Week 2 Discussion 2No unread replies.55 replies.Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated. Connecting Logistics and Financial PerformanceFor this discussion, you will play the role of a logistics analyst who is creating a report on the contributions of logistics activities to a companyâs overall business performance.Select any publicly traded company. Research this companyâs website and relevant business documentation to evaluate the companyâs performance and profit models, such as inventory turnover, return on assets, or other models that the company uses to measure its performance. Possible sources of information include the companyâs annual report, income statement, or other financial documents that report the companyâs revenues, expenses, and profits. These are usually published on the companyâs Investor Relations page on their website. Additionally, Ashford University Libraryâs MergentDatabase is an excellent source for business information. To access the Mergent database:Click on the âFind Articles & Moreâ link in the purple banner at the top of the library home page.Select âDatabases by Subject.âChoose âBusiness & Economics,â then
click on âMergentâ on the following page.Once in Mergent, enter the name of your company into the search box to get to the company overview page. Note that the search might show you multiple options, so click on the specific company you are searching for if a list is offered.Select the âCompany Financialsâ tab.Identify two logistics-related activities the company utilizes to achieve its business goals. You may select, for example, the companyâs inventory management system, warehousing operations, order management, transportation management, international logistics, or any other activities.Your 200-250 word post must include the following:Name the company that you chose and identify and describe the two logistics activities you selected that support the companyâs supply chain and business strategies.Explain how the company uses the total cost approach to coordinate the selected logistics activities in a cost-efficient manner.Identify the tools and/or methods (as described in Chapter 4 of your textbook) that the company uses to measure the quality of its logistics performance. Describe one tool/method, and briefly explain what it measures and how it works.Support your report with credible sources, citing from the companyâs websites, business publications or articles, and assigned readings from this week. Reference them in your discussion post in proper APA style according to the Ashford Writing Centerâs APA Essay Checklist for Students (Links to an external site.).