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Brighton Business School
Undergraduate Programmes
BA (Hons) Business Studies/Management
BA (Hons) Business Studies/Management with Marketing
BA (Hons) Business Studies/Management with Finance
BA (Hons) International Business/Double Degree/Exchange
American Exchange
Analytical Chemistry
Level Three Examination
May/June 2013
OP317: Supply Chain Management
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Instructions to candidates
Time allowed: 2 Hours
Rubric: Answer THREE questions in total
Section A: This question is COMPULSORY and must be answered
Section B: You are required to answer any TWO questions from this section
The paper will be marked out of a total of 100 marks
 Question 1 in Section A carries 30 marks
 Questions 2-5 in Section B, each carry 35 marks
Nature of Examination: Unseen/Closed Book
Allowable materials: None
Page 1 of 3
OP317: Supply Chain Management (May/June 2013)
Section A: This question is COMPULSORY and must be answered
Question 1
a)
According to Chopra & Meindl (2010): “Effective supply chain management involves the
management of supply chain assets, and of product, information and fund flows to maximise total
supply chain profitability.”
With this quote in mind, explain how firms strive to achieve integrated supply chain management in
practice. You should illustrate your answer with a diagram and an example of a real supply chain,
drawn from your own experience, reading or study.
(15 marks)
b)
Some would argue that reverse logistics management and systems are relatively undeveloped in
many companies. Using an example, discuss THREE issues that managers often face when planning
and controlling reverse operations.
(15 marks)
Section B: You are required to answer any TWO questions from this section
Question 2
a)
Why should an organisation take a ‘total supply network’ perspective, when planning and designing
its supply operations? Discuss THREE strategic design decisions that firms need to take when
planning the overall configuration of their supply networks.
(21 marks)
b)
Some companies, such as The Ford Motor Company, have many production sites around the world,
whereas others, such as Dell Computers, have relatively few production facilities. Explain why
different organisations choose to adopt different supply network configurations?
(14 marks)
Question 3
a)
Martin Christopher (2011) argues that to be competitive in today’s volatile markets supply chains
need to become more “agile”. What are the primary goals and distinguishing characteristics of a
truly agile supply chain? Support your answer with TWO examples from your reading or own
experience.
(21 marks)
b)
In practice, it is often not possible to create an agile supply chain from end to end. Critically examine
how some organisations have attempted to combine both agile and lean approaches in their supply
chain operations, to achieve a hybrid solution.
(14 marks)
Page 2 of 3
OP317: Supply Chain Management (May/June 2013)
Question 4
a)
The ‘Beer Game’ was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to highlight
some of the problems found in traditional supply chains. Drawing on your experience of playing the
game, and on your study of supply chain dynamics, explain the nature of these problems. Support
your answer with one or more diagrams, illustrating the impact of these problems on supply chain
performance.
(21 marks)
b)
Explain how the adverse effects of the supply chain problems highlighted by MIT’s ‘Beer Game’ may
be minimised, in practice. You may wish to draw on McCullen & Towill’s paper in Supply Chain
Management (2002), or on other published work, to support your answer.
(14 marks)
Question 5
The example below illustrates the potential scale of financial risk, to an established and successful business,
of disruption in the supply chain:
In 2002 Land Rover’s sole supplier of chassis for its ‘Discovery’ 4x4 vehicle went into liquidation and the
company estimated that it could take up to six months to bring an alternative source of supply on-stream.
Therefore, to enable production to continue, Land Rover had no alternative but to finance the failed supplier
from its own resources.
a)
Identify THREE major sources of vulnerability within modern, globalised supply chains. Then, suggest
how these risks may be monitored, and how supply chain resilience may therefore be improved.
(21 marks)
b)
The term ‘Partnership’ is used to describe the way some firms interact with each other in a supply
chain. It represents one of several modes of interaction on a continuum of buyer-supplier
relationships. Use an example, from your own experience or study, to critique the main elements of
the partnership approach.
(14 marks)
Page 3 of 3
OP317: Supply Chain Management (May/June 2013)