used to make decisions about controlling rates of flow.
How does feedback, or the absence of it, help to create the bull-whip effect? What feedback would you like to have, specifically, as you determine your weekly orders for Kentucky Swamp Brew? How would get such information? When would you like to have it?
Week 1: Enter your original response to this question. Support your response with evidence from the readings or other resources. It is not necessary to provide formal citations, but you should give the sources of your information.
Week 2: Respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion post. Further the discussion and make it interesting. Support your response with evidence and provide your sources, at least informally.
DISCUSSION FOR FUN & PROFIT: Discuss the EBBD Simulation Subscribe
The EBBD Simulation is intened to help you learn about the Bull-whip effect as you experience what it is like to be responsible for ordering a product to distribute to your customers.
Comment on this simulation. Did it help you learn? What did you like about it, not like? What are some ideas you have for making the simulation better?
Would you like to also play the role of one of the retail customers, ordering beer to stock in your store and having to deal with not getting your orders from EBBD on time?
Module 2 Discussions
Forecasting as System Feedback Subscribe
Continue with analyzing feedback within your supply chain at EBBD. Forecasting is based on projecting historical information into the future to provide some type of goal or expectation for system performance. Forecasting can also be based on qualitative reasoning and correlating factors.
Regardless of how a projection is made, there will be forecast errors – the difference between what was predicted and the actual result. Forecast errors can be used as feedback to help improve future predictions.
Consider that forecasting can be a feedback process. How would you use forecasting to help you determine your weekly ordering decision of Kentucky Swamp Brew?
NOTE that this is a different question than what you are asked to do in Case 2 (improve the forecasting process for the whole of EBBD.)
Week 1: Enter your original response to this question. Support your response with evidence from the readings or other resources. It is not necessary to provide formal citations, but you should give the sources of your information.
Week 2: Respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion post. Further the discussion and make it interesting. Support your response with evidence and provide your sources, at least informally.
DISCUSSION FOR FUN & PROFIT: Forecasting Subscribe
Explore these two ideas (one or both):
Forecasting Accuracy. How accurate should a forecast be? How much should a company pay to obtain accuracy? How should a company justify additional costs (investment and operating) to obtain greater forecast accuracy?
What is more important, short term forecasting (e.g. week, month, quarter) or long term forecasting (e.g. year, 5-years)?
Be sure to respond to your classmates.
Module 3 Discussions
Optimization & Linear Programming Subscribe
In Case 3, you are learning to use LP to determine the best set of Order Quantities so that you obtain the Optimum (max) amount of profit for one product line at EBBD.
As you write your report to Wilco to present your results, consider other applications for Optimization and LP.
In this TD, explore the various ways that LP can be used in Logistics to obtain optimal results, not only at EBBD, but at any company.
Week 1: enter your original response to this question. Support your response with evidence from the readings or other resources. It is not necessary to provide formal citations, but you should give the sources of your information.
Week 2: respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion post. Further the discussion and make it interesting. Support your response with evidence and provide your sources, at least informally.
DISCUSSION FOR FUN & PROFIT: Heuristics v Optimization Subscribe
Consider how you would make the quarterly ordering decision without using Optimization techniques. This is called Heuristic Decision making – meaning it is an approximation.
Discuss where Heuristic decision making might be better than using Optimization. What are the benefits v costs? In other words, when is it not cost effective to spend the additional time and money to obtain the Optimum solution?
Be sure to respond to your classmates.
Module 4 Discussions
Queues and Waiting Lines Subscribe
In Case 4, you are learning to use Queuing analysis to determine various situations and possible solutions to the waiting line of trucks at the dock at EBBD.
As you write your report to Wilco to present your results, consider other applications for queuing analysis.
In this TD, explore the various ways that queuing analysis can be used in Logistics to obtain optimal results, not only at EBBD, but at any company.
Week 1: enter your original response to this question. Support your response with evidence from the readings or other resources. It is not necessary to provide formal citations, but you should give the sources of your information.
Week 2: respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion post. Further the discussion and make it interesting. Support your response with evidence and provide your sources, at least informally.
DISCUSSION FOR FUN & PROFIT: Queues v System Dynamics Subscribe
Based on your reading about system dynamics, you have seen that in a system, different entities flow into and accumulate in stocks and then flow out, sometimes into another stock. This is similar to items in a queue or waiting line. But there are some aspects that are different from queues when comparing to system dynamics. For example, water cannot be analyzed using queuing theory, since you would have to track each molecule as you would track a person in a waiting line. Identify how queues are different than items flowing into and out of stocks as characterized by system dynamics.
Provide two specific examples of items flowing through a general system of stocks and two specific examples of items flowing into and out of a queue or waiting line. Discuss these examples, how they are similar and different.
Respond to one of your classmate’s discussion post. Further the discussion and make it interesting.
Module 5 Discussions
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Productivity Improvements Subscribe
Besides making decisions about which piece of equipment to buy or which process to use, productivity is also analyzed in terms of Productivity Measure or ratio of Outputs / Inputs. For example, for the EBBD, one productivity measure that could be used is Shipment productivity. The outputs to consider are the number of items that are shipped during a week, and the inputs would be the number of hours worked by the shipping crew during that same week. So the Shipment productivity would be: Items Shipped / Hours Worked. Instead of items shipped, you could use the number of pounds shipped as the output.
Consider Shipment productivity. Think of one way that you could improve shipment productivity and explain.
Think of one other Productivity Measure you might use at the EBBD and explain how you would calculate it. And then how would use it to improve productivity?
Week 1: enter your original response to this question. Support your response with evidence from the readings or other resources. It is not necessary to provide formal citations, but you should give the sources of your information.
Week 2: respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion post. Further the discussion and make it interesting. Support your response with evidence and provide your sources, at least informally.
DISCUSSION FOR FUN & PROFIT: Productivity Subscribe
Improving Productivity on a regular basis seems to be an important goal for most companies – getting more output per input.
Think about logistics and the movement and storage of materials. What are some key productivity measures the logisticians use in different companies to measure productivity? What are some key ways that productivity can be improved? Provide some specific examples of productivity measures and discuss.
Respond to one of your classmate’s discussion post. Further the discussion and make it interesting.