Department Roles & Their Value in the Supply Chain
OPS FPX 5620 Assessment 4 The three main departments included in this project are sales, marketing, and purchasing. These departments will have a very vital part to play in the success of the project and also in the successful transition to the desired future state without much delay. With collaboration among these departments, Mainland Tools will be successful in meeting its initial proposed timeline. This review examines both the internal and external contribution of these departments and how their activities enhance value to the supply chain.
Marketing
Internally, the corporate message is communicated through the marketing department, involving employees. This communication is achieved by outlining future products by defining what the product is, why customers will need it, and how it will be marketed. Transparency allows the employees to understand how their tasks affect the objectives of the firm. The data produced by marketing cascades to other departments such as sales and procurement. The sales teams will understand what products to focus on, and the procurement team will understand what to buy and when.
Externally, marketing must drive customer attitudes and buying behavior. By stimulating new products and their benefits, marketing informs consumers about how these products add value to their businesses. For instance, Coca-Cola commercials do not merely show its product but also informs about the company’s total value.
Sales
Sales associates are company representatives, building and fostering relationships with consumers. They frame the marketing department’s messages, contributing to the company’s cash flow and business growth (Hawkins, 2016). The primary responsibilities are converting leads to customers and maintaining existing businesses (fiveCRM, n.d.). Internally, the sales function provides an opinion about whether or not marketing activities and products have been successful. They forecast orders in advance and collaborate with the operations function to ensure materials needed and support logistics are in place, thereby offering the best customer service.
Purchasing
The purchasing department is tasked with procuring the materials required for production at the lowest possible prices while ensuring timely delivery and quality standards. Buying, as with selling, is based on establishing strong vendor relationships in order to construct a solid supply network. This division evaluates the performance of suppliers, gives feedback, and encourages ongoing improvement along the supply chain. By communicating with marketing and selling, buying can position materials which are likely to face heavy demand when new products are introduced. Buying also provides the sales force with any potential delays, who can further alert customers.
Forecasting Models
OPS FPX 5620 Assessment 4 Forecasting models are broadly categorized into two: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative forecasting is used when limited data are available and relies on judgmental analysis, while quantitative forecasting relies on historical data (NC State University, 2011). Effective forecasting allows organizations to react to the customers’ demands without frequent structural changes. Accurate production and inventory control forecasts reduce safety stocks and result in significant cost savings (Chambers, 1971). For Mainland Tools, a mixture of the Sales Force Composite and Time Series Model is suggested. Using both these approaches gives them comprehensive information to help them plan and make informed decisions.
The Sales Force Composite method involves gathering data from the sales force, acting as a communication link between internal operations and consumer responses. This is applied in measurement of consumer intentions to buy (Subramaniam, 2009). The Time Series Model involves examination of trends, seasonal forces, and cyclical influences on customer demand (Subramaniam, 2009). These are applied by the company in order to plan, and thus materials are available in timely manner and customer satisfaction is enhanced.
Forecasting & Decision-Making: Advantages of Increased Collaboration
Combining quantitative and qualitative forecasting methods improves decision-making via a better supply chain view. With this step, the management is able to understand how each step influences other departments and anticipate likely results. Increased departmental cooperation leads to increased exchange of information as well as improved data accuracy. Departmental cooperation makes the entire supply chain smoother with improved efficiency. As outlined in Assessment 3, a holistic comprehension of the organization is required to comprehend the full extent of the ripple effects of decisions throughout the supply chain.
For example, when demand for a new product based on the composite forecast of sales is low despite efforts in marketing, Mainland Tools would be compelled to revisit its purchasing and manufacturing policies. When demand occurs to be over forecasts, however, arrangements need to be made to deliver the additional orders.
Collaboration Tools
Thompson Tools is currently using Microsoft Office Suite, but the new collaboration software needs to be installed in order to enhance cooperation in all its various branches. The software used should integrate well with existing software and also have the capability of communicating with Mainland Tools based in China.
SharePoint
SharePoint would be a good option for those organizations familiar 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 application costs $5-$20 per user, per month, or is available as part of the Office365 subscription at $99.99 annually (Professional Advantage PTY Ltd., 2014).
Planner
Microsoft Planner is designed for task management and includes features to create, allocate, and track tasks (Keep Productive, 2019). The application provides workers with an overview of their progress via visual graphs and status, while managers can easily identify any bottlenecks. Planner’s clean contemporary interface and real-time info sharing create a vibrant working environment. Although it requires more training than SharePoint, its user-friendly interface makes it an investment worth making. Planner can also be used through Office365 for $99.99 per year, or $8.33 per month.
Teams
Microsoft Teams is a software that enhances team collaboration, with the focus lying in the creation and organization of different teams (Learnit Training, 2019). It combines the attributes of SharePoint and Planner with high-level social features like gifs and emojis to aid in the creation of a collaborative work ecosystem. Teams cost $99.99 per user annually and compliment other Microsoft offerings well to create a cohesive collaboration eco-system. It may lack some of the high-end features required from a complete collaboration solution (Zelfond, 2019).
Ethical & Legal Implications of Collaboration Tools
In using collaboration tools to work together, especially across global environments like in China, protection of intellectual property is essential. Collaboration tools must incorporate multi-factor authentication, encryption, and solid authorization techniques to ensure that data is secured (Kennedy & Mighell, 2018). Sensitive data such as non-disclosure agreements and contract discussions must be preserved against probable breach.
Conclusion
Effective teamwork between departments of an organization and its supply chain is the key to its success. By observing how all the departments’ work progresses towards company objectives, employees are better able to understand what their role is in the grand picture. Collaboration software like SharePoint and Planner can significantly simplify communication and information exchange, and each department will be more productive. The goal is to leverage these efficiencies to boost profitability and sales while eliminating unnecessary effort. As the adage goes, “teamwork makes the dream work.”
References
Chambers, J. C. (1971, July). How to choose the right forecasting technique. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1971/07/how-to-choose-the-right-forecasting-technique
fiveCRM. (n.d.). The importance of a sales team. https://fivecrm.com/the-importance-of-a-sales-team
Hawkins, G. (2016, June 15). Sales is still the most important role in every business. LinkedIn. pulse/sales-still-most-important-role-every-business-graham-hawkins
Keep Productive. (2019, July 4). Microsoft Planner 2019 Review: Office 365 Project Management. YouTube.
OPS FPX 5620 Assessment 4 Collaboration Tools for Supply Chain and Operations Departments
Kennedy, D., & Mighell, T. (2018). The lawyer’s guide to collaboration tools and technologies: Ethics, security, and other practical issues. American Bar Association.
Learnit Training. (2019, September 20). Microsoft Teams Tutorial. YouTube.
NC State University. (2011, January 19). Forecasting methods. Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. https://scm.ncsu.edu/scm-articles/article/forecasting-methods
Professional Advantage PTY Ltd. (2014). How to collaborate with SharePoint 2013. YouTube.
Subramaniam, A. (2009, December 6). Forecasting techniques. LinkedIn. https://www.slideshare.net/anandsub
