Management

CourseObjective: ” Cross Functional Team”

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Discuss the individual contributions that could be made by a cross-functional team to the following list of activities. Assume the team consists of engineering, manufacturing, and supply management personnel.

a. Specifications Development
b. Market Analysis
c. Productivity/cost improvements
d. Make or buy analysis
e. Determination of inventory levels

To kick this off let me say that being able to effectively participate and lead cross functional teams is critical to effectively implementing supply chain management. Cross functional equates to diversity meaning that you have individuals with different skill sets and motivations (based on their respective organizations). Harnessing this expertise and working through the natural barriers that exist is truly a challenge that requires effort to achieve the desired end state…that is to resolve issues and problems and/or to deliver viable alternative solutions.

The forum question reflects this diversity placing it in the context of specific teams and actions.

Cross-FuAnctional Team

ANSWER

Cross-Functional Team

A cross-functional team entails a group of people with varying functional expertise but working towards a common goal. An organization with a cross-functional team means having a diverse group of individuals who can develop their strengths and struggles, thus allowing innovative ideas. Cross-functional teams aim to break down departmental barriers, focus workers, and allow workers to have a bigger picture. Cross-functional teams make individual contributions to market analysis, cost/productivity improvements, specifications development, inventory levels and make or buy analysis.

In the specification’s development, the cross-functional team members are suppliers and engineers. Ideally, the new product development process is a series of overlapping and independent activities that transform an idea into a marketable product (Wisner, Tan and Leong, 2014). In market analysis, a cross-functional team evaluates the markets and applies different elements such as supply management, engineering, and manufacturing to form a suitable marketing strategy. This enables them to the team and performs excellently. Every business is based on cost and return on Investment. Supply chain management, engineering, and manufacturing play different roles in productivity. During the project, the different departments offer budgets used in determining the return on Investment, which is essential in evaluating the success of the project.

The make or buy decision entails making a strategic decision between production and sourcing of items. Cross functional team entailing the procurement team, the management and production team make individual decisions that are important in making final decision on buy or make. Ideally, the buy or make analysis are conducted at operational and strategic levels to reinforce the organization’s core competencies.

Determination of inventory levels enables an organization to use inventory system which does not demand for storing inventory. Considerably, the suppliers and production team dictate materials that are being issued only when the production order is being processed. For instance, the supplier helps in the management of the supply chain and waste management. Generally, the wide cross functional teams are established to create links between the key processes to the supply chain strategy within the organization.

References

Wisner, J. D., Tan, K. C., & Leong, G. K. (2014). Principles of supply chain management: A balanced approach. Cengage Learning.