Case Study Report: Analysis of Huawei’s Global Supply Chain

Supply Chain Model

Study the attached business case*, and make use of an additional case of student’s own choice as a comparison (only for a supportive) , write a case study report addressing, but not limited to, the following two components:

Study the business case* autonomously, and critically analyse the supply chain model:

Develop and articulate a general “conceptual model” for the supply chain, which best represents the case’s predominant supply chain strategy, structure, and operations. Student should name and describe the supply chain conceptual model (examples of models are shown below).

Rigorously explain or argue with support of literatures, if necessary, why the conceptual model is the supply chain’s essential characteristics and the key driver for the supply chain’s competitive performances.

Discuss the practices or the managerial approaches of the supply chain model:

Critically identify any prominent supply chain management approaches or practices that are described or indicated in the case, which operationalise the conceptual model. Student should to describe how to, or how do they set out to achieve it (the way of doing something called “approach”).

Critically analyse those approaches and practices in terms of their effectiveness, efficiency, as well as their feasibility in achieving the supply chain’s strategic objectives.

Identifying a conceptual SC “model” from the case answers the questions of “what is it?”; on the other hand, describing the “approach” to implement a SC model answers the question of “How to do it?”. Surely, the two are different

1. Essentially question 1a is about what is it; and question 2a is how to do it.
2. Student can build you own model regardless whether the case has already stated a clear SC model or not; on the other hand, student can define a SC conceptual model of the case in a way that is exactly the same as discussed in the case, so long as student can clearly articulate your own understanding on why such a model is an appropriate representation of the real-world supply chain described in the case

If student sees more than one SC conceptual models in the case , student needs to define and describe all of them; and the differences between them

Please remember, some cases don’t have a conceptual model clearly defined, and /or don’t have any clearly indicated approaches to implement the model. Then, it is student task to understand the case and to formulate or develop any reasonable conceptual models that fit to the case, and to identify what are existing or possible managerial approaches to implement the model

Student can use an overall introduction and conclusion / summary for each questions

Definition of Supply Chain Model: A “supply chain model” or the “model of supply chain”, here in the PMA assignment, is defined as a collective pattern of a supply chain and its behaviour based on a raft of managerial characteristics including but not limited to: planning, strategies, structure, configuration, relationship posture, coordinative operational style, market segments, and the ways the consumers are engaged.

Lean supply chain

Agile supply chain

Leagile supply chain

Efficient supply chain

Quick responsive supply chain

Fast-moving supply chains

Knowledge based sourcing supply chain

Close partnership based supply chain

Vertically integrated supply chain

Disruption resilient supply chain

Risk hedging supply chain

Multi-echelon supply chain

Synchronised supply chain

Multiple level interfacing supply chain

High visibility supply chain

Forward integrated supply chain

Backward integrated supply chain

Low carbon footprint supply chain

Environmentally sustainable supply chain

Consumer driven supply chain

Manufacturer driven supply chain

Service enhanced supply chain

The report must mainly focus on the case given; an additional case of student’s own individual choice is only for a supportive.  You don’t need to present the case in the report. 

Total word limit range, excluding reference and contents, should be from 3,500 to 4,000; any excess words beyond 4,000 may not be marked.

Citations and references are recommended to be in Harvard Style

The report is recommended to have an appropriate structure, a contents page, and with clear section titles.  

A brief introduction at the very beginning, and a summary or conclusion may be added at the end, but they are not compulsory.

1. Formulate an advanced conceptual model from a real-world supply chain case or part of it, by interpreting its associated management issues from a much wider and more strategic supply chain perspective.
2. Creatively conduct an independent evaluation and/or critical analysis on any of the following key supply chain management approaches that might be dominating the real-world case in question, including: strategic outsourcing; end-to-end supply chain integration; supplier-buyer relationships, partnership and collaboration; supply-base development; win-win sourcing; lean and agile supply management; customer driven value-adding; and so on.
3. Demonstrate a sound and advanced skill set in rigorously reasoning and articulating any real-world supply chain issues through applying learned frameworks, models and tools to reveal the underlying connections of complex conceptual factors within the supply chain systems while engaging scholarly literatures autonomously.