Spartan Building Products: Improving Logistics - A Comprehensive Case

This case study examines the logistics and transportation challenges faced by Spartan Building Products, a major player in the Canadian building materials market. The analysis, initiated by a logistics analyst at the request of the Vice President of Logistics, identifies the absence of a modern logistics and transportation management system as a key problem. Through a SWOT analysis, the report highlights the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, ultimately recommending the implementation of new systems, changes in delivery channels, and the adoption of advanced technology to improve efficiency and operational performance. The report concludes with an implementation schedule and chart, providing a roadmap for Spartan Building Products to enhance its logistics operations and maintain a competitive edge. Desklib provides solved assignments and past papers for students.

Running head: TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Transportation and logistics
Name of the student
Name of the university
Name of the Professor
Course Number
Dated
Author Note:

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................3
Situation Analysis............................................................................................................................3
Problem Statement...........................................................................................................................5
Internal and External Analysis.........................................................................................................5
SWOT Analysis Inventory..........................................................................................................5
Final Recommendations..................................................................................................................7
Implementation and Schedule Chart................................................................................................7
Table No 1: Implementing Chart.................................................................................................8
Figure No 1: Gantt chart..............................................................................................................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................10

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Executive Summary
The following report is based on the analysis of the logistics and Transportation
department of Spartan Building Products Limited of Canada and assesses and suggests a few
recommendations for the company. The report starts with a brief introductory part or a situation
analysis of the report and then provides a brief yet detailed overview of the Company. The
overview provides the readers with a proper and transparent picture of the organization in actual.
The Problem statement which comes just after the overview identifies the different issues related
to the organization. The report also provides the internal and external analysis of the organization
by the help of the SWOT Analysis. The implementation chart along with the recommendations
makes the report more compact and interesting. The report ends with the conclusion where a
brief overview of the total report has been provided in an organized manner.
Situation Analysis
Paul Saxton the Vice President of the logistics and materials department in Spartan
Building Products Company has assigned Liz Scott, who is the logistics analyst for the company
to analyze the current logistic practice done by the management of the company, analyze it and
suggest and implement different new steps to0 change the practice of the organization
accordingly. The company was especially interested to improve its performance in certain areas
by reducing costs, improving the operational performance of the company, improving the
transportation department of the company and many more as such. The report has provided a
clear and transparent picture of the details regarding the changes to be made in the company and
the process by which it will be implemented.

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Spartan Building Products Limited is one of the largest companies in the Canadian
building market share. The building material industry of Canada generally comprises of three
different segments. This includes the likes of construction materials, industrial products and
different kinds of allied products of the industry. Spartan was established in the year 1986. It was
established to serve the purpose of selling and distribution of a number of different forest
products for a large forest company of Canada. Though at the beginning the company limited its
product line to the products of its parent company, but soon it gathered pace and started to
explore the likes of plywood, sheets and many more as such. The revenue of the company stands
at around $9 million with a profit of more than $5 million. A large percentage of market share in
Canada is currently under the management of Spartan which provides them an automatic
competitive advantage.
Critical inferences: The following case shows that the management of the logistics operation in
the company is desperate for bringing a change in the logistics operations and makes it more
active and updated. The absence of customization might be a problem for the company in the
future. Therefore the company is in urgent need of a change.
Assumptions:
 The Company failed to meet the modern demands of logistics operations
 Currently the company has been facing problems while using the traditional logistics
operations
 Lean management has become a necessity to change the current situation in the logistics
department of the organization

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Problem Statement
The main problem that has been clearly identified in this particular report is the absence
of a contemporary logistics and transportation management. The absence of a latest and updated
Logistics and Transportation management is a threat to the future sustainability of the business.
Paul Saxton, the Vice President of the logistics and Transportation department of the
organization had identified a number of basic problems which could eventually lead the
organization to the blink of an uncertain future. Therefore it was important for the intervention of
a logistics analyst to suggest a number of modern ways that can help make the organization
much more competitive in nature.
Internal and External Analysis
SWOT Analysis Inventory
Strengths:
 One of the largest Building companies of Canada
 Large network of transportation
 Variety of Product Line
Weaknesses:
 Absence of proper logistics and Transportation facilities
 Absence of modern arrangement for logistics as well as transportation facilities

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Opportunities:
 Use of the funds effectively to build a proper network of logistics and transportation
facility
 The presence of expert logistics analyzer can be a great opportunity for the development
of the organization
Threats:
 The growth of other companies with modern facilities for effective transportation and
logistics
 The implementation of new technologies by other organizations to ease the manual labor
in transportation and increasing the efficiency of the company
Alternatives
The improvement in the customer deliveries, use of different channels to transport
materials and the effective use of logistics infrastructure can act as a current solution for the
organization.
Advantages:
 The change in the management can help Spartan gain a new truck fleet
 The change can make it easier for the Company to carry more goods
 Implementation of new technology will help the company to sustain itself in the long run
Disadvantages:
 The change may not be accepted in a proper manner by the unions of the workers

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
 There may be problems over the functioning of the other departments of the company
over the change
Final Recommendations
 Implement the new systems in a proper manner
 Change the delivery channels
 Use the most advanced software and technology
 Use automatic process to reduce human labor while transporting materials and increase
efficiency and operational performance of the company
 Concentrating on smaller regions to generate additional profit
 Ontario should be made a logistics hub of the company
Implementation and Schedule Chart
Task Name Duration Start Finish
Project
Implementation of
New Logistic
Technique
131 days Mon
11/12/18
Mon
5/13/19
Recruitment of
Logistics Analyst
1 day Mon
11/12/18
Mon
11/12/18
Providing different
details of the logistics
operations
20 days Tue
11/13/18
Mon
12/10/18
Research on the
logistics department
40 days Tue
12/11/18
Mon
2/4/19
Identification of the
issues
20 days Tue 2/5/19 Mon
3/4/19
Analysis and
judgment of the
modern logistics
techniques of other
companies
15 days Tue 3/5/19 Mon
3/25/19
Selecting the best 5 days Tue Mon

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Technique for Spartan
Building Company
3/26/19 4/1/19
Implementation of
the Technique
30 days Tue 4/2/19 Mon
5/13/19
Table No 1: Implementing Chart
Source; (As created by the Author)
Figure No 1: Gantt chart
Source: (As created by the Author)

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Conclusion
The report has identified the different issues related to the logistics and transportation
problems with the Spartan Building company of Canada. The identification of the issues and the
presentation of the different types of internal and external analysis have made the report
informative in nature. A thorough analysis of the report will help the readers to identify the
logistics management of a company.

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TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Bibliography
Centobelli, P., Cerchione, R., & Esposito, E. (2017). Environmental sustainability in the service
industry of transportation and logistics service providers: Systematic literature review and
research directions. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 53,
454-470.
Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics & supply chain management. Pearson UK.
Crainic, T. G. (2016). Transportation Science Special Issue on Freight Transportation and
Logistics, Part I. Transportation Science, 50(2), 363-365.
McGinnis, M. A., Kara, A., & Wolfe, L. I. (2016). An empirically derived framework of logistics
management strategy. Journal of Transportation Management, 27(1), 5.
Schönsleben, P. (2016). Integral logistics management: operations and supply chain
management within and across companies. CRC Press.
Sindi, S., & Roe, M. (2017). The Evolution of Supply Chains and Logistics. In Strategic Supply
Chain Management (pp. 7-25). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.