Questions from General Operations Management

Q: One product where customers value a very wide range of product types

One product where customers value a very wide range of product types is that of domestic paint. Most people like to express their creativity in the choice of paints and other home decorating products...

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

Re-read the ‘Operations in practice’ example on Pret a Manger. (a) Do you think Pret a Manger fully understands the importance of its operations management? (b) What kind of operations management acti...

Q: We have to get this new product and fast’, said the

We have to get this new product and fast’, said the Operations Director. ‘Our competitors are close behind us and I believe their products will be almost as good as ours when they launch them’. She wa...

Q: Innovation becomes particularly important at the interface between offerings and the people

Innovation becomes particularly important at the interface between offerings and the people that use them. Consider two types of website: a) Those which are trying to sell something such as Amazon.com...

Q: According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy is ‘

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy is ‘one that is restorative and regenerative by design, and which aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utili...

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 cle...

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...

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 each of these artists’ sales? What implications has online music transmission had for traditional music re...

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 organizations use to organize, process, store and disseminate large amounts of data. A business typica...

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’ non- slip products. To do this it must invest in a new machine. Demand is forecast to be around 10,000 units per...