Facility location decisions can provide organizations with a competitive advantage and, therefore, must be an integral part of their overall strategic plans. The effectiveness of a supply chain is greatly influenced by facility locations. Increased globalization and improved technologies have resulted in a variety of options for companies to locate their facilities. Today, companies must consider a number of factors when analyzing potential locations; several comparison methods are available when considering the country, region, and community for a facility location. Business clusters often provide for strong business development, collaboration, growth opportunities, and improved supply chain management. The existence of successful clusters suggests that innovation and competition are concentrated geographically. China today represents an attractive location for many of the world’s top companies due to its inexpensive labor and huge market. There has been much discussion about sustainable development and the greening of the supply chain and its effect on global location decisions. Finally, emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing or 3D printing will have a major impact on how companies view manufacturing and where they locate production facilities.

1. What is the impact of facility decisions on a supply chain?
2. Why is demand management important for effective supply chain management?
3. What are business clusters? Provide several examples of business clusters in a variety of countries. What are the advantages of clustering?
4. What are the factors influencing facility location?
5. Discuss the major regional trade agreements in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America.
6. What is the World Trade Organization and what is its role in world trade?
7. What are the critical factors in making community and site decisions?
8. Discuss Walmart’s location strategy.
9. Discuss Amazon’s global facilities network.
10. Define quality of life. Why is quality of life an important factor in facility location? Is the set of quality-of-life factors used by the Chamber of Commerce in Jacksonville, Florida, a good one? Please explain.
11. What is a right-to-work state? What are the advantages or disadvantages of doing business in a right-to-work state?
12. Why is China an attractive location for many businesses?
13. What are the challenges of doing business in China?
14. Discuss the six strategic roles of a foreign facility.
15. What is sustainable development, and why is this policy important to a country and the world at large?
16. What is the difference between green development and sustainable development?
17. Explain why 3D printing may lead to a revival of manufacturing in the United States.
18. Provide examples of major U.S. companies that are using 3D printing and explain why they are reshoring their manufacturing back to the United States?
19. Go to the website of IMD—World Competitiveness Yearbook at http://reports.weforum.org/global-competitiveness-index/#topic=data. Select any region of the world such as Africa and Middle East, Americas, Asia and Pacific, and Europe and Eurasia. Prepare a report showing the regional highlights and include a performance overview of selected countries in the region.
20. Go to the World Economic Forum website at http://www.weforum.org/. Select “Initiatives” from the top menu. Then select “Shaping the Future of Production.” Based on the articles presented in the website, prepare a report discussing how emerging technologies will transform production systems, business models, and sustainability.
21. Go to the website of the World Trade Organization at www.wto.org. Click on the menu item “Documents, data, and resources” and select the option on “Economic research.” Under “Publications” select the latest World Trade Report. Explain the key findings of the report and the changing landscape of international trade and the emergence of global value chains.
22. Go to the website of the U.S. Commercial Service at https://www.export.gov/ccg. First, select a country you wish to study. Based on the country commercial guide, prepare an assessment of the suitability of the country for doing business in the particular industry you wish to study.
23. Go to the website http://www.reshorenow.org/ and prepare a report on why U.S. companies should move manufacturing back to the United States.