1. Visit the Web sites for the professional organizations listed in the chapter. Who are their target audiences? Are some more focused on purchasing professionals, or logis- tics professionals? Which of the careers listed in these Web sites are mentioned in the chapter? Which ones sound appealing to you?
2. Draw out the transformation process similar to Figure 1.1 for a simple operations function, such as a health clinic or a car repair shop. What are the inputs? The outputs?
3. Visit the Web site for the Supply-Chain Council at www. supply-chain.org. What is the purpose of the council? Who are some of the members?
4. Early in the chapter, we argued that "every organization must make a product or provide a service that someone values." Can you think of an example where poor operations or supply chain management undercut a business?