Warehouse and Distribution Channels ASSIGNMENT 1(b) – BUSINESS REPORT @ 30% Why this task? This assignment will evaluate the following: • Ability to conduct quality collection of information relevant to assignment requirements. • Ability to analyse collected information to address assignment requirements. Lessons gained: Awareness of the factors to be considered in the design of a facility. Awareness of operations and challenges of a facility (warehouse/distribution centre/cross dock). What do I need to do? Hypothetical scenario: You are given an empty premise, which you will convert into a warehouse/distribution centre that manages the storage and supply of products offered by a hardware retailer such as Bunnings or Mitre 10. Your warehouse will be supply stocks to their dedicated stores. The size of the empty premise/land is 18,000 square meters. Tip: Visit a hardware store to familiarize product range offered at the stores because what the store offers, your warehouse will supply (stocks replenishment). Assumptions such as size of the facility, number of SKUs, product types and categories, customer service levels and so on, should be made to facilitate the process. You are to establish the following: • Layout of the warehouse; • Type of Storage systems; • Picking Operations; • Unitisation, Packaging and Labelling (if any) concerns; • Materials Handling equipment systems; • An appropriate level of warehouse management information systems; • Level of automation in warehouse operations; and • Any other process(s) that will ensure world class warehouse operations. You shall present your designs and descriptions of the facility operations in a Business Report format. The layout of your facility must be computer•generated with three (3) different coloured arrows indicating movement of goods, people and materials handling equipment. The Business Report should be around 2500 words (±5%) in length and a word count is required to be declared on the cover page of the business report. Tip – This business report should basically contain brief comparative analysis of available systems and justifications on systems adopted in your warehouse. Use tables (not considered in word count) to present your comparative findings to manage word count. Refer to RMIT College of Business: Guidelines for referencing and presentation in written reports and essays (click here to download the guidebook http://www.rmit.edu.au/bus/referencing) for an accurate illustration and explanation on the format of a business report (see Chapter 5 p36•44. See Table 17 p40 for a quick and helpful guide on how to present a business report). Please use font type Arial or Times Roman and font size 11 or 12, with 1.5 spacing between sentences. These specific presentation requirements will help improve reading clarity and adequate space for feedback for the assessor. Your warehouse layout must be computer•generated i.e. use WORD, PowerPoint or any (free) drawing software e.g. SMARTDRAW. Enclose your warehouse layout as an appendix of your business report. Tip – use colours and shapes to enhance understanding of your warehouse layout design. How will the task be assessed? • Executive Summary (5%) • Succinct summary of main findings and recommendation. • Extent of Research (15%) • Comprehensive coverage of the chosen topic that can result in quality analysis. • Quality of Analysis (20%) - Level of understanding should be well demonstrated to generate quality analysis and recommendations. • Quality of Recommendations (10%) – Adequate application of analysis to sufficiently address the challenge. • Academic language (5%) • Ability to present quality discussions in discipline specific vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and sentence structuring. • References – adequate quantity and quality (10%) • Clarity of facility layout design (35%) – Clear indications of main and support warehouse processes, a comprehensive legend, clear OHS strategies, good use of illustrations and so on. Note that your report will be put through the Turnitin system to determine the Similarity Index. For this assessment, a Similarity Index 20% and below will be permitted. However, ensure that the Similarity Index per reference should not exceed 10%. Be reminded that you are using articles as references (i.e. sources of information) and not to 'paraphrase' the contents. **Reminder - For information on Turnitin see Student FAQ, http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=itqvf0papnlm Turnitin will assess your work in approximately one minute, and return a colour coded response for the originality of the text. factual description (i.e. basic comprehension) but little application or analysis. Work of this grade may be poorly prepared and presented. Investment of greater care and thought in organising and structuring work would be required to improve. Fail 0-49 NN Unsatisfactory. Evidence of lack of understanding of subject (minimal or inadequate comprehension and little or no application) and inability to identify issues. Often inadequate in depth and breadth. Sometimes incomplete or irrelevant.