The Final Project will be a fun and practical activity where you can apply what you are learning in the course to a select manufacturing firm and create a logistics plan. Your task for the Final Project will be to design a logistics network plan for products manufactured by your chosen firm.
Here are the key deliverables for the final project which you will work on throughout the semester. Additional detail regarding this week’s deliverable is provided below. Detail on subsequent stages will be provided later.
· Module 2: Research Project Topic (proposed product and product characteristics)
· Module 4: Project outline
· Module 8: Full logistics plan
Module 3 Deliverable: Research Project Details
Here’s what you need to do this week.
Step 1: Review the logistics plan stipulations for the project.
Select a manufacturing firm, real or imagined, that distributes finished goods both domestically and internationally.
Company
· Your company (whether real or imagined) should be a US-based firm.
· Your product may be produced in the US or internationally. You must provide researched justification for your choice to manufacture domestically or internationally.
Product Characteristics
· While your firm may handle many different inventory items, for the purposes of this project, you should limit your examination to two to five-items in each of the categories below. Using the information regarding product characteristics found within the module resources (including module notes) and outside resources, provide the below components (as they relate to inventory control):
· Product description and characteristics of raw materials utilized in the manufacture of your firm’s finished goods.
· Product description and characteristics component parts utilized in the manufacture of your firm’s finished goods.
· Product description and characteristics finished goods manufactured by your
firm.
If you are unclear on any of these stipulations, please post to the Course Q&A forum.
Step 2: Explain/justify your manufacturing firm choice and product characteristics examination in a 1-2 page essay.
After carefully reviewing the Step 1 stipulations, provide a clear explanation of the following:
· What is your chosen manufacturing firm and what are the finished goods produced by this company?
· What are some of the raw materials and component parts utilized to manufacture finished goods within your chosen firm?
· What are some product characteristics of raw materials, component parts, and finished goods that are held as inventory within your chosen firm?
Proposing an appropriate manufacturing firm and product description may take some research. You may want to consult some of the references you are identifying in the next step.
You will not be able to move forward in your project until your instructor approves your manufacturing firm choice and product characteristics description.
Step 3: Compile a list of at least 5 intended project resources.
These should be resources that will either support your examination of product characteristics or inventory control decisions within the logistics network or your analysis of other functions within the logistic network.
· Note that at least 3 of your resources must be scholarly.
· If you are unclear as to what qualifies as a scholarly resource, please reference the ONLINE LIBRARY It may be helpful to review Step 6 relative to subsequent project phases and potential areas of related research.
Step 4: Submit your essay and resources as a single APA formatted document.
Addressing the prompts in the steps above. APA formatting includes title page, reference page, double spacing, one-inch margins, and headings. The title and reference pages are required but do not count towards the 1-2 page count (associated with the justification).