Examples from different industries

Examples from different industry segments show that moving from products to services is one way to build switching barriers (Fig. 13.3). Another option is to build a strong brand in the minds of the customers customers - as DuPont has done with Lycra, which itself has become a fashion item. But branding can only leverage - not replace - performance. 

In this chapter, we provide a conceptual understanding of what a supply chain is and the various issues that must be considered when designing, planning, or operating a supply chain. We discuss the significance of supply chain decisions and supply chain performance for the success of a firm. We also provide several examples from different industries to emphasize the variety of supply chain issues that companies need to consider at the strategic, planning, and operational levels. 

The Steinmetz and Delwiche (1993) example is a Franco-American design of a system for automatic grading of cut roses. It was chosen because it uses a product of considerable geometric and chromatic complexity and variability but that is instantly recognizible and is likely to be well known to readers from different industries. In fact, a human grading was used to develop the test batches required for performance evaluation of the system. A second consideration was that the paper contains some numerical evaluation of system performance. 

To make a value network, trading partners from different industries form a chain and link together to drive an end-to-end supply chain solution. These links are forged to provide a set of products or services for the end customer. For example ... 

It is possible that a company may not possess capabilities to satisfy the set of aU needs of its customers. If so, it can form alliances with other companies with complementary skills, and capture customer s order. Nagarajan and Sosic (2009) provide multiple examples of supplier coalitions from different industries. They cite Stallkamp (2001) who discusses consortium formation between Delphi (auto part manufacturer), Lear (interior trim manufacturer), and the suppliers of wiring, carpets, and molded plastic, to satisfy the total cockpit needs of one of the Big Three auto manufacturers. Similarly, the alliance between Symbol Technologies (scanner manufacturer) and Paxar/Monarch, a leader in bar code labeling enabled them to supply a bundle that included a bar code labeler and scanner and thus win valuable customer orders. 

Now take another example from the service industry accommodation. There are various categories, such as rented, leased, and purchased. In the rented category there are hotels, inns, guest houses, apartments, etc. It would be inappropriate to compare hotels with guest houses or apartments with inns. They are each in a different class. Hotels are a class of accommodation within which are grades such as 5 star, 4 star, 3 star, etc., indicating the facilities offered. 

These diagrams focus on the temporal or time relationships of operations and they can be used to solve resource allocation problems, to determine whether there is any potential for time stress, and to consider alternative work methods in the execution of a procedure. An example drawn from traditional industrial engineering methods is shown in Figure 4.7. The chart is used to analyze the interaction between people and equipment. As indicated in the summary portion of this chart, there is a high proportion of idle time which would probably indicate the use of alternative procedures in the execution of this task. The chart enables the analyst to see the relationships among the activities of the different components in planning such alternatives. 

A useful way of classifying chemicals is shown in Fig. 2.1. Chemicals are divided on the basis of volume and character. Bulk chemicals, or commodities, are produced in large quantities and sold on the basis of an industry specification. There is essentially no difference in the product from different suppliers. Typical examples would be acetone, ethylene oxide, and phenol. Pseudo commodities are also made in large quantities but are sold on the basis of their performance. In many cases the product is formulated and properties can differ from one supplier to another. Examples include large volume polymers, surfactants, paints, etc. 

For each category of land or water body use, one may envision a simplified scenario. In each scenario, only those activities most likely to lead to toxic exposures are considered. For example, In the Industrial scenario, Indoor workers would not be exposed to levels of dust bearing high concentrations of soli contaminants outdoor workers who stir up dry soli with heavy machinery, however, could expect to Inhale contaminant-laden dust. A scenario could Involve more than one exposure pathway. Thus, the Industrial worker might drink water from a contaminated well, In addition to breathing contaminated dust these exposures might represent not only different pathways but different sources. 

Much of the interest in SFE has been focused on using carbon dioxide to extract different natural products from solid materials. Examples of large industrial processes in this area are decalfeinating coffee beans and hop extraction. 

In order to make it more explicit for chemical measurement, three examples are chosen from different chemical measurement fields, which show the importance of chemical measurement. The first originates from petroleum industry. A single measurement mistake cost 10 million US dollars to the company. 

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