Assignment: Choosing a Distributor
Today's hospitality managers have many options when choosing a purchasing distributor for their business. These distributors range from large distribution firms that carry anything a hospitality company needs to small niche suppliers that specialize in a specific category of products.
For this assignment, you will choose one (1) major food / equipment distributor, either global, regional, or local (i.e., Sysco Foods Inc., U.S. Foods, Sherwood Food Distributors, or S&W Wholesale Foods), for restaurants and conduct an in-depth research study.
Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:
1. Choose one (1) distributor company and provide a brief overview including:
a. a history of the company
b. the geographical areas that they serve
c. a high-level list of supplies they offer (by category)
d. the main competitors
2. Choose one (1) competitive distribution company and compare and contrast five (5) similar products (offered by both firms) in the areas of price, quality, and value. Create a table to represent the data.
3. Provide an overview of this company's payment policy including:
a. the objective of payment policy
b. the costs of paying early
c. the costs of late payment
d. the mechanics of bill paying
e. discounting
4. Determine whether or not to choose this distributor as the main supplier for the restaurant chain you selected in Assignment 1. Explain the decision by discussing the following items:
a. The impact of this distributor's purchasing policy on the supplier selection.
b. This distributor's ranking based on the supplier selection criteria outlined in Chapter 12 of the Feinstein and Stafanelli textbook.
c. The most important supplier selection criteria for this distributor.
d. The comparison between this distributor and its competitors based on the most important selection criteria identified in number 5c.
5. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
- Explain how to analyze various procurement requirements to determine the optimal quantity, price, payment policy, and supplier.
- Demonstrate the ability to evaluate food costs and explain how this is used in the decision-making process.
- Use technology and information resources to research issues in purchasing and cost control.
- Write clearly and concisely about purchasing and cost control using proper writing mechanics.