Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
By completing this assessment, you will be able
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
By completing this assessment, you will be able to:
● CLO 1: Examine the role and importance of purchasing strategy in supply chain
management
● CLO 4: Examine the intricacies of cost management in the purchase/supply decision
Task
Read the case outlined in Appendix A and answer the questions in a written report.
How to Complete This Assessment
1. This is an individual assignment.
2. Students are encouraged to research for any missing organization information using
external sources. All sources must be appropriately cited and referenced.
3. Work shall be in APA format, including references.
4. Report shall not exceed 2000 words (excluding title page and references).
Grading Criteria
Criteria Exemplary Proficient Emerging Not Included
Question 1
(max. 20 points)
Exemplary spend
map with all
required
elements; the
layout is clear
and professional.
All product
categories are
included
Proficient spend
map with all
required
elements; the
layout is clear
and professional.
All or most
product
categories are
Emerging spend
map with all or
some required
elements.
Layout is
emerging. All or
some of the
product
categories are
No spend map or
spend map is
missing the
required
elements. The
layout is unclear;
incorrect or nonexistent
included included
Question 2
(max. 35 points)
Exemplary choice
and justification
of all spend
categories.
Proficient choice
and justification
of all or most of
the spend
categories.
Emerging choice
and justification
of some of the
spend
categories.
Missing spend
category or
justification;
incorrect spend
category
selection or
justification;
incomplete
answer.
Question 3 –
Details
(max. 15 points)
Exemplary
response with
details on each
spend category
and the strategy.
Proficient
response with
details on each
spend category
and the strategy.
Emerging
response with
details on some
spend categories
and the strategy.
Missing or
lacking
responses and
justifications.
Question 3 –
Substrategies
(max. 10 points)
Appropriate use
of supply
substrategies for
all spend
categories.
Appropriate use
of supply
substrategies for
all or most spend
categories.
Emerging use of
supply
substrategies for
spend
categories.
Lack of use of
supply
substrategies
Question 3 –
Organization
consideration
(max. 10 points)
Excellent
consideration of
the organization
as a whole
Proficient
consideration of
the organization
as a whole
Some
consideration of
the organization
as a whole
Lack of
consideration of
the organization
as a whole.
Professionalism,
referencing,
quality of writing.
(max. 10 points)
Sources cited
and referenced
correctly; Report
uses APA format;
assignment
instructions were
strictly followed;
exemplary
quality of writing
Sources cited
and referenced
adequately;
mostly APA
format used;
assignment
instructions were
followed;
proficient quality
of writing
Some sources
cited and
referenced;
lacking APA
format;
assignment
instructions were
somewhat
followed;
emerging quality
of writing
Some or no
sources are cited
and/or
referenced. No
APA formatting.
Writing lacking
quality.
Assignment
instructions were
somewhat
followed
TOTAL /100
How to Submit Your Assessment
Assignments shall be submitted in pdf format in Moodle by the due date in the syllabus.
How to Cite References
Provide references in APA format for information discussed in this assessment description. For
more information on citing sources in APA format, please review the “How to Cite” resources
from The Learning Portal (https://tlp-lpa.ca/research/build-citations). Click on the “APA” tab
under “Citation Examples”.
Appendix A: Palliser’s sourcing needs.
This is a fictitious case based on a real company.
Palliser is a Canadian manufacturer of personalized home furnishings. Palliser is a privately
held, family-owned organization founded in rural Manitoba in 1944. See www.palliser.com for
more details.
As a furniture manufacturer, Palliser is required to source various products from hardware to
fabrics to fasteners.
The following is a list of categories of products that Palliser needs to source.
a) Wood and wood products
b) Glues and adhesives
c) High-density foam
d) Fabric
e) Leather
f) LED lights and lighting accessories
g) Power motion furniture hardware, plug, and batteries
h) Fasteners
The highest spend categories are wood and wood products, fabric, leather and high-density
foam. The lowest spend categories are glues and adhesives and LED lights and lighting
accessories. The highest volume categories are glues and adhesives, fasteners and wood and
wood products. The power motion furniture hardware is custom-made for Palliser products
based on a proprietary design. For this reason, it is only available from one supplier at this time,
which has the capability and knowledge to produce the power motion hardware. A low volume
of power motion hardware is required and can only be stored for 6 months as parts may begin
to seize from non-usage. Palliser sources the LED lights and lighting accessories from the same
supplier as the power motion hardware.
The following can be sourced from several suppliers: leather, high-density foam, wood and wood
products. Several fabrics are sourced from several different suppliers. To offer a variety of
customization options to its customers, Palliser utilizes 6-8 different fabric suppliers at any given
time. Switching suppliers is difficult due to the custom nature of each supplier’s fabrics. Glues,
adhesives and fasteners are generic products used in standard manufacturing operations and
are widely available from a few local suppliers and multiple international suppliers.
Question 1
Complete a portfolio or quadrant analysis of the list of product categories listed above, a) to h).
Display your answers on a spend map in the same format as Figure 11-1.
Question 2
For each of the product categories, provide justification for your choice of spend category
(quadrant). Provide your answers in a table similar to the format below:
Product category Spend Category
(quadrant)
Justification
a) Wood and wood
products
b) Glues and
adhesives
c) High-density foam
d) Fabric
e) Leather
f) LED lights and
lighting accessories
g) Power motion
furniture hardware,
plug, and batteries
h) Fasteners
Question 3
If you were procurement manager at Palliser, how would you maximize the organization’s
opportunity? (Hint: your answers should consider the needs of the Palliser as an organization).
Provide details on each spend category (quadrant) and your strategy (as described using the six
major categories of supply sub-strategies in Chapter 2, pages 31-32).
