Step 1 List the Issues

Desired features What is the scope of the market — domestic, international Are there differences in the characteristics of these markets  

Economics of ownership What is the manufacturing cost of representative products, including all factory overheads  

Product design Is any engineering duplicative Is the wheel being reinvented Are design resources deployed to maximize commercial potential  

Extended product design What nonmonetary benefits do we offer Time to market Avoided investment Areas of expertise  

Supply chain design Are existing facilities suitable to handle this volume Do they have sufficient equipment and appropriate technology  

The diagram shows that decision categories needn t be limited to supply chain or pure logistics issues. At this point in the effort, it s important to have an overall business context for structuring the supply chain effort. 

This includes an understanding of customer requirements and how they link to product and supply chain design. The SCWG should develop and maintain the issue questions. 

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