Discussion Question 1

Risk Management

Risk management is a critical aspect of project management. The supply chain decisions that are made have risk involved like any other project decision. Comment on two examples of risks that can occur in the supply chain that can affect a project. What can you do as a project manager to reduce or eliminate the risks that you defined? Provide professional examples, if at all possible, from a project you have managed or of which you have been a team member.

Discussion Question 2

Organizational Structure

The structure of an organization can influence the overall success of a project from initiation to closure. Identify if your organization is centralized or decentralized and evaluate benefits and weaknesses of the structure. Would you change from centralized or decentralized to meet the needs of your projects? Why or why not? Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.

Discussion Question 3

Supply Process Improvements

Examine the steps of the supply process in Chapter 4 of the text and identify a project where improvements could be made in one or more of the steps. Would the project have been more successful with the implementation of any or all of these steps in the supply process?

Discussion Question 4

Outsourcing

The process of outsourcing the creation of a product or a service is a controversial, yet critical strategic decision for many employers. Describe one example from your professional experience, or that you are familiar with, where a process or function was outsourced. What are the financial implications of this change? Did the quality of the product or service stay the same, improve, or decline?

Discussion Question 5

Capital Goods

A project manager needs to understand the importance of the acquisition of capital goods. There are many choices for capital good procurement, including buying or leasing new equipment, or buying used equipment. Describe an example from the text or your personal professional experience where your project or organization had to procure capital goods for strategic reasons. What was the type of equipment (new, used) and how was it purchased?

Discussion Question 6

Quality

Suitability and reliability are two examples of quality in terms of buying materials, goods or services. Provide an example of a "best buy" from your professional experience where quality aspects were not met in accordance to the text definition of quality dimensions. What aspect of quality could be improved for future projects? Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.

Discussion Question 7

Procuring Services

Many projects need to procure services to execute successfully no matter what industry you are in. There is a personal relationship with the service provider, which makes collaboration much more important than when selecting goods products. Describe a project you have been involved with, or have knowledge of, where services were a major part of the deliverables. How were references checked for service suppliers and what lessons were learned from the process? What contributing factors ultimately led to the service supplier being selected? Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.
Carefully review the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate this Discussion Thread.

Discussion Question 8

Target Pricing

Target pricing is experiencing growing use in North America. Should businesses use target pricing? Do you think target pricing can only be used for manufactured goods, or can it also be applied to services? Defend your choices. Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.

Discussion Question 9

Sustainability

Sustainability is an important ethical and environmental issue in purchasing. Describe one material, product, or service that can contribute to sustainability in a project you have been involved with, or in your current organization. Describe how these decisions enable the organization to avoid violations in terms of environmental issues. Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.
Carefully review the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate this Discussion Thread.

Discussion Question 10

Liability

Personal liability is a serious issue in purchasing and supply management. Provide details from the text or your personal experience where a supply officer or project manager has been held personally liable for conditions of a contract. Comment on how you will proceed in the future to avoid any personal liability for contracts if at all possible. The text provides excellent examples that can be researched starting on page 311. Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.

Assignment 1

Article Review

Review the following article from ProQuest: Avery, S. (2009, February). MRO sourcing goes global. Purchasing, 138(2), 48-52. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.
In a two-to-three-page paper (not including the title and reference pages), identify how your organization or an organization you are familiar with, can improve in the following best practice areas represented in the article:

• Identification of spend types in your purchasing.

• Identify suppliers with capabilities for global business.

• Strategy of integrated supply approach with distributors.

• Processes to track performance of suppliers including cost of ownership and outsourcing.

Submit to your instructor your two-to-three-page Word document (not including the title and reference pages). Your paper should be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide, and should cite at least two scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.

Assignment 2

Need Definition

From the end of Chapter 6, complete the following questions out of the section titled "Questions for Review and Discussion." Each question should be thoroughly answered using support from the text, examples, and other scholarly sources.

• Describe the differences between needs identification and defining commercial equivalents and discuss why it is preferable to separate into two stages.

• Interpret the value to the organization when early supplier involvement (ESI) is implemented effectively.

• Examine the advantages and disadvantages of specifying by performance.

• Describe how a supply professional understands strategic requirements.

Submit to your instructor your two to three-page Word document (not including the title and reference pages). Your paper should be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide, and should cite at least two scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.

Assignment 3

Case 11-3 Budget

Refer to the City of Granston Case 11-3 at the end of Chapter 11. Using the ‘Current Year Q-3' data found in Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3, create a project supply and materials budget based on the information in the case. Your budget must include a one page explanation on the importance of a materials supply budget and the impact of the budget on the supply organization.
This can be submitted in a MS Word Document, with title page, or as an MS Excel sheet with a clear one-paragraph introduction on the importance of a materials and supply budget.

Assignment 4

Research Paper

Use at least one project you have been a team member of, or a project manager for, as an example to contextualize the research topics below:

• Define the importance of purchasing and supply management and how this relates to selecting a qualified supplier.

• Discuss how to select strategies for negotiating prices.

• Assemble the steps of the creation of a project supply, service, and material budget from detailed requirements. Illustrate the benefits and costs of outsourcing, and the growth pattern of outsourcing.

• Evaluation of the various organizations that are benchmarks in purchasing and supply management, and their best practices. Provide specific examples of companies who show market leadership in purchasing and supply management.

This is an assignment with a length of eight to ten pages that should integrate the reading, multi-media and class discussions. It is mandatory to have research from the classroom text, as well as three sources from scholarly sources to support your views.
Consider the validity of your resources carefully before using them in academic papers. It is recommended to use examples from your professional experience where possible, or build from your learning in the discussion boards.

Resources:

Text Book:
Johnson, P. F., Leenders, M. R., & Flynn, A. E. (2010). Purchasing and supply management (14th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Avery, S. (2009, February). MRO sourcing goes global. Purchasing, 138(2), 48-52. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.
Blanchard, C., Comm, C., & Mathaisel, D. (2008). Adding value to service providers: Benchmarking Wal-Mart. Benchmarking, 15(2), 166-177. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.

Earls, A. (2009, August). PPG tests the outsourcing waters. Purchasing, 138(8), 26. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.

Smith, J. (2009, February). It pays to compare. Supply Management, 14(4), 34-35. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.