Sales and Operations Planning

Research is consistent with the idea that sales and operations planning (SOP) is increasingly gaining repotation as one of the most important strategies that leading organizations are implementing to respond to contemporary business challenges and at the same time maintain their growth, profitability, competiveness and customer satisfaction (Muzumdar and Fontanella 1; Paganini and Kenny 2).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sales and Operations Planning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most salient issues that come across upon reading the articles is that contemporary SOP practices lead to firm competitiveness. This paper is a reaction to this critical issue.  Most of the readings confirm clear and direct relationship between contemporary SOP practices and the realization of competitive advantage. Organizations implementing modern SOP practices, according to one of the readings, are able to achieve and maintain competitive advantage reducing production costs, improving order lead time, identifying and addressing production overruns, developing a more accurate forecast and increasing forecasting accuracy, improving delivery performance and cost management, enhancing efficiency, increasing visibility into their supply chain, introducing cross-functional metrics, as well as aligning all areas with the view to making superior business decisions (Upton and Singh 6-7). These findings are consistent with the views of other researchers, who posit that contemporary SOP practices lead to firm competitiveness in terms of dramatic increase and consistency in forecasting accuracy (â€Å"Sales and Operations Planning† 10), alignment and execution of an overall corporate strategy (Bower 3), strategic planning and decision making aimed at enhancing profitability (Chopra and Meindi 252-253), as well as avoidance of margin loss and customer dissatisfaction (Paganini and Kenny 2). At a perso nal level, I agree with the claims made in the readings about the potential of SOP to leverage firm competitiveness. From theoretical, as well as practical experience, I am inclined to support the authors’ assertion that contemporary SOP practices lead to competitive advantage. The capacities of organizations to not only improve order lead times, but also to develop a more accurate forecast and increase forecasting accuracy are some of the most important factors that have been cited by business practitioners and mainstream commentators as leading to firm competitiveness, customer satisfaction and growth. These factors or outcomes are well documented in most of the readings (e.g., â€Å"Sales and Operations Planning† 10; Upton and Singh 6-7). Global retailers such as Wal-Mart and Tesco, in my view, have been able to achieve and sustain leading positions in the market due to deployment of effective SOP strategies, which ensure that they are able to plan their decisions t o serve customers with the best combination of products and markets.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At a personal level, I have had the opportunity to reade case studies on how automobile companies, such as Toyota and Isuzu, have successfully used SOP to leverage competitive advantage through enhancing responsiveness and increasing visibility. Consequently, I support the claims made by the authors of the readings regarding the critical role of SOP in achieving firm competitiveness. Overall, it is evident that SOP will play an instrumental role not only in actualizing my dream of being a professional business practitioner, but also in ensuring that the companies I work for are able to achieve and sustain competitive advantage by ensuring that I employ SOP strategies with the view of responding more effectively to demand and supply variability with deep insight into the most favorable market deployment and most cost-effective supply chain approaches. As has been suggested in the readings, effective implementation of contemporary SOP remains one of the most tenable approaches that companies could use to achieve competitive advantage as it enhances those critical factors that give enterprises sustainable competitiveness. Works Cited Bower, Patrick. â€Å"12 Most Common Threats to Sales and Operations Planning Process.† Journal of Business Forecasting. 24.3 (2005): 1-10. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. Chopra, Sunil and Peter Meindi. Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning and Operation. 5th ed. 2012. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Print. Muzumdar, Maha and John Fontanella. â€Å"The Secrets of SOP Success.† Supply Chain Management Review. 10.3 (2006): 34-41. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. Paganini, Bill and John Kenny. â€Å"The Supply Chain as Growth Driver.† Supply Chain Management Review. 11.4 (2007): 49-55. ABI/INFORM Complete. W eb.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sales and Operations Planning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sales and Operations Planning: Aligning Business Goals with Supply Chain Tactics 2008. PDF file. 7 Jul. 2015. https://www.adexa.com/. Upton, Harold and Harpal Singh. â€Å"Balanced SOP: Sunsweet Growers’ Story.† Supply Chain Management Review. 11.2 (2007): 51-59. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. This essay on Sales and Operations Planning was written and submitted by user Tenebrous to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Write an Expository Essay on Sanxingdui Culture

How to Write an Expository Essay on Sanxingdui Culture An expository essay is a straightforward presentation of facts about a particular topic. This essay requires the opinions of the writer, but is, in essence, a balanced and objective statement of interconnected facts. Because it helps you learn more about a specific subject, especially beyond textbook materials, your instructor may assign one to you. This is especially true if you are studying the Sanxingdui culture since there is very less information on it yet many archaeological projects going on. However, you can use the following steps for any expository essay you write during your years as a student. Brainstorm and Research You will need to carry out a lot of research for an expository essay.   Make sure to look up authoritative sources and make a list of the ones you will be using because you will have to include them in your references section. There are two elements you have to finalize in this phase. Topic Most instructors assign a general topic for an expository essay, leaving their students to narrow down according to their interest. Expository essay topics are easy, but require some thought if you want your essay to be creative. If you are having trouble thinking of expository essay topics for Sanxingdui culture, then use our handy list of 20 expository essay topics on Sanxingdui culture. If you want to put a little more effort, check our 12 facts on Sanxingdui culture for an expository essay for inspiration. Thesis Statement An essay cannot be e mechanical listing of facts. Each fact should have an underlying idea illustrated. This idea is your thesis. It is basically a claim or argument which you will explore throughout the essay. Write the Introduction The introduction serves as the roadmap for the rest of the expository essay. Do not include specific details in this part; simply describe your topic, its importance in the given context, and then state your thesis. Write the Main Body of Your Essay The body of the essay includes all the detailed facts you found during the research phase. Use each paragraph to address a fact or category of facts. These paragraphs are called topic paragraphs. Start out with a topic sentence, state the fact(s), and then describe why they are important/ relevant. Repeat this formula for three to five topic paragraphs in your essay or more depending on your word count. Conclude the Essay The conclusion is used to further reinforce our main thesis. It is similar to your introduction, but it should be worded differently. Repeat the importance of your topic, review your main points, and then end by providing a summary. Revise and Edit Your Work Once you have finished writing, you need to revise your work and make any changes you deem necessary. Consider the following aspects while revising: Is the analysis objective and unbiased? Are the facts relevant and logical? Is the language clear and effective? Are the paragraphs tightly focused on one aspect? Does the conclusion sufficiently state the overall meaning? Once you are happy with the draft, go ahead and proofread your essay. Check for any mistakes in grammar and fix any punctuation errors. Expository essays are useful for understanding ideas and their context. So, enjoy your assignment as it will help you understand this ancient civilization better or help you delve in any subject you are interested in.

The successfulness of using a mental disorder as a criminal defense Term Paper

The successfulness of using a mental disorder as a criminal defense - Term Paper Example This might have been due to the recent opinions on the ban of the death penalty for juveniles which might justify the barring of the execution of persons with various mental disabilities. Atkins v. Virginia The Atkins v. Virginia (00-8452) 536 U.S. 304 (2002) 260 Va. 375, 534 S.  E. 2d 312 case, is an example of cases that addresses the issue of death penalty, as a cruel and abnormal punishment and a violation of the Eighth amendment imposed upon a mentally retarded individual. Daryl Renard Atkins was convicted of abducting, robbing, and murdering Eric Nesbitt. During the hearing of Atkins’ sentence, the presented evidence was that Atkins was mentally retarded. The jury gave Atkins a death sentence. The Virginia Supreme Court ordered the second hearing, but Atkins was again given a death penalty; which the Virginia Supreme Court affirmed. The U.S Supreme Court granted certiorari to review the case (Carmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2008). The petitioner, Daryl Renard Atkins argued tha t procedures allowing the infliction of the death penalty on the mentally retarded individuals notwithstanding their diminished accountability violated the Eighth amendment. Atkins further argued that by executing a mentally retarded individual, the decency standards were offended. ... Justification for the death penalty, revenge and preclusion was appropriate for mentally retarded persons. It was risky to impose the death penalty, since the mentally retarded persons are expected to be poor witnesses and unable to support their counsel. Justice Stevens rendered the death penalty as inappropriate. Chief justice Rehnquist, Justice Scalia, and Thomas, agreed to the court’s reliance on the foreign laws, which prohibited the death penalty of mentally retarded persons. Rehnquist found out that when sentencing, jury information was considerable in determining contemporary values. The information and State legislations should be the major factor to determine the contemporary values (Carmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2008). Justice Scalia, Justice Rehnquist, and Thomas disagreed on the sentence after realizing that the court had agreed and followed personal feelings in deciding the case. Scalia noted that the information presented showed that there was a consensus, and that St ate legislation prohibiting execution of mentally retarded persons was not yet developed. Scalia further stated that, it is possible for one to fake the symptoms of mental retardation. Finally, Scalia pointed out that mentally retarded individuals are vulnerable to the death penalty. However, in sentencing, their background could be considered as a mitigating factor (Carmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2008). States that allowed the execution of the mentally retarded persons were forced to modify their statutes with regard to the decision made in the Atkins case. Moreover, it was noted that as a means of avoiding death penalty, more â€Å"mental retardation† claims were expected. The Atkins case is