OPS FPX 5620 Assessment 4

Department Roles & Their Value in the Supply Chain

The three primary departments covered in this project are purchasing, marketing, and sales. These departments will play a very crucial role in the success of the project as well as in the smooth transition to the desired future state without any delay. With coordination between these departments, Mainland Tools will be able to achieve its initial proposed timeline. This review looks at both the internal and external contribution of these departments and how their activities add value to the supply chain.

OPS FPX 5620 Assessment 4:Marketing

Internally, the corporate message is conveyed through the marketing department, engaging employees. This communication is done by mapping out future products by defining what the product is, why customers will need it, and how it will be marketed. Transparency enables the employees to see how their work impacts the goals of the company. The information generated by marketing trickles down to other departments like sales and procurement. The sales teams will know what products to concentrate on, and the procurement team will know what to procure and when.

Externally, marketing has to influence customer attitudes and purchasing behavior. Through stimulating new products and their advantages, marketing educates consumers on how these products contribute to the value of their businesses. For example, Coca-Cola advertisements do not just display its product but also educate on the company’s overall value.

Sales

Sales representatives are company agents, establishing and nurturing relationships with consumers. They put words to the marketing department’s communications, helping the company’s cash flow and business development (Hawkins, 2016). The core roles are lead-to-customer conversion and retaining existing businesses (fiveCRM, n.d.). On the inside, the sales process offers an opinion regarding whether or not marketing initiatives and products have succeeded. They project orders in advance and work with the operations function to have materials required and support logistics in position, thus providing optimum customer service.

Purchasing

The purchasing function has the responsibility to acquire the material to be used in production at the best possible prices while ensuring quality standards and timely delivery. Buying, just like selling, relies on building strong vendor relations in order to build a robust supply network. This division analyzes the performance of suppliers, provides feedback, and promotes continuous improvement throughout the supply chain. Through communication with marketing and selling, buying can place materials that are likely to experience heavy demand when new products are launched. Buying also gives the sales force any possible delays, and they can further warn customers.

Forecasting Models

Forecasting models are generally classified into two: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative forecasting applies where limited data are present and is based on judgmental analysis, whereas quantitative forecasting is based on historical data (NC State University, 2011). Good forecasting enables organizations to respond to the needs of customers without frequent structural adjustment. Proper forecasts of production and inventory control minimize safety stocks and bring meaningful cost savings (Chambers, 1971). For Mainland Tools, a blend of the Sales Force Composite and Time Series Model is recommended. Both these methods, when utilized, provide them with complete details to enable them to plan and make well-informed decisions.

The Sales Force Composite method incorporates the collection of information from the sales force that serves as an information link connecting internal operations to consumer reactions. This is implemented in the measurement of consumer buying intentions (Subramaniam, 2009). The time series model incorporates analysis of trends, cyclical forces, and seasonality effects on customer demand (Subramaniam, 2009). These are utilized by the company to plan, and consequently, materials are well available in time and customer satisfaction is improved.

Forecasting & Decision-Making: Advantages of Increased Collaboration

Mixing quantitative and qualitative forecasting techniques enhances decision-making through enhanced supply chain perspective. With this action, the management can realize how every step affects other departments and can forecast probable outcomes. Greater cooperation between departments results in greater information exchange as well as better data accuracy. Departmental cooperation smooths out the whole supply chain with better efficiency. As stated in Assessment 3, it is necessary to have a whole-picture understanding of the organization to be able to understand the extent of the ripple effects of decisions across the supply chain.

For instance, when demand for a new product based on the composite forecast of sales is not high even with marketing efforts, Mainland Tools would be forced to reexamine its manufacturing and purchasing policies. When demand happens to be above forecasts, however, plans must be made to fill the extra orders.

Collaboration Tools

Thompson Tools is at present utilizing Microsoft Office Suite, but the new collaboration software has to be installed to facilitate better cooperation in all its different branches. The software employed should also integrate well with existing software and possess the ability to communicate with Mainland Tools located in China.

SharePoint

SharePoint would be a suitable choice for those organizations that are already conversant with Microsoft Office. It has document storage, easy access, and team member collaboration, with editable or viewable document authorization levels on a flexible basis (Professional Advantage PTY Ltd., 2014). It is possible to have more than one user editing the same file simultaneously, and SharePoint has instant messaging. Its interface is a little cumbersome, and there are security concerns due to local network access. The software is $5-$20 per user, per month, or can be bought through the Office365 subscription for $99.99 a year (Professional Advantage PTY Ltd., 2014).

Planner

The Microsoft Planner is used for task management and has features to create, assign, and monitor tasks (Keep Productive, 2019). Workers are given an idea of their work through visual charts and status, whereas managers can spot any bottlenecks instantly. Planner’s sleek modern interface and real-time information sharing make for a lively working space. While it takes more training, its ease of use makes it an investment to consider. Planner is also available via Office365 for $99.99 annually, or $8.33 monthly.

Teams

Microsoft Teams is a program used to improve teamwork, with the emphasis being on forming and structuring various teams (Learnit Training, 2019). It brings together the features of SharePoint and Planner with top-level social features such as GIFs and emojis to help build a collaborative work environment. Teams are priced at $99.99 per user per year and complement other Microsoft products well to build a cohesive collaboration ecosystem. It does not have some of the high-end features needed from an end-to-end collaboration solution (Zelfond, 2019).

Ethical & Legal Implications of Collaboration Tools

In collaboration tool usage for teamwork, particularly in international environments such as in China, there must be intellectual property protection. Multi-factor authentication, encryption, and strong authorization methods must be included in collaboration tools to protect data (Kennedy & Mighell, 2018). Confidential information like non-disclosure agreements and contract negotiations must be safeguarded against likely breach.

Conclusion

Successful collaboration among departments of an organization and its supply base is the success formula of an organization. Seeing how the work of all the departments aligns towards company goals helps employees better see their role in the bigger picture. Tools like SharePoint and Planner can greatly streamline communication and information sharing, and every department will be more efficient. The objective is to capitalize on these efficiencies to increase profitability and sales and avoid unnecessary effort. As the saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”