Questions from General Operations Management


Q: Johnstown Foundry, Inc., with several major plants, is one

Johnstown Foundry, Inc., with several major plants, is one of the largest makers of cast-iron water and sewer pipes in the U.S. In one of the nation’s most dangerous industries, Johnstown is perhaps o...

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Q: As a buyer for a discount retail chain, you find yourself

As a buyer for a discount retail chain, you find yourself caught in a maelstrom. Just last month, your chain began selling an economy-priced line of clothing endorsed by a famous movie star. To be pri...

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Q: Wayne Hills Hospital in tiny Wayne, Nebraska, faces a problem

Wayne Hills Hospital in tiny Wayne, Nebraska, faces a problem common to large, urban hospitals as well as to small, remote ones like itself. That problem is deciding how much of each type of whole blo...

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Q: Airline passengers today stand in numerous lines, are crowded into small

Airline passengers today stand in numerous lines, are crowded into small seats on mostly full airplanes, and often spend time on taxiways because of air-traffic problems or lack of open gates. But wha...

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Q: For many months your prospective ERP customer has been analyzing the hundreds

For many months your prospective ERP customer has been analyzing the hundreds of assumptions built into the $900,000 ERP software you are selling. So far, you have knocked yourself out to try to make...

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Q: Scheduling people to work second and third shifts (evening and “

Scheduling people to work second and third shifts (evening and “graveyard”) is a problem in almost every 24-hour company. Medical and ergonomic data indicate the body does not respond well to signific...

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Q: In this Lean operations world, in an effort to lower handling

In this Lean operations world, in an effort to lower handling costs, speed delivery, and reduce inventory, retailers are forcing their suppliers to do more and more in the way of preparing their merch...

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Q: The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas on its 2003 return to

The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas on its 2003 return to Earth. The Challenger exploded shortly after launch in 1986. And the Apollo 1 spacecraft imploded in fire on the launch pad in...

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Q: The American car battery industry boasts that its recycling rate now exceeds

The American car battery industry boasts that its recycling rate now exceeds 95%, the highest rate for any commodity. However, with changes brought about by specialization and globalization, parts of...

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Q: Wheeled Coach, based in Winter Park, Florida, is the

Wheeled Coach, based in Winter Park, Florida, is the world’s largest manufacturer of ambulances. Working four 10-hour days each week, 350 employees make only custom-made ambulances; virtually every ve...

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