Final answer:
The Total Cost of Ownership consists of various costs such as pre-transaction, transaction, and post-transaction costs. Matching these to certain expenses and deciding on the right sourcing strategies based on company goals are vital business decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Total Cost of Ownership Cost Categories:
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) includes various costs before, during, and after a purchase. Here's how some of these costs would be categorized:
- Pre-Transaction Cost: Cost to understand suppliers needs and operations, Cost associated with investigating the need for a purchased material, Cost for a site visit to qualify a new supplier.
- Transaction Cost: Payment for the purchased materials, Cost to transport purchased materials, Cost for closing out the purchase order.
- Post-Transaction Cost: Cost associated with a late delivery, Cost associated with the loss of customer goodwill, Cost for replacing defective finished goods, Cost of warranty repairs.
Sourcing Strategies for Specific Goals:
If one was to match sourcing goals with appropriate sourcing strategies, one might consider the following:
- If you wanted to obtain the most information, you could choose strategic sourcing.
- If you want to reduce the risk of a supply disruption, you might choose multi-sourcing or contingency planning.
- If you want to develop strong supplier relationships, consider partnership development or supplier relationship management (SRM).
- If you want to create transportation economies, logistics optimization would be suitable.
- If your purchase volume is very small, ad-hoc purchasing or using a spot-buying strategy might be appropriate.