The study was performed in Baltimore, Maryland. The study involved a few hundred cases and a representative panel of industry experts. One case was used for the “critical path” analysis, while the others were used for comparative purposes.
The methodology used is a good one for a large data set. The panelists were asked to make several different choices for each of the components, such as the product type, part, manufacturer, distributor, and the distribution channel. The responses are then translated into a data set and displayed in a table format.
A few key points of interest are identified and discussed. The database identifies all of the features associated with each item, including weight, cost, material, packaging, warranty notes. There is also a figure that lists all of the data points associated with the purchasing of any single product, which is also useful.
When the data is analyzed, it is found that the overall supplier performance is higher when it comes to all of the aspects except one, which was HSM. The Solution package encourages businesses to be more aware of the importance of the supply chain in their organizations.
While the Harvard Case Study Solution can help increase efficiency in a supply chain, it cannot truly determine how a company can improve efficiencies by providing the right solution for the problem. Rather, it only gives insight into how the product, quality, and overall value can improve with an improvement to the company’s supply chain.
The study not only reveals a business’s level of awareness, but also the economic strategies used by the company. For example, when an item is purchased directly from the supplier, the quality is generally significantly worse than that provided by the distributors. The HSM package describes this aspect of supply chain efficiency as the bottom line.
There is a description of the overall economic situation of the firm, along with several other critical points. They also provide an important visual, which clearly explains the gaps between the suppliers’ prices and the prices the companies charge for their own goods.
Cases in the study included companies that buy products directly from the manufacturers, or those that purchase from wholesalers. Some also purchased from retailers, but the company did not have a web presence. There were also a few cases where the industry was beginning to branch out, but it was too early to tell how successful the expansion was.
The study was conducted by a team of faculty and staff at the Harvard University’s Management Information Systems Program. It was a small and independent study, and the companies that participated were selected based on criteria that included the amount of total profit they made per unit of the product and the number of units sold. It was also necessary that the products being purchased had high quality.
The process was limited to cases where the company was concerned about the quality of the product. By investigating the suppliers, the study concluded that there is a correlation between the quality of the product and the value. Therefore, the HSM program is an excellent resource for both managers and business owners.
The Harvard Case Study Solution can be a valuable tool for identifying what the business is doing wrong when it comes to the supply chain. This is especially important for management teams that are looking to address a problem.
