Transcript
Transportation: Critical Link in the Supply Chain
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is not listed as one of the forces driving change in the economic landscape?
a.
technology
b.
supply chain integration
c.
consumer empowerment
d.
scarcity of oil
ANS: D
2. Why do retailers now have the power in the supply chain?
a.
they are becoming manufacturers also
b.
they represent the consumer
c.
manufacturers have the power
d.
they own their own logistics
ANS: B
3. A key strategy that has enabled companies to successfully meet the demands of empowered consumers is:
a.
lower prices
b.
better quality
c.
collaboration
d.
24 hour service
ANS: C
4. How much has passenger air travel increased between 1990 and 2006?
a.
170%
b.
110%
c.
70%
d.
200%
ANS: A
5. How much has motor / air passenger mile split changed between 1990 and 2006?
a.
The percentage of air increased 80%
b.
The percentage of air decreased 80%
c.
They remained unchanged
d.
Not enough information to figure that out
ANS: A
6. Which passenger mode of transportation had the greatest percentage increase in miles between 1990 and 2006?
a.
Air
b.
Bus
c.
Rail
d.
Auto
ANS: A
7. Which mode has seen the greatest increase in U.S. freight ton mile between 1990 and 2006?
a.
Air
b.
Truck
c.
Rail
d.
Water
ANS: C
8. Which mode of has lost volume of freight between 1990 and 2006?
a.
Air
b.
Pipeline
c.
Rail
d.
Water
ANS: D
9. Please pick the correct formula for elasticity:
a.
% change in quantity / change in price
b.
price/quantity
c.
% change in price / % change in quantity
d.
% change in quantity / % change in price
ANS: D REF: Page 11
10. Landed cost is:
a.
The fee associated with landing an aircraft at an airport
b.
The total cost of a product to include the transportation cost of getting it to market
c.
The cost of transportation
d.
Port charges
ANS: B REF: Page 13
11. Which of the following is not listed as one of the value of service characteristics for transportation?
a.
Landed cost
b.
Transit time
c.
Insurance rate
d.
Reliability
ANS: C REF: Pages 13-14
12. Reliability in transportation is defined as:
a.
the ability to get the freight from a specific origin to a destination.
b.
consistency of transit time
c.
the ability to move specific types of freight
d.
the ability to keep freight safe
ANS: B REF: Page 14
13. Which mode of transportation has had the greatest impact on the location of major cities?
a.
Motor
b.
Water
c.
Rail
d.
Pipeline
ANS: B REF: Page 16
14. When did senior manager begin to recognize the profit potential associated with proper supply chain management?
a.
1910
b.
1980s
c.
1990s
d.
2004
ANS: C REF: Page 17
15. One key reason for increasing importance of transportation from a supply chain perspective is:
a.
cost of gas
b.
increased emphasis on global collaborative relationships and outsourcing
c.
decrease in the amount of imports
d.
green supply chain
ANS: B REF: Page 21
16. Which of the following is not one of the listed supply chain flows?
a.
information
b.
reverse logistics
c.
financial
d.
waste
ANS: D REF: Pages 22-23
17. One highly effective way to reduce the bull whip effect is to replace inventory with
a.
transportation
b.
information
c.
on line ordering
d.
closer manufacturing
ANS: B REF: Page 22
18. Which of the following is likely to have inelastic demand?
a.
Ambulance service
b.
Movie tickets
c.
LCD televisions
d.
Delivered pizza
ANS: A REF: Pages 10-11
19. Which of the following is likely to have elastic demand?
a.
Gasoline
b.
Fire department service
c.
Starbucks coffee
d.
Electricity
ANS: C REF: Pages 10-11
20. Which technology is used to locate specific trailer and even pallets?
a.
RFID
b.
GPS
c.
ERP
d.
GIS
ANS: A REF: Page 10
SHORT ANSWER
1. According to the book, what can be argued as the glue that holds the supply chain together?
ANS:
Transportation is considered the glue that hold the economy and the supply chain together.
2. Who has the power in the supply chain?
ANS:
The retail giants such as Walmart and Target.
3. The main source of consumer enlightenment is?
ANS:
Information from the Internet and media.
4. What invention has led to the growth of suburban areas?
ANS:
The automobile and roadway infrastructure.
REF: Page 8
5. One major impact of rising energy costs with respect to sourcing is?
ANS:
Companies are considering moving production closer to the customer market.
REF: Page 8
6. The early focus of logistics was?
ANS:
Physical distribution (outbound transportation)
REF: Page 17
ESSAY
1. Explain how technology has changed the economic landscape.
ANS:
Looking back who can not agree that in the last five years technology has changed they way people live and interact, the Internet, facebook, twitter, and mobile computing, all widely in use. Technology has had a similar dramatic impact on business. Technology has improved the efficiency of business by things like converting to web-based business processes such as online ordering. These online functions are much cheaper than having someone take an order over the phone. Businesses have also become effective by implementing just-in-time arrangements. For instance Dell’s JIT has resulted in people getting exactly what they want, tailored to their needs, at no additional cost. Computers and the Internet provide increased capability and cheaper information sharing. The connectivity of the Internet has allowed both small and large businesses the ability to collaborate worldwide.
2. Explain how globalization has changed the economic landscape.
ANS:
Looking back to the mom and pop store of the 1970s, much has changed. Now products that are assembled in one country may have parts that come from many other countries. The final product is likely to be sold in still numerous other countries. In order to be more efficient business are looking closely at what part of a product is their core competency, and for those other parts or services these business are looking globally for lower cost and higher quality partners to supply those non core parts. This has led to significant outsourcing and the transfer of many jobs around the world. At the same time the consumer is provided with lower cost goods that are of higher quality. Globalization means higher quality, more innovative products, and faster life cycles. Globalization also means greater competitive pressure, more rapid change, and movement of jobs.
3. Please explain how consolidation and integration of the supply chain has impacted the economic environment.
ANS:
Supply chains have been transformed by shift in power away from the big box retailers, and consumer packaged goods companies and towards the retail giants. The retailers now have the power. This is because the retailers represent large swaths of customers. That power means the retailers drive the supply chain. Acting with that power and from the customer end of the supply chain the retailers are now able to establish common logistics processes across manufacturers that drives down overall cost and improves efficiency. Additionally the retailers, fighting to maintain a customer base that is interested in price and quality, has driven efficiencies back through the supply chain.
REF: Pages 4-5
4. How have enlightened consumers changed the economic environment?
ANS:
Today’s consumer has tremendous information at their finger tips. With this information comes power. The consumer is more aware than ever of the real cost of goods, what level of quality a good should have, and what alternatives there are in a global market place. The consumer can now source goods well beyond their local downtown store. Not only can the consumer purchase goods from around the globe, with modern transportation modes and processes, these consumers have every expectation that the good will arrive quickly right to the consumers door. Add to that is the fact that the consumers are interested in ordering 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, there has been significant change in the global consumer driven market place.
5. How has government policy and regulation changed the economic environment?
ANS:
Deregulation has led to greater competition among service providers. Greater competition has led to lower prices, and better quality. However in some cases this deregulation has led to areas of concern. Competitive pressure has led to consolidation in both trucking and air transportation. That consolidation has lower prices but has also reduced capacity and service options.
More recently regulators have turned an eye towards green or sustainable supply chains, they have changed policy in order to improve security, safety, trade relations and taxes. In general regulation is a constantly changing area. Regulators keep an eye on what is working and what has changed and what is not working, and propose new regulation or deregulation accordingly.
REF: Page 6
6. How does transportation impact economic growth?
ANS:
A key element in selling a good is getting that good from the point of production to the point of consumption. A key element in reducing production costs is to mass produce goods in a single plant in order to achieve economies of scale. If transportation is limited or expensive than the cost savings achieved by mass production will be eaten up by the cost of transportation. If transportation is less costly then goods mass produced in one area can be cheaply transported to a greater market area.
REF: Pages 6-7
7. Other than the transport of goods and materials, how has transportation impacted society?
ANS:
Transportation has had significant impact on society well beyond simply moving goods, for instance, modern transportation has provided people with greater ease of moving , either for work meetings, vacations, to find a new home. Greater transportation options means that society is much more mobile. Compared with 70 years ago, people are much more likely to attend business meeting around the world, travel on vacation to far away countries, and students graduating from school are more likely than not to travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles from their home to find their first job.
REF: Pages 7-8
8. Explain the difficulties associated with heterogeneous nature of the transportation demand unit.
ANS:
Transportation is considered to have a heterogeneous unit of measurement. Meaning the same unit of demand could have different costs and different structure. For instance 500 passenger miles in an automobile could be 1 person going 500 miles, or 500 people going 1 mile. Additionally it could be 1 person going 500 miles at 30 miles an hour or 60 miles an hour. For transportation weight there is a similar issue. 10,000 ton miles could be 1 ton going 10,000 miles or 10,000 tons going 1 mile. These measuring units do not reflect the over all structure and cost involved with transportation.
REF: Page 8
9. Give an example of what is meant by the phrase demand is elastic or inelastic, and explain what this means.
ANS:
Elasticity of demand measure the relationship between price and demand. Demand is said to be elastic if changes in prices (such as price increase) results in a percentage change in demand that is greater than the percentage change in price. For instance demand for concert tickets would be considered elastic if reducing the price by half created more than double the demand. Demand is considered inelastic if the percentage change in price is higher than the percentage change in demand. For instance gas is said to have inelastic demand, when price doubles demand may only go down 10 to 20% if that. If gasoline had elastic demand when price doubled people would drive half as much.
REF: Page 11
10. Please explain derived demand.
ANS:
Derived demand is demand of one product that is based upon the demand for another product. For instance transportation is typically is typically based on demand for some product that is produce in area A but demanded in area B. The volume of transportation demand is “derived” from the volume of demand for the particular product in the particular location.
REF: Page 12
