Modern Considerations
- Why would a company’s own product descriptive data be inaccurate? Whose job should it be to update it, and how often should this be done?
- What kind of retailers would be best suited to direct deliveries from manufacturers? What kind of retailers would be better served by milk run deliveries?
- Using the topics in the sidebar “Modern Considerations for DC Locations,” pick a city and find out the pros and cons of locating a distribution center there. What is the economy like? Where are other, similar facilities located? Does the city, county, or state offer some economic incentives?
- How would an Internet-based retailer handle transportation needs? Would its overhead be less than a brick-and-mortar store in terms of moving, storing, picking, and shipping?
- If you were a retailer, are there any business functions that you would not even consider outsourcing to a third-party service provider? If not, why not?