Students in groups of 4-5 will work with your company to identify your needs and provide actionable recommendations, based on their in-depth research and analysis.

Category Analysis and Supplier Selection reports that students can complete may include, but are not limited to:

• Clearly communicate how overall category demand and supply affect price and availability/risk
• Identify an initial supplier pool
• Develop a supplier selection scorecard
• Identify the best supplier

Students will research and report on:

Supplier Description - basic demographics, location, revenue, employees, etc

Supplier Evaluation - Students will analyze and evaluate the supplier with criteria deemed as important to your business in the selection process. They will also be able to describe the financial health and evaluate the trends noted in the supplier's finances that may affect the supplier's future financial stability.

1. What does each unit cost, on-time delivery record, defect rate
2. Does the supplier run lean, six-sigma programs?
3. Is the supplier a leader in corporate social responsibility?
4. Does the supplier have the capacity/scale to meet your needs?
5. Can the supplier fulfill orders from multiple plants/stocking points around the world?

Finally, the students can provide a recommendation about if the supplier is a viable option and provide a grade or score on the aforementioned supplier so you can make the most informed decisions when moving forward.