NMIMS Sem 4 April 2025 Supply chain Assignments
Business: Ethics, Governance & Risk
Q1. “Business should conduct and govern themselves with integrity, and in a manner that is ethical, transparent and accountable” (Principle 1). Prepare an executive summary (in your own words) based on the disclosures given under Essential Indicators and Leadership Indicators, to showcase how the company is delivering on this principle from the Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report – 2023-24 (BRSR) of a company of your choice. You will find this report under Director’s Report section. Please select any ONE company that is listed as Large Cap. For this selection you must refer to the NSE’s Nifty 50 list by market cap. It is required that you include the name of the company in the brief introduction at the beginning. You must also go through the website of the company as well as its sustainability report, if available in public domain for relevant information on Principle 1. DO NOT copy paste.
Q2. Go through the ‘Management Discussion & Analysis’ section under the Director’s Report in the annual report (FY2023-24) of the company selected in question1 and prepare an executive summary (in your own words) on the following two topics:
Opportunities and threat
Internal control systems & their adequacy
You must mention the name of the company. DO NOT copy paste.
Q3. As Head of Sales in a medium size consumer durables company selling cooling systems and air conditioners you have just bagged a Rs 75 lac worth of order from an out-of-town company, (their first order with you). The purchase executive of the client company agrees to confirm the order on the condition that you will agree to pay for his and his wife’s travel and stay in your city, while visiting your office for finalizing and signing of the contract.
3a. What do you think are the ethical dilemmas involved in this scenario?
3b. Describe the process you will adopt to resolve the dilemmas in this scenario?
Research Methodology
Q1. Samsung mobile phones have been facing a significant decline in market share over the past one year in India, despite the growing overall demand for Mobile Phones. The company’s sales have decreased by 12%, while competitors have seen a growth of 18% in the same period. This decline is affecting the company’s profitability and brand position in the market. This decline is occurring despite an overall increase in industry demand. The problem impacts the company’s profitability, brand strength, and market position. Which type of research study is above and what can be the research questions for this study? Explain which research design you will follow and why?
Q2. You are working in the HR department of Havells India; who have 15 state-of-the- art manufacturing plants spread across 8 locations in India. You have to study the relationship of Annual Increment (three levels 5%, 8% and 10%) and employee productivity (in units). Explain the design of experiment, independent, dependent and extraneous variable (assume any) for the study. What can be the potential threat to internal and external validity in this experiment?
Q3. In recent years, the financial landscape has witnessed significant transformations driven by advances in technology and the widespread adoption of online banking platforms. The emergence of online banking has revolutionized the way consumers engage with banks. With the increasing adoption of digital banking channels, it is crucial to assess how traditional banking methods are affected in terms of customer behavior, service demand, Trust, Security, operational adjustments and the response to the socio-demography of consumers.
a. Develop a comprehensive research plan to compare customer satisfaction and service efficiency between online and offline banking.
b. Develop a Structured questionnaire for this study.
World class operations
1. There is a common thread which connects Leading Manufacturers in diverse sectors such as Machinery (Caterpillar, Komatsu, JCB), Semiconductors (Intel, Motorola, Nvidia), Appliances (Samsung, Phillips, Whirlpool), etc., – They are all World Class Manufacturers (WCMs).
All WCMs are highly reputed for their unflinching commitment to Quality. These manufacturers have understood that Quality is about identifying “what is important to Customers” and delivering this to their customers. Explain how these (and other) WCMs use frameworks such as QFD and HOQ to help embed Quality into every aspect of the Product Creation – From Concept to Manufacturing.
2. Vijay Vasanthan has just joined as the GM – Maintenance at Melanathuru Tools, a leading Manufacturer of CNC Machines. As he reviews the company’s Equipment Maintenance history, he is concerned that there is no coherent Maintenance Strategy – i.e., except for some cases (e.g., critical machines) where the company uses Preventive Maintenance. For all other machines & equipment, they’re fixed when they break down. In order to streamline the Maintenance Department, Vijay is keen to adopt a Predictive Maintenance Strategy. In this context, …
Describe the Reactive Maintenance & Preventive Maintenance approaches, along with their respective Pros & Cons. Explain the Predictive Maintenance approach and why Vijay would want to adopt it to overcome the problems of Reactive Maintenance & Preventive Maintenance.
3a. Quality Awards are not only about rewarding organizations but also about recognizing the importance of quality in the business. These awards are often used as a tool to raise awareness among both Employees and as well, Customers about the importance of quality. They also help to improve Customer Satisfaction and Employee Morale. Discuss the difference between Regional and International Awards.
b. With reference to Quality Awards, what are the Deming Criteria (any 4) for Performance Excellence in assessing the award?
International logistics & Supply chain management
1. A leading Indian brand of packed spices (both in whole form as well as grind form) is already having a vast pan-India distribution network. They are planning its international expansion by way of exports. It has identified the USA as the first foreign market to start with. Explain the factors the manufacturer should consider while formulating its supply chain strategy for exporting to the USA market and suggest an appropriate strategy for the same.
2. “THE COLLECTIBLES” brands follow a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model for sourcing & selling accessories like watches, belts, purses, wallets, etc. for men & women. With competition from similar other D2C companies, “THE COLLECTIBLES” is looking to differentiate itself from the others based on its delivery experience. It is also looking at a superior delivery experience to provide it a source of competitive advantage. Explain, with reasons, the choice between in-house & outsourcing of logistics for “THE COLLECTIBLES” to achieve its twin objectives.
3. An international brand is interested in setting up its first India operations by importing & selling its product range comprising of internationally renowned models of premium sports shoes through both the distributor as well as retail channel.
a) Discuss the various requirements & the procedure to be followed for importing the products in the Indian market.
b) Discuss the requirements of warehousing in India for the distributor channel for the sports shoe brand? Would these be any different for the retail channel? Suggest the suitable type (or types) of warehouse.
Advanced Supply Chain Management
Q1. Frito-Lay has over three dozen brands of snacks and chips, 15 of which sell more than $100 million annually each, and 7 of which sell over $1 billion each. Its brands include Fritos, Lay’s, Doritos, Sun Chips, Cheetos, Tostitos, Flat Earth, and Ruffles. Frito-Lay relies on effective AGGREGATE PLANNING to match fluctuating multi- billion-dollar demand to capacity in its 36 North American plants. Planning for the intermediate term (3 to 18 months) is the heart of aggregate planning.
a) Explain the two (2) Generic Aggregate Planning Strategies and the Pros & Cons of each of these strategies.
b) Explain the key steps in Aggregate Capacity Planning.
Q2. Aeolus Wind Energy, an international wind turbine manufacturer is facing ongoing challenges with timely supply of crucial components for its production, causing frequent disruptions. Despite extensive internal efforts to address the issue, production delays and cost escalations keep occurring due to last-minute rescheduling and procurement. The lack of delivery reliability is leading to dissatisfied customers and contractual penalties, significantly impacting the company. Willem van Hoff, the COO has undertaken a major review and revamp of the company’s Global Supply Chain. Discuss the factors that the COO needs to consider while redesigning the company’s global supply chain network.
Q.3. Clothes Horse Fashions specializes in the manufacture and sale of ready-made clothing, primarily focusing on designer dresses and sportswear. With a global network of sales agents responsible for their respective geographic regions, the company is experiencing explosive growth. However, the company is currently facing intense pressure to continually enhance its supply chain performance in order to maintain its competitive edge. To address this challenge, Jack Wilcox the COO is now keen to restructure their supply chain to optimize its operations and is trying to decide between implementing VMI or CPRF. While David Rakich, the SVP of Operations is in favor of adopting CPRF, the CIO, Ann Rosenthal, is leaning towards adopting VMI.
a) What is VMI? What arguments can Ann use to make the case for VMI and against CPRF?
b) What s CPRF? What arguments can David use to make the case for CPRF and against VMI.
