George Michael Becker

In week 6 we had spoken about RFID. RFID is Radio Frequency Identification. This is a system takes away the human touch of products to manage and track inventory. Items are placed with either a passive or active tag, and then can be scanned through a variety of methods whether it be handheld devices, or fixed scanners that can be placed at loading…[Read more]

The key thing I learned in week four of class through the beer game was the necessary needs for communication. Without communication throughout the entire supply chain everyone will experience inefficiencies. Retailers must keep open communication with the distributor who must be in contact with the wholesaler who keeps in contact with the…[Read more]

1. The two services that WWT focused on in 2000 were logistics and procurement.
2. WWT’s ERP supplier was Oracle. They also developed the supplier collaboration tool by the name of iSupplier. iSupplier was a Internet-based portal that gave WWT the ability to communicate with suppliers. It had many capabilities such as allowing modifications to P…[Read more]

In week three we spoke about Zappos and what their company does to gain a competitive advantage. Something I found interesting was how Zappos moved through a variety of distribution methods before they realized which one fit best. They started out using a drop ship method this failed to economical and increased lead times to the customer, next…[Read more]

In week two we discussed the Crocs cases. I think the one thing that stood out to me was that for a company to be successful and gain a competitive advantage a company needed to have a core competency. This can be a variety of things that helps them to gain that advantage. You can have a strong supply chain and distribution network that is able to…[Read more]

I think the main attraction for this service will be when you need product. In the case with the video it worked perfectly because that product was needed immediately. I personally would not pay extra for this service, I can run out to store and pick up the item I need for no additional cost. It does provide a convenience factor but while there…[Read more]

Kiva Systems are a technology that gave Zappos and Amazon the ability to change their warehouse functions. They were able to remove the need for employees to travel to product. Instead the product is brought to employees who then pick the orders and send them to get packing line. This gave them a competitive advantage over their competitors. I…[Read more]

During week 5 we worked on the Beer Game which was a simulation that gave us real experience into that weeks topic the Bullwhip Effect. I think the key thing from the Beer Game that you are able to realize is that without communication in your businesses supply chain one small change within that supply chain will have drastic changes all the way…[Read more]

MIS professionals definitely need to understand the operations of the supply chain. Why, because MIS professionals are going to managing the technology and data that drives the supply chain. Whether it be the software program a business used to run its inventory, or developing program to determine proper transportation routes. MIS is the…[Read more]

In week one we discussed how multiple businesses are associated through their supply chain network. We discussed how the supply chain starts with the raw materials, to the manufacturer, to the supplier or distributor, and ultimately reaching the customer (Right place and the right time). Throughout this course we will discuss how to manage the…[Read more]