...competition in the marketplace is generating the need to optimize resources, improve profitability and expand business requirements. Many companies are implementing ERP solutions to improve their day-to-day operations, improve response time on reporting to the Management and enhance capabilities. There are many solutions already established that can meet the specific business requirements of any organisations in any industry, hence choosing the right and the best solutions are essential to avoid wasting money and effort since ERP implementation could be excruciating and costly. Therefore, in order for a company to decide on which solution is the best for their business, they need to identify their existing processes and analyse in depth the existing flaws and their business requirements. This is supported by Travis (1999) who indicated that companies which put on greater efforts in ERP selection will achieve greater success. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY According to Lee, Moon, and Lee (2006), ERP systems can be used as an integration with existing business systems and processes to assist an organization maintaining its competitive advantage. Consistent identification of such ERP changes or upgrades is essential to improve business processes due to robust technology development. Existing systems could expire and should be upgraded from time to time as business grows considering the ever-changing technology. This upgrade sometimes require major changes and could be extortionate...
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...THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS by FRANCES STACKS Business analytics, data based decision making, data solutions – it goes by many names but is the lifeblood of many businesses. It is nothing new and certainly not a new concept that more effectively running a business makes a more successful and profitable business. Since the very first company came about, utilizing the information at hand to provide inventory, knowledge of customer needs, wants, and desires; it has been integral in sustaining a business and making it grow. As stated by Robert Jacobs and Richard Chase what we must recognize now is, “…so much more data is now captured and available for decision-making analysis than was available in the past.” To be sure, the sheer volume of data that is now available to companies is astronomical due to ever-expanding technology, application of complex mathematical models, and ever advancing ability to extrapolate mountains of data and whittle it down to useful knowledge for businesses. Where data was once available after the fact, a “post-mortem” approach, if you will, companies can now utilize data for analysis, forecasting, optimization, revising of business processes, more efficient decision-making, and ultimately (and conversely most important) greater customer satisfaction. Business analytics has moved from being a process of analyzing customer behavior after the fact to being a tool that can help predict customer behavior in the future. This is an invaluable...
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...Join Mind Tools Login Home Toolkit More Resources Store Alerts & News Join Corporate About Search You are here: > Home > Strategy Tools > Supply and Demand Curve Leadership Skills Team Management Strategy Tools Problem Solving Decision Making Project Management Time Management Stress Management Communication Skills Creativity Techniques Learning & Study Skills Career Skills Almost every holiday season, the most popular "must have" toy is in short supply. And there's usually a strong secondary market for the item – with parents paying well over the retail price just to make their children happy. Then, in January, stores reduce the prices of their remaining holiday items – cards, decorations, and so on. Why do parents – and stores – behave this way? Share 1 Free eNewsletter Learn new career skills every week, plus get our Strategy Toolkit pdf, worth $9.99, free when you subscribe! First name Supply and Demand Curves Understanding Price and Quantity in the Marketplace Email Privacy Subscribe The answer is in the laws of supply and demand. Together, these laws give us strong clues about what to produce, how much to produce, and how much to charge. Because supply and demand play such a central role in our economy, it's important to understand how they operate – and how you can use them to analyze decisions about price and quantity. A sudden increase in demand can push up prices. © iStockphoto Quick Tools Tell a friend ...
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...Topic: Decision Support Systems for Supply Chain Management and Design A. Summary: Supply chain management (SCM) has evolved to become an integral part of the operations management. SCM can have tremendous impact on organizational performance in terms of cost, quality, flexibility an responsiveness in the global market. Companies are investing in data driven decision support application frameworks to help then response to the changing market condition and customer needs. A more defined organizational structure, performance metrics and decision support systems (DSS) in SCM is required to create competitive advantages for an organization. Since Information Technology/Information System (IT/IS) is an integral component of SCM, DSS is inevitable in making available the right information at the right time so that managers can make timely and more accurate decisions. However, there is no best known DSS type that is required to effectively manage a supply chain. A properly designed DSS will help decision makers to extract useful information from raw data, documents, personal knowledge and/or business models with the objective of identifying and solving problems, and making decisions. Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a specific class of computerized information system that supports business and organizational decision-making activities. The DSS in supply chain management can be a model, communication, data, document and knowledge driven. Three fundamental components of DSS...
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...Assignment no: 509 Answer Managerial economics refers to the application of economic theory and the tools of analysis of decision science to examine how an organization can achieve it aims or objectives most efficiently. Importance of managerial economics Managerial Decision Problems Economic theory Microeconomics Macroeconomics Decision Sciences Mathematical Economics Econometrics MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS Application of economic theory and decision science tools to solve managerial decision problems OPTIMAL SOLUTIONS TO MANAGERIAL DECISION PROBLEMS Managerial Decision Problems Economic theory Microeconomics Macroeconomics Decision Sciences Mathematical Economics Econometrics MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS Application of economic theory and decision science tools to solve managerial decision problems OPTIMAL SOLUTIONS TO MANAGERIAL DECISION PROBLEMS Managerial enables the use of economic logic and principles to aid management decision-making. Managers are decision-makers and economics should be relevant to give practical guidance in arriving at right decisions. Every manager has to take important decisions about using his limited resources like land, capital, labour, finance etc. to get the maximum returns, therefore, managerial economics, concentrates on those practical aspects of micro-economics which help in decision-making. Managerial economics focuses on the most profitable use of scarce resources rather than on the achievement of equilibrium prices...
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...F.Y.B.A. Paper – I Economic Theory (Micro Economics-I) SECTION – I Module 1 : Introduction Meaning, nature, scope, significance and limitations of micro economics. Ceteris Paribus – use and significance. Concept and types of equilibrium : stable, unstable, static and dynamic equilibrium – partial equilibrium and general equilibrium, positive economics and normative economics, managerial economics. Basic concepts – wealth, welfare and scarcity. Basic tools of economics analysis (equations and functions, graphs and diagrams, slope and intercepts) Module 2 : Consumers Behaviour and Demand Marishallian Approach : Equi-marginal utility, Law of demand – Determinants of demand. Elasticity of demand and its measurement. Price – Income – Cross and Promotional elasticity of demand. Consumer’s Surplus. Hicksian Approach : Indifference curves – properties of Indifference Curve, Consumer’s Equilibrium, Price effect, Income effect and substitution effect – Derivation of demand from Price Consumption Curve (PCC) – Giffen’s paradox. Samuelson Approach : Revealed Preference Theory. Module 3 : Production and Cost Analysis Concept of production function : short run and long run – Cobb – Douglass production function. isoquants – iso-cost line – producer’s equilibrium. Law of variable proportion and Law of returns to scale – Economies of scale – Economies of scope. Concepts of costs : Money and real cost, Opportunity cost, Social cost, Private cost – Derivation of short run and long run cost curves–...
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...The Fresh Connection Game Strategic Supply Chain Management SHT 4001 University of HUDDERSFIELD Name: Zhen Lei (Ray) ID: U1069600 Course: Transport & Logistics management Module Leader: Jayne Hemmingham Executive Summary The main purpose of this report is to discuss and introduce the experience of playing the fresh connection game with answering three main questions, The first one is to consider the competitive strategy of the team and evaluate the scope of team’s supply chain strategy was marching with its competitive strategy. The second is to utilize the financial information to analysis the situation of the business in the last round. Examples need to be explained how our team’s supply chain strategy influenced the financial performance of our team. The last point is to explain how the information can be used in the business to achieve sustainable improvements. The participants not only need to introduce their experience of the game but also demonstrate relevant academic theory and concepts. Introduction This report concentrates on reflecting on the experience of playing the fresh connection game experience. The fresh connection is a website which is one the strength of supply chain management researching environment and is played by both students and professionals. It provides a learning experience of supply chain. The students will make strategic decisions in the supply chain of the fresh connection which is based on a substantial producer of...
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...“Economics is a study of mankind in the ordinary business of life.” So wrote Alfred Marshall, the great nineteenth-century economist, in his textbook, Principles of Economics. Although we have learned much about the economy since Marshall’s time, this definition of economics is as true today as it was in 1890, when the first edition of his text was published. In recent years, there are many questions about the economy that might spark any one’s curiosity. Why are apartments so hard to find in Mumbai City? Why do airlines charge less for a round-trip ticket? Why executive class airfare is costlier than economic class? Why are jobs easy to find in some years and hard to find in others? Why a package tour costs less as compared to individual booking of air ticket and hotel? Moreover, as one go about his/her life, he/she make many economic decisions. During student carrier one has to decide how many years to stay in school. After joining in a job, one has to decide how much of his/her income to spend, how much to save, and how to invest his/her savings. When running a small business or a large corporation, and one will decide what prices to charge for his/her products. The economic tools, which will be discussed in this course, will give you a new perspective on how best to make these decisions. Following ten economic principles can be applied in many of life’s situations, whether the future finds you reading the newspaper, running a business, or sitting in the work place. These economic...
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...Operations and Supply Chain Management concepts/tools Student’s Name University Affiliation Executive summary The paper has discussed the steps the B.F. Goodrich can use to ensure that they improve the decision making process that has been seen to be one of the disadvantages leading to the deterioration in the returns of the company. The paper has discussed he concept that can be followed by the company in solving the problem that they face and the paper puts across that the company can use the concept of aligning the demand planning across the supply chain. This has been seen to encourage focus of the company on the market demand and hence leading to the improvement of the market position. Background Information This report is based on B.F. Goodrich Corporation whose origin is based back to the time of Benjamin Franklin Goodrich who had followed an indirect route in the rubber industry. This is because he had pursued a course in medicine and education but later ventured into the business industry. B.F Goodrich had a tough experience during the periods when it was starting and the first product that it dealt with was products produced from cotton. From the early times of the company history there was a dedication to research and development in the rubber technology and always applied the earliest technology in the production of rubber tires. The products was diversified after the first world war due to the demands created at the time. B.F. Goodrich...
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...Economic Forecasting Economic Forecasting Gathering historical economic data as well as economic forecast data can be a very important and useful tool for a business, business research, and planning. There are several resources available in which a company can access this type of information for their advantage. For instance, through archiving data, collecting and running records, recollecting, economic data and forecast service providers or analytics, and other secondary resources. One useful source is the U.S. Small Business Administration. Their website lists multiple economic data resources tailored to different variables such as inflation, consumer reports, price index, accounts data, and the U.S. Census Bureau just to name a few. Furthermore, you can even access economic issues discussed at the White House and the plans intended to improve economic conditions. On the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website, there are very useful quantitative and qualitative forecasting factors. The whole website has a slew of quantitative factors with a lot of helpful statistics. Some important statistics to look at would be the trade and income figures. Trade statistics indicate how much money and product are being imported and exported within different time frames. It also gives an estimate into international transactions that are open at the moment. Income statistics give individuals access to know about different salary levels based on categories...
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...Oracle Business Intelligence: A Case Study Introduction We live in an everyday changing world where technology is constantly generating data and valuable information for organizations and communities, which is often overlooked or undervalued. Business Intelligence is a concept, accompanied by a set of tools and techniques that powers the use of data towards business strategies and goals already established. It enhances the use of technology for competitive advantage through better use of information as a tool for decision making. Regardless of company size, the ability to collect, analyze and act on operational data is key to competitive and successful operations. Oracle Software solutions for Business Intelligence (BI) are designed to provide information to those responsible for decision making with just one mouse click, allowing business managers to identify and respond appropriately to changing market conditions and the customer demand at any time, anywhere. (Oracle,2009) Relevant Issues Companies generate tons of information everyday, ranging from transactions to market evaluations. Every piece of data could be relevant when it comes the time for decision making. In some companies, a simple spreadsheet is enough to get the job done while in others it is the database the most useful tool. But as companies grow, the amount of data decision makers need to understand grows: new products and services, new markets and opportunities, investments in operations, sales, marketing...
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...free SWOT template The SWOT analysis is an extremely useful tool for understanding and decision-making for all sorts of situations in business and organizations. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Information about the origins and inventors of SWOT analysis is below. The SWOT analysis headings provide a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition, or any other idea. Completing a SWOT analysis is very simple, and is a good subject for workshop sessions. SWOT analysis also works well in brainstorming meetings. Use SWOT analysis for business planning, strategic planning, competitor evaluation, marketing, business and product development and research reports. You can also use SWOT analysis exercises for team building games. Note that SWOT analysis is often interpreted and used as a SWOT Analysis 2x2 Matrix, especially in business and marketing planning. In addition to this 2x2 matrix method, SWOT analysis is also a widely recognized method for gathering, structuring, presenting and reviewing extensive planning data within a larger business or project planning process. See also PEST analysis, which measures a business's market and potential according to external factors; Political, Economic, Social and Technological. It is often helpful to complete a PEST analysis prior to a SWOT analysis. In other situations it may be more useful to complete a PEST analysis as part of, or after, a SWOT...
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...SCM Research paper | Shreerang Datar Supply Chain Management (SCHM 6210) Spring 2016 RESEARCH PAPER “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT” By Shreerang Datar (NUID 001649801) 04/14/2016 1 SCM Research paper | Shreerang Datar Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary……………………………………………………3 2. Introduction…………………………………………………………….4 3. Background…………………………………………………………….5 4. Findings………………………………………………………………...6 a. Artificial Intelligence Tools……………………………………..7 b. Business Examples…………………………………………….10 5. Future Trends and Challenges………………………………………...18 6. Conclusion……………………………………………………………19 7. Bibliography…………………………………………………………..20 2 SCM Research paper | Shreerang Datar Executive Summary: Surpassing the limits of business intelligence, artificial intelligence (AI) focuses on developing an algorithmic approach in decision making. This technology has come so far that inculcating human competencies like logic, reasoning, simulation and analytical thinking in a machine seems to be in reach. In the field of Supply Chain Management this technology is placing a strong foot in achieving creative optimization and automation in different supply chain processes. AI has found its applications in various SCM aspects which include Inventory management, Network design optimization, Logistics strategy formulation, demand forecasting, etc. It is designed to generate a step-wise mechanism for problem solving in which it defines the problem...
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...Mining THE BUSINESS SCHOOL, KASHMIR UNIVERSITY 5/18/2014 THE BUSINESS SCHOOL, KASHMIR UNIVERSITY 5/18/2014 Umer Rashid Roll No 55 Umer Rashid Roll No 55 Abstract: Generally, data mining (sometimes called data or knowledge discovery) is the process of analyzing data from different perspectives and summarizing it into useful information - information that can be used to increase revenue, cuts costs, or both. Data mining software is one of a number of analytical tools for analyzing data. It allows users to analyze data from many different dimensions or angles, categorize it, and summarize the relationships identified. Technically, data mining is the process of finding correlations or patterns among dozens of fields in large relational databases. CRM: In today’s competitive scenario in corporate world, “Customer Retention” strategy in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an increasingly pressed issue. Data mining techniques play a vital role in better CRM. This paper attempts to bring a new perspective by focusing the issue of data mining Applications, opportunities and challenges in CRM. It covers the topic such as customer retention, customer services, risk assessment, fraud detection and some of the data mining tools which are widely used in CRM. Supply Chain Management (SCM) environments are often dynamic markets providing a plethora of Information, either complete or incomplete. It is, therefore, evident that such environments demand intelligent solutions...
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...strategic approach to managing procurement. Below is a list of commonly used strategic procurement tools that will aid decision-making and support the efforts of commissioners. 1. Spend analysis 2. Collaborative procurement 3. Procurement strategy and plan 4. Category Management 5. Supplier Relationship Management 6. Supply/Value Chain Analysis 7. Competition 8. e-Procurement 9. Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract 10. Framework agreements 11. Preferred supplier lists 12. Sustainable procurement In addition the following section contains information on how to apply the tools above: 13. Applying Strategic Procurement Tools in Practice 1. Spend analysis When used at a strategic level this is a powerful and invaluable tool for identifying and manipulating detailed spend data by, for example, category, provider, cost unit and time period and combinations/permutations of these. This information is the key foundation for other strategic procurement decisions such as category management, supplier relationship management and the procurement strategy. It forms an important part of resource mapping and planning as it allows organisations and their commissioning partners to identify where financial resources are being allocated currently, and commitments in the future. Spend analysis will be particularly useful if carried out regularly and the information is kept up-to-date at a corporate level. If this has not...
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