Assignment: Wal-Mart & Massage Envy
Research two manufacturing or two service companies that manage inventory and write a 5 to 7 pages paper in which you:
1) Determine the types of inventories these companies currently manage and describe their essential inventory characteristics.
2) Analyze how each of their goods and service design concepts are integrated.
3) Evaluate the role their inventory plays in the company's performance, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
4) Compare and contrast the four different types of layouts found with each company; explain the importance of the layouts to the company's manufacturing or service operations.
5) Determine at least two metrics to evaluate supply chain performance of the companies; suggest improvements to the design and operations of their supply chains based on those metrics.
6) Suggest ways to improve the inventory management for each of the companies without affecting operations and the customer benefit package. Provide a rationale to support the suggestion.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.