A Critical Evaluation of Demand Forecast on a Company's Supply Chain

(A Case Study of A.P.Moller - Maersk Group)

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I certify that the work presented in the dissertation is my own unless referenced

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I would like to express my thanks to my advisor, for his suggestions, comments, patience and understanding. Very special thanks to my parents, my father, my mother, my brother and my sister who were continuously supporting me throughout my life and leaving me free in all my decisions. I would also like to thank my colleagues for his technical support whenever I needed. I would like to thank to Department, all the university managers, teachers and students with whom I have worked.

DECLARATION

I declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. I further declare that this work has not previously been presented in whole or part, for any other award, or published in whole or in part elsewhere, including this university. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The process of Supply Chain Management includes the flow of product, the flow of information and the flow of financial information. The Supply Chain Management plays an important role in determining the success of the company. A.P. Moller - Maersk Group is one of the largest logistics companies in the world. It has been made possible due to the proper execution of the supply chain process. However, the company is still making changes and improving its supply chain process day by day. The purpose of this study is to analyse how A.P. Moller - Maersk Group can achieve competitive advantage by going in for efficient forecasting system in the supply chain department.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Research Aims4

Research Objectives5

Research Question5

Structure of the thesis6

Chapter I: Introduction6

Chapter II: Literature Review6

Chapter III: Methodology7

Chapter IV: Data analysis and Discussion7

Chapter V: Conclusion7

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW8

Company Overview9

Supply Chain Management11

Lean Supply Chain (LSC)14

Agile Supply Chain (ASC)16

Hybrid Supply Chain (HSC)17

SCM Trends18

Critical Concepts in SCM18

Planning19

Supplier Management20

Operations21

Logistics21

Material Control21

Supply Chain Management in the Firm22

International Logistics for the Firm23

Strategic objective in the Supply Chain24

Principles for managing the Supply Chain25

Principle No. 1:25

Principle No. 2:26

Principle No. 3:26

Principle No. 4:26

Principle No. 5:27

Principle No. 6:27

Principle No. 7:27

Supply Chain Decisions28

Location Decisions28

Production Decisions29

Inventory Decisions29

Transportation Decisions30

Demand Forecast31

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY35

Rationale for a Qualitative Study35

Rationale for a Quantitative Study36

Philosophical Framework or Paradigm36

Strength and weakness of the mixed research39

Research Design40

Literature Search41

Instrument for data collection41

People Involved in the Interviews42

Sample Space42

Research Approach Used43

Data Collection43

Data Analysis Method44

Population of the Research44

Sampling Technique Used44

Justification of the Approach Used45

Expenses46

Schedule46

Validity46

Ethical Considerations47

CHAPTER 04: CONCLUSION48

Limitations of the Research:52

De- limitations:52

REFERENCES53

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Supply chain management (SCM) is becoming increasingly important in today's global competition. As competition shifts from company vs. company to supply chain vs. supply chain, SCM becomes a significant strategic tool for firms to survive and create competitive advantages. Market leaders in the retail industry such as Wal-Mart and Dell constantly search for new ways to add value and push the boundaries of ...