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This is a graded discussion: 100 points possible due 30 Sep

37 37
Module 1 Discussion

*Both of the questions should be answered in the same response.

Week 1 Discussion Question:

• Discussion Part 1: Introduce Yourself: This question gives you a chance to introduce yourself to the class and to let everyone know
something interesting about you. Let’s get our feet wet and have a good time getting to know one another in this forum.

• Discussion Part 2: Competitive Priorities for Time: Read the assigned chapters for this week and respond to the following: Name the
three competitive priorities for time. Give a specific example of each one. In your answer, fully explore the impact of the global environment
on these tree competitive priorities. Does the global environment impact each of the three priorities equally? Why or why not?

Be sure to make a substantive original post, backing your work with credible sources. Please also reply to your peers with substantive feedback
that enriches the conversation and adds value to the forum.

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Eugene 
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Thursday

Competitive Priorities for Time

Eugene Mukuka

Module 1 Discussion: Competitive Priorities for Time

Student No: GSB901181

OSM5122, Strategic Global Operations Management

Instructor, Dr. Danielle Babb

27 September 2019

Introduction

My name is Eugene Mukuka from Ndola Zambia, my friends call me Eurry a nickname I have carried since my 8th grade, so don’t
ever get surprised when I’m referred to as Eurry by those who might know me on this platform. My hobbies include watching soccer, reading
about the most trending tech stories and I spend most of my free time on the internet; I call myself a tech ‘savvy’. Besides soccer and
reading about trending technology, I also enjoy having fun with my friends especially on a Friday over a cold beer to quench off a hectic
week and to put aside the profession; we call it “stress diarrhea” over a round table.

I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Systems Management from Staffordshire University- UK and currently doing my
project for my Masters degree in Computer Science- Computer Applications. I currently work for a utility company in the energy sector as a
Customer Service Center Manager, the position I have held since 2013. In executing my duties, we use Business Information Systems (BIS)
applications, which is part of my organizations Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to ensure satisfaction to our over one million customers.
All processes are done in real time.

Eugene is married with two handsome boys.

Competitive Priorities for Time.

 Hayes and Wheelwright (1984) defined competitive priorities as strategic preferences or the ways in which an organization chooses
to compete in the marketplace (Sohel Ahmad, 1984). The competitive priorities are cost, quality, time and flexibility. These are a critical
dimension that a process must possess to satisfy both its internal and external customers both now and in the future (Kajewski, 2015).

Competitive Priorities for time. The three competitive priorities for time are Delivery speed, On-Time delivery and Development
speed.

Most courier businesses in the USA have used Time as a competitive Priority, an example is FedEx, in the same day delivery
business, and delivery on schedule is a vital component in winning customers trust. According to Chase, Jacobs, et al (2006), a company
can differentiate itself using time as its competitive priority in two ways: First, is through speed delivery and secondary through reliability and
ability to deliver the goods when promised. Some of the packages that FedEx is in charge of delivering like medical supplies are extremely
time sensitive and hence the businesses is always on the lookout for ways to reduce delays in the supply chain to ensure that packages
arrive on time. One of the ways that FedEx achieves this is by controlling every part of the delivery chain.

Businesses with Delivery speed, On-time delivery and development speed as their competitive priorities impact greatly on global
business environment as most businesses must use an enterprise computing platform which is highly robust, reduce lead time, fully
integrated with all business processes (for example, suppliers and customer modules must be integrated to achieve this).

Time as a competitive priority impact greatly on business environment because customers are interested in satisfying their needs
and wants in the right quantity at the right time. Kumar & Kumar (2004) states that, “Delivery of the required function means ensuring that the
right product (meeting the requirements of quality, reliability and maintainability) is delivered in the right quantity, at the right time, in the right
place, from the right source. This should meet in a timely fashion. This is why global environment would affect each of the three competitive
priorities of time equally. Competitive priority for time focuses on lead-time reduction and the integration of all processes in the supply chain
process. Although it must be noted that any business competitive priorities are driven by and depends upon business competitive strategies
(Krajewski, 2015).

References

Kajewski, L. M. (2015). perations management: Processes and supply chains. Boston,: MA: Pearson-Prentice Hall.

Krajewski, L. M. (2015, October). Importance of Competitive priorities for any organization. Retrieved from ResearchGate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282850088_Importance_of_Competitive_priorities_for_any_organization

Richard B. Chase, R. F. (2006, January). Operations Management for Competitive Advantage. Retrieved from ResearchGate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243785663_Operations_Management_for_Competitive_Advantage

Sohel Ahmad, R. G. (1984). Dimensions Of Competitive Priorities:. The Journal of Applied Business Research: Are They Clear,
Communicated,And Consistent?, 18(1). Retrieved September 24, 2019, from file:///C:/Users/user/Documents/My%20School/UNZA%20MBA-
MS/Global%20Operations%20Management/Module%20One/2102-Article%20Text-8341-1-10-20110131.pdf

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Buumba Nambwele
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Friday

Hi Eugene,

nice to meet you. I notice in your introduction that you are a tech person, good on you. Being "tech savvy" is a plus in this fast paced
world where technology changes each day, Technology adaptation is actually one of the areas in which many organizations are failing
as they have failed to manage the rate at which technology is rapidly evolving. Others that have innovative strategies have found ways
to embrace it and have gained a competitive advantage over others.

When it comes to time as a competitive priority, the observations in your contribution are spot on. I agree that time is a great factor that
contributes to competitive advantage. More than ever before, speed has become a source of competitive advantage. The internet has
conditioned customers to expect immediate response and rapid product shipment. Service organisations such as McDonalds’ and
Poslaju have always competed on speed. Citicorp advertises a 15-minute mortgage approval and LL Discount Store ships orders the
day they are received. Now, manufacturers are also discovering the advantages of time-based competition, with build-to-order
production and efficient supply chains (Wawasan Open University, 2019).

To remain at the top, performance metrics must reflect time, speed and rate, in addition to cost and profit. Strategy should be time-paced
to create a predictable rhythm for change. As a tech guy I am sure you know some of the strategies that computer companies use in this
regard. Intel’s time-paced strategy involves doubling the capacity of computer chips every 18 months and adding a new fabrication
facility every nine months. Dell computer sets the pace for the entire industry.

Best Regards
 References

Wawasan Open University. (2019). Competitive Priorities. Press Books. Retrieved from
https://procurementmanagement.pressbooks.com/chapter/competitive-priorities/
(https://procurementmanagement.pressbooks.com/chapter/competitive-priorities/)

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Inonge
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(https://elearning.unza.zm/courses/26163/users/28388)
Friday

Hi Eugene,

Thanks for your fully-fledged article. There are a lot of valid view points you brought out. Concerning on-time delivery, it was good of
you to highlight the sensitivity of certain goods that require fast delivery not simply for the sake of it but because it is essential e.g
medical products that have an emergency demand. Like Science is affected by Communication (and vice-versa), Competitive Priority of
Time is influenced by the global environment (and vice versa too! As the delivery service advances, people also want to catch up and
not be "tech-ignorant." I noticed you live in Ndola too, nice.

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Eugene
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Friday

Hi Inonge,

Thank you for taking much your time to respond to my discussion, I really appreciate. indeed being tech ignorant is like being
ignorant in the courts of law. technology is currently the driver of any business entity. Time as a competitive priority is mostly
dependent on technology, without it reduction in lead time is only a story.

Yes i'am a Ndola resident, hope we meet one of these days to discuss some assignments.

Chherz,

Eugene.

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Hiswell
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Yesterday

Hi Eugine,

I have just finished reading your article on competitive priorities on time. I have liked the way you outlined your work. You gave a quoted
definition that of competitive priority as the strategic preferences in which an organisation chooses to compete in the market place. You
outlined the four competitive priority areas as cost, quality, time and flexibility. Further you went on to address the question by explaining
the three components of the competitive priority on time.

You explained how time is one of the key differentiator, how on time delivery reduces lead time and ended by explaining that products
must be right products,supplied at the right time and from the right source.

I look forward to reading more of your articles.

Hiswell

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Jonathan Kays
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14:38

Hello Eugene,
 Quite an informative and enlightening contribution. The examples you have given have helped me in understanding the three
competitive priorities for time. Very interesting indeed.

The need for capabilities to live up to the expectations of satisfying the development speed needed to successfully produce and launch a
new product could sometimes prove too much. A case in point is Samsung. Samsung has tried to live up to the challenge when it
comes to launching new smartphones on the market. If one launches a latest gadget such a latest smartphone with such delectable
features, many customers would rush to be the first to have it and so the manufacturer stands to earn supernormal profits.

Just to point that development speed is fast becoming more and more important too. Samsung Galaxy S8 was a product fraught with
problems for Samsung as the screen was burning. This could dent a company's image, especially to new and would-be customers.

In yet another bid to be the first ever company to producer and launch a foldable screen smartphone went awry as the prototype of the
foldable smartphone cracked during a review, and so Samsung had to defer the launch of the foldable phone (the Samsung Galaxy
Fold). This has been in the business news for sometime as to which of the mobile-phone giants would be the first to successfully launch
a foldable smartphone. The point I was trying to drive home is that development speed could be quite a challenge in some industries.
(https://www.pulse.com.gh/bi/tech/samsungs-wildly-ambitious-dollar2000-folding-phone-is-a-disaster-for-the-
smartphone/p9wn9lg (https://www.pulse.com.gh/bi/tech/samsungs-wildly-ambitious-dollar2000-folding-phone-is-a-disaster-for-the-
smartphone/p9wn9lg) ).

All the same, Samsung and Huawei are set to launch their foldable smartphones sometime this year, that is, 2019
(https://www.t3.com/news/best-folding-phones (https://www.t3.com/news/best-folding-phones) ).

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Buumba Nambwele 
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Friday

Part 1. Introduction

My name is Buumba, am from Zambia Lusaka. I am a huge fan of MotoGp and Formula 1 racing (Team Ferrari). I am also into
classical music and pre-2000s music. Also, I am into space and astro physics and fine art cinematography. I am a strategic supply chain
management specialist and most of my professional background has been working in FMCGs in MNCs. I currently have a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Public Administration and political science from the University of Zambia. This is my last course and I am really excited about it.
Doing this MBA has truly taught me time juggling, commitment and multitasking, I am a better student, mother, spouse and manager now.

I look forward to interacting with you all.

Best Regards

Part 2. Competitive Priorities for Time

Any business strategy is a short or long term plan of action of an organization designed to achieve a particular goal or set of goals or
objectives. It states how business should be conducted to achieve its goals, meet the expectations of its customers, and sustain a
competitive advantage in the marketplace. According to Rizvi (2015, p. 3), competitive priorities are critical, operational dimensions a
process, an organization or supply chain must possess to remain competitive in the market now and in future. A business chooses and
decides on competitive priorities based on the short and long terms business strategies and goals in order to have a competitive edge over
competitors.

There are nine competitive priorities that are grouped into 4 competitive capabilities dimensions (Kajewski, Malhotra and Ritzman, 2015,
p.32);

1. Cost: low-cost operation

2. Quality: top quality, consistent quality
3. Time: delivery speed, on-time delivery, development speed
4. Flexibility: customization, variety, volume flexibility

The proceeding text will provide detail on the competitive priorities of time. Examples of the three types of competitive priorities of time are
provided below. The impact of the global environment on these items wills also be provided.
 ◦ Delivery Speed: This entails providing a service or product to a customer in a timely manner. For example Walmart is testing giant kiosks
in their stores, called "pickup towers." To use the tower, customers scan a barcode on their purchase receipt. Within 45 seconds, a door
on the machine opens, and the items appear on a conveyer belt. This saves the customer time, but allows them to pick up their items -
this way they don't have to worry about packages being stolen throughout the day (Morgan, 2017). With globalization and the on
boarding of many international delivery companies such as one world, mac-speedys and other cheaper delivery options, products from
other countries are now within reach for consumers. Domestic companies now how to improve delivery speed for consumers within their
domestic markets because consumers can easily get similar higher quality or even cheaper products on a timely basis from a global
competitor.
◦ On-Time Delivery: This involves delivering the customer’s order at the agreed delivery time. For example most international delivery
companies such as FedEx, DHL and UPS provide an expected date of delivery as soon as a parcel is dropped off by a sender and a
tracking number generated. This gives the receiver the ability to plan for the delivery of a parcel.The most important role of the express
(on-time) delivery industry is in facilitating the success of other parts of the global economy. Express services are being used to transport
a growing share of world trade, as companies increasingly demand rapid, guaranteed delivery. Express delivery services are increasingly
important to ensuring the continued competitiveness of companies, and so to winning export markets and encouraging investment. They
are likely to become even more important in future as the world economy becomes increasingly integrated. Express services help to
improve the competitiveness of almost all aspects of companies’ operations, including sales, logistics and storage, production and
customer support functions. Good access to markets is the most important factor influencing international location decisions. This is
because express services are an important element in ensuring that companies wherever they are based have the best possible access
to markets.
◦ Development Speed: This entails introducing new products and services to customers quickly. An example of this is a majority of the
major mobile device producers such as Apple and Samsung mobile. They aim to provide innovative mobile phones to consumers and
aim to improve the previous versions of their phones as technology advances. New product development (NPD) speed has become
increasingly important for managing innovation in fast-changing business environments due to continuous reduction in the product life
cycle time and increase in competition from technological advancements and globalization (Chen, Reilly, and Lynn, 2012) . Speed has
become, if not the critical competency, a critical competency for companies large and small, domestic and foreign. Because of fast paced
change in various geographical regions, many companies that service various global markets have to constantly innovate to stay ahead
of other global competitors. Also because of increase global competition, domestic suppliers also have to innovate at the speed of
competitors. For example Xiaomi which is a tech giant in China has to constantly innovate to service the Chinese and Indian market for
mobile phones at the same pace as Apple and Samsung.

Conclusion

Of all the three competitive priorities of time, it can be said that the one that cuts across all industries is that of on time delivery. As
highlighted above, express services help to improve the competitiveness of almost all aspects of companies’ operations, including sales,
logistics and storage, production and customer support functions. Because every company is looking to reduce costs, boast sales and
increase value, they are constantly looking for cheaper inputs and services across and receiving these on time is key for many domestic and
multinational companies. However, of the three competitive priorities for time, the one that will take precedence is the one that adds the most
value to the firm’s final product or service.

References

Chen, J., Reilly, R., &, Lynn, G. (2009). New product development speed: Too much of a good thing? Journal of Product Innovation
Management 29 (2). doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5885.2011.00896.x

Kajewski, L., Malhotra, M., & Ritzman, L. (2015). Operations management: Processes and supply chains. Boston, MA: Pearson-Prentice
Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0133872132

Morgan, B. (2017). Five fresh examples of customer experience innovation. Forbes online. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2017/07/17/5-fresh-examples-of-customer-experience-innovation/#d299a7a5c18a
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2017/07/17/5-fresh-examples-of-customer-experience-innovation/#d299a7a5c18a)

Rizvi, S. (2015). Importance of competitive priorities for any organization. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282850088_Importance_of_Competitive_priorities_for_any_organization
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282850088_Importance_of_Competitive_priorities_for_any_organization)

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Inonge
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(https://elearning.unza.zm/courses/26163/users/28388)
Friday

Hi Buumba,
Congrats on almost finishing your studies. I do agree, such programmes take a toll on time management and force you to become
better at it.

I liked your paper and the numerous examples you gave to stress the priorities. As a take-away it is now clear that businesses should
put focus on reduction in product life-cycle time; their competition; advances in technology; and globalization. The factor that essentially
drives all other efforts stems from on-time delivery and at the core...SPEED. Thanks for your educative submission.

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Ruth Chaonsa
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Saturday

Hello Buumba,

It’s my pleasure this platform with you and am looking forward to learning from you.

I would like to thank you for a well written discussion, and I agree with that Any business strategy is a short- or long-term plan of
action of an organization designed to achieve a goal or set of goals or objectives. It states how business should be conducted to achieve
its goals, meet the expectations of its customers, and sustain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

In addition, the concept of competitive priorities is very important to organizations because it helps set up achievable goals when
implementing corporate plans into operational plans. The competitive priorities help organizations set the right course of actions for
process selection. When process capabilities fall short of the predetermined competitive priorities, they must be re-determined and re-
focused to close the gap or else revise the priority.

Finding the right competitive priorities does not happen overnight, many companies struggle for years when making decisions
regarding different competitive priorities. Nowadays, large organizations such as Wal-Mart employ information technology (IT) to help
achieve competitive priority strategy (Jitpaiboon & Thawatchai, 2014).

References

Jitpaiboon,, & Thawatchai. (2014, March). "The Study of Competitive Priorities and Information Technology Selection: Exploring Buyer
and Supplier Performance" by Jitpaiboon, Thawatchai - Journal of International Technology and Information Management, Vol. 23, Issue
3-4, March 2014 | Online Research Library: Questia. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-410141725/the-study-
of-competitive-priorities-and-information.

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Hiswell
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(https://elearning.unza.zm/courses/26163/users/26567)
Yesterday

Hi Buumba,

Reading your article on competitive priority was very interesting and educative. I am happy for you that you are doing your last course. I
am equally developing a multitasking skill which is a must for this programme.

You have explained how an organisation must achieve its goal, meet expectations and sustain competitive advantage. You defined
competitive priority as the critical, operational, dimension and process an organisation supply chain must possess to remain competitive
in the market now and in future.

You outlined the competitive priorities as cost, quality,time and flexibility. On deliver speed you gave an example of Walmart which
provides goods or services in a timely manner and saves customer time. You gave examples of FedEx, DHL and UPS's on time
delivery. Lastly on the development speed, you explained that this refers to the introduction of new products and/or services to
customers quickly. You gave a good example of mobile service providers Apple and sumsung.

Wish you the best as you write more articles.

Hiswell.

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 Zeph Bowa
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Yesterday

Hi Buumba,

Great write up. I agree with you that Time can be a source of competitive advantage on global environment. To gain competitive
advantage, companies can improve their Delivery speed, On time delivery, and Development speed. This entails having to introduce
planning in their processes, and and focus on reducing lead time. Firms like DHL, FEDEX, USPS compete on time. Samsung and Apple
have to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the competition.

The Global environment has enabled a number of firms to increase their market penetration and increase their revenue base. The
advancement in transportation and communication technologies has contributed positively to On time delivery and delivery speed, in
that goods can be delivered faster. Advances in internal processes and efficiency has complimented most firms’ development speed
for products and services.Heavy demand for certain products or services, in foreign markets, has led to some businesses speeding
up their development and delivery processes.

Regards.

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Inonge 
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Friday

DISCUSSION PART 1

My name Inonge Nawa Lifanu and I’ve taken up the MBA Entrepreneurship programme. I work in Ndola for the Zambia Revenue
Authority. My interests include the Arts and I like to write and draw; I like cartoons and chocolate and am an ardent gardener. When I’m not
decorating or gardening I’m on the TV. I love pets – dogs, cats, birds, tortoises…you name it, I’ve kept them all.

DISCUSSION PART 2

COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES

Competitive Priorities operationalize the organisation’s competitive strategy. Competitive priorities are the critical operational
dimensions a process or supply chain must possess to satisfy internal or external customers, both now and in the future (Kajewski et al.,
2016, p.31). Awwad (2013) states that a firm’s production system must possess these dimensions to support the demands of the market in
which it wishes to compete.

Competitive priorities fall into four capability groups of Cost, Quality, Time and Flexibility – capabilities that the process or supply
chain possesses and is able to deliver. Together these dimensions are developed to work together to formulate the firm’s Operation
Strategy.

Competitive Priority for Time is broken down into: On-time Delivery, Delivery Speed (reduce lead time) and Development Speed
(quickly introducing a new service or a product).

On-time Delivery; DHL Express

This capability uses its expertise in logistics and warehousing processes to deliver a very large volume of shipments on-time across the
globe (Kajewski, 2016, p.32). DHL Express is a division of German logistics company Deutsche Post DHL. It was founded in 1969 with
headquarters in Bonn and is the world’s top delivery services company when it comes to sea and air mail; with services extended to even
Iran, Afghanistan and Burma. It is the market leader in the sector because of its competitive capability of on-time delivery (Dhar, 2016).

Delivery Speed; AMAZON

Amazon delivers order fulfilment and shipping; they are efficient and accurate and speed is their major priority. Amazon offers Amazon
Prime, the company’s flagship paid membership service where customers can get guaranteed two-day shipping on all products that are
Prime eligible. This speed characteristic conditions continuous use of this service and encourages more purchases (Edwards, 2016).

Development Speed; Samsung

Samsung’s strength is its speed in product development. With its headquarters in Korea, Samsung has a strong commitment to research
and development (R&D), searching for the needs of its customers ahead of its rivals. By heavily investing in R&D, Samsung researches and
finds the demands of customs and its engineers develop innovative products which meet customer needs. They use technological innovation
for product differentiation as seen in the evolution of smartphones available in the global market. It is of the best performers is the semi-
conductors, consumer electronics and home appliances industries (Martin, 2019). Samsung utilizes a generic competitive strategy and
intensive growth strategy to provide unique products (differentiation) targeting a wide market. It capitalizes on market penetration; product
development; market development (creation of new markets); and diversification.

GLOBAL IMPACT

The global environment has a major impact on all three competitive priorities. I would say that the impact on all three is more or less equal as
the three capabilities work together to meet demand. With the technological advances and the need for speed that the world craves for
today, products and services need to be efficient; delivered on time; quick and meet demands of customers that are continually dynamic and
keep increasing in sophistication. People want systems that work faster; they want gadgets that are smaller; and they want products they
can acquire with minimum delay. In essence, people want products and services that can do more for them so that they in-turn can do less.
Also, competitive priority must meet the evolution of needs and satisfy demand; otherwise another competitor will beat them to it.

REFERENCES

Awwad, Abdulkareem S. et al. (2013). Competitive priorities and competitive advantage in Jordanian manufacturing. Scientific Research
Open Access. Retrieved from http://www.scirp.org/html/8-9201530_28953.htm (http://www.scirp.org/html/8-9201530_28953.htm)

AmmmandaXu. What are the 4 competitive priorities and competitive capabilities. Course Hero. Retrieved from
http://www.coursehero.com/file/p3bc0iu/What-are-the-4- (http://www.coursehero.com/file/p3bc0iu/What-are-the-4-) competitive-priorities-
and-competitive-capabilities-Competititve/

Dhar, Nabanita. (2016). World top 10 most popular courier services in the world. TY. Retrieved from http://www.topyaps.com/top-10-most-
popular-courier-services-in- (http://www.topyaps.com/top-10-most-popular-courier-services-in-) the-world/

Edwards, Samuel. (2016). 3 companies using speed as a competitive advantage. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from
www.entrepreneur.com/article/253372 (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253372)

Kajewski, L.J., et al. (2016). Operations Management: Processes and Supply Chains. Boston: Pearson Education Limited.

Martin, Victoria. (2018, March). Samsung’s generic competitive strategy and intensive growth strategies. Panmore Institute. Retrieved from
http://www.panmore.com/samsung-generic-strategy-intensive-growth-strategies- (http://www.panmore.com/samsung-generic-
strategy-intensive-growth-strategies-) competitive-advantage

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Buumba Nambwele
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Friday

Hi Inonge,

nice to meet you. as per your introduction, if it were up to you, I am sure you would own a whole zoo seeing your love for animals.

As the Internet has seeped into every aspect of our lives as consumers, we’ve essentially become instant gratification junkies. We want
everything now. Over time, we’ve been conditioned to crave more instant gratification and look down upon services and processes that
take a long time to develop. In today’s highly competitive market where technological innovation and its growth are very significant, on-
time delivery is a very important aspect, among many other things, for the success of a product. Due to the rapid growth of technological
innovation, the product life cycle of new products is much shorter than earlier. Reducing the delivery time in these markets reduces costs
and creates value which may help result in an organization's competitive advantage. Many companies today do not make deliberate
strategies to ensure on-time delivery, it is treated in isolation.

Time as competitive priority, can have many other dimensions (among others) such as:

◾ Manufacturing lead time.

◾ Due date performance.
◾ Rate of product introduction.
◾ Delivery lead time.
◾ Frequency of delivery.

Businesses across varying industries have quickly realized that speed can be used to develop a competitive advantage. Speed can be
categorized under a number of different labels including speed to market, speedy delivery and speedy service but the root word stays
the same. Any time a business can do something faster than the competition, they’re going to experience some level of success
(Edwards, 2016), a good example would be that of Amazon.

Best Regards

References

Edwards, Samuel. (2016). 3 companies using speed as a competitive advantage. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from
www.entrepreneur.com/article/253372 (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253372)

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Inonge
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Friday

Hi Buumba,

Thanks for taking the time to read my submission. I notice we have similar interests. I'm musically oriented too (like classical music
too, please tell me you have a piano!). Your response has a lot of educative points to learn from, thanks for the enlightenment.

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Sankananji Kambole
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Friday

Very interesting writeup. Just to comment of a few, according to Pratap (2018) the Amazon brand continuously invests in modern and
digital technology to up the level of customer experience. Though it has one of the largest supply and distribution channels, Amazon
delivers order fulfilment and shipping. In addition, financial strength has also been a major advantage. The revenue of Amazon has
continued to grow from 2014 to 2016. From 88.9 Billion dollars in 2014, it has grown to 135.9 billion dollars in 2016. Financial strength
becomes a major advantage due to several reasons. It allows the brand to make investments in several areas including technology and
HR and grow faster. With this growth especially of HR, they are able to achieve speed delivery.

Pratap (2018) Amazon Sources of Competitive Advantage Retrieved from https://notesmatic.com/Amazon-Sources-of-Competitive-

Advantage (https://notesmatic.com/Amazon-Sources-of-Competitive-Advantage)

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Inonge
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Saturday

Hi Sankananji,

Thanks for reading my paper. Thanks too for the additional information on Amazon. I concur that financial muscle and the ability to
invest gives a business leverage.

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Ruth Chaonsa
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Saturday

Hello Inonge,

It is my pleasure meeting you on this course. Thank you for your contribution to our first week’s discussion, you work is well
articulated. I agree with you that with the technological advances and the need for speed that the world craves for today, products and
services need to be efficient; delivered on time; quick and meet demands of customers that are continually dynamic and keep increasing
in sophistication.

In addition, competing on speed requires an organization characterized by fast moves, fast adaptations and tight linkages.
Decision-making is pushed down the organization as levels of management are collapsed and work is performed in cross-functional
teams. Change is embraced and risk-taking encouraged. Close contact is maintained with both suppliers and customers. Performance
metrics reflect time, speed and rate, in addition to cost and profit. Strategy is time-paced to create a predictable rhythm for change.
Intel’s time-paced strategy involves doubling the capacity of computer chips every 18 months and adding a new fabrication facility every
nine months. Dell computer sets the pace for the entire industry (Wawasan Open University, 2009).

References

Wawasan Open University. (2009). Competitive priorities – BLC 304/05 Procurement Management. Retrieved from
https://procurementmanagement.pressbooks.com/chapter/competitive-priorities/

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Inonge
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(https://elearning.unza.zm/courses/26163/users/28388)
Yesterday

Hi Ruth,

Thanks for reading my submission. You have made some interesting contributions that put the priorities as measures of
performance (performance metrics) in perspective - metrics in business don't just measure cost and profit but also time, speed and
rate. You also highlighted a valid point of how firms use time-paced strategy to deal with change.

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Zeph Bowa
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Yesterday

Hi Inonge,

Great write Article.Time is indeed a source of competitive advantage on global environment. Firms focus on processes that
improve their Delivery speed, On time delivery, and Development speed, gain competitive advantage. Processes that involve
planning and reduction of lead time are definitely essential in this case. Firms like DHL, FEDEX, USPS compete on time to have a
larger market share. In the Information Technology, Automobile, smart phones,and computer software Industries, firms compete on
Development speed, and have to constantly innovate to stay profitable. Software developers have to come up with a better
applications to remain competitive. Companies like Samsung and Apple have to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the competition.
This entails huge investments in Research and Development.

The Global environment has enabled a number of firms to increase their market penetration and increase their revenue base.
The advancement in transportation and communication technologies has contributed positively to On time delivery and delivery
speed, in that goods can be delivered faster. Advances in internal processes and efficiency has complimented most firms’
development speed for products and services.Heavy demand for certain products or services, in foreign markets, has led to some
businesses speeding up their development and delivery processes.

Regards.

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Inonge
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9:35

Hi Zeph,

Thanks for reading my paper. You have captured all the factors for business success in the midst of globalization, in a nutshell. Nice
synopsis.

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 Iyanai (https://elearning.unza.zm/about/27621)
(https://elearning.unza.zm/about/27621) 
19:13

Hello Inonge,

It is a pleasure to get to know you and hope we will share information throughout our course. Indeed the globalized environment that is
characterized by intense competition and a discerning customer base requires the competitive time priorities are put in place for
companies to remain relevant. Your amazon example on delivery speed is spot on and its success is proof enough for adherence to
delivery speed requirements for global companies. Development speed likewise has resulted in companies such as Samsung remaining
ahead of the pack as they continuously deliver customer focused products on to the market. Technological speed is indeed a key factor
that is required by the customers in this fast evolving world.

Nice Work.

Iyanai

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Sankananji Kambole 
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Friday

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Friday

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Sankananji Kambole 
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Friday

My name is Sankananji Kambole and I am from Lusaka Zambia. My hobbies include swimming and generally working out. I love to work out
because I am be able to meet other employees in the gym and get to know them on a more casual basis and also discuss relevant business
that we cannot discuss in the places of work during working hours.

I also like to travel, site seeing and visiting new places with my family. I also love spending quality time with them, cooking and discovering
new recipes. I enjoy my hobbies because exercise and fitness demonstrate health, energy, vitality, and more especially the ability to manage
stress.

I am currently working for a social security institution where I insure compliance by all employers.

As firms are forced to respond efficiently and effectively to a changing business environment, one of the strongest challenges that firms face
is gaining and developing competitive advantage. To achieve this, firms are supposed to clearly define their Completive priorities clearly.
Competitive priorities are the critical operational dimensions a process or supply chain must possess to satisfy internal or external
customers, both now and in the future (Kajewski et al. 2015). They must be present to maintain or build market share or to allow other
internal processes to be successful.

Hayes & Wheelwright (1984) suggested that companies compete in the marketplace by either one or more of the following competitive
priorities; cost, quality, time, and flexibility. Therefore, from the listed priorities, one can state that the three competitive priorities for time are
cost, quality, and flexibility.
Low-cost operations-
delivering a service or a product at the lowest possible cost to the satisfaction of external or internal customers of the process or supply chain.
Lost cost can be achieved by either cost leadership or product differentiation or both. Costleadership in which the features of this strategy
are: low cost relative to competitors, related and standardised products, and economies of scale. Toyota through economies of scale has
achieved the low cost operations by producing highly efficient and cost-effective cars. The world has really benefited from Toyota as their
cars are well known as a “low maintenance cars”. Not only that, the cost of purchasing Toyota cars is relatively low compared to their
competitive brands.

Quality- Debonairs Pizza franchise is the leading pizza restaurant chain in Africa. It standardizes work methods, staff training process, and
procurement of raw materials to achieve the same consistent product and process quality from one store to the next. With these being there
order winners, Food Brands (n.d) explains that Debonairs Pizza, which pioneered the home delivery concept in South Africa, boasts a
formidable footprint of restaurants across South Africa and 14 other African countries and is the leading pizza franchise in Southern Africa.

Flexibility- Mercedes-Benz produces luxury vehicles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz are known as luxury brands not because
everything they make is luxurious, but because most of what they produce is high-quality and pleasing to may. Mercedes has a very distinct
product range with cars for people from all around the world.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:

“Mercedes-Benz invented the automobile and is now leading the industry with a brand strategy focused on re-inventing the automobile. Their
success has been driven by the introduction of a new generation of vehicles led by their renewed foray into SUVs and smooth evolution of
new technologies to move away from traditional internal combustion engines.” This has had a very good impact on the world today as it
carters for different calibre of people with different tastes. They world has equally benefited from the different strong brands especially the
truck. In addition, the F1 sport has equally has a good representation of the Mercedes brand.

Kajewski, L., Malhotra, M., & Ritzman, L. (2015). Operations management: Processes and supply chains. Boston, MA: Pearson-Prentice
Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0133872132

Hayes & Wheelwright (1984), Quality, Time, Cost & Flexibility, Competitive Priorities. Retrieved from
https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/quality-time-cost-flexibility/ (https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/quality-
time-cost-flexibility/)

Famous Brands (n.d) Retrieved from https://famousbrands.co.za/brands/quick-service/debonairs-pizza/

(https://famousbrands.co.za/brands/quick-service/debonairs-pizza/)

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Prince
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Saturday

Hello Sankananji, I am pleased to meet you here. I like your write up, and in your introductory part one thing that came out strongly is
your decision to start exercising and the critical need for one to exercise. I am one person who really treasures exercising, this is
because a fit lifestyle not only does it make one healthy, and flexible but it also helps improve ones human thereby helping organisations
achieve competitive priorities especially those that pertain to time more efficiently.

To add to your write up, the 3 competitive priorities that I picked for time are: Delivery speed, product development speed and on time
delivery.

Thanks.

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Jonathan Kays 
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Friday

Part one: Self introduction

Hi Class,

I am Jonathan Kondowe Kays from Lusaka Zambia. In my free time I enjoy sport fishing and playing golf. I hope to lean a lot in this course
and acquire much of the theory to help me understand the business operations at work.

Part 2: Competitive priorities for time

A Company that is involved in processes of converting inputs by way of activities into products or services has to be aware that it has
competitors or potential entrants into it’s line of business particularly if it is a profitable market.

Given that it is virtually impossible for any particular company to beat its competitors in all fronts (areas) a firm might have make the
decisions to prioritise the areas on which it would like to concentrate much on so as to effectively compete with the other companies offering
substitute goods.

The three competitive priorities for time

The three competitive priorities for time in the production of a good or service include delivery speed, on-time delivery, and development
speed (Kotler & Keller, 2016). According to Kotler and Keller (2016), by delivery speed is meant the time that a firm takes to produce and
deliver a good and service to the customer after the customer makes an order. For example, in the Zambian pizza market, stiffer competition
has brought about the need for the main competitors such as Debonairs, Pizza Hut, and to be delivering the ordered pizza to customers’
doorstep. In this regard, Debonairs has employed a number of good motorbike riders to deliver the pizza at the quickest possible time and
have become the leaders in this regard.

The other aspect of competitive priority for time is on-time delivery. By on-time delivery the capability to deliver a good or service timely as
per the arrangement between the firm and the customer. For example, if a Toyota arranges to produce and ship a consignment of 200
Toyata Hilux cars to the Government of the Republic of Zambia by 27th September, 2019, and succeeds in fulfilling the order accordingly,
then Toyota is honoured its promise of on-time delivery of the vehicles.

The third competitive priority for time which firms could make use of as a basis to compete with other firms is development speed (Kotler &
Keller, 2016). By development speed is meant how quickly a company develops and introduces a new service or good on the market. Being
a leader in developing and introducing new services or products on the market could give a firm the competitive edge, especially when the
competitors are relatively sluggish in that regard. Empirical evidence shows that some firms who effectively come up with new products
usually reap maximum profits. For example, during the time of Steve Jobs, Apple used to be so innovative in developing new products such
as the i-Phone, which became so popular and they were able to sell it at a relatively high price because they were the only ones at the time
with the phone of such quality and so earned supernormal profits. The followers such as Samsung were deemed as imitators and so were
taken on lawsuits by Apple who won the lawsuit in the US market.

Impact of the global environment on the three competitive priorities for time

The global environment has had an impact on the three competitive priorities for time. Since globalisation has resulted in the reduction
and/or removal of some trade barriers to trade such as tariffs, completion in home countries of various companies has become stiffer. The
domestic firms have had to adjust accordingly in order to survive. For instance, a lot of fast firms dealing in fast foods have entered Zambia –
Spurs. Nandos, debonairs, Hungry Lion. The effect of this competition has been that there has generally been an improvement in all the
three competitive priorities for time mentioned above.

However, the impact of the global environment have varied across the three competitive priorities. This is partly due to the fact that firms
differ in the manner they would have the three competitive priorities changed just by the inherent nature of the different three competitive
priorities. For most companies, we would expect that the response in terms of speed of new service or product development in response to
the global environment would be less compared to how they would vary with either delivery speed or the on-time delivery. This is because
companies would find it relatively more difficult to adapt to the new global environment by developing new services or products.

References

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2016). Marketing management (15th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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 Prince
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Saturday

Hello Jonathan, thanks for putting up a very good and detailed write up on competitive priorities. I like the fact that you could bring it
home and provide examples that are localised, I have learnt a lot from this. I also like the way you brought out the impact of the
competitive priorities for time on the global level and how companies need to put in place in order to remain competitively relevant.

Thanks

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Prince 
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Saturday

Module 1 – Student Discussion Post

Part 1: Self Introduction

Hello Class, my name is Prince Bwalya, am aged 31 and working for a Multi-National with offices in over 100 different locations, a
staff base of over 45000 people from diverse background sand cultures. My MBA major is Management Strategy and so Global Operations
Management is one very key course to not only my academic nourishment, but my career too. I have a lot of things to learn about each one
of you my colleagues and your career backgrounds, and so I will leave my introduction here for now.

Part 2: Competitive Priorities for Time

Competitive priorities are the critical operational dimensions a process or supply chain must possess to satisfy internal or external
customers, both now and in the future. Competitive capabilities on the other hand are the cost, quality, time, and flexibility dimensions that a
process or supply chain possesses and is able to deliver. Capabilities are very critical to a supply chain this is because when they fall short
of the priority attached to it, management may be forced to find ways to close the gap or else revise the priority (Kajewski et. al., 2015a).

In this particular case, we shall concentrate on the competitive capability of time and its competitive priorities.

Competitive Priorities for Time.

1. Delivery Speed – this refers to the time taken to fill the customer’s order, It is critical for an organization to devise a system which reduces
the lead time. Netflix is the closed example with how it has engineered its customer relationship with its movie access.
2. On time Delivery – this one refers to the company’s integrity when it comes to delivery promises, retention of clients is mainly anchored
on this. Airline companies utilizes this a lot, as their passengers regardless of the class (first class or economy) require getting to the
destinations on if not in time.
3. Development Speed – refers to how quick a new service a product is introduced to the market. It is imperative for the company to involve
the right stakeholders in the design of a product so that within a short period (whilst it trends) a product is introduced. ZARA is a good
example of this competitive priority (Kajewski et. al., 2015b).

Reference

Kajewski, L., Malhotra, M., & Ritzman, L. (2015). Operations management: Processes and supply chains. Boston, MA: Pearson-Prentice
Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0133872132

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Nzari Zulu 
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Saturday

Introduction and Competitive Priorities for Time

1. About Myself

My name is Nzari Zulu. I am a Zambian national residing in Ndola. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and Technology from
the University of Zambia.
 I currently work as a Food Inspector for a government body named Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency. I love my job as I help
ensure consumers are not only supplied with food that is of high quality but is also safe.

My hobbies include travelling, reading, making friends, cooking hair plaiting and gardening. At the end of this eight weeks, I hope to
have a better understanding of Global Operations Management.

I believe I have interacted with some of you already in the previous courses I have done, while I also expect to meet new colleagues to
continue learning from each other.

Thank you.

2. Three Competitive Priorities for Time

As firms are forced to respond efficiently and effectively to a changing business environment, one of the strongest challenges that firms face
is gaining and developing competitive advantage, which may be defined as the extent to which a firm is able to create and maintain a
defensible position over its competitors (Tracey et al 1999).

The literature on operations strategy and manufacturing strategy has addressed extensively the competitive priorities which act as strategic
capabilities and which can help firms to create, develop and maintain competitive advantage. Competitive priorities are defined as the
dimensions that a firm’s production system must possess to support the demands of the markets in which the firm wishes to compete
(Krajewski and Ritzman 1993).

Phusavat and Kanchana 2007 have identified some criteria which act as competitive priorities: quality, cost, delivery and flexibility. They
define these criteria as follows:

◦ Quality: Low defect rate, product performance reliability, certification and environmental concern. Quality is a competitive weapon in the
marketplace. It engenders competitive advantage by providing products that meet or exceed customer needs and expectations.
◦ Cost: The ability to manage effectively production cost, including its related aspects such as overhead and inventory, and value-added.

Competitive advantage, as argued by Porter 1980, can be achieved by adopting one or more of the following generic competitive strategies:
1) cost leadership in which the features of this strategy are: low cost relative to competitors, related and standardised products, and
economies of scale. A cost leadership strategy requires intense supervision of labour, tight cost control, frequent and detailed control reports
and structured firm and responsibility; 2) differentiation: this strategy is described in terms of product uniqueness, an emphasis on marketing
and research, and a flexible structure; and 3) focus: this strategy implies a focus on a narrow strategic target (buyer group, product line or
geographic market) through differentiation, low cost or both.

◦ Delivery which is considered a time-based issue. Delivery addresses how quickly a product or a service is delivered to customers. It also
incorporates the time-to market for a new product. Delivery is a competitive priority because customers are interested in satisfying their
needs and wants in the right quantity at the right time. Delivery of the required function means ensuring that the right product (meeting
the requirements of quality, reliability and maintainability) is delivered in the right quantity, at the right time, in the right place, from the
right source (a vendor who is reliable and will meet commitments in a timely fashion), with the right service (both before and after sale),
and, finally, at the right price.
◦ Flexibility: This term represents the ability to deploy and/or re-deploy resources in response to changes in contractual agreements which
are initiated primarily by customers. It includes several features, such as adjustment to design/planning, volume changes and product
variety.
3. Impact of the global environment on competitive priorities

With rapid industrialization around the globe, manufacturers in developing economies have become capable of producing high-quality
standardized items at a low cost. The need to understand the operations competitive priorities in emerging economies is critical due to
potential competition.

According to Britt 2007, ‘Globalization’ has created a market dynamic that fosters new competition, demands higher levels of efficiency and
requires true expertise in supply chain optimization. New competitors from regions around the world with flexible supply chains are effectively
competing against established market leaders that have formidable brands, customer loyalty and deep resources. If that is not enough, many
of these aggressive new competitors are government-backed companies with access to lower-cost capital — a real business advantage.

As global commerce equalizes the business landscape, speed becomes even more critical and supply chains become the new competitive
weapon.

In Thomas Friedman's landmark book The World is Flat he explains how companies in the developing regions of India and China are
becoming part of large global supply chains that extend across oceans. David Barnes, chief information officer of UPS, commenting on
Friedman's book in a November 2006 issue of the Financial Times, said that by 2010, companies will no longer compete against companies.
Rather, in this new environment, supply chains will compete against supply chains. He emphasized that in the past the competitive
advantage of a company's supply chain was undervalued. Companies competed on products and services, not processes. But the intensity
of global competition and the increased commoditization is forcing companies to compete on the strength of their supply chains. In short,
having the greatest product at the lowest price is only valuable if it gets to the intended customer before the competition
(https://www.sdcexec.com/risk-compliance/article/10289694/impact-of-globalization-in-creating-sustainable-competitive-advantage).
The impact of globalization has yet to be fully realized, but one thing is clear: the business rules for engagement will never be the same.
Companies can no longer go it alone and expect success. It requires collaboration. Teaming with the right partners is essential to increase
speed, promote innovation and gain market share.

References

1. Awwad, A.S., Khattab, A.A., and Anchor, R.A. (2013). Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing.
Journal of Service Science and Management.
2. Britt, D. (2007). Impact of Globalization in Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Retrieved from: https://www.sdcexec.com/risk-
compliance/article/10289694/impact-of-globalization-in-creating-sustainable-competitive-advantage.
3. Krajewski, L., and Ritzman, L. (1993). Operations Management: Strategy and Analysis. 3rd Edition, Addison-Wesley, Boston.
4. Phusavat, K., and Kanchana, R. (2007). Competitive Priorities of Manufacturing Firms in Thailand. Industrial Management and Data
Systems, Vol. 7, No. 7.
5. Porter, M. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors. Free Press, New York.
6. Tracey, M., Vonderembse, M. and Lim, J. (1999). Manufacturing Technology and Strategy Formulation: Keys to Enhancing
Competitiveness and Improving Performance. Journal of Operations Management.

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Ruth Chaonsa 
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Saturday

Part 1: Introduction

My names are Ruth M. Phiri Chaonsa. Am currently working for a public utility company as a software developer.

My hobbies include travelling, farming, cooking and watching football. Am also passionate for the orphans and the less privilege
and it is my prayer that one day I will open a home for them.

Part 2: The three competitive priorities for time

The competitive priority is the way in which we will compete in the marketplace. For example, will we be known for low prices or
high quality. The categories of competitive priorities are cost, quality, time and flexibility. Cost involves a focus on keeping costs low. Quality
focuses on the ability of the product or service to meet specifications or the requirements of the customer. The competitive priority of time
focuses on speed of delivery and/or on-time delivery performance (Kajewski, Malhotra, & Ritzman, 2015).

Delivery speed refers to the elapsed time between receiving a customer’s order and filling it. On-time delivery measures the
frequency with which delivery-time promises are met. Development speed measures how quickly a new product or service is introduced.

Examples of competitive priorities for time

More than ever before, speed has become a source of competitive advantage. The internet has conditioned customers to expect
immediate response and rapid product shipment. Service organisations such as McDonalds’ and Poslaju have always competed on speed.
Citicorp advertises a 15-minute mortgage approval and LL Discount Store ships orders the day they are received. Now, manufacturers are
also discovering the advantages of time-based competition, with build-to-order production and efficient supply chains (Wawasan Open
University, 2009).

In the fashion industry where trends are temporary, Gap’s nine-month time-to-market can no longer compete with the two-month
design-to-rack lead-time of H&M, the Swedish retailer, or the two-week lead-time of Zara of Spain. The Gap only introduces less than 50
new fashion lines a year compared to hundreds for H&M and Zara (Wawasan Open University, 2009).

Saks Fifth Avenue sends suit measurements via the Internet to France, where a laser cuts the cloth and tailors begin their work.
The suit is completed and shipped back to New York within four days. That is about the same amount of time required for alterations in most
clothing stores. The standard for custom-made suits is 10 weeks (Wawasan Open University, 2009).
 References
Wawasan Open University. (2009). Competitive priorities – BLC 304/05 Procurement Management. Retrieved from
https://procurementmanagement.pressbooks.com/chapter/competitive-priorities/

Kajewski, L., Malhotra, M., & Ritzman, L. (2015). Operations management: Processes and supply chains. Boston, MA: Pearson-Prentice
Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0133872132

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Peter Muunga
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0:15

Hi Ruth,

Your post provides a lot of good and precise example regarding competitive priorities of time. One example I like is Mc Donalds. The
organization does almost all the three competitive priorities of time, they have to ensure orders are filled, customers are saved on time
and also develop new products to meet customer tastes and preferences in line with the regions in which their outlets are established.

It was a good contribution. Thank you.

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Hiswell 
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Yesterday

MODULE 1 DISCUSSIONS

Part 1 Self Introduction

My name is Hiswell Hakanungu. I am a teacher by profession and I have been teaching for 21 years now. I taught for 15 years at Secondary
school and have been senior lecturer of Business Studies Courses at David Livingstone College of Education in Livingstone, Zambia.

I have a Bachelor of education degree in Business Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Research Supervision.

I have liked the courses in MBA Entrepreneurship Programme which I am doing. after doing this course I expect that I will be better
equipment to work in a business decision making environment.

My ambitions are to complete my MBA ENT. programme without delay and immediately start studying for a doctorate in either Reseaarch
Methodology or Business.

PART 2 COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES FOR TIME

THE THREE COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES

Kajewski et. al define competitive priorities as the critical dimensions that a process or supply chain must possess to satisfy its internal or
external customers, both now and in the future.

The three competitive priorities for time are

1.Delivery speed( Quickly filling a customer's order)

2.On-time Delivery (Meeting delivery-time promises)

3.Development Speed (Quickly introducing a new service or a product)

Specific Examples.

Kajewski et. al (2015) give the following explanations and examples of competitive priorities for time.

Delivery Speed (Quickly filling in Customer order). Netflix engineered its customer relationship, order fulfillment and supplier
relationship processes to create an integrated Web-based system that allows its customers to watch multiple episodes of a W program or
movies in rapid succession. This reduces the lead time which is the time between the time when an order is received and the time it is filled
in. It uses back up capacity cushions,storing inventory and using premier transportation options
On-time Delivery ( Meeting Delivery Time Promises) . A good example is the United Parcel Service (UPS) which uses expertise in
transport and other logistics and warehousing processes to deliver a very large volume of shipment on time across the globe. Along with
processes that reduce lead time, planning processes (forecasting, appointments, order promising, scheduling, and capacity planning) are
used to increase percent of customer orders shipped when promised (95% is often a typical goal).

Development Speed (Quickly introducing a new service or a product). Zara is known for its ability to bring fashionable clothing designs
from the runway to market quickly. Processes aim to achieve cross -functional integration and involvement of critical external suppliers in
the service or product development process.

The impact of the global environment on the three competitive priorities on time.

No organization is an island and therefore no organization can work without being impacted by the effects of living in the global village. There
are a lot of ways in which the global environment will affect the competitive priorities on time.

Speed of delivery. On the speed of delivery the organization will be impacted by the efficiency of other service providers. For example an
organization that depends on other organizations such as those running aero planes will depend on global speed in the transportation
industry. On the On –time deliveries the same factors of using other service providers will still impact the firms. General shipping
requirements will have an impact on the firm. Increased global competition also helps a firm to pull up its socks. According to Quesada et. al
other factors are environmental uncertainty, government and international support, information technology.

Some orders by nature will demand to be treated as a priority. Take for example where the transporter has only space for either tobacco or
medicine; the later will have priority than tobacco.

In line with Unleashed Software and Inbound Logistics the distance between two organization will affect the speed of delivery as will the
availability of inventory in the organization and on the market.. The older the order the more likely it is to be delivered before other orders are
delivered. Thus the economic, social, technological and culture forces do impact the competitive priorities.

The global environment does not impact on the competitive priorities equally. This is because some factors in the environment will just affect
one or two of the three priorities. For example some factors such as the delay in transportation will affect the speed of delivery and not
development speed. Each challenge is unique and will affect one, two or three of the factors.

References

In bound Logistics. Six Global Supply Chain Challenges To ignore at Your Own Risk. Retrieved from
https://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/6-global-supply-chain-challenges-to-ignore-at-your-own-risk/
(https://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/6-global-supply-chain-challenges-to-ignore-at-your-own-risk/) on 29th September,2019.

Kajewski et. al(2015) Operations Management Process and supply Chains.Scientific Research Open Access .Journal of Service Science
and Management. Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing
Vol.6 No.1(2013), Article ID:28953,11 pages DOI:10.4236/jssm.2013.61008 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?
PaperID=28953) . retrieved from https://www.scirp.org/html/8-9201530_28953.htm#txtF4
(https://www.scirp.org/html/8-9201530_28953.htm#txtF4) on 29th September,2019.

Trans American. Four Problems affecting Your Global supply Chain. Retrieved from

https://tacustoms.com/is-tech-hurting-your-supply-chain/ (https://tacustoms.com/is-tech-hurting-your-supply-chain/) on 29th

September,2019.

Unleashed Software. Eight Key Factors that Influence Freight. Retrieved from https://www.unleashedsoftware.com>blog>8
(https://www.unleashedsoftware.com%3eblog%3e8) key-factors-influence-freight. On 29 September,2019.

Quesada, Henry & Gazo, Rado & Sanchez, Scarlett. (2012). Critical Factors Affecting Supply Chain Management: A Case Study in the US
Pallet Industry. 10.5772

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Peter Muunga
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0:09

Hi, Hiswell,

I enjoyed reading both your introduction and contribution to the topic. It does provide a lot of insights with regards to what we where
tasked to do. I agree with you that competitive priorities of time play a key role in the organizations in achieving its competitive
advantage.

In talking of no company can be an island, this is almost impossible with globalization as process and trade are all interlink across
various countries.
 It was a good contribution.

Thank you

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Zeph Bowa 
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Yesterday

Introduction

My name is Kunda Bowa. I work as Benefits Officer, for the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) in Solwezi, Zambia. My hobbies
include watching movies, listening golden oldies, watching soccer, playing chess, going to the gym, eating good food, reading, hanging out
with friends and family.

Read the assigned chapters for this week and respond to the following: Name the three competitive priorities for time. Give a
specific example of each one. In your answer, fully explore the impact of the global environment on these tree competitive
priorities. Does the global environment impact each of the three priorities equally? Why or why not?

Competitive Priorities of Time

Competitive priorities are the critical dimensions that a process or supply chain must have to satisfy internal or external customers, both
now and in the future (Kajewski, et al., 2015). A firm that decides to focus their processes on the competitive priorities of delivery speed and
development speed, is said to follow a strategy called time-based competition. (Kajewski, et al., 2015). According to Kajewski, et al., (2015),
the three competitive priorities of time are as follows:

1. Delivery Quickly filling a customer's order. Firms can consider designing processes to reduce lead time by creating extra capacity,
storing inventory, and using premium transportation options. For instance, Netflix engineered its customer relationship, order fulfilment,
and supplier relationship processes to create an integrated Web-based system that allows its customers to watch multiple episodes of a
TV program or movies in rapid succession.
2. On-time delivery. Meeting delivery-time promises. Business should consider adopting processes that reduce lead time as well as
planning processes such as forecasting, appointments, order promising, scheduling, and capacity planning, that can be used to increase
percent of customer orders shipped when promised. The United Parcel Services (UPS) uses its expertise in logistics and warehousing
processes to deliver a very large volume of shipments on time across the globe.
3. Development speed. Quickly introducing a new service or a product. Firms should consider processes that aim to achieve cross
functional integration and involvement of critical external suppliers in the service or product development process. Zara is known for its
ability to bring fashionable clothing designs from the runway to market quickly.

Impact of the Global Environment

Definitely the Global environment has had an impact on the competitive priorities of time. The Global environment has enabled a number
of firms to increase their market penetration and balance their cash flows from other foreign countries. The improvement in transportation
and communication technologies has contributed positively to On time delivery and delivery speed, in that goods can be delivered faster.
Advances in internal processes and efficiency has complimented most firms’ development speed for products and services.

Heavy demand for certain products or services, in foreign markets has led to some businesses speeding up their development and
delivery processes. Therefore, I feel that the Global environment affects the competitive priorities of time equally.

References

1. Kajewski, L., Malhotra, M., & Ritzman, L. (2015). Operations management: Processes and supply chains. Boston, MA: Pearson-Prentice
Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0133872132 pp(30-40)

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Thelma 
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Yesterday

Week 1
Discussion Part 1:

Self Introduction

My name is Thelma Siame. i am a mother of a young 16 year old girl whom i love to bits. I am a born again Christian who loves God and
loves all things Godly.

I am the Customer Service Manager for Sanlam Life Insurance company and love my job. Operations is a huge part of our ability to meet
customer satisfaction. Poor processes in turn end up affecting on both product and service delivery.

Because of the above i am so excited to start this module. I cant wait to see where and how i can contribute going forward to help improve
our internal processes.

Discussion Part 2:

◦ Some of the competitive priorities for time are:

◾ Lead Time
◾ Due date performance
◾ Time to market

These competitive priorities form the basis for establishing the competitive advantage of a company in the market.

Lead time basically is the time between the start and the end of a production process. It can be considered as the processing time that a
company takes to manufacture a product and this speed forms the basis for competitive advantage. Usually companies strive to have the
least lead time. The global environment and competitiveness in the market makes the companies to strive hard to keep lead time minimum.
Some companies do compromise the quality of production to achieve least lead time and this affects their product sale and reputation in the
market. Lead time must be achieved, maintaining the quality in production.

Due date performance is basically the on time delivery of the product or service orders. Customers usually honor this due date performance.
All the manufacturing processes must execute smoothly to facilitate this due date performance of the company. If there is breakdown in even
one of the processes, the overall manufacturing process gets impacted and the same gets reflected in the due date performance.

In the current global environment, where any kind of trend is quite short lived, time to market is the time between the product concept being
conceived and it getting delivered in the market. In the fashion world, there is cut throat competition based on time to market. H&M, Zara all
try to capitalize the time to market to introduction the latest trends and rule the fashion racks.

The global environment impacts all the above mentioned priorities to the same extent. This is so because all the above mentioned priorities
are based on speed and the company’s attempt to be speedier to keep the figure of the priorities minimal. Any roadblock or obstruction from
the global environment will have similar impact on each of the priority.

References

https://procurementmanagement.pressbooks.com/chapter/competitive-priorities/

https://brainmass.com/business/quality-management/operations-management-nine-competitive-priorities-230944

https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/quality-time-cost-flexibility/

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Peter Muunga 
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0:01

Week 1 Discussion Question:

 ◦ Discussion Part 1: Introduce Yourself:

My name is Peter Muunga. I hold a bachelors degree in Entrepreneurship and currently enrolled in the MBA Entrepreneurship
program. My hobbies are:

(i) Reading;

(ii) Politics;

(iii) Playing chess; and

(iv) Farming.

I currently run a small business that helps business start-ups to complete their legal

registration. This includes business names registration and taxation, I also offer

management advice and services.

It is my hope and belief that pursuing the MBA Entrepreneurship program will increase my understanding of business and enable me provide
better advise to my clients as well as help me excel in my business.

◦ Discussion Part 2: Competitive Priorities for Time: Read the assigned chapters for this week and respond to the following: Name the
three competitive priorities for time. Give a specific example of each one. In your answer, fully explore the impact of the global
environment on these tree competitive priorities. Does the global environment impact each of the three priorities equally? Why or why
not?

Introduction

Organizations constantly need to up their game in order to remain competitive and ahead

of competition if they are to survive in this dynamic business environment One of the

ways in which an organization or firm can achieve this is by maximizing the benefits that an

organization or firm could derive from its blending of competitive priorities in producing

goods or services demanded by its customers.

This discussion is centered on the competitive priorities of time.

Discussion

Kajewski, Malhorta, & Ritzman,(2015) outlines three types of competitive priorities of

time as being:

(a) Delivery speed

This refers to how quickly a firm is at filing a customer's order.

An example of a company that uses this competitive priority is Netflix.

(b) On time delivery

The primary goal here is meeting delivery-time promises. One company that comes to my

mind in Zambia is the Liquidated Post Newspaper. The Post Newspaper commonly

referred to as the Post had to ensure that its daily news paper publications where

distributed to all parts of the country every day on time. The company used two mediums;

Print media which had to be delivered using courier vehicle and soft copy deliveries

though the internet.

(c) Development speed

This aspect of competence priority is concerned with how quickly a firm introduces a new
 service or a product.

This priority is common to mainly information technology companies that are constantly

developing new software to meet various needs and challenges. One company that comes

to my mind is the Chinese company Huawei. This company has been affected by trade

war sanctions between united States of America(USA) and China, where in, the USA has

barred companies trading between USA companies and Chinese companies. Huawei was

using Android to run its smart Phones and after the ban, they can no longer use it to

power their phone and have to develop their own software or find an alternative. This

move has greatly affected their position and sales volumes across the globe.

Does global environment impacts on the three competitive priorities of time,Why and

Why not?

Global environment impacts on the three competitive priorities of time in many ways.

Some of the ways that trigger impacts on the three priorities are:

(i) Innovation and

Innovation does at times disrupt the way things are done. One of the things that come to

my mind is the way email has affected the traditional hand written and how they are sent,

speed and ease of delivery.

(ii) Patents or legal rights

As outlined in the above example of Huawei being affected by trade was is that Android, is a

software owned by Google and the rights to use or control its use are the sole prerogative

of Google of course subject to parent company government regulation. This is manifested

or exemplified by the Google and Huawei case which has been influenced by the USA.

The above situation is well illustrated in an article by Matthew Hughes(2019).

The world is almost becoming a border less world when it come to trade, for this reason

organisations have a number of process or reliance for components of services obtained from other countries. This has all been in the quest
to attain competitive advantages. One industry that best exemplifies this is the manufacturing of airplane. Various components are made in
diiferent countries and assemblies are done in other countries. When one country or company that is part of the value or supply chain is
negatively affected, the lag is transferred to the others in the process of value chain line.

References

Kajewski,L., Malhorta,M., & Ritzman,L.(2015) "Operations Management: Process and

Supply Chains."Boston,MA:Pearson-Prentice Hall.ISBN-13:978-0133872132

Matthew Hughes(2019) Get ready for the great Hauwei-Andriod war of independence,

Could Hauwei divorce itself entirly from Google?

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Sekani Mtonga 
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0:05
Greetings class!

Part I

Sekani Mtonga and I am a Zambian living in Lusaka. I am an accountant by profession and currently working as a financial analyst in a bank.
My hobbies are watching movies, listening to music, singing, playing board games, and traveling. My learning experience so far has been
quite challenging as I have struggled to balance work and school. I look forward to learning from your knowledge and experience.

Part II
Competitive priorities are defined as critical aspects that a process must possess in order to meet the needs of customers now and in the
future (Kajewski, Malhotra & Ritz an (2015)).
Bearing the definition in mind, time has three competitive priorities namely;

Delivery speed - the time it takes to fill an order after receiving from a customer. Processes must be designed in such a way that they reduce
lead time. For example, in a restaurant like McDonald's, processes are designed such that a customer receives their food within 20minutes
of order

On time delivery - this priority requires that delivery time promises are met in order to keep customers happy. For example Debbonairs
Pizza has set a time limit in which to deliver. If the pizza is delivered hot the color on the box remains red thus indicating that delivery was
within reasonable time.if however the color on the boz is black, it indicates that the pizza was cold and delivered late and a customer had a
right to refuse to buy such pizza.

Development speed - this priority involves the development of new products and services quickly. This requires that companies remain
innovative. For example, in the fashion industry, fashion trends are constantly being developed and improved. Therefore clothing companies
like Zara, H&M, and Old Navy are forced to always be abreast with new trends in order to remain competitive

The global environment does not impact the above competitive priorities equally. Global trends are more likely to impact development speed
more than the other priorities.

All in all, competive priorities do not remain stagnant but evolve as a business evolves.

References
1. Kajewski, L., Malhotra, M., and Ritz an, L. (2015).Operations Management : Processes and Supply Chain.

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Iyanai (https://elearning.unza.zm/about/27621)
(https://elearning.unza.zm/about/27621) 
19:01

Hi Sekani,

Am pleased to meet you in this class and hope to share ideas as we go along. Nice article you put across there. You have elaborated
well on the three priorities for time as explained in detail in your write-up. Your explanation on Debonnairs Pizza is spot on and gave me
a clearer picture on the need for companies to focus on delivery times in light of intense competition. In terms of development speed, I
agree totally that responding to evolving customer needs require an increased impetus in terms of research, new product line
development etc. otherwise new market entrants will result in company redundancy.

Good Luck

Iyanai

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Leonard Phiri 
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4:51

Discussion Part 1: Introduce Yourself:

My full names are Leonard Phiri.

I’m a Zambian currently living and working in Lilongwe, Malawi.

My hobbies include: Playing/watching football, meeting up with close friends, listening to music, travelling and watching educative
documentaries.

I am a sales coordinator in the telecommunications sector and I'm a bachelor’s degree holder in Business Management from Turkey.

Discussion Part 2: Competitive Priorities for Time:

The three (3) priorities of time include;

1. DELIVERY SPEED. This basically involves quickly filing in a customer’s order. An example of this priority is Netflix. Netflix engineered its
customer relationship, order fulfilment and supplier relationship processes to create an integrated Web-based system that allows its
customers to watch multiple episodes of a TV program or movies in rapid succession.
2. ON-TIME DELIVERY. This priority involves meeting delivery time promises by the firm. An example of this is United Parcel Services
(UPS). UPS uses it expertise in logistics and warehousing processes to deliver a very huge volume of large shipments on time across the
globe.
3. DEVELOPMENT SPEED. It involves quickly introducing a new product or service. A good example is that of luxury clothing brand Zara. It
is known for its ability to bring fashionable clothing designs from the runway to the market quickly.

All the mentioned priorities are influenced by the global environment and external customers.

References

Kajewski, L., Malhotra, M., & Ritzman, L. (2015). Operations management: Processes and supply chains. Boston, MA: Pearson-Prentice
Hall. ISBN-13: 978-0133872132

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Iyanai (https://elearning.unza.zm/about/27621) 
18:51

Iyanai Walter Chawheta

Global Operations
Competitive Priorities for Time
University of Zambia

Part 1. Introduction

Hello everyone. I’m Iyanai from Zimbabwe and stay in Harare. I enjoy reading and traveling. I am not the best of sportsman so I enjoy
watching others do the work, particularly football and cricket. I hope that from the whole MBA course I will be versatile. I intend to be move
into consultancy to which end understanding Global Operations will play big role. I hope to be the best at what I do at all times.

Part 2: Competitive Priorities for Time

Delivery Speed

This is the process of ensuring that customer orders are delivered on time through creation of design processes that satisfy proper back-up
strategies, efficient transportation, storage etc. In essence, the goal is to minimize the time it takes to produce or develop products/services,
generate sales and deliver them. A perfect example is Netflix that customized its customer relationship, order and supply relationship
processes to create a system that allows its customers to watch multiple episodes of movies and related products in quick succession
(Krajewski, Malhotra and Ritzman, 2015). In the new environment wherein companies have to deal with discerning customers in light of
intense global competition, it is prudent that organizations ensure timely delivery of their products. The internet age has brought about
advances that companies should utilize effectively across their entire value chains.

On-Time Delivery

Pozo, Da Silva, and Tachizawa (2017) give an example of ‘the Just In Time’ (JIT) as one of the key pillars for lean production that ensures
meeting delivery time promises as exemplified by the UPS strategy that is utilizes its expertise in logistics and storage capabilities to ensure
timely product delivery across the world. In today’s globalized market where technological innovation and its growth are very significant, on-
time delivery is a very important aspect, among many other things, for the success of a product (Karim, Samaranayake, Smith and
Halgamuge, 2010).

Development Speed

This refers to the ability of companies to develop and introduce new products on to the market quickly in response to customer demands and
emerging needs and thereby offer short lead times between when a customer demands on products or services and when they receive
them. According to Krajewski, Malhotra and Ritzman, (2015) “Zara is known for its ability to bring
fashionable clothing designs from the runway to market quickly”. The global environment has become very competitive and companies that
are not able to move with the new tastes emerging from increased customer demands will inevitably fail and/or lose out to other
organizations.

References

Karim, M. A., Samaranayake, P., Smith, A. J. R., & Halgamuge, S. K. (2010). An on-time delivery improvement model for manufacturing
organizations. International Journal of Production Research, 48(8), 2373-2394. doi:10.1080/00207540802642245.

Krajewski, L.J., Malhotra, M.K., & Ritzman, L. (2015). Operations Management: Processes and Supply Chains Plus (11th Ed). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Pozo, H., Da Silva, O., & Tachizawa, T. (2017) The influence of performance objectives on the implementation of lean manufacturing
practices: An analysis based on strategic groups. Cogent Business & Management, 4(1). doi:10.1080/23311975.2017.1405718

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