Matching Items (27)
Description
Amazon Prime Air is the innovative new service that promises automated drone delivery in thirty minutes or less. The platform has not yet been brought to market, but there is a plethora compelling data available that suggests it will be a unique and highly disruptive business segment for Amazon. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the framework laid out by Amazon.com, Inc. for their anticipated Prime Air drone delivery platform, and offer our recommendations for what steps the e-commerce giant should take moving forward. Following a brief recap of the company's founding and a breakdown of its various business segments, we will begin our analysis by examining past strategic decisions that Amazon has made which have directly contributed to their current market position. It is our goal to construct a narrative of what events lead the company to begin developing a fleet of automated delivery vehicles. Following this history lesson, we will review and criticize the existing elements of Amazon's Prime Air platform, and explore any possible alternatives that they could have taken to optimize the development of this exciting new technology. Criticisms will touch upon elements such as cost efficiencies, brand management, and utilization of infrastructure to name but a few. These criticisms will be based upon data sourced from Amazon's available material as well as comments from market analysts and journalists. The culminating element of our analysis will be to offer our professional recommendations as to what we believe the next logical steps that Amazon should take for their Prime Air platform. These recommendations will be informed by our criticisms and our understanding of Amazon as a corporation. This chapter will be largely concerned with guiding Amazon towards a fully optimized drone delivery platform. Our recommendations will be based upon our extensive experience concerning cost and logistical efficiencies, as well as our knowledge of Amazon as a corporation. We will offer succinct suggestions for Amazon's immediate needs as well as long-term solutions to lingering obstacles that they may face.
ContributorsMcCaleb, Nicholas (Co-author) / Glynn, Reagan (Co-author) / Choi, Thomas (Thesis director) / Rogers, Dale (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Goal of paper: To discuss the benefits and detractors of asteroid mining, and whether this is a task that should be undertaken now, or if something needs to change before real strides can be made in the field. Findings: After research and looking at what companies are currently doing, I have found several different benefits and detractors of asteroid mining. The main benefit of asteroid mining is acquiring the resources at the end of the project, whether those resources are raw metals being brought back to Earth or water that will be used as fuel for deep space travel. Those resources are extremely valuable and can create a huge profit for the company that acquires them. However, these resources can take an extremely long time to acquire, at least 20 years. So, while this industry can be extremely lucrative, it may take quite a long time and will need plenty of funding and side ventures to stay afloat long enough to reach that goal. Overall, if financed properly asteroid mining can be extremely profitable.
ContributorsScheven, Spenser (Author) / Choi, Thomas (Thesis director) / Printezis, Antonios (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
In this paper, I analyze the pharmaceutical supply chain to identify the main causes of drug surplus. The main example I use throughout the paper is the current opioid epidemic, which has resulted in thousands of fatalities, caused by overdoses. After researching the industry players and their relationships in the supply chain, I have identified four main causes of drug surplus: the consolidation of pharmaceutical corporations with third-party manufacturers, along with consolidation within the wholesaler industry; the inappropriate pricing of opioid-based prescriptions negotiated by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs); the significant influence of pharmaceutical corporations on physicians, leading to potentially unethical practices; and lastly patients openly distributing leftover prescriptions to the market, and looking for prescriptions elsewhere. To alleviate the drug surplus issue, I provide three solutions: implement both blockchain and reverse logistics into the pharmaceutical supply chain, improving transparency, and allowing patients to return incomplete prescriptions; and research the consolidation of PBMs with providers (hospital systems, clinics, etc.) to increase buyer power and appropriately price opioid-based prescriptions.
ContributorsRutkowski, Sarah (Author) / Helm, Jonathan (Thesis director) / Wiedmer, Robert (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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
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
The topic of our project "Innovation and the City of Tomorrow Through a Supply Chain Perspective" derives from the fields of Innovation, Supply Chain Management, and Public Policy. Many people ask themselves about the future, how will it look? To answer this question, we conducted research about how the city of Tempe, in Arizona, can utilize emerging technology to address its societal needs by the year 2035. With an expected 35 percent increase in population, the city will need to find ways to house, transport, and provide access to the basic needs of their constituents. To tackle these problems, we considered innovative technologies and trends and analyzed their outcomes through the magnifying glass of supply chain, offering insight into how these technologies are disrupting their respective industries and most importantly, who benefits and who loses. Because the topic is so broad, we have decided to focus on addressing societal needs that are essential for Tempe to satisfy the needs of their constituents as they attempt to become one of the most thriving cities in America. Those critical needs are: residential development, electricity needs, and transportation.
ContributorsSosa, Gilberto (Co-author) / Sosa Mendoza, Homero (Co-author) / Trujillo, Rhett (Thesis director) / Kellso, James (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
The thesis outlines five feasible technologies that can be implemented to assist Arizona State University (ASU) in its attempt to increase its water sustainability practices. After collaborating with internal contacts from ASU's Sustainability department, a plan was initiated to research, inform, and recommend the best technological solution and potential vendor for ASU. Information on the vendor is included in the analysis describing the company's history, its service offerings, and application of the technology mentioned using case studies. Potential vendors were contact by phone and additional research was conducted using the each of the company's website to gather more information such a charts and graphs. ASU's current negotiations with its main vendor, Sustainable Water, assisted in establishing benchmarks needed to be able to compare other potential vendors. Each technology was researched extensively using metrics such as energy efficiency, aesthetics, footprint, purification capacity, and odor. The team had difficulties gathering specific data due to the hesitations of companies divulging proprietary information. As much information was gathered to analyze and provide a comparison with each vendor using a ranked and weighted system. Rating the technologies took into considerations the needs of ASU, the offerings of the potential vendor, and the technological capacities and capabilities. The technologies mentioned each had distinct features differing it from one another. However, each technology also had its tradeoffs. Ultimately, it was found that the most feasible, realistic and most aesthetically pleasing solution was Sustainable Water. After careful analysis, it is recommended to continue discussions with Sustainable Water to meet the needs and goals of ASU's water sustainability initiatives.
ContributorsReid, Tatiana (Co-author) / MacDonaldo, Ariane (Co-author) / Printezis, Antonios (Thesis director) / Alberhasky, JoEllen (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The goal of this thesis was to provide in depth research into the semiconductor wet-etch market and create a supplier analysis tool that would allow Company X to identify the best supplier partnerships. Several models were used to analyze the wet etch market including Porter's Five Forces and SWOT analyses. These models were used to rate suppliers based on financial indicators, management history, market share, research and developments spend, and investment diversity. This research allowed for the removal of one of the four companies in question due to a discovered conflict of interest. Once the initial research was complete a dynamic excel model was created that would allow Company X to continually compare costs and factors of the supplier's products. Many cost factors were analyzed such as initial capital investment, power and chemical usage, warranty costs, and spares parts usage. Other factors that required comparison across suppliers included wafer throughput, number of layers the tool could process, the number of chambers the tool has, and the amount of space the tool requires. The demand needed for the tool was estimated by Company X in order to determine how each supplier's tool set would handle the required usage. The final feature that was added to the model was the ability to run a sensitivity analysis on each tool set. This allows Company X to quickly and accurately forecast how certain changes to costs or tool capacities would affect total cost of ownership. This could be heavily utilized during Company X's negotiations with suppliers. The initial research as well the model lead to the final recommendation of Supplier A as they had the most cost effective tool given the required demand. However, this recommendation is subject to change as demand fluctuates or if changes can be made during negotiations.
ContributorsSchmitt, Connor (Co-author) / Rickets, Dawson (Co-author) / Castiglione, Maia (Co-author) / Witten, Forrest (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The aim of this thesis is to improve the user experience within FedEx's eProcurement system, directly address feedback received from customer surveys, and to make recommendations for the Sourcing and Procurement Division within FedEx. In the first part, the overall client engagement is outlined with the specific timeline between New Venture Group and FedEx. The thesis encompasses three deliverables that were integral parts to the semester-long consulting engagement. The thesis then dives into methodology and each deliverable individually. After months of conference calls and best practice research, consulting efforts are summarized in the results. In a detailed discussion sections, the thesis forecasts opportunities for FedEx within sourcing and procurement. Here, the thesis draws on sources from various companies and research. Furthermore, overall recommendations are given to FedEx and acknowledgements are made. In conclusion, the thesis hopes to offer FedEx improvements to leverage improved functionality of eProcurement that will become available in the next upgrade of the Performance Management System.
ContributorsRuhlman, Payne (Co-author) / Pollack, Amanda (Co-author) / Peterson, Andrew (Co-author) / Taylor, Todd (Thesis director) / Choi, Thomas (Committee member) / Halvorson, Joel (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The Supply Chain Management department's alternative thesis allows students to explore multiple areas of the supply chain field through sponsored seminars. The goal is to expose the student to research in various aspects of supply chain that they may not study during their curriculum. The author of this thesis summarizes the seminars that they attended, delving into the following topics: how social networks affect service providers, presented by Gad Allon of The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania; unauthorized subcontracting, presented by Felipe Caro of the UCLA Anderson School of Management; contract negotiation, presented by Elena Katok of the University of Texas at Dallas; and electronic compliance monitoring, presented by Bradley Staats of the University of North Carolina. The summaries include an explanation of the topic presented by the researcher, the process by which the study was conducted, an analysis of the data and results, and an in-depth look at how the research relates to the supply chain field. Additionally, in accordance with the requirements of the alternative thesis, the author also collects a research anthology of fifteen scholarly articles related to one of the seminar topics. The author chose to focus on the seminar presented by Bradley Staats and how electronic monitoring can affect hand hygiene compliance through the use of RFID in a hospital setting. The author focused their research on the three sub-topics of this seminar: business process monitoring, RFID technology, and compliance. In addition to the summaries of the seminars attended and the annotated research anthology, the author includes a note to provide insight as to why they were interested electronic process compliance monitoring for the purpose of their thesis.
ContributorsBeck, Devon Ashley (Author) / Choi, Thomas (Thesis director) / Printezis, Antonios (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12