Response to the following:
1. Buy vs. Make
Discuss how a product's life-cycle can impact the buy/make aspect of the supply chain (refer to Section 9.3 in your text). Are there different times/phases in a product life-cycle when it would make sense to change from a buy/make aspect to an outsourced aspect (for the same part/aspect)?
2. Wal-Mart
Read the Case: Wal-Mart Changes Tactics to Meet International Tastes. Other than profit, what other reasons would Wal-Mart have for opening stores globally? Why would Wal-Mart want strong centralized or localized control of its stores?