Questions from General Operations Management

Q: Many companies devise a policy on ethical sourcing covering such things as

Many companies devise a policy on ethical sourcing covering such things as workplace standards and business practices, Health and Safety conditions, human rights, legal systems, child labour, discipli...

Q: Airline catering is a tough business. Meals must be of a

Airline catering is a tough business. Meals must be of a quality that is appropriate for the class and type of flight, yet the Airlines who are their customers are always looking to keep costs as low...

Q: A supplier makes monthly shipments to ‘House & Garden Stores,

A supplier makes monthly shipments to ‘House & Garden Stores, in average lot sizes of 200 coffee tables. The average demand for these items is 50 tables per week, and the lead time from the supplier 3...

Q: A local shop has a relatively stable demand for tins of sweetcorn

A local shop has a relatively stable demand for tins of sweetcorn throughout the year, with an annual total of 1400 tins. The cost of placing an order is estimated at £15 and the annual cost of holdin...

Q: A fruit canning plant has a single line for three different fruit

A fruit canning plant has a single line for three different fruit types. Demand for each type of tin is reasonably constant at 50,000 per month (a month has 160 production hours). The tinning process...

Q: Our suppliers often offer better prices if we are willing to buy

Our suppliers often offer better prices if we are willing to buy in larger quantities. This creates a pressure on us to hold higher levels of stock. Therefore, to find the best quantity to order we mu...

Q: Revisit the ‘Operations in practice’ example on the Blood and Transplant

Revisit the ‘Operations in practice’ example on the Blood and Transplant service at the beginning of the chapter. (a) What are the factors which constitute inventory holding costs, order costs, and st...

Q: Xexon7 is a specialist artificial intelligence (AI) development firm that

Xexon7 is a specialist artificial intelligence (AI) development firm that develops algorithms for various on-line services. As part of its client service it has a small (10-person) help-desk call cent...

Q: Re-read the ‘Operations in practice’ example on ‘An

Re-read the ‘Operations in practice’ example on ‘An inventory of energy’. It mentions the potential of battery storage of energy, but stresses the cost of this method. What do you think would be the i...

Q: Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of gas

Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of gas turbines. They are exceptionally complex products, typically with around 25,000 parts, and hundreds of sub-assemblies, and their producti...