Purpose of Assignment The purpose of this assignment is for students to evaluate the lean techniques applied to business in today's workforce. Note: Students and Faculty seeking more information on this assignment can refer to Ch. 14 of the Operations and Supply Chain Management textbook. Assignment Steps Select a business you are familiar with which incorporates lean manufacturing or lean supply chains. Evaluate how this firm uses lean strategies and how much lean techniques has improved the firm's efficiency. Evaluate ways the firm can go even further to make improvements using lean techniques. Use the results you obtained from evaluating this firm to apply to your own business or a business you are interested in which currently does not use lean. Develop a 1,250-word report in which you describe your lean evaluation project.Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.

Directions: Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use correct English, spelling and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response should be four (4) double-spaced pages; refer to the "Assignment Format" page located on the Course Home page for specific format requirements.Making strategic decisions are part of the territory when it comes to the job of an analyst. You’ll need to decide what to do in a given circumstance and then answer questions to explain your decisions. Let’s say you are a Strategic Analyst for a Fortune 500 Company, and your CEO has asked you how to position a specific business and product line to gain a competitive advantage in a single market. This scenario is the foundation of lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, covered in the textbook.Part A: Product DifferentiationPart Using logical, clear writing, do the following:Define product differentiation and discuss the role that customer perceptions play in product differentiation.Identify the three broad categories of product differentiation and two bases of differentiation under each category.Explain the relationship between product differentiation and managerial creativity.Part B: Flexibility and Real OptionsPart B Using logical, clear writing, answer the following:What is strategic flexibility? Why is it thought of as a third generic business-level strategy?What are strategic options?What are real options?Part C: CollusionPart C Using logical, clear writing, answer the following:What is collusion?What are the two types of collusion and how are they different?How does signaling relate to collusion?Part D: Vertical IntegrationPart D Using logical, clear writing, do the following:Define vertical integration and differentiate between forward vertical integration and backward vertical integration.Identify the three fundamental explanations of how vertical integration can create value and discuss how value is created under each.Identify three reasons a firm may be able to create value through vertical integration when most of its competitors are not able to create value through vertical integration.

Attached Files: Week 4 Research Paper - Research Topic List_.pdf (226.918 KB)Assignment Requirements:Choose a research topic from the attached document.Research/find a minimum at least four (4), preferably five (5) or more, different peer-reviewed articles on your topic from the University of the Cumberlands Library online business database. The article(s) must be relevant and from a peer-reviewed source. While you may use relevant articles from any time frame, current/published within the last five (5) years are preferred. Using literature that is irrelevant or unrelated to the chosen topic will result in a point reduction.Write a four (4) to five (5) page double spaced paper in APA format discussing the findings on your specific topic in your own words. Note - paper length does not include cover page, abstract, or references page(s).Structure your paper as follows:Cover pageOverview describing the importance of the research topic to current business and professional practice in your own words.Purpose of Research should reflect the potential benefit of the topic to the current business and professional practice and the larger body of research.Review of the Literature summarized in your own words. Note that this should not be a “copy and paste” of literature content, nor should this section be substantially filled with direct quotes from the article. A literature review is a summary of the major points and findings of each of the selected articles (with appropriate citations). Direct quotations should be used sparingly. Normally, this will be the largest section of your paper (this is not a requirement; just a general observation).Practical Application of the literature. Describe how your findings from the relevant research literature can shape, inform, and improve current business and professional practice related to your chosen topic.Conclusion in your own wordsReferences formatted according to APA style requirements