◄ Files 18:11 5G CSTUDY_Jan25_SCMH_PS...Final_20241203151014.pdf FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1 Read the article below and answer ALL questions that follow Are your favourite fashion brands using forced labour? [100 MARKS] The global fashion and retail industry's reliance on producing quick-tumaround goods at a low cost through outsourcing and complex, globalised supply chains has allowed forced labour to thrive, workers' rights advocates war, claiming that major fashion brands profiting from the model seem reluctant to change. The apparel sector employs over 60 million workers worldwide, according to the World Bank Group. And while 97 percent of fashion and retail brands have codes of conduct and corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards, such policies are neither effective in preventing forced labour nor in ensuring remedy outcomes for workers, according to advocacy group KnowThe Chain KnowTheChain's 2021 Apparel and Footwear Benchmark Report (PDF) recently ranked 37 of the world's biggest fashion companies on a scale of 0 to 100 on their efforts to fight forced labour, with 100 representing the best practices. The group identified allegations of forced labour in the supply chains of 54 percent of companies it examined. "What stood out to us is that the average score for the sector was 41 out of 100, which constitutes a significant failure to address risks," Felicitas Weber, project director at Know TheChain, told Al Jazeera. The report also found that the world's largest luxury brands are among the worst offenders in addressing the worse forms of exploitation in their supply chains, with an average score of 31 out of 100. French luxury goods company Kering (owner of the Alexander McQueen and Gucci labels) scored 41 out of 100, while LVMH (owner of the Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton labels) scored 19 out of 100. Tapestry (owner of the Coach and Kate Spade labels), assessed for the first time this year, scored 16 out of 100. Kering, LVMH and Tapestry did not respond to Al Jazeera's requests for comment. Italian luxury fashion house Prada ranked at a mere 5 out of 100 on KnowTheChain's benchmark, and its score has worsened over time. But in a statement to Al Jazeera, Prada Group said it strives to push its standards higher and challenged KnowTheChain's methodology. Prada claims Know TheChain does not take into account the fact that most of Prada's factories are located in Italy, which allows it to closely monitor and address any misconduct or violations. While Know The Chain's findings are striking, they aren't surprising to workers' rights advocates. "Labour abuse is baked into the supply-chain model championed by apparel giants," Penelope Kyritsis, research director at the Worker Rights Consortium, a labour rights monitoring organisation, told Al Jazeera. By continually demanding shorter turnaround times and lower prices from their suppliers and fuelling competition among supplier factories, fashion and retail brands make it difficult for factory owners to adhere to labour laws and standards, she explained. "This dynamic has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, when apparel brands sought to minimise their economic fallout by abruptly cancelling orders from their supplier factories, which led to mass layoffs, pushing workers towards the brink of desstation, Kyritsis said. For example, in Bangladesh, the second-largest employer of garment workers after China, more than one million garment workers-mostly women-were fired or temporarily let go when fashion brands cancelled orders during the height of last year's pandemic shutdowns, according to research (PDF) conducted by Penn State University's Center for Global Workers' Rights "Know and show' supply chains More broadly, companies in the industry need to be able to "know and show their supply chains-and that means mapping and publishing the names of the suppliers they are working with at all levels, Weber said. Exploitative working conditions thrive in countries where labour laws and enforcement are weak, but many fashion brands based in Europe and the United States continue to try and evade responsibility for what happens further down their supply chain, Chloe Cranston, business and human rights manager at Anti-Slavery Intemational, told Al Jazeera Fashion and retail companies have significant corporate power, she stressed, and they have a responsibility to ensure that the way they work with suppliers, trade unions and labourers allows for decent working conditions for people up and down their supply chains - from those harvesting raw materials like cotton to those spinning them into fabric in factories. "It shouldn't be the burden of a consumer to try and guarantee a slavery-free purchase," Cranston said. Source: Adapted from https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/7/14/are-your-favourite-fashion-brands-using-forced-labour Question 1 (25 Marks) Procurement is a key strategic function that directly impacts an organisation's ability to create value, manage risks, and maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Critically analyse the strategic roles of procurement and how procurement practices in the fashion industry can strategically address complex challenges such as supply chain efficiency, sustainability, cost management, and global sourcing. Provide examples from the fashion industry to further your analysis. Question 2 (25 Marks) There are several enablers that need to be in place for a procurement and supply management function to implement a value-generating mode. Examine the extent of these enablers as they present themselves in the fashion industry. Question 3 (25 Marks) You are hired by local clothing chain Fashion World. The brand wants to instill a culture of professional purchasing. Construct a policy document which you would present at the next strategy meeting which inculcates the concept of professional purchasing. In your policy document you must: Discuss the benefits of professional purchasing to the company and the rationale to the creation of the policy document ⚫Design a set of specific actions/behaviours that purchasing personnel must take at Fashion World when conducting purchasing activities Describe the specific values that purchasing personnel must act with at Fashion World when conducting purchasing activities Question 4 (25 Marks) The purchasing manager at Fashion World (Yahya) is considering switching suppliers in order to embrace the triple-bottom- line as a part of the company's goal to consistently improve. Whilst the brand has not faced any of the hardships in the article with regard to its suppliers, it is looking to ensure that it stays on par with ethical and societal standards. There's a disagreement between Yahya and the in-house accountant (Abraham), who says that "TCO means that it's a bad idea to think about ethics in a capitalist economy". Evaluate the impact which a permanent switch to more sustainable sourcing could have on the profitability and sustainability of Fashion World, with an emphasis on total cost of ownership (both positive and negative) aspects of TCO and the potential benefits of such a switch.

The Global Sourcing Wire Harness Decision Sheila Austin, a buyer at Autolink, a Detroit-based producer of subassemblies for the automotive market, has sent out requests for quotations for a wiring harness to four prospective suppliers. Only two of the four suppliers indicated an interest in quoting the business: Original Wire (Auburn Hills, MI) and Happy Lucky Assemblies (HLA) of Guangdong Province, China. The estimated demand for the harnesses is 5,000 units a month. Both suppliers will incur some costs to retool for this particular harness. The harnesses will be prepackaged in 24 12 6-inch cartons. Each packaged unit weighs approximately 10 pounds. Quote 1 The first quote received is from Original Wire. Auburn Hills is about 20 miles from Autolinks corporate headquarters, so the quote was delivered in person. When Sheila went down to the lobby, she was greeted by the sales agent and an engineering representative. After the quote was handed over, the sales agent noted that engineering would be happy to work closely with Autolink in developing the unit and would also be interested in future business that might involve finding ways to reduce costs. The sales agent also noted that they were hungry for business, as they were losing a lot of customers to companies from China. The quote included unit price, tooling, and packaging. The quoted unit price does not include shipping costs. Original Wire requires no special warehousing of inventory, and daily deliveries from its manufacturing site directly to Autolinks assembly operations are possible. Original Wire Quote: Unit price = 30 Packing costs = 0.75 per unit Tooling = 6,000 one-time fixed charge Freight cost = 5.20 per hundred pounds Quote 2 The second quote received is from Happy Lucky Assemblies of Guangdong Province, China. The supplier must pack the harnesses in a container and ship via inland transportation to the port of Shanghai in China, have the shipment transferred to a container ship, ship material to Seattle, and then have material transported inland to Detroit. The quoted unit price does not include international shipping costs, which the buyer will assume. HLA Quote: Unit price = 19.50 Shipping lead time = Eight weeks Tooling = 3,000 In addition to the suppliers quote, Sheila must consider additional costs and information before preparing a comparison of the Chinese suppliers quotation: Each monthly shipment requires three 40-foot containers. Packing costs for containerization = 2 per unit. Cost of inland transportation to port of export = 200 per container. Freight forwarders fee = 100 per shipment (letter of credit, documentation, etc.). Cost of ocean transport = 4,000 per container. This has risen significantly in recent years due to a shortage of ocean freight capacity. Marine insurance = 0.50 per 100 of shipment. U.S. port handling charges = 1,200 per container. This fee has also risen considerably this year, due to increased security. Ports have also been complaining that the charges may increase in the future. Customs duty = 5% of unit cost. Customs broker fees per shipment = 300. Transportation from Seattle to Detroit = 18.60 per hundred pounds. Need to warehouse at least four weeks of inventory in Detroit at a warehousing cost of 1.00 per cubic foot per month, to compensate for lead time uncertainty. Sheila must also figure the costs associated with committing corporate capital for holding inventory. She has spoken to some accountants, who typically use a corporate cost of capital rate of 15%. Cost of hedging currencybroker fees = 400 per shipment Additional administrative time due to international shipping = 4 hours per shipment 25 per hour (estimated) At least two five-day visits per year to travel to China to meet with supplier and provide updates on performance and shipping = 20,000 per year (estimated) The international sourcing costs must be absorbed by Sheila, as the supplier does not assume any of the additional estimated costs and invoice Sheila later, or build the costs into a revised unit price. Sheila feels that the U.S. supplier is probably less expensive, even though it quoted a higher price. Sheila also knows that this is a standard technology that is unlikely to change during the next three years, but which could be a contract that extends multiple years out. There is also a lot of hall talk amongst the engineers on her floor about next-generation automotive electronics, which will completely eliminate the need for wire harnesses, which will be replaced by electronic components that are smaller, lighter, and more reliable. She is unsure about how to calculate the total costs for each option, and she is even more unsure about how to factor these other variables into the decision. Are there any other issues besides cost that Sheila should evaluate?

The Global Sourcing Wire Harness Decision Sheila Austin, a buyer at Autolink, a Detroit-based producer of subassemblies for the automotive market, has sent out requests for quotations for a wiring harness to four prospective suppliers. Only two of the four suppliers indicated an interest in quoting the business: Original Wire (Auburn Hills, MI) and Happy Lucky Assemblies (HLA) of Guangdong Province, China. The estimated demand for the harnesses is 5,000 units a month. Both suppliers will incur some costs to retool for this particular harness. The harnesses will be prepackaged in 24 12 6-inch cartons. Each packaged unit weighs approximately 10 pounds. Quote 1 The first quote received is from Original Wire. Auburn Hills is about 20 miles from Autolinks corporate headquarters, so the quote was delivered in person. When Sheila went down to the lobby, she was greeted by the sales agent and an engineering representative. After the quote was handed over, the sales agent noted that engineering would be happy to work closely with Autolink in developing the unit and would also be interested in future business that might involve finding ways to reduce costs. The sales agent also noted that they were hungry for business, as they were losing a lot of customers to companies from China. The quote included unit price, tooling, and packaging. The quoted unit price does not include shipping costs. Original Wire requires no special warehousing of inventory, and daily deliveries from its manufacturing site directly to Autolinks assembly operations are possible. Original Wire Quote: Unit price = 30 Packing costs = 0.75 per unit Tooling = 6,000 one-time fixed charge Freight cost = 5.20 per hundred pounds Quote 2 The second quote received is from Happy Lucky Assemblies of Guangdong Province, China. The supplier must pack the harnesses in a container and ship via inland transportation to the port of Shanghai in China, have the shipment transferred to a container ship, ship material to Seattle, and then have material transported inland to Detroit. The quoted unit price does not include international shipping costs, which the buyer will assume. HLA Quote: Unit price = 19.50 Shipping lead time = Eight weeks Tooling = 3,000 In addition to the suppliers quote, Sheila must consider additional costs and information before preparing a comparison of the Chinese suppliers quotation: Each monthly shipment requires three 40-foot containers. Packing costs for containerization = 2 per unit. Cost of inland transportation to port of export = 200 per container. Freight forwarders fee = 100 per shipment (letter of credit, documentation, etc.). Cost of ocean transport = 4,000 per container. This has risen significantly in recent years due to a shortage of ocean freight capacity. Marine insurance = 0.50 per 100 of shipment. U.S. port handling charges = 1,200 per container. This fee has also risen considerably this year, due to increased security. Ports have also been complaining that the charges may increase in the future. Customs duty = 5% of unit cost. Customs broker fees per shipment = 300. Transportation from Seattle to Detroit = 18.60 per hundred pounds. Need to warehouse at least four weeks of inventory in Detroit at a warehousing cost of 1.00 per cubic foot per month, to compensate for lead time uncertainty. Sheila must also figure the costs associated with committing corporate capital for holding inventory. She has spoken to some accountants, who typically use a corporate cost of capital rate of 15%. Cost of hedging currencybroker fees = 400 per shipment Additional administrative time due to international shipping = 4 hours per shipment 25 per hour (estimated) At least two five-day visits per year to travel to China to meet with supplier and provide updates on performance and shipping = 20,000 per year (estimated) The international sourcing costs must be absorbed by Sheila, as the supplier does not assume any of the additional estimated costs and invoice Sheila later, or build the costs into a revised unit price. Sheila feels that the U.S. supplier is probably less expensive, even though it quoted a higher price. Sheila also knows that this is a standard technology that is unlikely to change during the next three years, but which could be a contract that extends multiple years out. There is also a lot of hall talk amongst the engineers on her floor about next-generation automotive electronics, which will completely eliminate the need for wire harnesses, which will be replaced by electronic components that are smaller, lighter, and more reliable. She is unsure about how to calculate the total costs for each option, and she is even more unsure about how to factor these other variables into the decision. Based on this case, do you think international purchasing is more or less complex than domestic purchasing? Why? Is it worth the additional effort?

Avion, Inc. Susan Dey and Bill Mifflin, procurement managers at Avion, Inc., sat across from each other and reviewed a troubling performance report concerning a key supplier, Foster Technologies. The report detailed the deteriorating performance of Foster Technologies in the areas of material quality and on-time delivery. At this point, Kevin ODonnell, another procurement manager, entered the room. Why can changes within a supply chain disrupt the normal flow of goods and services within a supply chain?

Avion, Inc. Susan Dey and Bill Mifflin, procurement managers at Avion, Inc., sat across from each other and reviewed a troubling performance report concerning a key supplier, Foster Technologies. The report detailed the deteriorating performance of Foster Technologies in the areas of material quality and on-time delivery. At this point, Kevin ODonnell, another procurement manager, entered the room. Explain the role of performance measurement in managing supply chain activities.