Potentially Important Inventory Management Answer

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Potentially Important Inventory Management Answer

CTA 6: Using Drones to Take Inventory at Walmart.

Links to short news item and videos offer details of WalMart’s plans to use drones in its warehouses to count inventory. As seen in the first video, a drone can be moved up and down an aisle packed nearly to the ceiling with boxes, taking dozens of images per second to track inventory. These drones accomplish in as little as a day what took WalMart employees about a month. The last two videos offers a glimpse about Amazon’s initiatives in warehouse automation from robots to flying warehouse for drone delivery, which effectively puts WalMart and other competitors on notice.

News Item 1: Wal-Mart says soon it will be using drones to check warehouse inventory(clicking this link will download the item as a PDF file)

News Item 2 (Video): (An example of) the inventory-taking drone Links to an external site.(Links to an external site)

News Item 3 (Video): Amazon’s Warehouse Automation RobotsLinks to an external site.(Links to an external site)

News Item 4 (Video): Amazon patents a flying warehouse for drone deliveryLinks to an external site.(Links to an external site)

  1. Why are the drones a potentially important inventory management tool in warehouses?
  2. What is Amazon doing to automate its warehouses?
  3. Do these initiatives meaningfully improve delivery time and service experience of Amazon’s customers or will these be just pipe dreams?

Rubric

Critical Thinking Rubric. (2)

Critical Thinking Rubric. (2)
Criteria Ratings Pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIdentifies and Summarizes issue at hand
5.0 pts

Identifies not only the basics of the issue, but recognizes nuances of the issue

 4.0 pts

Identifies the main issue and subsidiary, embedded, or implicit aspects of the issue

 2.0 pts

Does not identify and summarize the issue, is confused or identifies a different or inappropriate issue

5.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePersonal and other salient perspectives and positions
5.0 pts

Addresses and analyzes salient perspectives from experience and information from outside sources.

 4.0 pts

Identifies, appropriately, one’s own position and/or other salient perspectives on the issue

 3.0 pts

Address a single source or view of the argument and fails to clarify presented position relative to one’s own and/or other salient perspective

 2.0 pts

Fails to address even a single source or view of the argument and fails to clarify presented position relative to one’s own and/or other salient perspective

5.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuality of evaluation and analysis
5.0 pts

Observes cause and effect and addresses existing or potential consequences. Clearly distinguishes between fact, opinion, and acknowledges value judgments

 4.0 pts

Examines the evidence and source of evidence, questions its accuracy, precision, relevance, and completeness

 2.0 pts

Merely repeats information provided, taking it as truth or denies evidence without adequate justification

5.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConclusions, implications, and consequences
5.0 pts

Objectively reflects upon own assertions

 4.0 pts

Identifies and discusses conclusions, implications, and consequences

 3.0 pts

Identifies and discusses conclusions, implications, and consequences but only superficially

 2.0 pts

Fails to identify conclusions, implications, and consequences of the issue

5.0 pts

Total Points: 20.0