Introduction

A meta-cognitive technique called reflection helps learners—individually or as a group—reflects on their

experiences, actions, and decisions (Eneogu, 2012). A person's confidence grows, and they become a
more proactive, competent professional due to reflection (Nolan and Molla, T. (2017).. When an issue in
practice occurs, and an effort is made to comprehend and fix it, a person participates in reflection. In
this reflective essay, I will explore our group project's journey in proposing a potential solution for
production in Minnesota and distribution hubs in California, Indiana, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. The
focus will be on optimizing a complex supply chain (SC) while aligning with the company's environmental
impact strategy (AZ strategy). The reflection will follow Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, considering the
experiences, emotions, learning, analysis, conclusion, and action plan (He et al., 2018).

Gibb’s Reflective Cycle (Nursing Answers, 2018)

Description

My colleagues and I were on a highly rigorous journey to prepare a supply chain strategy that will
enhance the company's effort to environmental sustainability (Carter and Rogers,2008). The core
aspect involved is the spread of production across the terrestrials and storehouses added to the
complexity of the task, as it requires thorough understanding and breakdown of factors such as records
of expenses and environmental effect. As we proceed into the complex supply chain management
landscape, there is an obvious need to stress the emphasis beyond operational efficiency; so as to be
a prototype for a sustainable and ecologically standardized future. Actualizing this will This realization
trigger a sense of purpose within the group, guiding to look at prospective solutions that will be
impactful to the environment and will also ignite a well organized supply chain.

Laying more emphasis on how inventory cost makes supply chain more efficient () assertion about
Faraway communities, makes us entertain using drones, but the challenges are_ efficiency of supply
chain and the complication of using new technologies, in an attempt to make an elaborate research and
proffer appropriate solution, we dig into learning the complex world of supply chain dynamics,
understanding the regular ways supply chain is being carried out and the new technologies that could
change things.

The environmental issue aggravated the complexity of our project, that we are faced with the challenges
of how to balance maintain between economic efficiency and ecological responsibility. The pallet trade-
off conundrum, highlighted by Ray (2020) by Mulhollem (2020) and Weththasinghe et al. (2022),
emphasis were laid on the challenges, that are impactful to the environment within the supply chain
operations. This has resulted into making an adjustment in our approach; viewing sustainability as a
checkbox, we recognized it as a continuous spectrum of trade-offs and considerations. This necessitate
the need for broader studies as a fundamental requirement, urging us to fully understand in details,
the concern of the consequences in our proposed solutions across the broader ecological landscape and
within the immediate operational context

Union Pacific stated how good the using of trains are on the earth, which gives us a new perspectives on
our project, but the disadvantages of new technologies most especially the Tesla Semi, created doubts
in us that we have to critically think it through, electric truck is part of our the discussion as we planned
to include it in our transportation system, to also make a huge difference on making supply chain
strategy more eco-friendly. In another aspect of our task, comparison was drawn between the
advantages of the traditional eco-friendly strategy with that of latest technologies which contributed to
the deliberation we had about the future of sustainable transportation in the supply chain

Feelings
The journey on how to make supply chain more beneficial and eco-friendly seems impossible at first,
maintaining sustainability was a very big issue, but along the line every member in the group was very
happy for having a chance to make a contribution that yields positivity. Discovering that fact that our
effort could lead to a better sustainable system increases the excitement in every individual and it as
well gave our project a good purpose. As we progress in the group task, different challenges that nearly
disrupt our progress were encountered, and our target to find the right balance between cutting carbon
emissions and ecological concern turns out to be more complex, maximizing the efficiency of the
supply chain following the company's AZ method became more difficult, this makes us come together
to have a discussion on balancing economic efficiency and environmental sustainability, the different
opinion and priorities among individual in the group is another issue that surges up when we are about
to make progress, but handling it requires a great problem solving skill

The learning process is not an easy process but in the process we get to phases where we learn from our
mistakes, we also learn about supply chain the environment, and more ways productive research are
conducted, the problem we faced become a chance for us to grow and Change, if there is one more
thing we have all earn from this research, it's improvement on our plans and methods, we all have
learnt that they things we need to put into consideration when making balance between supply chain
and eco friendly, not just only regular preparation but also environmental Perspectives strategy. There
is flexibility in every individuals in the group that when there is new information, which gives us the
ability to change our strategies. We learnt that for supply chain to be sustainable, it requires learning,
and flexibility which aid changing to any approach that will bring about development

Evaluation

In the process of our project, we are able to make important progress that enhance our plan for more
efficient supply chain, we did a thorough exploration on the cost of inventory costs and examined the
use of drone in far off areas, this efforts are really very important, the effort is a great enlightenment as
we are able learn go ideas and strategies for our plan. The challenges we faced are just a blessing in
disguise to develop more.it taught us that we need to find to the environment problems, and we should
be smart enough to know how to agree with our selves to progress better. We also learnt about trucks,
as it was included in a transport plan, we knew there will be ups and downs but our focuses is on finding
a realistic and durable way to make things more sustainable
The project gets broader than we expected, from figuring out logistics to thinking critically about the
advantages and disadvantages of supply chain aspects, and the effect of supply chain decision on
people.our discussion pinpointed the use of drones in distant places, questions about welfare, privacy
and people getting sacked from their work. This broadened our knowledge and let us understand that
our solution should revolve around the positivity of the environment without any hindrances on the
society. The complications we had on the project was later of advantage to us, as we took the task
collectively upon ourselves, and after critically thinking and deliberating, we realized that puting good
principles in place considering the welfare of people should be among the core we should consider in
our supply chain project

Analysis

Despite the complexities that revolves around supply chain optimization. We are able to make
productions In Minnesota and it was distributed in different states. In other to make progress, we made
a blueprint on transportation, Management and smart supply, so as to make things run smoothly,We
experienced a lot of difficulties trying to figure all these out, trying to balance up in all these key parts
make supply chain works better.

We further progress to address how supply chain affect the environment, how everything that makes
supply chain effective is connected, we learned that we need to be very selective and understand
aspects before we make choices, not just about making money right away, taking part in the project
create a long-term and mutually beneficial exchange relationships between every member in the group.
While proffering solution to the problems that surges up in the process of completing the project, we
are able to develop give ourselves the assignment to individually think about , and the aspect we
could improve on in the effective supply chain development process

The integration of emerging technologies, particularly the Tesla Semi and electric trucks, injected an
additional layer of complexity into our analysis. While these technologies held promise in reducing
carbon emissions, their integration required a meticulous examination of practicalities and their actual
impact on the environment. The allure of cutting-edge solutions needed to be balanced with a sober
assessment of feasibility and long-term efficacy. This phase of the project pushed us to delve into the
intricacies of technological adoption within the supply chain, questioning not only their environmental
benefits but also the potential disruptions and challenges associated with their implementation. The
consideration of emerging technologies became a pivotal point in our exploration, prompting us to
weigh the advantages against the practical realities and potential trade-offs inherent in the adoption of
these innovations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our investigation into the intricacies of supply chain optimisation and environmental
effect has been a life-changing experience. We have learned much about the complex dance between
operational efficiency and sustainability, from the early difficulties and exhilaration to the achievements
and turning points. The difficulties and complexity made the intricate nature of the problems clear,
forcing us to reevaluate and modify our approaches. Our vision widened beyond the immediate
operational domain to include the broader influence of our actions on society and the environment due
to the project's forced confrontation of ethical and social issues.

The accomplishments, which include noteworthy turning points like studying inventory prices,
investigating drone technology in isolated areas, and analysing the environmental benefits of rail
transportation, have established a solid basis to our suggested supply chain solution. We have
learned much from challenges like the pallet trade-off problem about finding complex solutions that
balance operational effectiveness and ecological impact. The incorporation of high level of technology,
such electric trucks and the Tesla Semi, has increased complexity and highlighted the need of carefully
assessing their viability and actual environmental effect.

Action Plan

Our action plan for the future is focused on ongoing learning, adaptability, and a dedication to moral
and sustainable behaviour. Further study must be done, particularly in areas like inventory costs, the
social consequences of developing technology, and the long-term environmental effects of our
suggested fixes. Our decision-making processes should be heavily influenced by stakeholder
participation and ethical considerations to ensure that the environmental benefits and our commitment
to societal well-being are compatible. Although our suggested multimodal transport method might be
revolutionary, using electric vehicles necessitates carefully assessing practical obstacles. With the help of
this action plan, we want to develop a more responsible and efficient supply chain solution that
maximises positive environmental impact, optimises operations, and complies with social and ethical
obligations.
Within the dynamic field of supply chain management, our initiative serves as evidence of the complex
relationship between sustainability and efficiency. We understand that there is still work to be done
to create a supply chain that is more ecologically conscious and optimised as we negotiate the
challenges and unknowns. Our group's dedication to ethical decision-making, ongoing development, and
a comprehensive strategy puts us in a prime position to spearhead constructive change in supply chain
optimisation. This initiative represents a step towards a more sustainable future. Still, it also serves as a
reminder that success in supply chain management demands flexibility, grit, and an unwavering
dedication to a better tomorrow.