Case Discussion Questions1. What wa

Case Discussion Questions

1. What was the strategic advantage to Microsoft of outsourcing Xbox production to Flextronics?

The strategic advantage that Microsoft has is that it is a primary business that is used to develop software. The company also sells computer hardware and the products represent a much smaller part of the company’s overall revenues. When considering whether to produce the Xbox in house or to outsource, the company chose the latter strategy. Microsoft was able to continue to focus on its core business while allowing another company, Flextronics, which has expertise in managing a global supply chain, to handle production.

2. What were the risks associated with outsourcing to Flextronics? Did Microsoft mitigate these risks?
Do you think Microsoft would have been better off making the Xbox itself?

: The risk associated with outsourcing to Flextronics is the company makes the decision to outsource; it gives up control over the production process. Risks also included a timeliness, quality, and so on will become the responsibility of another company. Microsoft decided to outsource Xbox production, the company chose to work with Flextronics, which it had a long history with. These factors combined with Flextronics advantages in the global supply chain management area created a strong case for Microsoft’s outsourcing decision. Microsoft would not have been better off making the Xbox itself.

3. How did Flextronics’ industrial park strategy enable the company to respond to national changes in relative factor costs?

Under Flextronics’ industrial park strategy, key suppliers were required to establish their operations near a Flextronics assembly plant in low-cost locations near the customer’s end market. This strategy facilitated just-in-time inventory systems and reduced transportation costs, and also avoided the break-downs that could occur in a globally dispersed supply chain.

4. How important are Web-based information systems to the relationship between Microsoft and Flextronics? What are the economic advantages of real-time information flows between Microsoft, Flextronics, and Flextronics’ own subcontractors?

Using Web-based information systems, Flextronics and Microsoft have the ability to share information in real time with each other. Microsoft feeds information on demand conditions to Flextronics, which
enables Flextronics to configure its own production schedules to minimize inventory and closely match
supply with demand. In addition, Microsoft has access to real-time information from Flextronics regarding production schedules, inventory, and product quality. This is crucially important because Microsoft handles the overall management of about 40 strategic suppliers for Xbox, including the manufacturers of microprocessors, graphics chips, hard drives, and flash memory (Flextronics
handles the supply of commodity-like inputs, such as circuit boards and plastic molding). The information exchange between Microsoft and Flextronics ensures that production schedules between all of the players in the supply chain are tightly coordinated so that inventory is minimized, shortages are avoided, and demand and supply are balanced.

ผลลัพธ์ (ไอร์แลนด์) 1:

Ceisteanna cás Plé 1. Cad a bhí an buntáiste straitéiseach maidir le Microsoft de foinsiú allamuigh a tháirgeadh Xbox go Flextronics? Is é an buntáiste straitéiseach go bhfuil Microsoft go bhfuil sé le gnó bunscoile a úsáidtear bogearraí a fhorbairt. Díolann an chuideachta chomh maith crua-earraí ríomhaire agus léiríonn na táirgí a cuid i bhfad níos lú den ioncam iomlán na cuideachta. Nuair a bhreithniú cé acu a thabhairt ar aird an Xbox i teach nó a ligean amach, roghnaigh an chuideachta an straitéis sin. Bhí Microsoft in ann leanúint ar aghaidh ag díriú ar a ngnó lárnach a ligean cuideachta eile, Flextronics, a bhfuil saineolas i slabhra soláthair domhanda a bhainistiú, a tháirgeadh a láimhseáil. 2. Cad iad na rioscaí a bhaineann le foinsiú allamuigh le Flextronics? An raibh a Microsoft na rioscaí seo a mhaolú? An dóigh leat go mbeadh Microsoft a bheith níos fearr as a dhéanamh ar an Xbox féin?: An riosca a bhaineann le foinsiú allamuigh a Flextronics tá a dhéanann an chuideachta an cinneadh a ligean amach; tugann sé suas smacht ar an bpróiseas táirgthe. Rioscaí san áireamh chomh maith le tráthúlacht, caighdeán, agus beidh sé sin ar an bhfreagracht atá cuideachta eile. Microsoft chinn a ligean amach a tháirgeadh Xbox, roghnaigh an chuideachta a bheith ag obair leis an Flextronics, a raibh sé stair fhada le. Na fachtóirí mar aon le buntáistí Flextronics sa réimse bainistíochta slabhra an tsoláthair dhomhanda a cruthaíodh cás láidir le cinneadh foinsiú allamuigh Microsoft. Ní bheadh ​​Microsoft a bheith níos fearr as a dhéanamh ar an Xbox féin. 3. Conas a rinne Flextronics 'straitéis pháirc tionsclaíoch ar chumas an chuideachta freagairt d'athruithe náisiúnta i gcostais fachtóir coibhneasta? Faoi Flextronics' straitéis pháirc tionsclaíoch, bhí ar sholáthróirí eochair chun a n-oibríochtaí a bhunú in aice le plandaí cóimeála Flextronics i láithreacha ar chostas íseal in aice leis an chustaiméara margadh deireadh . An straitéis éascaigh córais fardail díreach-in-am agus a laghdú costais iompair, agus freisin a sheachaint an sos-downs a d'fhéadfadh a bheith ann i slabhra soláthair ar fud an domhain scaipthe. 4. Cé chomh tábhachtach is atá na córais faisnéise Gréasán bunaithe ar an ngaol idir Microsoft agus Flextronics? Cad iad na buntáistí eacnamaíocha na fíor-ama sreafaí faisnéise idir Microsoft, Flextronics, agus fochonraitheoirí Flextronics 'féin? Ag baint úsáide as córais eolais Gréasán bunaithe, Flextronics agus Microsoft an cumas eolas a roinnt i bhfíor-am le chéile. Microsoft Fothaí faisnéis maidir le coinníollacha éileamh go Flextronics, a chuireann ar chumas Flextronics a chumrú ar a sceidil táirgthe féin fardal a íoslaghdú agus go dlúth mheaitseáil le soláthar leis an éileamh. Ina theannta sin, tá rochtain ar fhaisnéis fíor-ama ó Flextronics maidir sceidil a tháirgeadh, fardal, agus caighdeán an táirge Microsoft. Tá sé seo ríthábhachtach mar go Láimhseálann Microsoft bainistiú foriomlán de thart ar 40 soláthraithe straitéiseacha do Xbox, lena n-áirítear na monaróirí na microprocessors, grafaicí sliseanna, thiomáineann crua, agus cuimhne flash (Flextronics Láimhseálann an soláthar tráchtearra-mhaith ionchuir, ar nós cláir chiorcad agus plaisteach mhúnlú). Cinntíonn an malartú faisnéise idir Microsoft agus Flextronics go sceidil a tháirgeadh idir gach ceann de na himreoirí sa slabhra soláthair a chomhordú dlúth ionas go fardal a íoslaghdú, ganntanais a sheachaint, agus go bhfuil siad éileamh agus soláthar cothrom.