Supply chain management and lean systems are two approaches that are often combined to improve the operations and competitiveness of firms. Briefly discuss the implementation of these approaches, and their relative success and failure, in at least two actual examples. Be sure to answer the following questions in your discussion:
a. What type of supply chain was appropriate for the company? What were the market characteristics prompting that choice?
b. How did the operational implementation of supply chain management and/or lean systems support the competitiveness of the company?
c. What were the problems encountered in the implementation? How might those problems be averted in the future?
