Most Recent APICS CSCP Exam Dumps

For a low-volume, high-variety product line, shipping from a central distribution warehouse typically results in the highest level of customer service and the lowest total distribution costs. This approach allows the company to consolidate inventory in a single location, facilitating better inventory management and control. A central warehouse can stock a wide variety of products, ensuring availability and quick response to customer orders. It also allows for more efficient use of transportation resources by consolidating shipments, which reduces transportation costs. Reference:

'Distribution Planning and Control: Managing in the Era of Supply Chain Management' by David F. Ross

'Designing and Managing the Supply Chain' by David Simchi-Levi, Philip Kaminsky, and Edith Simchi-Levi

Concurrent engineering is a method of designing and developing products in which the different stages run simultaneously, rather than consecutively. This technique requires close coordination between product and process design to ensure that both aspects are developed in tandem. By doing so, it minimizes the time taken to bring a product to market and can improve product quality and reduce costs. The collaborative approach involves cross-functional teams working together from the early stages of design, considering manufacturing constraints, quality assurance, and customer requirements simultaneously, which is not the case in sequential engineering, priority planning, or voice of the customer.

''Concurrent Engineering and its Advantages in Manufacturing'' - IndustryWeek

APICS Dictionary, 16th Edition

Supply chains for innovative products differ significantly from those for functional products, with higher demand uncertainty being a key characteristic:

Demand Uncertainty: Innovative products often cater to new or rapidly changing markets, making it difficult to predict customer demand accurately.

Short Product Life Cycles: These products typically have shorter life cycles due to rapid innovation and technological advancements.

Higher Profit Margins: Although not directly related to the supply chain, innovative products often command higher profit margins due to their uniqueness and perceived value.

Complex Supply Chains: Managing the supply chain for innovative products requires flexibility and responsiveness to adapt to the volatile market conditions. This contrasts with functional products, which usually have stable demand patterns, longer life cycles, and more predictable supply chain requirements. Reference:

'Managing Supply Chains for Innovative Products' - MIT Sloan Management Review

'Supply Chain Strategies for High Demand Uncertainty' - Journal of Operations Management

The primary objective of supply chain management is to take a systems approach. This involves viewing the supply chain as a whole, rather than as a collection of separate entities. By taking a systems approach, supply chain management aims to integrate and coordinate the activities of suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors to optimize overall performance and achieve efficiencies across the entire supply chain. This holistic perspective ensures that decisions made in one part of the supply chain consider the impacts on other parts, leading to improved customer satisfaction, reduced costs, and better use of resources.

Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics & Supply Chain Management. Pearson UK.

Stadtler, H., & Kilger, C. (Eds.). (2008). Supply Chain Management and Advanced Planning: Concepts, Models, Software, and Case Studies. Springer Science & Business Media.

To decrease shipping costs, a shipper should increase the weight shipped and consolidate shipments. Consolidating shipments reduces the cost per unit weight by maximizing the use of transportation capacity, thereby achieving economies of scale. Utilizing less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, using a common carrier instead of a contract carrier, or decreasing the weight shipped and using break-bulk shipments typically result in higher costs due to inefficiencies and lower volume discounts. Reference: Coyle, J. J., Langley, C. J., Novack, R. A., & Gibson, B. (2016). 'Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective.'