Green Supply Chain - Coursework Example

GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN Introduction Stagecoach Company has made road transportation the core and heart of its business. It has made this possible by using strategies that reduce carbon emissions. Stagecoach Company modernizes their vehicles and other modes of transport making them efficient and environmental friendly. Old vehicles are replaced with new vehicles and the company implements new technology that ensures their vehicles are efficient. Drivers are made aware on the importance of preserving and conserving the environment. Stagecoach should ensure that green supply chain is connected to its transportation business to reduce cost and increase outputs. Monsoon Company uses strategies that are environmental friendly in manufacturing their chemicals. They do not dump waste materials but they recycle their waste products to avoid pollution. They have an accounting program that monitors activities that may led to degradation of the environment. Amazon Company is also environment sensitive since they replace trees that they have used in manufacturing their books. This is by planting more trees than they have cut for manufacturing of paper. Sustainability Stagecoach Company controls the effect that carbon dioxide may cause to the environment by replacing old vehicles. The company improves the efficiency of their vehicles thus offering their customers excellent services and as well reducing impacts on the environment (Basu & Wright, 2007). They have implemented new technology in their vehicles that do not guzzle appreciable quantities fuel and thus reducing carbon dioxide emission. These vehicles have achieved a high emission standard in Europe. The company has set targets on carbon emission strategies as the centre of their green program. This is possible, as they have introduced an accounting and control system of carbon emissions. This program is integrated with their business agenda to ensure transparency to their customers and ensure they have managed carbon emissions by their vehicles. The company has used alternative technologies that are environmental friendly, which reduce carbon dioxide emissions. They have more than 1000 vehicles with alternative drive train, which are modified to ensure efficiency to their customers (Basu & Wright, 2007). The modifications include aerodynamics technology that has proven to be efficient and electronic adaptations that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Drivers are made aware of the importance of environment conservation. Drivers are trained on better driving techniques where they drive efficiently, thus saving fuel. There are many campaigns on awareness of efficient driving that will assist in saving fuel. They should use vehicles that do not depend on fuel for energy because of its rising cost and fines they pay from carbon emissions Monsoon Company has to come up with other alternatives for dealing with raising fuel cost and regulations that govern carbon dioxide emissions. This will interfere with most of their supply chain strategies for delivering services to customers. These companies pay a huge amount of taxes that interfere with their outcomes and profits. It is therefore, the role of these companies to come up with alternative technology that will be used in manufacturing their chemicals. This technology should be environmental sensitive by reducing the rate of carbon emissions (Emmete, & Sood, 2010). The company should use raw materials are not toxic and might have impact on the environment. This helps in reductions of carbon dioxide emissions, thus conserving the environment. It is the role of the company to connect their businesses with green supply for the purpose of transparency. Customer’s needs are fulfilled by companies that connect their business to green supply resulting to high output of the company. Connecting green supply goals with business goals Companies like Amazon must align their businesses with green supply chains to realize their objectives. Amazon should ensure that green supply chain is connected manufacturing book business to reduce cost and increase outputs (McDaniel, 2000). It is the role of the managing department to look at the goals of the company and decide the best approach to merge them with the green supply chain. Monsoon Company can reduce operation cost by reducing the consumption rate. This is achieved by use of efficient energy saving methods and green equipments. Monsoon Company should change their business process to achieve efficiency. Companies that do not change their process end up wasting materials and polluting the environment. Monsoon needs to review its business plans and look at areas that will improve if merged with green supply chain (Simpson, & Samson, 2008). This will help the company to come up with strategies that allow environment conservation as they supply their products. This process has helped stagecoach as well as Amazon to identify areas that have led to wastage of resources and pollution of the environment due to inefficient materials. Stagecoach, Amazon and Monson should review their business processes by considering factors beyond the company wall. They should look for suppliers who have less impact on the environment but they have not reduced quality of their materials or increased cost of these materials. Energy pricing To achieve better energy prices, Monson and stagecoach should look for market structures that are able to make appropriate decisions on both supply and demand. This can only be achieved by setting prices of energy that reflect the cost of energy supply. High prices are likely to decrease the demand of energy and result to new investments in supply (Seksan, 2010). Consequently, low prices results to high demand of energy, thus reducing supply. There are debates about energy prices especially in the transportation industry since the prices are not transparent. There must be a better resource allocation for consumers for them to respond to these prices. Higher income exceeds the demand of high-energy prices since consumers invest in new energy demands. Supply chains Supply chains are either simple or complex depending on the size and nature of business. Amazon and Monson have a complicated supply chain since they supply various items. Supply chains in Monson and Amazon companies begin and end with a consumer. Customers start many supply chains when they decide to purchase a product or service offered by a company (Sople, 2010). The customer will inform the company on the product they want to be delivered, and thereafter the company will contact the sales department. The sale department is informed about the product and the date they should deliver this product to the customer. Planning The requirements of the customer are combined with other orders in Amazon and Monsoon Company. It is the role of the planning department to process the requirements of the customer (Wang, & Gupta, 2011). It is therefore, the role of Amazon Company to purchase the needed materials for delivering the product to the customer. Companies are careful during the planning process since this determines the goods and services to be delivered to customers. Purchasing Lists of raw materials that are needed by the production department are given to the purchasing department. This will assist the purchasing department to find the necessary raw materials for completing the customer’s orders. This department will send a list of needed materials to the suppliers so that they deliver them at the manufacturing site. The raw materials must be scrutinized to guarantee they are of exceptional quality and are accurate. They are then moved to the warehouse where they are stored. After the suppliers have delivered the raw materials, they send an invoice for materials they have delivered. These materials are stored in the warehouse until when needed by the production department. Production Production departments process the goods or services needed by the customer according to the plan they receive from the planning department. The finished goods are taken back for storage in the storehouse waiting to be distributed to the customer. It is at this stage that raw materials are turned into finished goods according to the customer’s request. Transportation It is the work of the transportation department to come up with a schedule to transporting goods to the customer. The department decides the efficient method of transporting goods to the customer so that they arrive on time. This department ensures that goods are safely shipped to the customer without any damage. After the customer receives the goods, Amazon and Monsoon companies sends an invoice on delivery of the goods. Quality and Delivery of Purchases Amazon Company and stagecoach have a problem in having the best delivery performance of their products to customers. Companies that want to achieve the best delivery performance should use MRP system. These Companies should combine the implementation of MRP system with other factors that connect to purchasing. Gaining Competitive Advantage through the Supply Chain Supply chains assist companies like stagecoach, Monsoon and Amazon to achieve most of their revenues from their productions. These revenues are attained through strategic sourcing and logistics. They assist the companies to come up with a plan and information that will assist in supply of services to customers. Supply chain is advantageous as it allows companies to combine information and activities at low cost and receive better outputs. Stagecoach, Monsoon and Amazon companies use supply chain process as a competitive tool. This is because supply chain is used to help companies to integrate customers need with best supply agencies. Through supply chains, companies are able to come up with strategic goals and missions that will help improve the company. Supply Chain Theory Many supply chains will begin and end with a consumer. Monsoon, Amazon and stagecoach should utilize a supply chain that caters for the needs of the customer (Wilkerson, 2005). Customers start many supply chains during the buying of a product offered by a company. Company will plan on the strategy of manufacturing the intended goods for the customer. They ensure that the goods are of high eminence, and they are delivered on time. Planning department’s leas with the purchasing department to ensure they purchase the correct materials for manufacturing. The raw materials must be scrutinized to guarantee they are superior. Conclusion Stagecoach, Monsoon and Amazon Companies have to come up with other alternatives for dealing with raising fuel cost and regulations that govern carbon dioxide emissions. These companies improve the efficiency of the production process thus offering their customers excellent services as well as reducing impacts on the environment. This is possible, as they have introduced an accounting and control system of carbon emissions. The companies have used alternative technologies that are environmental friendly, which reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The modifications include aerodynamics technology that has proven to be efficient and electronic adaptations that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Companies like stagecoach, Amazon and Monsoon must align their businesses with green supply chains to realize their objectives. References Basu, R. & Wright, N, (2007). Total supply chain management, New York, Butterworth-Heinemann. Emmete, G. & Sood, V, (2010). Green supply chain, an action manifesto, New York, John Wiley & Sons. McDaniel, J, (2000), The lean of green supply, Retrieved on 14th April 2012 from, http://www.epa.gov/oppt/library/pubs/archive/acct-archive/pubs/lean.pdf Simpson, D & Samson, D, (2008), Developing strategies for green supply chain management, Retrieved on 14th April 2012 from, http://www.decisionsciences.org/decisionline/Vol39/39_4/dsi-dl39_4pom.pdf Seksan, N, (2010), the implementation of green supply chain, management practices in electronics industry, Retrieved on 14th April 2012 from, http://www.iaeng.org/publication/IMECS2010/IMECS2010_pp1563-1568.pdf Sople, V, (2010), Supply chain management: text and cases, New York, pearson education india. Wang, H & Gupta, S, (2011), Green supply chain management, product life cycle approach, New York, McGraw-Hill Prof Med/Tech. Wilkerson, T, (2005), Beat practice in implementing green supply chains, Retrieved on 14th April 2012 from, Read More