Essay Example on Nissan is an automobile corporation that started back in 1933

One has been the minimization of its costs by coming up with a well managed supply chain and product differentiation program For instance Nissan was the first automobile to manufacture an electric car The second method that the company has used is doing a proper market analysis This enables managers account for the differences in demand across the globe and therefore act accordingly It is clear that the manufacture differentiated its products and thus gave them an edge over their competitors The Nissan corporation utilizes both the manufacturing and service operations According to Walker et al 2014 despite their having differences and similarities both operations play a significant role in the overall performance of the corporation One of the similarities between the manufacturing and service operations is the fact that they are both essential for the corporation s success For instance the Nissan corporation s vision is to satisfy its customers through quality products and services Furthermore the manufacturing and service operations are key in determining the location of the corporation s outlets Another similarity is that they both seek to minimize their costs which is crucial to profitability One of the key differences is that whereas the manufacturing operations address themselves to the production of automobiles the service operations address themselves to the marketing of the manufactured automobiles While manufacturing operations ensure quality products for customers the service operations ensure quality customer service provision It is thus clear that these operations by Nissan have provided value for their customers 

Theories and Techniques The critical path method and the program evaluation and review technique are two mainly used project design and implementation tools According to Luthra Haleem 2015 the critical path method is ideal for projects that are predictable in nature while the program evaluation and review technique is ideal for projects that are unpredictable For instance the Nissan corporation would prefer the critical path method for its production of cars of the same model and the program evaluation and review technique for future projects whose time spans are unknown A forecasting system is key to a company's performance in future and involves the analysis of a corporation s historical data to determine future trends in performance In reference to Epstein Buhovac 2014 development of a forecasting system involves several steps the first being defining what to forecast The second step is gathering information on the factor to forecast This is done through collection of historical data about the factor The third step is analyzing the information gathered and determining its implications on the corporation by making use of statistical tools The fourth step is deciding on the model to use in the forecast while the fifth is creating the model and using it The Nissan corporation can utilize these steps in determining what it needs to forecast in the future in order for it to remain competitive 

A company is always faced with supply chain risks In reference to Lim et al 2014 supply chain risks are classified into several major categories which include demand risks environmental risks control risks business risks and supply risks Nissan for instance has faced several supply chain risks in the form of disruptions resulting from the Tsunami and the earthquake that hit Japan and nearly paralyzed the entire economy The management therefore had to restructure its operations to compensate for the losses incurred during the time of the disaster and come up with future plans on how to mitigate such risks According to Stadtler 2015 there are several ways to reduce these risks Some of the supply chain risk management methods utilized by the corporation include determining the levels of demand through statistical analysis and thereby manufacturing or shipping products based on the nature of the demand The corporation has also ensured that it has a wonderful relationship with its suppliers and also owns some of its needed raw materials like steel The corporation can mitigate exposure by expanding its operations globally Another way in which the corporation can mitigate the risk is by increasing the base of its suppliers and finally purchasing insurance to cover the risks it faces