Organization’s Logistics Strategy Discussion
The report should consist of the following:
Executive Summary – and its strategy to help explain why you have selected your 6 topics as appropriate. Provide enough information about the company for your coach to judge the work.
Issues – You are looking to identify any issues that your 6 topics can help resolve
Operating Environment – Your coach needs to understand the background of the company in order to grade the paper. Provide enough about your market, competition, internal operations, etc. to suggest why reviewing the selected topics made sense.
Root Cause – You want to explain what caused the issue to be. Did the environment change? Did the company have the wrong strategy? Was it the right strategy but it wasn’t being properly implemented?
Alternatives – You only need to provide the pros and cons of your intended approach, but try to show consistency, strategic alignment and demonstrate your leadership skills.
Recommendation – Provide a good argument for whatever recommendations you are making, even if you recommend not to move forward.
Implementation Plan – Identify the critical elements and caveats of what you are proposing, along with who needs to be involved in decision making and implementation. How long will it take?
Monitor and Control – Consider what KPIs will measure the success of the implementation, and make sure they align with your company’s strategic intent.
This report requires you to describe the nature and scope of logistics activities at your organization. You will also identify one particular logistics challenge or opportunity. Your report should include responses to the following questions:
- What is your organization’s logistics strategy? What are your logistics objectives? How do you measure logistics performance? Generally, is logistics done in-house or is it outsourced to third-party logistics (3PL) service providers?
- Where are your facilities located? How are location decisions made? What factors are considered? Where are your suppliers located? What about your customers?
- Who are your customers? What is your organization’s customer service strategy? How is customer service measured?
- Describe inbound logistics at your organization. What transportation modes are used? Describe the inbound freight. Is inventory stored in a warehouse before being used or sold?
- Describe outbound logistics at your organization. What transportation modes are used? Describe the outbound freight. Is inventory stored in a warehouse before being shipped forward to customers?
- How are inventory decisions made? How are order quantities determined? Does your organization carry safety stock? How are safety stock levels established