supply chain concept question

Assignment

1. Why should a firm such as Dell consider total supply chain profitability when making decisions? What should Dell try to achieve in terms of supply chain profitability?

2. Consider the supply chain involved when a customer purchases a book at a bookstore. Identify the cycles in this supply chain and the location of the push/pull boundary.

3. Write a short text (between a half and a full page for all five items) that explains the following terms and, where relevant, how they related.

(a) Implied demand uncertainty

(b) Supply uncertainty

(c) Implied uncertainty

(d) Supply chain responsiveness

(e) Supply chain efficiency

4. What are some factors that influence implied uncertainty? How will implied uncertainty differ between an integrated steel mill that measures lead times in months and requires large orders and a steel service center that promises 24-hour lead times and sells orders of any size?