Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students.
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- Creators: Department of Supply Chain Management
Description
Sagebrush Coffee is a small business in Chandler, Arizona that purchases green beans, roasts them in small batches for quality, and ships fresh, gourmet roasted coffee beans across the nation. Deciding which coffee beans to buy and roast is one of the most crucial business decisions Sagebrush and other gourmet coffee roasters face. Further complicating this decision is the fact that coffee is a crop, and like all crops, has a specific growing season and the exact same product cannot usually be ordered from year to year, even if it proves to be successful. The goal of this research is to use data analytics and visualization to help Sagebrush make better purchasing decisions by identifying consumer purchasing trends and providing a recommendation for their portfolio mix. In the end, I found that Latin American coffees are popular with both returning and first-time customers, but a specific country of origin does not appear to be associated with the top coffee producing countries. Additionally, December is a critical month for Sagebrush and Sagebrush should make sure to target the states with the most sales: California, Pennsylvania, and New York. Arizona has growth potential as it is not one of the top three locations, despite the presence of a physical store. Also included in the following report is a portfolio recommendation suggesting how many of each product based on region, processing type, and roast level to carry in inventory.
ContributorsBlue, Jessica Morgan (Author) / Kellso, James (Thesis director) / Davila, Eddie (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Morrison School of Agribusiness (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The restaurant opening process for "Muse & Market" was documented and evaluated. For my creative project, I served as the Director of Business Development for "Muse & Market" and assisted in the carrying out of activities including supplier selection, functional retail assembly and other key decision making. I paralleled this experience by researching best practices in the restaurant industry. I performed research by reviewing academic literature and online sources and by interviewing marketing managers and restauranteurs in New York City and Phoenix, AZ. I compiled a list of best practices based off of the commonalities from my research and interviews. I then compared these findings to what I experienced at Muse & Market to determine which of Muse & Market's launch preparation activities aligned with which best practices. I also identified areas of improvement for Muse & Market based on this comparison. Lastly I offered my key takeaways from my experience as an aspiring entrepreneur in the restaurant industry.
ContributorsHyland, Ashley Lauren (Author) / Manfredo, Mark (Thesis director) / Davila, Eddie (Committee member) / Morrison School of Agribusiness (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
In this global economy, supply chains are the roads that connect us with goods, people, and information. Many, diverse people have a hand in paving those roads, but they go largely unnoticed. I wanted to give them a face; I have painted the portraits of each person involved in producing a cup of Starbucks's Sumatra blend from Indonesian Farmer to Barista. Hopefully the next time you take a sip of coffee, you see more than a cup of caffeine.
ContributorsHicks, Ruth Ann (Author) / Pessler, Anthony (Thesis director) / Davila, Eddie (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In looking at the world of fashion, it is hard to miss the many rental platforms that have become staples in the industry. While the business model makes sense for many consumers, it also feeds on many consumer trends and developing ideals. The driving purpose of this thesis is to better understand the success of rental platforms, to see what components of the industry are most important to the success of a rental company, and ultimately determine if rental will have a future in the next generation of fashion. The following research explores the fashion industry, rental’s place in that industry, and whether this new business model is here for the long haul. This research will prove vital in understanding the success of this new industry and the most important components that make up a successful rental business. Through this research it was found that the pillars of marketing, especially a deep understanding of consumers, and supply chain, have proven to be the most interesting aspects of the rental industry’s success. Specifically, the components of inventory management, transparency, consumer research, and pricing were found to be the most vital to any rental platform’s success.
ContributorsGeorge, Jessica Marie (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Davila, Eddie (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12