Altera Supply chain & Logisitics Management Essay

Altera Supply chain & Logisitics Management - Essay Example However, considering the emerging realities, come 2001, Altera’s inventory model started exhibiting the essential flaws of a push based supply chain. Altera successively failed to react appropriately to unpredictably changing demand patterns (Cohen & Roussel 2004). Going by the precarious shelf life of Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), its augmenting inventory started to get more vulnerable to the risk of being obsolete. Owing to the bullwhip effect, the inventory pile up further worsened. A lack of coordination with the customers also deteriorated the services levels extended by Altera (Cohen & Roussel 2004). Hence, Altera was left with no other option but to change or perish. Thus the intended and expected benefits of a push based supply chain that is cost minimization and optimal resource allocation started to appear elusive in the light of a debilitating write down. One plausible option was that Altera could have resorted to a pure pull based supply chain to diminish the inventory levels. However, this would not have been a pragmatic strategy owing to varied reasons. First, considering the long lead times from the fabrication to the customer would have practically obliterated the possibility of a viable pull based supply chain (Handfield & Nichols 1998). Going by the long life cycle of semiconductors, it is next to impossible to react fast to the incoming demand data and information. Secondly, even if, and it’s a big if in the technology sector, a pull based strategy would have been put in place, it would have negated the viability of achieving economies of scale, while manufacturing (Handfield & Nichols 1998). So the appropriate supply chain strategy for Altera, going by the very nature of PLD manufacturing, would have been a hybrid of push and pull strategy. This is exactly what Altera opted for. Therefore, as expected the eventual new strategy chosen by Altera is Push-Pull supply chain. As per the fundamentals of this strategy, Altera deci ded to let the initial stages of the supply chain, right up to the manufacturing of die banks be push based, while the remaining part of supply chain that began with the confirmation of the order from the customers to be pull based. Thus in the new strategy, the push-pull boundary rested at the testing, packaging and shipping of the PLDs. This in a way offered Altera the best of both worlds. While the push part of the strategy allowed it to minimize costs, affect optimal resource allocation and deal with long lead times, the pull part of the strategy allowed it to maximize the customers’ service levels and allow for apt responsiveness to demand alterations (Blanchard 2010). Realistically speaking, Altera’s new strategy could positively be expected to be a success, as it is the most appropriate supply strategy for the mix of demand uncertainty and the requisite economies of scale that PLDs entail. Besides, Altera’s new strategy makes it feasible to base demand es timates on aggregate forecasts, thereby adding to its reliability and chances of success (Blanchard 2010). The already initiated digital supply chain integration with the customers will further consolidate this new strategy. Customers’ Response Altera’s customers, if well informed will certainly react

Jami jensen Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jami jensen - Case Study Example As such, there are certain laws that can be applied in order to address this particular issue. The Sexual Harassment Policy that is administered by the US department of state can be applied to this case. This policy clearly outlines all the actions that constitute sexual harassment such as sexually suggestive behaviour, behaviour towards a co-worker as well as conditional terms of employment where a senior person for instance seeks to gain sexual benefits from the other employee. In this case, the Sexual Harassment Policy can be invoked by the responsible authorities in order to make sure that this kind of treatment to Jensen is solved. This policy is designed to protect the victims of sexual harassment. When a complaint about sexual harassment by the other co-worker is made to the Department of State, an investigation will be carried out and the offender may be disciplined for the bad behaviour. The penalty for committing this crime often varies depending with the seriousness of the offence. When the crime is too big, the offender can even be fired from work. In some cases, the perpetrator can be reprimanded or asked to pay damages to the victim. The sexual harassment policy is designed in such a way that it protects the interests of all employees in the organization without fear or favour. This policy is also color blind in that it seeks to protect all the employees in the company regardless of their skin color, creed or belief. In this case, the VP is taking advantage of Jensen by virtue of her skin color. The fact that she is dark does not entitle the VP to advance his sexual interests towards her since this is a serious crime. In the US, sexual discrimination on the basis of skin color is a serious offence and it can be noted that the VP is committing a crime by exposing his sexual desires towards Miss Jensen. Ethically, the VP should behave in a way which befits his status in the organization. This will also go a long way in building the much needed respe ct from the co-workers. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) can also be applied to this case since it is designed to protect the interests of all people regardless of their race or creed. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces this law in the US. As noted in this case, Jensen is a light olive skinned black woman from Atlanta and this may be the reason why she is sexually harassed. The sexual harasser seeks to take advantage of her race to gain sexual favours in return for securing her job in the company. The other issue in this case is that her contract is not written and she is not offered salary that is similar to other co-workers. This shows that there is a sinister motive by the VP to take advantage of Jensen by virtue of her race and sex. The other law that can be applied in such a case is the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Once a person has been offered a job, then he or she is entitled to get pay that is equal to other co-workers that are doing the same job with hi m or her. It can be noted that Jensen accepts the employment offer even though the salary is different from other employees. The Equal Pay Act is meant to protect people like Jensen since they also have rights like any other employee in the company. Jensen also goes against the wishes of the VP to attend to her family and she is demoted from the position she has been elevated to. She also loses her salary since it is slashed to $40Â  000 a year. However, she is promised that she can get a