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Individual Assignment 1: Trade-Offs

Sandra K. Atchison

Brandman University

MGTU 315: Operations Management

Paul R. Kaufman

09/13/20
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Introduction

This paper will discuss why Skechers cannot offer their shoes with an equal primary

focus on quality, delivery speed, delivery reliability, or low cost.

I recently bought a pair of Skechers D'Lites – Summer Fiesta shoes. "Add a little bit of

groovy tie-dye color to a classic sporty look with the Skechers D'Lites - Summer Fiesta shoe.

According to the Skechers website, these shoes feature:

Smooth sport nubuck leather upper, soft mesh fabric panels at sides, instep, tongue, and

heel with multi-color swirl tie-dye print design, lace-up sporty training sneaker design,

stitching accents, toe, side and heel overlay detail, side S logo, lace-up front with metal

top eyelet, padded collar and tongue, soft fabric shoe lining, fabric heel overlay with pull

on top tab, air Cooled Memory Foam cushioned comfort insole, D'Lites super lightweight

shock-absorbing athletic midsole, matching tie-dye detail on midsole, light and flexible

traction outsole, and 1 1/4 inch heel. (Skechers.com, 2020)

Analysis

Analysis 1

The Skechers company focuses foremost on quality. "Forward, innovative and always on-

trend, the brand's athleisure, casual and charity collections inspire millions to enjoy a wide range

of activities in style and comfort" (Skechers.com, 2020).

Skechers could not focus on quality, low-cost, delivery speed. "a low-cost strategy is not

compatible with either speed of delivery or flexibility. High quality also is viewed as a trade-off

to low cost" (Jacobs & Chase, 2018). For the quality to be high, a company must be willing to
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spend more money on materials and construction. Low-cost would entail using more inferior

materials and fast construction, which would keep the cost down. The speed of delivery is only

possible if the company has a supply of high-quality products already manufactured. If the

product must be manufactured before shipping, this will take a longer delivery time.

Analysis 2

For a company to focus on the delivery speed, it must forego the quality of the product.

To make a high-quality product, like the Skechers shoes I purchased, Skechers would not be able

to spend the time required to ascertain that the quality is of the highest standards. Making a high-

quality item takes precision, which takes time. Skechers focus on quality as critical to their

success. "management has to decide which parameters of performance are critical to the firm's

success and then concentrate the resources of the firm on these particular characteristics" (Jacobs

& Chase, 2018).

Analysis 3

I purchased my shoes in-store, which negates the desirability of the speed of delivery and

delivery reliability. If I had purchased them on-line, the speed and reliability of delivery would

probably not be hard to offer because the shoes have already been manufactured at an earlier

time.

Conclusion

Because Skechers offers high-quality shoes made for durability and comfort, they cannot

offer them at low-cost. The company has chosen quality over low-cost, speed of delivery, and

delivery reliability.
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References

Skechers.com. (2020). FOR EVERY LIFESTYLE. https://about.skechers.com/brand/.

Jacobs, F. R., & Chase, R. B. (2018). Operations and supply chain management. McGraw-Hill
Education.