Responsive supply chains are a good fit for innovative products because The supply chain focus is then purely on cost. Innovative products actually require a focus on efficiency over responsiveness. The focus is purely on speed of fulfillment. The focus is to quickly understand what the customers wants and deliver on those needs. Production is done in bulk efficiently.

You work as the sales manager for a company that sells office supplies to businesses of all sizes. because the profit margins are razor-thin, you need to ensure that you are getting the very best prices on paper, pencils, pens, post-it notes, and other office supplies from the manufacturers. when reviewing the quarterly profit statement, you realize that your costs are higher than they should be, and you trace the higher costs back to an employee who has been lax about getting competitive bids to ensure the lowest prices. when you conduct your research to determine the reason for the higher costs, and take action to bring those costs back down, in which of the key management processes are you taking part?