Abstract This paper explains that, in addition to an acute incidence of AIDS, the local disease situation including bubonic plague, cholera, dengue fever, hepatitis A, malaria, meningitis, schistosomiasis and typhoid fever, presents an increased opportunity for sellingmedicalsupplies in Africa's Mozambique. The author points out that Mozambique's severe, generalized AIDS epidemic handicapped by a meager health infrastructure, pockets of population concentration and increased economic contact with adjacent nations with HIV prevalence rates. The paper relates that, although the National Health System (NHS), which is the primary service provider of allopathic service in Mozambique, faces extremely limited human and material resources, the NHS has managed to enhance the coverage of the health system since the last decade through an increase in the health facility infrastructure and health sector staff.
From the Paper "While entering Africa's anti-AIDS drug market the company has to be considered as the top performer in the Black Economic Empowerment -- BEEE in South Africa and its expansion into the remaining region of Africa is backed by the SA Health Minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang. The new sector of trade and investment into Africa will render a crucial boost to the SA Black business that believes it has a hard task breaking into the white business world. The health minister stated that the local production of the anti-retroviral HIV treatment drugs which is being backed by the World Health Program must be seen in the context of the "regional" meaning of the African continent."
Abstract A paper investigating the health of Mozambique's women. HIV/AIDS issues are discussed as well as Infant and Maternal mortality rates. Comments on problems of floods in the spring of 2000 are also included.
Abstract This paper explains the economics of supply and demand, as well as examines those factors that can cause a shift in supply and demand. Supply is the amount of goods producers are willing and able to sell at a given price. Demand is the amount of a good that consumers are willing and able to buy at a given price. Factors influencing supply and demand include the price of the good and the income of the consumer.
From the Paper "Supply and demand are at the heart of how free market economies work. Under normal conditions, the price of any product is determined by two factors, the demands for the product and the available supply. The selling price serves as a mechanism to inform consumers and the producers of the relative scarcity of the product. This will encourage the merchant to adjust how much they sell it for and the level of demand by the consumers. When the market for an item is cleared of excess supply or demand equilibrium is achieved. Therefore when demand exceeds supply the prices will rise. This will cause increased profits and will motivate sellers to increase their supply. Buyers will continue to drawn into the market until demand is fully satisfied. "
An analysis of supply chain purchase strategies that increase accountability of requirements for commercial off-the-shelf x-ray equipment at army medical hospitals.
Abstract This paper examines effective purchase strategies for buying commercial off-the-shelf x-ray medical equipment for U.S. Army medical hospitals that will provide accountability to ensure contractors deliver the required product. It provides an overview and history of current buying procedures used by the U.S. Army and then assesses current problems being experienced in the procurement process.
Table of Contents:
Review and Discussion
Overview and History of Current Buying Procedures
Current Problems or Situations
Precipitating Changes
U.S. Army Hospital Mission
Conclusion
From the Paper "The research showed that the U.S. Army has extensive experience in the procurement of sophisticated medical equipment, including x-ray machinery that dates back almost seven decades. The research also showed that there remains a paucity of accountability by contract specialists and purchasing agents who are responsible for negotiating and administering such contracts, but there are some indications that improvements in the form of assurances that a company is financially and technologically capable of fulfilling its commitments have improved the supply chain management processes that support these services. The research was consistent in emphasizing that in emergency situations, the Army is authorized to do what is necessary to ensure that its personnel have the equipment and training needed to accomplish their respective missions, but these same factors tend to adversely affect the effective administration of such contracts. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to assume that hospital commanders in war zones will continue to receive priority treatment for their materiel requests, but the safeguards outlined above will go a long way in ensuring that what is received is what was actually ordered."
Abstract This paper deals with the legal, medical and ethical implications of the sale of human organs from live people and the selling of cadaveric organs. The paper explores the opinions of those both for and against legalizing organ selling, as well as describing the current situation, and concludes that organ selling should be legalized.
From the Paper "Recently the topic of organ selling has become a popular topic for debate among bioethicists. As thousands of human beings continue to suffer, many people are beginning to explore the option of human organ sales; however, while there are those who argue for such an option, they must first consider those who stand by the government and completely abhor the idea. The arguments against the sale of organs are driven by the following concerns: it could exploit poor people who are willing to donate their organs solely for payment, it might favor the wealthy, and it could motivate families to withdraw treatment. Many ethicists also believe organ selling demeans the human body. They feel that if you allow organ selling to take place, the Nation's faith in human pride will be shattered. Those opposed to organ selling raise the issue that although a Market Economy is relatively beneficial, unless it is monitored correctly, our human rights, such as social justice, bodily integrity and political freedoms will be stripped away. The greatest fear among those who strongly oppose the sale of organs is that people may murder each other in order to obtain money for their victim's death."
Abstract This paper studies the principles that guide the creation of a build-to-order supply chain. Through researching various industries and firms to grasp some of the accepted principles of the supply chain process, this report attempts to answer why, what and how a reliable, collaborative supply chain can be structured. The paper details a variety of aspects in constructing and operating a successful supply chain. For example, the paper studies how some supply chains reach a breaking point when sufficient and supportive management policies are not implemented. The paper demonstrates how the support of management systematizes the process for addressing a company's needs as well as offers the management team a viable way to forecast supply chain system degradation.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose
Globalization
Definition
Methodology/Approach
Findings
Brief History
The Big Picture
Research Limitations
Implications
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "The build to order supply chain process has been and will continue to be affected by the phenomenon of globalization. The fact that the utilization rates of global resources are being consumed at unbelievable rates is good indicator that the current need for efficiency will only increase. For example, resources such as oil, coal and other fossil fuels are being consumed at very high levels. "The global appetite for crude in 2003 will grow by a robust 1.9 percent, or 1.44 million barrels a day, and in 2004 by 1.5 percent, or 1.16 million barrels a day. The IEA raised its estimates for daily demand growth in the two years by 160,000 barrels and 90,000 barrels, respectively." (Stanley)"
Tags:supply, chain, managment, build, to, order, collaborative, planning, strategic, planning, operations, strategy, logistics, distribution
Abstract This paper describes the changes that e-business has brought into the supply chain management's field concisely, including the whole range of management and operation methods. The paper also focuses ,not only on the recognition of the technological breakthroughs, but also the changes that have taken place with the industry after the introduction of e-business concepts into supply chain management.
Contents
Purpose of Study
Importance of Study
Rationale of Study
Overview of the study
Literature Review
What is e-Business?
What is a supply chain management?
The Major Types of e-Business
Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
Business-to-Business (B2B)
Consumer-to- Consumer (C2C)
Peer-to-Peer and Mobile or m-commerce
What are the effects of e-Business on the supply chain management?
Methodology
The Chain Reaction of e-SCM System
Case study
The difficulties of Building an e-SCM System
The Broken Supply Chain by Web Technologies
From the Paper "The rise of the Internet, and attendant information technologies and their application to business, has engendered a great deal of hype. Commentators have, among other things, heralded the arrival of a new economy and foretold the total transformation of the way people conduct business through online shopping. It has also completely altered in the methods used in the demand and supply chain process.
e-Business has focused on new information products and networks. e-Business has emphasized the cost saving significance of the Internet and the attendant technologies when doing business, this effects the costs of transactions, internal management, and marketing of products. Reactions to the opportunities and challenges of the Internet have embraced every detail of the business environment."
Abstract This paper discusses supply chain management, noting that one aspect of the supply chain is evident as cities buy supplies in bulk and deliver them to the different departments and units requiring them. According to this paper, supply chain management guides this process and sees to it that all necessary supplies are ordered and delivered on time.
From the Paper "The supply chain is the process instituted to supply raw materials to the manufacturer in industry and to trace their movement through the process of manufacture to delivery. The concept has been adapted to service industries as well, showing how customers are moved through the system and how the service is achieved and delivered to the consumer. The process of procurement of supplies and the delivery of those supplies for use also involves supply chain management, including for government entities. Cities buy supplies in bulk and deliver them to the different departments and units requiring them, and supply chain management guides this process and sees to it that all necessary supplies are ordered and delivered on time. "
Abstract This paper discusses the business to business, and the business to consumer website supply chain characteristics. These distinctions are drawn after delineating both traditional supply chains and identifying how traditional and e-business supply chains are being combined. The paper concludes that while the business to business website and enterprise might have a shorter and more transparent supply chain with greater consumer integration, both employ many of the same technology solutions to complete their supply chains.
From the Paper "A supply chain can be defined as the sum of all retailers, distributors, transportation methods, storage locations and facilities, as well as supplier networks that contribute to an enterprise's sale, delivery, and/or production of its product or service (Dennis, Fenech & Merrilees, 2004). It is integrally involved with a company's logistics and overall operations in that operations management oversees the smooth functioning of the organization's supply chain. A supply chain that has bottlenecks, excess inventory, or difficulties sourcing products or services inevitably results in a loss in revenue, poor product/service quality metrics, and a loss of customers, be they internal or external."
Abstract This paper discusses Ford Motor Company's supply chain. Referenced is the Harvard Business School case study that examines Ford's quest to implement a supply chain network reminiscent of Dell Computer's supply chain. The conclusion of this analysis is that Ford should not overlay Dell's supply chain model because Ford's business model and structure is completely different than Dell's business model and operating structure.
From the Paper "Ford Motor Company (Ford) is faced with the dilemma of dramatically altering its supply chain to take advantage of technological advances that have made supply chains in other industries virtual, real-time and completely transparent. In particular, Ford is examining the possibility of restructuring its supply chain to resemble a technology manufacturing and distribution model; specifically that of Dell where inventories are kept to a bare minimum and build to order methodologies the norm."
This paper describes Wal-Mart's supply chain operations , including their strategies for warehouse management and their commitment to collaborative advanced planning and scheduling.
Abstract This paper describes the strategic activities of Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart supply chain organization is defined. The author also highlights the importance of Wal-Mart's warehouses and their commitment to collaborative advanced planning and scheduling. Also presented are logistical operations. A comparison is provided showing Wal-Mart's performance relative to other global leaders in this area. A cost/benefit analysis of the Wal-Mart supply chain is included as a basis for suggesting further improvements. Finally, Wal-Mart's' ethical considerations in streamlining their supply chain are explored.
Introducing Wal-Mart
How Wal-Mart Is Defining Supply Chain Best Practice
Ethics and Wal-Mart
Supply Chain Recommendations for Wal-Mart
References
From the Paper "At the heart of Wal-Mart's supply chain today is the need for translate the many approaches manufacturers have of producing, selling and delivering products versus the significantly different processes that mass merchandisers need to be successful. Bridging this gap of communication and making transactions as efficient as possible, in effect creating what many industry experts call a lean supply chain, is Wal-Marts' ultimate goal. Underscoring this point during a recent AMR Research conference Gary Maxwell, Senior Vice President of Merchandise Replenishment, stated that "the top priority of the Wal-Mart supply chain operations is to bridge the gap between suppliers and retailers' approaches to doing business,"(Weston, Garf, 2005). Mr. Maxwell continued during the conference to outline the key goals and objectives for Wal-Mart's supply chain strategy in the near term. Wal-Marts' supply chain objectives are grouped into a focus into the three areas of efficiency, education and electronic enablement of transactions."
Abstract The paper examines the case of Kuiper Leda, an electronic components manufacturer, which is attempting to manage its supply chain so that a large order can be accepted from the Midland Motors company. The paper reviews Kuiper Leda's capacity planning, outsourcing plans, cost control efforts and distribution timeframes and shows how Kuiper Leda has adequate supply chain management to accept the Midland Motors order. The paper includes a supply chain management worksheet.
From the Paper "Supply chain management is among the most important processes a company must master if it to remain competitive in the current global marketplace. In an age in which technology and transportation have linked companies and customers with each other globally, businesses and consumers needing a particular product have many options and they will only choose to buy from those companies that can offer reliable delivery at a reasonable cost. Supply chain management integrates all management decisions leading from business planning through production to distribution in an effort to help companies cope with these expectations and therefore supply chain management is critical to effective business management."
This paper is a comparative and quantitative masters thesis proposal studying radio frequency identification distribution (RFID) strategies based on supply chain performance.
Abstract This thesis proposal focuses on the implications of introducing radio frequency identification distribution (RFID) to supply chain processes and the resulting financial and logistical benefits. The proposal looks to quantify the contribution of RFID to increasing supply chain performance across several industries, specifically studying the best practices of leading companies in each industry studied. As a result, this proposal concentrates on the concepts of business process management (BPM) as they relate to streamlining and making supply chain processes more efficient as well as the intensive use of analytics to quantify supply chain performance gains based on the use of RFID.
Outline:
Introduction
List of Abbreviations
Literature Survey
Problem Definition
Research Design and Methodology
Anticipating Findings
Summary of Proposal
Bibliography
From the Paper "In defining the Return on Investment (ROI) that RFID contributes to as part of streamlining supply chains, the benefits to each member of a supply chain first need to be defined, followed by the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics of performance that quantify them. RFID's contributions have been quantified to the pallet level and in the case of mixed-pallet level of shipments as they move through warehouses and distribution centers. Strategies for quantifying the Return on Investment (ROI) of RFID needs to begin with an assessment of the potential benefits of using this technology by specific members of the supply chain. Table 1, RFID Benefits for Supply Chain Partners, provides an overview of the key benefits by supply chain participant (Baird and Company 11). . The following table provides insights into which process areas manufacturers, logistics providers, and retailers are concentrating on relative to RFID implementations. The work completed by AMR Research (2004) serves as the foundation for many organizations that are creating dashboards to quantify the contribution of RFID to their process reengineering efforts organization-wide."
Tags:supply chain, industry management performance, business process management, analytics
Abstract The paper states that the integration points between supplier and buyer are so complex and numerous, that many industries need supply chain standards to ensure their competitiveness. The paper further comments that these supply chain standards look to set the foundation for ensuring efficient and accurate transfer of content between buyers, suppliers, and manufacturing partners throughout a supplier network. The paper also states that, given the myriad of supply chain interactions in these networks, and taking into account the slight variations each supplier has in their approach to delivering content to buyers, a consistent standard for communicating both content and completing transactions is necessary.
From the Paper "While Askegar and Columbus discuss the role of PIPs with market makers in the high tech manufacturing and distribution marketplace (1, 4) Swanton (2) discusses the potential impact of RosettaNet adoption on manufacturing centers in low-wage countries and points to the efficiencies possible in Chinese manufacturing centers. Swanton sees the enablement of Chinese manufacturing via PIPs in RosettaNet as the tipping point in their ability to capitalize on their cost advantages and compete on time-to-market and supply chain synchronization, much like their western counterparts. Further, Swanton sees the emerges of the RosettaNet Automatic Enablement (RAE) program with its uses of PDFs that document process flows, as critical in the development of a pervasive RosettaNet network of manufacturing suppliers in China. Chinese distribution channels throughout high tech specifically have already worked to include content management and content automation as part of their initial RosettaNet on boarding strategies, as many of these companies are using highly manual approaches to managing their content today. As RosettaNet is now under the umbrella of the GS1 US standards organization, which is formerly known of as the Uniform Code Council (UCC), the standards body is working to drop the cost of on boarding in China to literally less than $1,000 for any manufacturer or distributor interested in participating. If they are successful the resulting inventory visibility and resulting order management velocities will be very significant and result in higher profitability for the entire high tech industry globally."
Abstract This paper examines how the involvement of the internet has significantly changed supply chain management, making electronic data interchange (EDI) available to smaller companies. It looks at how the use of the internet in both smaller and larger firms, has enabled a new degree of transparency across supply chains, causing supply chain management to become a pivotal part of competition across industries.
Outline
Introduction
Electronic Data Interchange
Effects of the Internet
Industry Dynamics
Statistical Data
Electronic Market
Concerning Issues
Enhanced Efficiency
Future Trends
Conclusions
From the Paper "In the past information diffusion across supply chains was largely through the movement of paper. Primarily invoices, purchase orders and bills were the main information moving across supply chains. Information technology and telecommunications were not significantly contributors to supply chain management, and information sharing was significantly limited. In the decades preceding the 1980's, despite the existence of EDI technology, using a value added network, inter-company information sharing was limited due to a fear of losing competitive advantage. It was largely perceived that through the distribution of insightful information, such as inventory levels and production schedules, competitive advantage would be lost."
