Identifying Channels of Distribution
You are required to pick a product of their choice and trace the channel(s) of distribution for that product as far back as is feasibly possible. Then you must draw the structure of the channel on a large poster and give a five-minute presentation of their findings in class, utilizing the poster as a visual aid. All products researched must be approved in advance by the instructor in order to prevent more than one student giving a presentation on the same product.
Not only must you identify on their posters the various participants (by company name) involved in moving the product from the producer down to the final buyers, but they must also show the various sources (names and locations) of the component parts of the product, if any. The methods of transportation (UPS, railroad, ship, truck, etc) must also be identified at each stage.
Examples of interesting products that have been researched by students include: * Bricks produced by a local brick manufacturer: the kiln from a company in Germany; the clay from an open pit mine in Weir, Kansas; the water from Baxter Springs, Kansas; the sand from Kansas City; the manganese sulfate and iron oxide from Springfield, Missouri; and the color additives from St. Louis. * Diamonds sold by a local jewelry store: purchased direct from diamond wholesalers in the Netherlands; bought by wholesalers from diamond cutters in South Africa; brought out of mines owned by a company in South Africa.

Students often choose to research a product that they have easy access to information about -- one of their parents or other relatives who can give them details relating to their business, or even a present or former employer who is willing to cooperate. Not only must the student personally interview the retailer or producer of the product, but many times they must e-mail or make telephone calls to companies located outside of the state. In a typical class, the products covered ranged from t-shirts to Lazyboy chairs to Goodyear tires to microwave rice to Coors beer to McDonald's Big Macs to bananas to Pizza Hut pizza to Folger's coffee to Nekoosa paper. In most cases, the students receive cooperation from the business people that they interview. Occasionally, a company does not want to name the suppliers, but even then they are willing to give the name of the city and state where the suppliers are located.

John L. Beisel,
Pittsburg State University