Resources needed:

1)

A windows PC with Microsoft Excel installed. If you need this software, follow

these steps to install it.

2.

Ess13ch02_Questionfile.xlsx

In this exercise, you will learn how to use spreadsheet software to improve management

decisions about selecting suppliers. You will filter transactional data about suppliers based on

several criteria to select the best suppliers for your company.

Scenario:

You run a company that manufactures aircraft components. You have many

competitors who are trying to offer lower prices and better service to customers, and you are

trying to determine whether you can benefit from better supply chain management. The

Assignments area under Week 2, you will find a spreadsheet file

(Ess13ch02_Questionfile.xlsx)

that contains a list of all the items your firm has ordered from

its suppliers during the past three months. The fields in the spreadsheet file include vendor

name, vendor identification number, purchaser’s order number, item identification number and

item description (for each item ordered from the vendor), cost per item, number of units of the

item ordered (quantity), total cost of each order, vendor’s accounts payable terms, order date,

and actual arrival date for each order.

Prepare a recommendation of how you can use the data in this spreadsheet database to

improve your decisions about selecting suppliers. Some criteria to consider for identifying

preferred suppliers include:

?

the supplier’s track record for on-time deliveries

?

suppliers offering the best accounts payable terms

?

suppliers offering lower pricing when the same item can be provided by multiple

suppliers. (extra credit)

Use your spreadsheet software to prepare reports to support your recommendations.

Information about the data:

?

At a minimum you will need to be able to sort the database by various criteria such as

item description, item cost, vendor number, or A/P terms

?

A/P terms is expressed as the number of days that the customer has to pay the vendor

for the purchase. In other words, 30 designates net 30 days. The vendor that allows

customers the longest amount of time to pay for an order would, of course, offer the

most favorable payment terms.

pur-new-sol

Related Questions