SECTION A: CASE STUDY
QUESTION 1
This is an extract describing a fashion house noted for custom-madegowns in Ghana. Use the case information to answer the questionsthat follow. Pistis is a Ghanaian based fashion house headquarteredin Accra. The company currently stands at the frontline of the fastgrowing African fashion industry while making major strides on theinternational markets. Pistis, at the core, prides itself oncreating master pieces for every client and, as result, hasgarnered a name as the leader in special occasion clothes. Fromtheir unique hand beaded bridal gowns to their creative use ofAfrican fabrics such as kente, the brand aims at making every womanstandout as royalty in a Pistis gown. All clothing are speciallymade to order and the organisation does not stock clothing. Thereare minimum slots per month for the clothes that can be made so itsbest to confirm an order when you are certain with the dates tostart the process. The organisation has only one facility in Ghanabut has a website where orders can be placed online. Pisits wasstarted in 2008 by Kabutey and Sumaya right after graduating fromVogue Style School of School and Design in Accra, Ghana. The brandwas founded on a common vision of uniquely providing the perfectfit and style to a fast evolving woman who exuberates ambition,reveres culture and embraces innovation. By acknowledging thedemand in the growing African and global market, the brand, throughthe years, has grown expediently by focusing on providing customerswith the best service through rigorous product development inregard to originality and quality. Pistis has been featured invarious shows such as the Runway Dubai Season III, Glitz AfricaFashion Week 2013, Radiance Bridal Show and headlining 3 seasons ofthe Vlisco Fashion Show in Ghana. In addition, Pistis has had theopportunity to dress the finalists for the Miss Malaika PageantGhana for 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons. Through the years, Pistishas had the opportunity to dress dignitaries, celebrities,corporate executives, religious leaders and most importantly, thehardworking everyday woman.
a. If a key need of the customer segment the organisation aims tofill is increase rate of innovation, how would the key customerneed identified influence the implied demand uncertainty? (3 Mark)b. Which capabilities of responsiveness (mention 2) does theorganisation’s supply chain possess (use information from the caseto explain why)? c. How can the organisation use thepricing driver to a. Match supply and demand b. Increaseresponsiveness c. Increase efficiency?
SECTION B: APPLICATION QUESTION 2
ADJ Company Limited is an organisation that deals in themanufacturing of bespoke cars in Ghana. Its cars are held bydistributors/retailers in intermediate warehouses and packagecarriers are used to transport the cars from the intermediatelocation to the final customer.
As an expert in supply chain management, you are to analyse theoperations of the company and submit a report detailing thefollowing to management of the company:
a. Indicate the distribution design in use
b. An evaluation of the performance of the current distributionnetwork compared to Manufacturer Storage with Direct Shipping(compare along 4 dimensions).
c. The types of customers and products (mention 2 each) which aremore suited to the type of distribution design being used by thecompany than retail storage with customer pickup and why?
SECTION C: ESSAY TYPE QUESTION 3
The Internet has affected the structure and performance of variousdistribution networks in a supply chain. Using the case of Jumia orother relevant example state and critically discuss how onlinesales impacts on a supply chain’s ability to meet customer needs(discuss 4 elements)
