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- All Subjects: Supply Chain Management
- Creators: Department of Supply Chain Management
Description
In the developed world, we often take the positive correlation between openness to trade and development for granted. After all, the world has seen the greatest amount of economic growth ever in this relatively short period of time in which global markets have been very accessible. There can be many factors attributed to this perspective on the near-universal association between trade and wealth, such as its simple, intuitive reasoning, a historical drive for developed nations to seek out beneficial trade opportunities, or perhaps even a general lack of awareness when it comes to how such enterprising attitudes may impact those living in entirely different civilizations. Whatever the reasoning may be, the reality is that global trade or openness to it is not as cut and dry as many would like to believe, nor does trade openness come as freely as one might expect, as certain conditions are needed in order to foster access to well-developed markets. It has been observed recently that the cost of doing trade, so to speak, has been increasing globally as certain state and nonstate actors push against the free trade model developed by the United States after World War II. It is with this challenge in mind that we explore the recent changes in the balance of global power dynamics that have led to a decline in the openness of the globalized economy. Saying this, we are not advocating for an end to "globalization", rather, this paper is meant to observe multiple potential frustrations to the current economic global order and the resulting fallout of trade among the world’s top economies.
ContributorsKozub, Alexander (Author) / Kozub, Nikolaus (Co-author) / Abraham-Lodmell, Spencer (Co-author) / Collins, Gregory Collins (Thesis director) / Ripley, Charles (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This research examines supply chain performance and antecedents to better supply chain performance in manufacturing organizations, with a focus on manufacturing organizations following engineer-to-order and assemble-to-order production models. The variables of supply chain integration, internal communication, employee satisfaction, leader support, and the alignment of information and communication technology are empirically supported in affecting supply chain performance, and thus carry managerial and organizational implications in how they can be influenced, ideally for the benefit of manufacturing organizations. The data gathered for this study was obtained through interviews with sourcing professionals, as well as surveys distributed to corporate manufacturing employees. The findings on these variables fall in line with previous research explored in the report, adding credibility to previous studies, as well as their associated recommendations and implications. Organizational management and leadership, to improve supply chain performance, must strategically integrate information and communication technology, be clear and consistent in their messaging to employees, engage in effective conflict resolution, and provide support for necessary transparency and communication-enhancing initiatives.
ContributorsKoeppen, Matthew (Author) / Wiedmer, Robert (Thesis director) / Hogan, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This report addresses the value that companies can create along their supply chains by producing sustainably and locally, and proposes a business plan for a sleepwear and loungewear brand based on these findings. The purpose is to investigate whether or not there are opportunities for firms to make or save money by acting sustainably or producing locally, outside of the public relations value that could come from such efforts. By using research derived from scholarly articles and insight from experts, a background on the industry’s general trends and beliefs regarding sustainable and local production are addressed. Based on this research, it can be concluded that producing sustainably and locally is feasible and can provide supply chain related benefits for brands in certain situations. With this conclusion, a business plan was generated which aligned with the research presented in the analysis. It is important to acknowledge that there are certain actions related to sustainability and local production which could generally be beneficial for all apparel brands, but many suggestions are only applicable to smaller companies that sell at a higher price point.
ContributorsSierka, Macey (Author) / Keane, Katy (Thesis director) / Blackmer, Cindie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented nature caused significant disruptions in the global supply chain industry, resulting in setbacks for supply chain operations. The repercussions of the supply chain challenges impacted various industries. This thesis seeks to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chain industry, with a focus on how disruptions have affected the efficiency and resilience of companies within this sector. Data analytics will be leveraged to analyze these disruptions and improve supply chain operations.
ContributorsPatwardhan, Sampada (Author) / Sirugudi, Kumar (Thesis director) / Sopha, Matthew (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the system of 'smart' inter-connected networked devices that contain sensors to communicate information to the Internet. Due to the complex and intricate nature of IoT technologies, in addition to the many applications of IoT, the IoT has the potential to revolutionize how we interact and work every day. The information gathered through IoT is aggregated and can be used to improve business decision making, as well as contribute to a greater society. IoT spans various market sectors including retail, energy, and transportation. IoT can also be used to improve efficiencies within the supply chain. By increasing the transparency of items in-transit, in addition to providing greater visibility about inventory usage and consumer consumption habits, there are many implications of IoT that can be utilized to transform logistical processes. While some literature exists that discusses the impact of the IoT on the supply chain, the findings are limited in size and scope and tend to focus on particular implementations of IoT technologies. Further research is necessary to evaluate the impact of IoT to advance supply chain best practices and to understand the potential implications of the IoT in improving supply chain planning and distribution. This thesis aims to address this gap in the literature. By focusing on supply chain management, the thesis will look at the context in which the IoT operates, the market and implications of IoT devices, current logistics processes, the capabilities of IoT, as well as the potential problems and weaknesses with the implementation of the IoT.
ContributorsBentley, Garrett Burton (Author) / Rabinovich, Elliot (Thesis director) / Kellso, James (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The purpose of this paper is to identify a strategy and list recommended initiatives that aim to reduce the total carbon footprint of Brookfield Global Relocation Services and its supply chain by 50% by 2028, and enhance the appeal of this plan through revealing a multitude of beneficial factors for the organization, its suppliers, and community. To begin the approach to realizing a 50% reduction to Brookfield GRS's and its supply chain's total carbon footprint is to first measure the current level of greenhouse gases being emitted by the organizations and its suppliers. Using the EPA carbon footprint calculator tool this was accomplished to understand and put an actual value on Brookfield GRS's and its supplier's impact on the environment and to begin setting goals to substantially decrease this level. This leads to the second step of focusing on the internal need to shift the culture, goals, and initiatives towards sustainability before looking to the external environment of the supply chain. To accomplish this second step, Brookfield GRS must reach a high level of awareness for this sustainability shift by the end of 2016, through establishing a Green Committee, setting up an awareness survey, proactively getting involved with the organization newsletter, and the creation of sustainability incentive program. Once awareness is established and continuously increased, a switch towards organization wide mobilization can begin in 2017. This entails looking at areas of high emissions determined by the EPA tool, launching a set of processes aimed at reducing the emissions of these areas by 2018, and wrapping up the phase with an environmental management system by 2018 to catch the results of the processes and allow them to be continuously improved upon. This internal shift towards sustainability packaged into two phases of awareness and mobilization are not just environmentally beneficial but also prove to have value in cost reductions, efficiency gains in processes, reduction in waste/office supplies, talent acquisition and retention, risk mitigation aspects, marketability, brand reputation building, and is a competitive advantage as it inspires innovation. Aiming to reduce emissions by 50% holds huge value internally, but can garner even more benefits externally through Brookfield GRS's supply chain. Once an internal foundation of sustainability culture, goals, and initiatives aimed at reducing its output of emissions are concrete, Brookfield GRS can then continue to build its commitment to the environment and lower its overall carbon footprint by looking externally to its suppliers. This phase is similar to the internal shift, in which awareness and mobilization are required so that Brookfield GRS can identify suppliers that need to be removed, who are willing to work with Brookfield GRS, and the suppliers who are already on track to reducing their emissions by 50% by 2028. Awareness begins with Brookfield GRS communicating to its suppliers that there will be a set of green requirements imposed on them starting in 2019 through an updated RFP process and sustainability survey. Mobilization then occurs with the suppliers abiding to the green requirements of a total carbon footprint calculation to be reported starting in 2019, a set of goals and implementation plans aimed at reducing their total carbon footprint to be reported annually starting in 2019, and an establishment of an EMS or similar system by 2019 warranting continuous improvement of greenhouse gas reducing programs to aim for 5% annual reduction goals and a 50% total decrease by 2028. It is important that the supply chain management employees at Brookfield GRS provide ample evidence of why the emission reduction goal and shift towards sustainability is beneficial for the organization by looking at benefits incurred by Brookfield GRS and value added to other successful organizations like Celestica, Disney, and Intel making similar changes. There are even mutually advantageous results such as increased demand, risk mitigation, cost breakdown form process improvements, and Brookfield GRS and its suppliers will be more collaborative and competitive in the long run. The EMS system then works as a continuous improvement process from 2019 to 2028 to ensure Brookfield GRS and its suppliers are on track to yearly 5% emission reductions and an overall reduction of 50% by 2028. Through Brookfield GRS using this strategy to focus internally and then branching out externally to its suppliers to meet a 50% reduction in total carbon footprint emissions by 2028, numerous environmental, economical, and societal benefits can be gained.
ContributorsGennaro, John Christopher (Author) / Kellso, James (Thesis director) / Whalin, Susan (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
The purpose of this thesis research project is to explore blockchain technology and its present and future applications within supply chain management. Emerging blockchain technologies, both public and private, are already showing great promise for a number of applications in and outside supply chain management. Our sole focus is to understand the fundamentals of blockchain, smart contracts, current applications in supply chain, and the future possibilities for blockchain to shape global supply chains. Many have theorized about how private blockchains can be implemented and used; however, there is little research to date that has collected and explored the actual use cases in industry today. The mission of this research paper is to separate theory from the current state of the technology and provide a clearer understanding of where the technology is headed in the near future. We aim to produce a work that will provide a comprehensive description and commentary on current use cases for the education of students and industry professionals alike. With any new technological developments, terminology and technicalities can be paralyzing, and this is particularly true for blockchain technology. For this project, our goal was to create a document that cuts through the complexities and allows a non-technical audience to gain a strong foundational understanding of blockchain's potential and current limitations within supply chains. Provided this, some highly technical concepts and implementation details will not be explored due to the complexity and minimal understanding even amongst industry experts. As future supply chain professionals, we are motivated to further our understanding of blockchain technologies and the potential for this technology to shape the future of supply chain management.
ContributorsBecker, Logan (Co-author) / Falco, Alexander (Co-author) / Murphy, Thomas Brian (Co-author) / Taylor, Todd (Thesis director) / Wiedmer, Robert (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
A desk provides an interesting forum between two people. The first party sits behind the desk while the second approaches with a question. The desk presents itself as a stage for the drama of that conversation to take place; as all furniture and property do, we naturally make assumptions about the owner based on the things they possess. Just as a Ferrari says one thing while a truck says something different, our furniture conveys a similar sensation. The desk is special because it acts as a stage - it can create a very subtle first impression of the person who owns it. The question then becomes, "what should I try to convey through the desk I sat behind?". If someone walked into my office and looked strictly at my desk, what impression would I want to give them about who I am as an individual? I conjunction with this question about the design of the desk itself comes to another question about the materials used. This thesis goes into the symbolic nature of wood in modern and ancient times across cultures, explores wood in modern construction today and explores the source of the wood used in this specific project through a supplier analysis of Porter Barn Wood. Porter Barn Wood is a local Phoenix company that specializes in reclaimed barn wood delivered from the east coast. Determining the story of how the wood got to Phoenix and to the company that made it possible was just as important to the story of the desk as the wood itself. Overall, this project explored my ability to construct a desk and build a story around that piece of art while maintaining a business mindset throughout. It was eye-opening to me and I would encourage you to read further!
ContributorsDuran, Alejandro Michael (Author) / Vitikas, Stanely (Thesis director) / Fleming, David (Committee member) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Supply chain management is a complex field that deals with a variety of ever-changing factors, and artificial intelligence has the opportunity to create lots of value and drive efficiency if organizations can implement it effectively. This thesis examines the different types of AI based on functionality and capability and provides a brief overview of the history behind artificial intelligence. Different supply chain functions including demand forecasting, inventory management, route optimization, supply transparency, and safety and sustainability were analyzed before and after adding AI systems. After examining AI missteps and successes in recent years, a detailed roadmap was created to help decision-makers deal with the numerous complexities when implementing AI technology within a business to improve the supply chain.
ContributorsHildebrand, Ryan (Author) / Printezis, Antonios (Thesis director) / Pofahl, Geoffrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2024-05