1. SAP is a world leader in ERP systems software and has developed tailored ERP systems for many different industries. Go to the SAP Website (https://www.sap.com/index.html) and examine solutions for (1) a service industry and (2) a manufacturing industry of your choice. How are they similar? How are they different?

2. In what ways might a firm’s suppliers improve or undermine the firm’s Lean efforts? Provide an example to illustrate this situation.

3. In your own words, describe quality. Why is it so important that a company produces a quality product or service? Why can two people perceive the same product or service as having different quality levels? From a business perspective, whose perception of your product or service quality is most important? Why?