Manufacturing site location is an important consideration in determining the optimal deployment of a firm’s production resources, but one that is usually given only limited attention. Decisions about location are often based purely on quantitative analyses that trade off transportation costs, economies of scale, and other cost-based variables. This practice, however, can lead to suboptimal results, as decision-makers tend to focus only on easily quantifiable factors. A further disadvantage of strictly cost-based methods is that they tend to focus on cost advantage factors, which are often transitory
Government regulations, tax systems, and exchange rates can quickly change. Strategies based on such parameters may eventually be rendered obsolete by the very factors that first created an advantage.
In contrast, qualitative issues, which are frequently neglected in choosing manufacturing site locations, are often central to creating and supporting a competitive advantage. For example, the level of skill possessed by the local workforce varies with location; consequently, location can affect the ability of firms to implement skill-based process technologies. When formulating a site location strategy, companies should therefore emphasize qualitative factors to ensure that the chosen strategy supports the company’s overall business strategy. Only after establishing a set of desirable location options should companies refine choices using cost-based factors.
Q14.
According to the passage,
analysis of quantitative factors is best used for which of the following?
A.
Determining strategies for offsetting qualitative disadvantages in manufacturing site locations
B.
Evaluating manufacturing site-location parameters affecting long-term competitive advantage
C.
Choosing manufacturing site locations that have access to optimal workforce populations
D.
Narrowing manufacturing site-location options arrived it through qualitative analysis
E.
Making decisions about business considerations other than location of manufacturing sites 答案给的是C，我觉得好奇怪。首先这个analysis of quantitative factors在文中第一段作者是持否定态度的，问题中竟然问"best used for which of the following"，于是我就到第二段去找，发现作者赞同的方法是现用qualitative 方法找出 a set of desirable location option，然后再refine choice using cost-based factors. 而cost based facotors根据第一段的描述，其实就是quantative 的方法。所以我觉得应该是D 啊 这个C文章中哪里提到啊？ 想不明白，这套题目的阅读做的想撞墙了 谢谢
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