Questions from General Operations Management


Q: A janitor called Murray Spangler invented the vacuum cleaner in 1907.

A janitor called Murray Spangler invented the vacuum cleaner in 1907. One year later, he sold his patented idea to William Hoover whose company went on to dominate the market. Now, the Dyson vacuum cl...

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Q: It sounds like a joke, but it is a genuine product

It sounds like a joke, but it is a genuine product innovation. It’s green, it’s square and it comes originally from Japan. It’s a square watermelon. Why square? Because Japanese grocery stores are not...

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Q: Consider the music business as a supply network. How did music

Consider the music business as a supply network. How did music downloads and streaming affect to artists’ sales? What implications did electronic music transmission have for record shops?

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Q: A data centre is ‘a facility composed of networked computers and

A data centre is ‘a facility composed of networked computers and storage that businesses or other organisations use to organise, process, store and disseminate large amounts of data. A business typica...

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Q: A company that produces concrete paving slabs is introducing a new range

A company that produces concrete paving slabs is introducing a new range of ‘textured’ nonslip products. To do this it must invest in a new machine. Demand is forecast to be around 10,000 units per mo...

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Q: Quentin Cakes make about 20,000 cakes per year in two

Quentin Cakes make about 20,000 cakes per year in two sizes, both based on the same recipe. Sales peak at Christmas time when demand is about 50 per cent higher than in the more quiet summer period. T...

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Q: Blackberry Hill Farm (BHF) has developed two businesses to complement

Blackberry Hill Farm (BHF) has developed two businesses to complement their traditional farming activity over the last 6 years. The first is a service operation opening up the farm to paying visitors...

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Q: The Managing Partner of The Branding Partnership (TBP) describes her

The Managing Partner of The Branding Partnership (TBP) describes her business. ʻIt is about four years now since we specialized in the small to medium firms’ market. Before that we also used to provid...

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Q: Visit an IKEA superstore and a smaller furniture store. Observe how

Visit an IKEA superstore and a smaller furniture store. Observe how the shop operates, for example, where customers go, how staff interact with them, how big it is, how the shop has chosen to use its...

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Q: Write down five services that you have ‘consumed’ in the last

Write down five services that you have ‘consumed’ in the last week. Try and make these as varied as possible. Examples could include public transport, a bank, any shop or supermarket, attendance at an...

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