Developing Supplier Relationships

  Develop a 5-6 page research report detailing best practices, organizational impacts, and benefits in building effective chain partner relationships. Scenario For this assessment, choose either Option 1 or Option 2. You do not need to do both. You will apply one of these scenarios in the Requirements below. Both options will be graded using the same scoring guide. Option 1 Now that you have selected a vendor for your sourcing practices at JM Manufacturing, you must focus on building a relationship with that vendor. Since countries have different business practices, you must become familiar with proper business etiquette to build a strong professional relationship. In addition to the single vendor you selected, it is important to reflect on past events that crippled supply chains and prepare for unexpected events. When you previously worked for another manufacturer of video boards for medical devices, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and resulting tsunami destroyed the factory and put this business at risk. You were forced to stop shipments of medical devices until an alternative vendor was identified. Since you learned how devastating this situation can be, you now want to plan ahead for these types of events, which are called, "black swan events." This will lead you into selecting an alternative vendor in a different geography from the first vendor. You may create a fictitious supply vendor or use a real company. Option 2 Select a company of your choosing. Note: It is recommended that you use the same company for each assessment in this course. Before choosing a company, read all four of the assessments thoroughly to ensure the following: The company fits the assessment requirements and you have access to the information needed to complete the assessment. The company information is disclosed in the assessment for faculty's reference. You can distribute the company data without disclosing confidential information. Contact faculty with questions. Your Role Option 1 You are a supply chain manager for JM Manufacturing and are tasked with building a business relationship with your selected vendor, while searching for an alternative vendor. This alternative supplier can solve two problems: Serve as a replacement for the first vendor in the event the business partnership does not work well and serve as a replacement in the event of a catastrophe. You are tasked with preparing a research report on developing supplier relationships for senior leadership. Your boss has tasked you with a research report project. As the supply chain manager, you need to understand how to develop business relationships with primary and alternative vendors. She is relying on you to prepare a research report to educate senior leadership on your findings. Requirements Include the following in your research report: Assess how best to implement the best practices of relationship building for the selected vendor. Include a realistic timeline for entering into and working through the intricacies of the vendor relationship. Analyze the potential impact of black swan events on global supply chain sourcing. Pick two events to analyze. (For example, terrorist activities such as the 9/11 attack, earthquakes and the Fukushima accident, or political events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union.) Analyze how an alternative vendor mitigates the impact of a black swan event. Consider political stability, geography, international relations, and economic strength, among others in your analysis. Recommend an alternative vendor to meet supply chain needs. Justify why the selected supplier is the best choice for your organization. Be sure to explain ethical and legal considerations for your selection