Tutorials OSCM
Tutorial 1
Apple case
1. How does Apple create value for its customers? How does the value strategy of Apple
influence the relative importance of cash, cost and service in the supply chain?
Product leadership
Competitive dimensions Quality, customer experience, flexibility and product
introduction, eco system, sustainability …
Because of this, especially service important for Apple
Why not compete on all competitive dimensions? there are always trade-offs. For
instance. It is not possible to have the cheapest and best quality of a product at the
same time.
2. Use the frameworks of Fisher (1997) and Lee (2002) to argue which supply chain
strategy is most appropriate for Apple. Which supply chain strategy would you
choose based on both frameworks? Motivate your choice. What are the implications
for the design and operation of the supply chain? Can you find evidence (quotes) on
this in the case?
Product Leadership in the triangle, Responsive supply chain voor Fisher (innovative
product), Agile supply chain voor Lee (high supply & demand uncertainty?)
Supply vulnerability:
- 1 assembly location/country,
- Dependent on many suppliers/countries,
- Some key components only 1 supplier
How to make the SC more resilient?
- Gain more suppliers
- Integrate supply within company
- More locations
3. How important is the iPhone for Apple? Try to be as specific as possible.
- % of revenue
- Profit margin
- Trigger future sales (other products)
, 4. What are the major challenges that Apple was facing for its supply chain in 2020?
What are the implications for its supply chain strategy?
Lower margins
Increasing competition
Maturing market
5. What are your expectations on the future of the smartphone industry and what would
be the impact on the iPhone supply chain?
Balancing the costs of the product when the margins are becoming lower and lower.
More comptetion in the market will cause these lower margins.
Hugo Boss case
Chopra & Meindl (2019) identify six drivers of supply chain performance. During the case
discussion, we will explore how a firm can impact information, inventory, facilities, and
transportation through altering the way in which its supply chain is structured and the
frequency with which it makes ordering decisions from its suppliers. We discuss the
competitive dynamics surrounding demand, inventory, and product availability in a B2B
context. The goal of the case is to understand how to evaluate supply chain change and the
financial impact that supply chain improvement can have on the performance of the firm.
1. Evaluate the recent supply chain pilot led by Constantine Moros in the Hugo Boss
Bodywear Division. What did Constantine do well in the design of the pilot? Where could
it be improved?
2. Quantify the financial impact of the pilot. Were the results substantial enough to offset
Constantine's and Katja's time? Why? Why not?
3. Provide your recommendation to Constantine's boss Katja. Does it make sense to extend
the pilot to other product groups? If so, which ones and why? What challenges would she
face in attempting to do so? Are these challenges insurmountable?
4. Do the articles below put a new perspective on the case? What do you think are the
current key O&SCM challenges for Hugo Boss and how do you think they can be
tackled? Relate your analysis to lectures 1 and 2 and try to support your views with facts.
Have you noticed recent developments in the US market that shed a different light on the
Economist articles listed below?
Andere vragen uit lange samenvatting:
Looking ‘inside out’, so looking at the demand from the customer perspective. Try to analyse
different customer/buying behaviours and categorize them per archetype (16 in total) and look at the
four behavioral forces (PADI). In this way the competitive strategy can be aligned per customer
Tutorial 1
Apple case
1. How does Apple create value for its customers? How does the value strategy of Apple
influence the relative importance of cash, cost and service in the supply chain?
Product leadership
Competitive dimensions Quality, customer experience, flexibility and product
introduction, eco system, sustainability …
Because of this, especially service important for Apple
Why not compete on all competitive dimensions? there are always trade-offs. For
instance. It is not possible to have the cheapest and best quality of a product at the
same time.
2. Use the frameworks of Fisher (1997) and Lee (2002) to argue which supply chain
strategy is most appropriate for Apple. Which supply chain strategy would you
choose based on both frameworks? Motivate your choice. What are the implications
for the design and operation of the supply chain? Can you find evidence (quotes) on
this in the case?
Product Leadership in the triangle, Responsive supply chain voor Fisher (innovative
product), Agile supply chain voor Lee (high supply & demand uncertainty?)
Supply vulnerability:
- 1 assembly location/country,
- Dependent on many suppliers/countries,
- Some key components only 1 supplier
How to make the SC more resilient?
- Gain more suppliers
- Integrate supply within company
- More locations
3. How important is the iPhone for Apple? Try to be as specific as possible.
- % of revenue
- Profit margin
- Trigger future sales (other products)
, 4. What are the major challenges that Apple was facing for its supply chain in 2020?
What are the implications for its supply chain strategy?
Lower margins
Increasing competition
Maturing market
5. What are your expectations on the future of the smartphone industry and what would
be the impact on the iPhone supply chain?
Balancing the costs of the product when the margins are becoming lower and lower.
More comptetion in the market will cause these lower margins.
Hugo Boss case
Chopra & Meindl (2019) identify six drivers of supply chain performance. During the case
discussion, we will explore how a firm can impact information, inventory, facilities, and
transportation through altering the way in which its supply chain is structured and the
frequency with which it makes ordering decisions from its suppliers. We discuss the
competitive dynamics surrounding demand, inventory, and product availability in a B2B
context. The goal of the case is to understand how to evaluate supply chain change and the
financial impact that supply chain improvement can have on the performance of the firm.
1. Evaluate the recent supply chain pilot led by Constantine Moros in the Hugo Boss
Bodywear Division. What did Constantine do well in the design of the pilot? Where could
it be improved?
2. Quantify the financial impact of the pilot. Were the results substantial enough to offset
Constantine's and Katja's time? Why? Why not?
3. Provide your recommendation to Constantine's boss Katja. Does it make sense to extend
the pilot to other product groups? If so, which ones and why? What challenges would she
face in attempting to do so? Are these challenges insurmountable?
4. Do the articles below put a new perspective on the case? What do you think are the
current key O&SCM challenges for Hugo Boss and how do you think they can be
tackled? Relate your analysis to lectures 1 and 2 and try to support your views with facts.
Have you noticed recent developments in the US market that shed a different light on the
Economist articles listed below?
Andere vragen uit lange samenvatting:
Looking ‘inside out’, so looking at the demand from the customer perspective. Try to analyse
different customer/buying behaviours and categorize them per archetype (16 in total) and look at the
four behavioral forces (PADI). In this way the competitive strategy can be aligned per customer
