your recommendations for improving the layout and display of products at the retail outlet have been appreciated by the management. they realize that your concepts of operations management are sound and could benefit their company, by having you give recommendations to other areas of the operations in the retail outlet. the board of directors finds that developing operations on sound principles will enable them to overcome the downturn resulting from the present global financial meltdown. they have therefore requested you to recommend steps to improve the supply chain systems of the retail outlet. they would like this supply chain strategy to be implemented, and if found successfully to give you full time employment in the retail outlet, as operations manager, with the primary task of developing and implementing standardized procedures for supply chain management for the retail stores. in their brief, they have requested you to specifically cover the following aspects of supply chain management for the product you covered in your assignment: 1. development of vendors and procurement strategies for the outlet. 2. reduction of inventories through just in time supplies by vendors. 3. returns strategy and linking it to vendor evaluation and ordering strategies. you are expected to read thoroughly at least five to ten articles published in journals of repute, which are related to your research, to give you a good foundation for your study and recommendations. use the internet extensively to study the web pages of operations management sites. 1. the final project should have 3000 plus or minus 10% words, excluding annexures and appendices 2. a complete list of references / bibliography / sources of information that have been used, including web sources, should be furnished at the end of the final project. you are expected to use direct references to at least 3 books, 4 journals/periodicals and 7 web resources. referencing should be done strictly according to the harvard system. this is available from the website: & lt;http://www.tvu.ac.uk/lrs/guides/harvard.html & gt; 3. The grading would reflect good grammar, good punctuation, good sequence and the natural flow of ideas and a good use of Headings, Fonts, and Paragraphs etc. 4. Innovative and creative ideas, critical analysis of the situation and putting more than one perspective to the situation would fetch you higher grades. 5. The Final Project should be the original work of the student. Instances of plagiarism found either from other students or from other resources (viz. without due acknowledgement /referencing) will entail a FAIL Grade. 6. The Final Project should be written in Arial 12 pt font for each task. 7. Also your Project Report MUST includes adequate Literature/Web Research, in addition to the need that it should necessitate communication/interaction with some real world Company. You are expected to use direct references to at least 3 Books, 4 Journals/Periodicals and 7 Web Resources.