A Rose Is a Rose, but Only If It Is Fresh Supply chains for food and flowers must be fast, and they must be good. When the food supply chain has a problem, the best that can happen is the customer does not get fed on time; the worst that happens is the customer gets food poisoning and dies. In the floral industry, the timing and temperature are also critical. Indeed, flowers are the most perishable agricultural item—even more so than fish. Flowers not only need to move fast, but they must also be kept cool, at a constant temperature of 33 to 37 degrees. And they must be provided preservative-treated water while in transit. Roses are especially delicate, fragile, and perishable. Eighty percent of the roses sold in the U. S. market arrive by air from rural Colombia and Ecuador. Roses move through this supply chain via an intricate but fast transportation network. This network stretches from growers who cut, grade, bundle, pack, and ship; to importers who make the deal; to the U. S. Department of Agriculture personnel who quarantine and inspect for insects, diseases, and parasites; to U. S. Customs agents who inspect and approve; to facilitators who provide clearance and labeling; to wholesalers who distribute; to retailers who arrange and sell; and finally to the customer. Each and every minute the product is deteriorating. The time and temperature sensitivity of perishables like roses requires sophistication and refined standards in the supply chain. Success yields quality and low losses. After all, when it’s Valentine’s Day, what good is a shipment of roses that arrives wilted or late? This is a difficult supply chain; only an excellent one will get the job done. Read above scenario and answer the following. (Be specific in answering) a. The role of logistics in the context of successful supply chain b. Discuss time utility and place utility in the context of above scenario c. Evaluate drivers of logistics for the same d. Discuss the mode/modes of transportation you find in the given scenario.