Toyota's Commodity Chain

Case Study # 104907

Business > Companies
Business > Information Mgmt. and Systems

This paper provides a commodity chain analysis with respect to Toyota Automobiles.

1,561 words () | 7 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at the global commodity chain vis-a-vis a specific product line. The paper focuses on Toyota automobiles which are globally designed and manufactured, necessitating an extended and integrated supply chain. The paper also discusses how the actual consumption of the product occurs in a global fashion as does its marketing and distribution. Finally, the paper examines future trends of the company.

Outline:
Abstract
The Commodity Chain
Product Design & Engineering
Product Production
Marketing & Advertising
Retailing & Distribution
Product Consumption
Conclusion & Future Trends

From the Paper:

"The commodity chain for any given product or service includes geographic as well as logical points of operations that are critical for that product to be produced and then finally consumed. This commodity chain can be described as, "...the sequence of major business activities that add utility (usefulness) to the products or services provided by an organization to its customers" (Hwang, 1999, p.95). With that in mind any product or service can be subdivided into the components that add value to each process comprising its production and delivery. The reasons for examining a product in this respect are many, but put succinctly, being aware of one's commodity chain and its components, "...will yield the greatest competitive advantage..."(Value, 1996, para.2). Thus, this research project examines Toyota's automobile commodity chain. Toyota must more fully understand its commodity chain components in terms of how they contribute value to the overall product which is the automobile."

Sample of Sources Used:

Automotive Industry Trends Affecting Component Suppliers. (2005). International Labour Review 144.1, p.130+.
Brynjolfsson, E. & Urban, G. L. (2001). Strategies for E-Business Success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Global Auto Dealers. (2004). Auto Dealers Industry Profile: Global, Datamonitor, Dec.
Hwang, N. (1999). Value chain cost tracing and cost system obsolescence: An exploratory study of small to medium-sized companies. Journal of Applied Business Research, 15(4), p.95.
Toyota 2006 Annual Report. (2006). Toyota Investor Relations (online). Retrieved July 21, 2007 from: http:// www.toyota.com