Question

I work in Supply Chain in the Procurement Dept. I would like to use my dept for this assignment. Please do not copy what's already in Chegg.

Process Improvement Project

For this assignment select either your own organization or an organization about which you know enough to review the supply chain processes and identify a process that can be improved in your sphere of influence.

Phase I: Improvement Opportunity

Write 500-750 words on improvement opportunity in your sphere of influence. Address each of the following sections:

Quality Tool Analysis

Identify your problem statement and complete a root-cause analysis. Identify which quality tools you used to identify and vet the problem. Explain the quantitative and qualitative tools you used and provide a summary of how you arrived at your problem.

Stakeholder Analysis

Complete the interactive "Stakeholder Analysis: Winning Support for Your Projects," located on the Mind Tools website. In Step 2, select the “Interactive Screen App” hyperlink. Provide a Power/Interest Grid of your completed chart (using either a picture format or a handwritten document). In addition, provide a summary that includes considerations for all stakeholders. These considerations will form your communication plan in Part II.

Answer 1

The statement how Apple is able to provide quality products despite partnerships

Apple initially partnered with AT&T to provide wireless service exclusively on AT&T's network with the purchase of Apple devices (iPhone, iPad). This was considered to be partnership effort to maintain quality management strategies and were seen to be important to the possible competitive advantages for each partner. Partnering is essentially to bring inefficiencies of operations and specialization in skills .partnering for mutual benefit is fundamental to total quality. AT &T was the service providers and Apple was the manufacturers. Each of them had to find a market individually to market their services. Instead, if they partnered they would not only be doing a combined effort in marketing but would also be looking at the same market for their products.Th is was a strategic way to bring in partnership and relationships and is a fundamental tool of quality management systems.

Partnering by Apple and AT and T was looked at with great collaboration between the two as it would lead to improvement in products and service modules and models. Both the partners looked at the market definitions that could serve them very efficiently. Apple looked at the in-house supplier of AT and T for its mobile applications .this partnership also was based on high levels of technical efficiency and so they found that this strategic partnering would enable them to bring in high levels of Interdependent efficiencies .this partnership was a supplier integration. This enabled Apple to nurture improve and look at constant improvements in the product and services model .this was an ideal supplier partnership where Apple was able to share information about what the market wanted and AT and T could supply the customer needs in an integrated manner.T he goal of this partnership was to see that it created a loyal trusting and reliable relationship while promoting the continuous improvement in quality, competitiveness, and productivity .

The partnership was definitely inclined towards a better deal for Apple as the products of Apple came with ready service providers which were on terms that Apple had devised for the service provider. Some of the main reasons for Apple’s desire to join strategic alliances are to exploit economies of scales, learn from competitors, manage risk and share costs, all sources of economic value in any industry. One of the most notable and valuable alliances is Apple’s alliance with AT&T in production and launching of the iPhone. Apple needed to trust AT&T that it would not share Apple’s key technologies with other mobile manufacturers.   On the other hand, AT&T had to trust Apple that once the iPhone was created, it wouldn’t disband the alliance, and launch the iPhone with another mobile company.

The greatest challenge was seen in the implementation of technology tools in this multi-domestic strategy. The fact that Apple was moving out from computers to smartphones needed a solid service provider which could support the numerous Apple apps created.

Apple’s engineering, design, and manufacturing were defined by what it could provide to consumers and together with AT&T it was able to bring in the process of vertical integration and supply chain collaboration.

Stakeholder Analysis

Complete the interactive "Stakeholder Analysis: Winning Support for Your Projects," located on the Mind Tools website. In Step 2, select the “Interactive Screen App” hyperlink. Provide a Power/Interest Grid of your completed chart (using either a picture format or a handwritten document). In addition, provide a summary that includes considerations for all stakeholders. These considerations will form your communication plan in Part II.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

Stakeholders are all those parties who are both internal and external to the organization and who are directly and indirectly benefited by the decisions a firm makes. The benefits of using a stakeholder-based approach are that:

• The firm can use the opinions of the most powerful stakeholders to shape the projects at an early stage. Not only does this make it more likely that they will support the project but it will also   ensure that their input can also improve the quality of the project
• Gaining support from powerful stakeholders can help the firm to win more resources this makes it more likely that the projects will be successful
• By communicating with stakeholders early and frequently, the firm can ensure that the stakeholders can comprehend the project and support the project.
• The firm anticipates what people's reaction to your project may be, and can plan the actions that will win people's support.

The power interest grid of the stakeholder participation is as follows:

This grid brings out how the stakeholders should be communicated, how often and in what format.

High power, interested people: these are the people one must fully engage and make the greatest efforts to satisfy.

High power, less interested people: put enough work in with these people to keep them satisfied, but not so much that they become bored with the message.

Low power, interested people: keep these people adequately informed, and talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. These people can often be very helpful with the detail of the project.

Low power, less interested people: again, monitor these people, but do not bore them with excessive communication.