Operations and Supply Chain Management
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ScenarioThe Operations and Supply Chain Management discipline is at a major change point globally. In the Manufacturing Industry, the ability both to manufacture and deliver products has seen many disruptions in recent years. However, the COVID pandemic showed vulnerabilities, fragility and created plant and supply chain disruption on an unprecedented scale.It is increasingly being suggested post-COVID that the global supply chain is breaking down and the new normality is one of disruption, a “continuous discontinuity”. Where there is day to day operational and supply chain disruption challenges whether that be energy crisis, semi-conductors, shortages and plant closures (temporary) amongst suppliers that were never encountered before on such a regular frequency. We have termed this in the lectures as “multiple ripple effects”.Firms are clearly not returning to a performance normality previously suggested by resilience theorists such as MITs Rice and Sheffi. This is combined with the coming institutional pressures from governments, the UN and World Economic Forum for the automotive industry to electrify products and support a global policy response to the impending sustainability and environmental crisis that threatens to dwarf that of COVID. Therefore, product development cycles in the automotive industry are declining from four down to two years. Which is enhancing the operational pressure on suppliers who now need to bring their innovations to market within 18 months.The Automotive Industry is seeing these challenges probably more than most industries, due to the huge changes in its Market Landscape (Electrification, Connected & Autonomous vehicles etc)The Operational impacts of these changes are huge. New products never seen in the industry need to be developed, tested and in the market in the quickest time ever. Existing products will need development to complement the new market conditions and process technology needs rapid development and cost effectiveness to launch good product quality.The Supply chain is integral to the success of automotive. Car Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) do not just get product “just in time” – in fact they now manufacture “just in time”. This puts huge pressures on the global supply chain whereby OEMs are aiming to reduce inventory (reduce cash), whilst launching many new products sourced globally, with quality expectations higher than they ever have been.Operations and Supply Chain Management are at the heart of all of this and companies will need clear strategies to manage this change in order to survive. They also need to rebuild from COVID-19 and deal with their new normality and to prevent such pandemic disruptions again.The lectures will be split into four focus areas:-• Connected & Autonomous Vehicles – the effect on Operating and Business models• Manufacturing strategy – Lean Operations• Supply chains – design and supplier relations• Disruption Management – inventory, skills, digitalisation, localisation and vertical integration.BriefYou are in charge of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy for a Global Automotive First Tier Supplier. Your Company has 8 Business Units (BU), these being:-Interiors, Exhaust Systems, External Lighting, Electric Powertrain, Engine Cooling, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inverter (EV). Cluster MeterThese Business units have varying degrees or Growth and Profitability, and are manufactured in 120 Plants GloballyThe overall company however is split into regions shown below with comparative size of the Global BusinessEurope (20%) North America (25%) China (15%) Japan (30%) South America (10%).Each Region has a CEO, and performance measurement is done regionally.Main Assignment (3150 words) – Taking into account the four focus areas• Connected & Autonomous Vehicles – the effect on Operating and Business models• Manufacturing strategy – Lean Operations• Supply chains – design and supplier relations• Disruption Management – inventory, skills, digitalisation, localisation and vertical integration.Review the case study experience delivered in the Lectures, along with theoretical elements to produce an overall Operations and Supply Chain plan (including business model, operating model etc for CAV) for your Company in these four areas. The strategy plan will need to be cohesive to show the linkage between these areas, and also show the risk elimination and expected performance increases in each area. Your operations and supply chain strategy needs to consider electrification, the strategic response to COVID and the current breaking down of the global supply chain.Please include tables, diagrams and note numerical, financial evidence, best practice examples from the industry to support your analysis.We like visuals and numerical data in this subject.Structure as follows:Executive Summary -> Supply Chain and Operations Plan aims and objectives, scope and context.Four Sections -> Structure to the Four Lectures – develop these themes through independent research and examples, numerical evidence etc.Conclusion and Recommendations -> Opportunities and challenges (digital transformation, supply chain reconfiguration, new and existing suppliers, supply chain design and supplier relationships etc). Enabling technologies, capabilities, resilience and the new supply chain normality.References – no more than 15.All coursework assignments that contribute to the assessment of a module are subject to a word limit, as specified in the online module handbook in the relevant module area of the MINERVA. The word limit is an extremely important aspect of good academic practice, and must be adhered to. Unless stated specifically otherwise in the relevant module handbook, the word count includes EVERYTHING (i.e., all text in the main body of the assignment including summaries, subtitles, contents pages, tables, supportive material whether in footnotes or in-text references) except the main title, reference list and/or bibliography and any appendices. It is not acceptable to present matters of substance, which should be included in the main body of the text, in the appendices (“appendix abuse”). It is not acceptable to attempt to hide words in graphs and diagrams; only text which is strictly necessary should be included in graphs and diagrams.You are required to adhere to the word limit specified and state an accurate word count on the cover page of your assignment brief. Your declared word count must be accurate, and should not mislead. Making a fraudulent statement concerning the work submitted for assessment could be considered academic malpractice and investigated as such. If the amount of work submitted is higher than that specified by the word limit or that declared on your word count, this may be reflected in the mark awarded and noted through individual feedback given to you.ONE electronic copy of the assignment must be submitted to the Assignment Submission area within the module resource on the Blackboard MINERVA website no later than 12:00:00 noon prompt on the deadline dates.SUBMISSIONPlease ensure that you leave sufficient time to complete the online submission process, as upload times can vary. Accessing the submission link before the deadline does NOT constitute completion of submission. You MUST click the ‘CONFIRM’ button before 12:00:00 noon for your assignment to be classed as submitted on time, if not you will need to submit to the Late Area and your assignment will be marked as late. It is your responsibility to ensure you upload the correct file to the MINERVA, and that it has uploaded successfully.
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