Case Study 3
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
What specific decisions did the management team make regarding their analysis?
Bernard Chaus Inc. specializes in making women sportswear. The business made a general decision to incorporate business intelligence tool in their sales and inventory management.
The company decided to use the SKYPAD business intelligence tool to track supply chain performance. All the retailers at various locations had different demand for the products; hence the tool had to provide necessary information regarding point of sale. The tool enables the business to determine the quantity owed by clients and prepares invoices for the retailers.
Also, the company management decided to track supply chain visibility. The business had to invest in data warehouse infrastructure to improve supply chain performance. Therefore, the f would engage in synchronized production scheduling since there was efficient communication infrastructure. Production costing and just in time manufacturing could be achieved due to tracking of the flow of products at each retailer.
The management improved the freight management by incorporating the SKYPAD business intelligence tool it enabled well-scheduled shipping of products. All retailers client request could be tracked hence ensuring the goods reach various places at the correct timeframe according to the purchase orders.
Additionally, the company made a specific decision to strengthen the relationship between Chaus’s IT department and business units from all retailers. The link could create a financing factor since the financial activities could be captured correctly and efficient invoicing executed.
Was the management team’s response to the data analysis adequate?
The management team’s response to the data analysis was adequate and effective since all invoicing and retailer amounts could be determined automatically. SKYPAD business intelligence software could analyze all orders, pricing, and shipping effectively, which led to efficient production planning.
Do the decisions have a strong potential to resolve the problem and improve operations? If yes, why and if not, why?
The decisions could confidently support all retailers in timing their goods markdowns. It means that a significant margin minimized end-of-season inventory. Consequently, the reduced markdowns made the company save about $1 million. Saved cost increased the company revenue.
Also, the decision had the potential to resolve problems experienced at Chaus since the software could analyze all sell-through data from every retail client and business-owned warehouses. Management could make comparisons between sale trends and production performance hence analyze on profits from each retailer. Based on the analysis, management can develop correct production scheduling and freight management.
Are there team members that should have been included in the decision making?
Other team members should have been included in the decision-making process. Making sound decisions enables the management to consult all relevant stakeholders. Incorporation of new technology tool required extensive consultation about its functionality, successful implementation, and cost. The other team members who could be included were the company’s junior staff and information technology experts from SKY IT Group. Company workers can give ideas on how to implement technology to improve profit margins. For example, the IT department has experience on how to improve the supply chain visibility and data management systems at the company. Eskew should have consulted all unit presidents to determine the worker’s stand and preparedness to implement business intelligence software.
Were the analysis and resolution connected by logic, or were they emotional responses?
The analysis and resolution were conducted systematically and by logic. Eskew did thorough research before choosing the best software vendor. He sought opinions from various stakeholders and came up with the best criteria on how to select appropriate software vendor. Also, Eskew eliminated unnecessary costs by minimizing activities which non-profitable activities. Eskew’s selection criteria emphasized on the accurate information about the point of scale production planning, financial factoring, and freight management. He did not check factors such as fastest software servers and automated responses. In the end, Eskew narrowed down the selection parameters until he chose SKY IT Group as the best software vendor.
Figure 1: Supporting image
References
Bernard Chaus Announces Long Term Exclusive Supply Agreement with China Ting Group Holdings Ltd. (2009, July 29). Business Wire. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090729005402/en/Bernard-Chaus-Announces-Long-Term-Exclusive-Supply
Bernard Chaus Inc. (2017, May 4). RIS News. https://risnews.com/bernard-chaus-inc
Bernard Chaus, Inc. (2014, June 9). Prezi.Com. https://prezi.com/isv06fzb4mi6/bernard-chaus-inc/
IBM Solution Keeps Bernard Chaus Fashion Operations Moving Forward. (2018, April 10). IBM. https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/33031.wss
Katherine Busey and Callie Youssi (2012). Descriptive Analytics for the Supply Chain at Bernard Chaus, Inc. FT Press.