Supply Chain Management Midterm Exam Questions Apr 2026

The CEO panicked. The forecasting team had not adjusted their models. They kept ordering based on last year’s data. By week three, shelves were empty. By week five, angry retailers switched to a competitor, JungleFruit Inc.

Explain the trade-off between environmental sustainability goals and operational performance (cost, quality, speed) in this case. Describe one real, verifiable method (e.g., life cycle assessment, circular supply chain, or third-party certification like B Corp) that FreshFruit should have used before launching Project GreenLeaf to avoid the greenwashing accusation. Part 6: The Digital Pivot (Technology & Integration) The Story: A new interim CEO was hired—you. You implement a cloud-based SCM platform that connects suppliers, warehouses, and retailers in real time. Within 3 months, you reduce spoilage to 8%, cut freight costs by 22%, and forecast accuracy improves to 89%. But the old warehouse manager quits, complaining, "You’re replacing human intuition with robots." supply chain management midterm exam questions

Meanwhile, a small farm in Costa Rica ( RioAzul ) offered better quality and a flexible contract. But switching would trigger a $200,000 penalty to break the VietDelta deal. The CEO panicked

Name the specific type of SCM technology (e.g., IoT sensors, blockchain, RFID, AI-based demand sensing) most likely responsible for the spoilage reduction. Then, describe two non-technical barriers to implementing such a system (e.g., employee resistance, data silos, supplier unwillingness). Finally, write a one-paragraph response to the quitting manager that defends the use of data-driven SCM while respecting their experience. Bonus Question (Extra Credit – Integration) The Story: Looking back, all of FreshFruit’s failures—forecasting, inventory, sourcing, logistics, sustainability, and technology—were connected. The viral demand spike caused the rushed sourcing. The bad contract caused the logistics scramble. The logistics failure made the sustainability effort desperate. By week three, shelves were empty