Questions from General Operations Management

Q: Consider the simplified Anheuser-Busch supply chain shown in Figure 1

Consider the simplified Anheuser-Busch supply chain shown in Figure 1.2. Is Alcoa really the first entity in the supply chain? What other suppliers would AnheuserBusch have? What information should be...

Q: “As a matter of fact, an environment supporting standardized products

“As a matter of fact, an environment supporting standardized products will usually have an easier time managing capacity than an environment supporting customized products.” Is this proposition true?...

Q: What kind of capacity strategy—lead, lag, or match

What kind of capacity strategy—lead, lag, or match— would you expect a toy targeted for the Christmas period to adopt? What about a public employment agency? Why?

Q: Who do you think would benefit more from a “virtual supply

Who do you think would benefit more from a “virtual supply chain” capacity strategy—a small start-up firm with few resources or an older, more established company? Why? What are the risks associated w...

Q: Assume that you are the operations manager of a department store.

Assume that you are the operations manager of a department store. Is it logical for cashiers to be fully engaged all the time in order to keep the customers’ waiting time to a minimum when the latter...

Q: What are the relationships among learning, productivity, and effective capacity

What are the relationships among learning, productivity, and effective capacity? What are the pros and cons of using learning curves to estimate future resource requirements?

Q: A manufacturer takes raw material from a supplier, processes it using

A manufacturer takes raw material from a supplier, processes it using a single manufacturing step, and then sells it to its customers. Suppose the manufacturer decides to double the capacity of the ma...

Q: Is it true to say that the waiting line for a bank

Is it true to say that the waiting line for a bank with constant service time will have a longer waiting time than a bank with irregular service time, assuming all other things, including time between...

Q: Though simulations are used to imitate the operation of a real-

Though simulations are used to imitate the operation of a real-world process or system over time, they have a number of disadvantages. Identify their advantages as well as their disadvantages.

Q: Consider the cafeteria services available at a university. In many cases

Consider the cafeteria services available at a university. In many cases, these services are outsourced to a private firm. Use Tables 7.6 and 7.7 as guides to explain why this is the case. In what qua...