APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear participant

I am a research scholar doing my PhD at Jagdishprasad Jabharmal Tibrewala (JJTU) University

and working as Director, Indian Institute of Materials Management, Mumbai Branch. I request
you to spare a few minutes of your valuable time and help me with your responses to the
enclosed questionnaire.

Giving below a brief introduction about my work:

Our economy is undergoing rapid transformation; competition – whether local or global -- is

becoming intense, product life cycles are getting shorter, customer requirements are changing
fast and they are more demanding now than ever before. The traditional model of organizational
structure based on hierarchy and functional management is found to be grossly inadequate in the
modern business world. The focus is now on process orientation, team management,
performance measurement by customer satisfaction, maximum contacts with suppliers and
customers, treating them as supply chain partners, information sharing, collaborative training,
and rewards based on team performance. The Business Cycle is now process driven and chain
oriented. This has posed several challenges to supply chain professionals, particularly in the
manufacturing sector, to cope with these challenges for effective supply chain management.

Indian organizations have now realized the importance of effective supply chain management for
achieving business excellence. Indian companies have invested substantially in the downstream
supply chain that links the organization to its distribution channels and Consumers.

The questionnaire enclosed is designed to study the challenges to supply chain management in
the manufacturing sector. As an expert in this area in your organization, you will be in the right
position to give the necessary information to carry out the research.
I request you to kindly respond to the questions and provide the resources for this study. Your
responses will be kept strictly confidential and the information provided by you will be used
strictly in connection with this research for academic purposes only.

Your help in carrying out this research is very much appreciated.

Thank you very much for your time and cooperation.

Yours sincerely

S Rajagopalan
Mumbai
 THE QUESTIONNAIRE

A. Organization Details
1. Organisation Profile
a. Name of the Organisation:
b. Address:
c. Phone Numbers:
d. CEO’s Name:

2. Type of organisation:
□ Proprietorship □ Partnership □ Private Ltd Company □ Public Ltd.
Company

3. The basic characteristics of your organization:

Our organization would be best classified as:

Nature of organization Type of product (Please specify)

Manufacturing: Y/N Heavy Engg/Auto/Auto components

I.T./Logistics/Others Others and services

Our organisation’s sales are to: % of Sales

Manufacturers
Wholesalers / Distributors
Retailers
Consumers
Total 100%

Our organization’s manufacturing operations are located in:

 Single Location □ Multiple Locations □ No: of Locations: □

4. Product Category:

□ Heavy Engineering □ Auto □ Auto Components

□ I.T. □ Logistics □ Projects □ Others (Please Specify)

5 Product Characteristics: Percentage

Make to Stock
Assemble to Order
Make to Order
Total 100%

Number of Stock keeping units handled:

How many employees work for your entire organisation?

Below 100 □ 100-500 □ 500-1000 □ 1000-2500 □ 2500-5000 □ Above 5000 □

Number of working shifts: □ 1 □ 2 □3

Initial Investment: □ 0-100 lacs □ 100-500 lacs □ 500 lacs & above

Annual Turnover: □ 0-50 lacs □ 50-100 lacs □ 100 lacs -10 crores

□ 10 -100 crores □ 100-500 crores □ 500-1000 crores

□ > 1000 crores

B. Purchasing Systems

6 What is the size of your procurement staff?

□ Up to 25 □ Over 25

7 How much your staff size changed in last two years?

 □ Increased □ Not Increased

8 How much your procurement budget changed in last two years?

□ Increased □ Not Increased

9 Are you employing new procurement strategies for emerging markets?

□ Yes □ No

10 How the procurement Strategies of your company are evolving?

□ Increased focus on using competitive pressures to get maximum value from suppliers
□ Increased focus on using collaboration to get maximum value from suppliers

11 Which of the following best describes how your company’s procurement organization is
changing the way it works with internal stakeholders?
□ Increased focus on using influence to build trusted advisor relationships
□ more focus on enforcing compliance

12. Which of the following is your primary goal in selecting and working with suppliers?
□ Beat total value? □ Lowest cost

13. How often does your company pursue short term savings from suppliers as against long term
savings or other value?
□ Sometimes □ Rarely

14. To what extent are corporate social responsibility and sustainability important considerations
in your supplier relationships?
□ Important □ Not important

15. How much of a priority it is for your company to work with ethical providers?
□ Important □ Not important
C. Inventory Management

Please read the statements below and tick the most appropriate responses.

16 What is the level of authority at which important CEO Others

inventory related policy decisions are taken such as
right balance between customer service and cost
effective inventory levels?
17 What is the level of authority at which policy Prod. Mgr Others
decisions are taken such as determining the optimal
frequency for producing or ordering parts?

18 Does your company operate in an inventory intensive Intensive Not intensive

environment?
19 What inventory review policy is used in your Continuous Periodic review
organisation? review
20 What inventory model is used in your organization? ABC Others
classification
21 Does your company use ERP solutions for inventory Yes No
control?
22 Do you feel integrated inventory management system Yes No
(which cuts across supply chain partners) better than
independent inventory management system?
23 What is the average inventory for ‘A’ category items Less than 10 days More than 10
in your company in the last three years? days

D. Transportation of finished goods

24. In which market you sell your goods?

□ Within Maharashtra □ All India and foreign

25. How the finished goods are transported to warehouse/Dealer?

□ Separate facility □ Others

26. What is the mode of transport used for finished goods?

□ Single mode □ Multimodal

27. Type of warehouse used for storing finished goods
□ Owned □ Others

28. How do you decide the mode of transportation?

□ Speed of delivery □ Safety & others

E. Outsourcing
Yes No
29. Do you outsource Warehousing? □ □
30. Do you outsource Transportation □ □
31. Do you Order Processing □ □
32. What are the major reasons for outsourcing of above activities?

□ Strategic Reasons □ Lower Cost or no capacity

I. Your Profile
33. Your functional area in the organisation:

Distribution / Logistics □
Marketing / Sales □
Supply Chain □
Manufacturing □
Operations □
Other ---------------------- □

34. Length of service in the organisation:

< 10 years □
 10-15 years □
> 15 years □

Name of Respondent: ------------------------

Designation: -----------------------
Email address: ----------------------

Thank you for giving your valuable time and cooperation!