Matching Items (8)
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- All Subjects: Supply Chain
- Creators: School of Sustainability
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
- Status: Published
Description
E-commerce has rapidly become a mainstay in today's economy, and many websites have built themselves around providing a platform for independent sellers. Sites such as Etsy, Storenvy, Redbubble, and Society6 are increasingly popular options for anyone looking to open their own online store. With this project, I attempted to examine the effects of four different marketing techniques on sales in an online store. I opened a shop on Etsy and tracked sales in connection with promotion through social media, selling products in-person at a convention, holding a holiday tie-in sale, and using price anchoring. Social media accounts were opened on Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram to promote the shop over the course of the project period, and Etsy's web analytics were used to track which sites directed the most traffic to the shop. I attended a convention in mid-January 2016 where I sold my products and distributed business cards with a discount code to track sales resulting from being at the convention. A holiday sale was held in conjunction with Valentine's Day to look at whether holidays influenced purchases. Lastly, a significantly more expensive product was temporarily put in the shop to see whether it produced a price anchoring effect \u2014 that is, encouraged sales of the less expensive products by making them seem affordable in comparison. While the volume of sales data was too small to draw statistically significant conclusions, the project was a highly instructive experience in the process of opening a small online store. The decision-making steps outlined may be helpful to other students looking to open their own online shop.
ContributorsChen, Candice Elizabeth (Author) / Moore, James (Thesis director) / Sanford, Adriana (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
My thesis combines two different perspectives. The first is supply chain management, and the second is volunteering. The inspiration for this topic came from Joy Field's seminar titled "Job Design and Work Allocation for Volunteers in Nonprofit Organizations." My thesis differs from her seminar because I decided to expand her topic to include all types of organizations, not just non-profits. The idea of relating supply chain and volunteering is appealing because I believe getting the most out of each volunteer's experience and those on the receiving end is very important. Additionally, her seminar appealed to me because I have volunteered before and it relates to my major of supply chain management. Volunteer management relates to supply chain management from an operations perspective. A common objective within supply chain operations is maximizing productivity, resources, and value. Mismanaging people can lead to an increased amount of waste in the form of money, time, and resources. That is why it is important to get the most out of the entire experience in order for both the volunteers and the organization to achieve the most benefit. The purpose of this paper is to describe best practices in volunteer management for organizations to consider. I will explore three phases of the volunteer management process: before, during, and after. Additionally, I will provide a personal volunteer experience and assess its effectiveness. My source material consisted of various research articles and journals, and the end result will be an outline of recommendations for organizations to utilize when using volunteers.
ContributorsCohen, Joshua (Author) / Printezis, Antonios (Thesis director) / Sandell, Paul (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Only an Executive Summary of the project is included.
The goal of this project is to develop a deeper understanding of how machine learning pertains to the business world and how business professionals can capitalize on its capabilities. It explores the end-to-end process of integrating a machine and the tradeoffs and obstacles to consider. This topic is extremely pertinent today as the advent of big data increases and the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence is expanding across industries and functional roles. The approach I took was to expand on a project I championed as a Microsoft intern where I facilitated the integration of a forecasting machine learning model firsthand into the business. I supplement my findings from the experience with research on machine learning as a disruptive technology. This paper will not delve into the technical aspects of coding a machine model, but rather provide a holistic overview of developing the model from a business perspective. My findings show that, while the advantages of machine learning are large and widespread, a lack of visibility and transparency into the algorithms behind machine learning, the necessity for large amounts of data, and the overall complexity of creating accurate models are all tradeoffs to consider when deciding whether or not machine learning is suitable for a certain objective. The results of this paper are important in order to increase the understanding of any business professional on the capabilities and obstacles of integrating machine learning into their business operations.
The goal of this project is to develop a deeper understanding of how machine learning pertains to the business world and how business professionals can capitalize on its capabilities. It explores the end-to-end process of integrating a machine and the tradeoffs and obstacles to consider. This topic is extremely pertinent today as the advent of big data increases and the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence is expanding across industries and functional roles. The approach I took was to expand on a project I championed as a Microsoft intern where I facilitated the integration of a forecasting machine learning model firsthand into the business. I supplement my findings from the experience with research on machine learning as a disruptive technology. This paper will not delve into the technical aspects of coding a machine model, but rather provide a holistic overview of developing the model from a business perspective. My findings show that, while the advantages of machine learning are large and widespread, a lack of visibility and transparency into the algorithms behind machine learning, the necessity for large amounts of data, and the overall complexity of creating accurate models are all tradeoffs to consider when deciding whether or not machine learning is suitable for a certain objective. The results of this paper are important in order to increase the understanding of any business professional on the capabilities and obstacles of integrating machine learning into their business operations.
ContributorsVerma, Ria (Author) / Goegan, Brian (Thesis director) / Moore, James (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The process of producing enormous amounts of ephemeral clothing at accelerated rates, known as fast fashion, creates significant environmental and societal issues. The phenomenon of fast fashion rose due to globalization, economic factors, lack of legislation, and the advancement of technology. Governments, companies, and consumers must work together to create more sustainable retail supply chains. I have gathered information from interviews with individuals in the sustainable fashion industry, books, case studies, online reports, and newspaper articles. Based on my research, I recommend that companies should target wealthier consumers, develop a common language concerning sustainability, invest in sustainable fibers, and listen to factory employees for solutions to improve their working conditions. I also advise that the U.S governments should revise fashion copyright laws and international governments should emphasize regulations concerning the fashion industry. Lastly, consumers should adopt a price-per-wear mindset and utilize resale options. Overall, while perfect sustainability is improbable, consumers, governments, and companies should not use this as an excuse to avoid responsibility.
ContributorsWillner, Allison (Author) / Koretz, Lora (Thesis director) / Moore, James (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
As sustainability has become more prevalent it has become clear that companies have a pressing need to incorporate sustainability into their business. The purpose of this study is to analyze the ways that integrating sustainability can actually provide a financial benefit for a company. Through interviews and extensive research, we will target sustainability initiatives that work for both small and large businesses. This is another key part of our research; addressing the discrepancy in how businesses of different sizes are able to use sustainability, and then finding sustainability initiatives that recognize this discrepancy and are effective for businesses of all sizes.
As sustainability has become more prevalent it has become clear that companies have a pressing need to incorporate sustainability into their business. The purpose of this study is to analyze the ways that integrating sustainability can actually provide a financial benefit for a company. Through interviews and extensive research, we will target sustainability initiatives that work for both small and large businesses. This is another key part of our research; addressing the discrepancy in how businesses of different sizes are able to use sustainability, and then finding sustainability initiatives that recognize this discrepancy and are effective for businesses of all sizes.
Through the interviews of three large corporations (Amazon, Dell, and Lowes), and four small businesses (Exel Shirts, Goode Deals, Desert Dream Ice Cream, and FitzGerald and Sons Contracting) we were able to discover several very effective sustainability initiatives, such as ocean plastics recycling at Dell or packaging advertisements at Amazon. This thesis then discussed what characteristics of these plans are easiest to transfer and implement for businesses of all sizes, classifying the “ideal” sustainability initiative. Possible revenue earners like reusing scrap, and the intangible benefits like saved labor of telecommuting as some of the most significant financial value that sustainability can provide for companies of all sizes.
As sustainability has become more prevalent it has become clear that companies have a pressing need to incorporate sustainability into their business. The purpose of this study is to analyze the ways that integrating sustainability can actually provide a financial benefit for a company. Through interviews and extensive research, we will target sustainability initiatives that work for both small and large businesses. This is another key part of our research; addressing the discrepancy in how businesses of different sizes are able to use sustainability, and then finding sustainability initiatives that recognize this discrepancy and are effective for businesses of all sizes.
Through the interviews of three large corporations (Amazon, Dell, and Lowes), and four small businesses (Exel Shirts, Goode Deals, Desert Dream Ice Cream, and FitzGerald and Sons Contracting) we were able to discover several very effective sustainability initiatives, such as ocean plastics recycling at Dell or packaging advertisements at Amazon. This thesis then discussed what characteristics of these plans are easiest to transfer and implement for businesses of all sizes, classifying the “ideal” sustainability initiative. Possible revenue earners like reusing scrap, and the intangible benefits like saved labor of telecommuting as some of the most significant financial value that sustainability can provide for companies of all sizes.
ContributorsFitzgerald, John Haviland (Author) / Keane, Katy (Thesis director) / Iryna, Printezis (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This thesis explores the likely impacts of climate change on agricultural production globally and in the state of Arizona, and on agricultural supply chains. It shows increases in severe weather, including hotter temperatures and droughts, will have a negative impact on crop production in the state and on global agricultural supply chains. It also shows the effects on the environment caused by our current cradle-to-grave supply chains. As a partial remedy, this thesis explores the benefits of vertical farming systems and shows how they could be of value to the residents of Arizona.
ContributorsKing, Emily Marie (Author) / Kirby, Andrew (Thesis director) / Carter, Craig (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, with a staggering 1.4 billion cups of coffee poured a day (Coffee Consumption around the World). One-point six percent of total US GDP is made up by coffee operations and fuels 1.6 million jobs in the United States (The Global Coffee Industry). However, with an increasingly complex political and economic world, along with the threat of climate change, the world’s coffee supply is at risk of total collapse. There are two primary varieties of coffee consumed in the world, Arabica and Robusta coffee. Most coffee producing countries run along the equator and are generally classified as developing economies. The global south is relied upon for coffee production. “Across Mexico and Central America, over 4 million people depend directly on coffee production for their livelihoods” (An Integrated Framework). Coffee production helps boost these economies and support families financially, with many workers having to support dependent individuals.
ContributorsWinter, Lauren Dorothy (Author) / Keane, Katy (Thesis director) / Printezis, Antonios (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The project goal is aimed to research the most pressing issues facing the lithium supply chain today. It then is tasked with charting a path into the future through strategic recommendations that will help reduce risk, and make a greener, cleaner, and more ethical supply chain.
ContributorsLeeson, Van (Author) / Kelman, Jonathan (Thesis director) / Wiedmer, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2022-05