Using Supply Chains to Create Value for Customers

Read Chapter 9, sections 9.1-9.5, of the Principles of Marketing text, being sure to click through to the next sections. This chapter provides a comprehensive explanation of supply chain management and its relevance to marketing management.

Discussion Questions and Activities

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do marketing professionals care about and participate in supply chain decisions?
  2. What criteria do you think companies look at when evaluating the performance of their supply chain partners? Make a list of them.
  3. Is the electronic delivery of products always better? To what extent does it depend on the customer?
  4. Discuss the supply chain for education at your school. What elements does it consist of? In your opinion, what aspects of its delivery could be improved? What sort of alternate sourcing and delivery methods might be used? Can education be warehoused? How?


Activities (optional)

  1. Research the distribution system for a product you know. What elements of the supply chain were you unaware of?
  2.  Choose a product and outline the supply chain for it. If you need to, use the Web to research the product. Discuss how you believe the supply chain could be used to create additional value for customers.