A computer software firm provides a 20' x 30' office for its six systems analysts and plans to hire two additional analysts. To maintain a 100-square-foot working space per analyst, the firm’s owner-manager is considering expansion. The cost of expansion is $40 per square foot with annual maintenance costs of $4 per square foot. The useful life of floor space is 20 years. By how much should employee productivity increase to justify the additional expenditure? The current salary of the systems analysts is $25,000.
> Is it easier to management a high- or low-customer-contact business? Explain.
> Identify a service-provider job and associated service encounters and design and write a job description for it. (Consider desired customer-contact skills and behaviors, education and training requirements, empowerment capabilities, hiring criteria, and
> Propose an explicit service guarantee for a fast-food restaurant. Clearly explain why you included the features of your service guarantee (maximum of one page). Do you think that a restaurant would adopt it? Why or why not?
> Identify a job in an organization and describe how the four elements of service-encounter design are designed and managed for this job. (The job you select could be in a professional organization such as a dentist or tax advisor, or in a routine service
> Select a service at your school, such as financial aid, bookstore, curriculum advising, and so on. Propose a redesign of this service and its service delivery system. First, baseline the current service and system and then suggest how to redesign and imp
> Define lean and elaborate servicescapes and give an example not in the textbook.
> Choose a servicescape for a business with which you are familiar and list key physical attributes of the servicescape and their impact on customer service and value. Explain how the servicescape establishes the behavioral setting for your example.
> Research and write a short paper (maximum two typed pages) illustrating an example of how a company applies concepts of Design for Environment (DfE).
> Explain how the goal post view of conforming to specifications differs from Taguchi’s loss function. Would you rather buy an automobile where suppliers used the goal-post or Taguchi models? Why?
> In building a House of Quality, what departments or functions should be involved in each step of the process?
> Jake and Lilly Gifford founded J&L Packaging, Inc. (J&LP) in 1995 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati. Jake earned a degree in robotics and mechanical engineering, while Lilly graduated with a degree in computer science. They met a
> What lessons can be learned from the LaRosa’s Pizzeria boxed example?
> How might modern technology, such as the Internet, be used to understand the voice of the customer?
> Research and write a short paper about how business analytics or advances in information systems influence the use of technology and decision making in operations management.
> Research and write a short paper (maximum of two typed pages) on the advantages and disadvantages of “technology transfer” when a firm partners with a firm in another country.
> Research what jobs are most and least likely to be replaced by technology and automation.
> Identify and describe (maximum of two typed pages) two apps for your cell phone or electronic reader and how they improve your productivity and quality of life.
> Research and write a short paper (maximum of two typed pages) on the impact of electric vehicles on the three dimensions of sustainability.
> How can social media enhance the sale of a physical good? A service? Provide examples. Explain.
> Describe a situation where self-service and technology help create and deliver the customer benefit package to the customer. Provide examples of how such a system can cause a defect, mistake or service upset.
> Discuss each of these statements. What might be wrong with each of them? a. “We’ve thought about computer integration of all our manufacturing functions, but when we looked at it, we realized that the labor savings wouldn’t justify the cost.” b. “We’ve h
> LCC Medical Manufacturing, located in Punta Gorda, Florida, produces medical devices for orthopedic surgery including replacement parts for human knees, hips, and elbows, and surgical tools. One component LCC out- sources is the meta tibial component. Th
> Explain how manufacturing and service technology, and business analytics strengthen the value chain.
> Identify and describe (maximum of two typed pages) a business that uses ERP to manage its value chain (if possible, draw a picture of key elements of the value chain such as sourcing, production, shipping, sales, billing, and so on). What benefits and c
> How do the “Veja Company: Sneakers with a Conscience” operations and supply chain decisions and practices support their mission and strategy? Provide examples and explain. Report your findings in a short paper (maximum of two typed pages).
> Research Apple and define its strategic mission, vision, corporate strategy, competitive priorities, and operations strategy. What can you say about Apple’s strategy and practices regarding sustainability? You might use the Internet or visit the library.
> Identify two competing organizations (e.g., AT&T and Verizon, TaylorMade and Callaway golf club manufacturers, or Starbucks and Panera). Explain the differences in their missions, strategies, and competitive priorities, and how their operations strategie
> Apply Hill’s strategy framework to a goods producing or service-providing organization of your choice. This will require research to identify corporate objectives and competitive priorities. See the McDonald’s example in the chapter for guidance and make
> Research and write a short paper on a company that has a clear strategy based on social and ethical sustainability.
> Identify two firms that endorse sustainability as part of their corporate strategy and discuss how sustainability is integrated into their strategies.
> Why is sustainability a strategy and not a competitive priority? Explain your reasoning.
> Is it possible for a world-class organization to achieve superiority in all five major competitive priorities—price (cost), quality, time, flexibility, and innovation? Explain your reasoning.
> 1. Research global supply and demand for diamonds and how it affects prices. What role do “diamond reserves” (inventory) play in determining prices? Explain. What do you think the demand-supply curves for diamonds looks like? Try to sketch it out. 2. Wha
> Explain the interlinking model of quality and profitability (Exhibit 3.2). How does it connect to business and operations strategy? Can you provide any examples of goods and services that support and add credibility to this model?
> Compare Lyft (www.lyft.com) and Uber (www. uber.com) strategies. Explain the similarities and differences in their missions, strategies, and competitive priorities, and how their operations strategies might differ. Use the Internet or business magazines
> How does your cell phone provider use the competitive priority “flexibility” to its competitive advantage? Research, then explain and provide examples in a short paper (maximum of two typed pages).
> How does Procter & Gamble use the competitive priority “quality” to its competitive advantage? Research, then explain and provide examples in a short paper (maximum of two typed pages).
> How does Walmart use the competitive priority “cost” to its competitive advantage? Research, then explain and provide examples in a short paper (maximum of two typed pages).
> How does a package delivery service such as UPS or FedEx use the competitive priority “time” to its competitive advantage? Research, then explain and provide examples in a short paper (maximum of two typed pages).
> Choose an organization with which you are familiar that falls into one of the following categories: • sporting goods store • haircut salon • college bar or restaurant • pizza business • a sports team • wireless telephone Define the firm’s strategic missi
> Provide examples of search, experience, and credence attributes for a ride sharing service such as Uber or Lyft.
> What is the average value of a loyal customer (VLC) in a target market segment if the average purchase price is $70 per visit, the frequency of repurchase is every month, the contribution margin is 20%, and the average customer defection rate is 25%? If
> Estimate the value of a loyal customer of a loyal Volvo automobile owner? Assume the contribution margin is 0.32, the purchase price is $70,000, the repurchase frequency is every four years, and the customer defection rate is 30 percent.
> Caroline Highgrove, Hardy Hospital’s director of materials management, glanced at the papers spread across her desk. She wondered where the week had gone. On Monday, the director of university operations, Drew Paris, had asked Caroline
> If the customer defection rate is 17.5 percent, what is the customer retention rate?
> A manufacturing firm uses two measures of productivity: a. Total sales/Total inputs b. Total sales/Total labor inputs Given the data for the last three years below, calculate the productivity ratios. How would you interpret the results? All figures are i
> The data shown below apply to the first two quarters of the current year. Using total-dollar measures of input and output, compare the total profit and productivity achieved for the two quarters. How does second-quarter productivity compare with the firs
> A fast-food restaurant has a drive-through window and during peak lunch times can handle a maximum of 50 cars per hour with one person taking orders, assembling them, and acting as cashier. The average sale per order is $9.00. A proposal has been made to
> A factory produces 10,000 desk staplers each week. The equipment used costs $50,000 and will remain productive for three years. The labor cost per year is $180,000. a. What is the productivity measure of “units of output per dollar of input” averaged ove
> A hamburger factory produces 60,000 hamburgers each week. The equipment used costs $10,000 and will remain productive for four years. The labor cost per year is $13,500. a. What is the productivity measure of “units of output per dollar of input” average
> A major airline is attempting to evaluate the effect of recent changes it has made in scheduling flights between New York City and Los Angeles. Data available are shown below: Using January as the base period, compute a productivity index for January and
> Productivity measures for a manufacturing plant over a six-month period follow: Using January as the base period, compute a productivity index for February to June, and comment on what those productivity indexes tell about the productivity trend.
> Each day, a FedEx competitor processes approximately 70,000 shipments. Suppose that they use the same Service Quality Index as FedEx and identified the following numbers of errors during a 5-day week (see the “FedEx: Measuring Service Performance” box).
> Cost-containment activities have become particularly important to hospital operations managers, stimulated by major revisions in health care reimbursement policies and significant growth in marketing activities by private sector health care organizations
> When the value of a loyal customer (VLC) market segment is high, should these customers be given premium goods and services for premium prices? If the VLC is low, should they be given less service? Explain.
> Under which perspective of the balanced scorecard would you classify each of the following measurements? a. On-time delivery to customers b. Time to develop the next generation of products c. Manufacturing yield d. Engineering efficiency e. Quarterly
> Revenue or costs per passenger mile are two key performance measures in the airline industry. Research their use in this industry and prepare a one-page paper summarizing how they are used and why they are so important.
> Discuss some analytical or graphical approaches that organizations can use for analyzing performance data based on your experience and previous coursework.
> Research and write a short paper on how some organization applies the five dimensions of service quality.
> Interview managers at a local company to identify the key business measures (financial, market, supplier, employee, process, information, innovation, etc.) for that company. What quality indicators does that company measure? What cause-and-effect (interl
> Select an organization you are familiar with or have an interest in and write a short two-page paper describing key performance metrics in that industry and firm using the format of Exhibit 2.1.
> What types of performance measurements might be used to evaluate a fraternity or student organization?
> If a coffee shops average transaction price is $4.00, their gross margin is 60 percent, the typical customer makes a purchase once a week or 52 weeks per year, and management estimates the value of a loyal customer over their buying life cycle as $520, w
> What is the value of a loyal customer (VLC ) in the small contractor target market segment who buys an electric drill on average every four years (or every 0.25 year) for $100, when the gross margin on the drill averages 50 percent, and the customer rete
> 1. What is the average number of customers per hour that can be served for Activity B (CAD Demo & Jewelry Concept) if two employees are in the store? Assume each employee works at 100% utilization. 2. Given the seasonal nature of demand at Hudson Jeweler
> What is the average defection rate for grocery store shoppers in a local area of a large city if they spend $50 per visit, shop 52 weeks per year, the grocery store has a 16% gross contribution margin, and the value of a loyal customer is estimated at $2
> Geoff Colvin of Fortune magazine discussed the concept of a ""friction-free economy" in which labor, information, and money move cheaply and quickly through the firm's global supply chains (ENDNOTE: Geoff Colvin, "Every Aspect of Your Business is About t
> Select one of the OM challenges and investigate it in more detail. Prepare a 5-10-minute presentation on what you found.
> Research and write a short paper describing how business analytics has been applied to problems and decisions in operations management. Use the information in the box “What do Operations Managers Do?” to help your search process.
> Discuss how the three perspectives of sustainability influence (or perhaps, should influence) your personal purchasing decisions. For example, do you consider whether apparel is made in safe and ethical factories? Should companies exploit their sustain
> Describe new ways for how your college or university can apply the sustainability practices in Exhibit 1.13. Summarize your results in a short paper.
> Search the Web for either (a) an organization that has defined its sustainability strategy and policy, and give examples of how they are implementing it, or (b) an organization that has received negative or controversial media coverage for its ethical
> Select an organization you are familiar with and draw and describe its value chain using one of the three value chain frameworks (i.e., the input-output, pre- and post-services or the hierarchical model) described in this chapter.
> Review one of the operations and supply chain management professional websites and report what you find.
> One of our former students, who had worked for Taco Bell, related a story of how his particular store developed a “60-second, 10-pack club” as an improvement initiative and training tool. The goal was to make a 10-pack of tacos in a minute or less, each
> Why don’t they buy another copying machine for this office? I waste a lot of valuable time fooling with this machine when I could be preparing my legal cases,” noted Mr. H.C. Morris, as he waited in line. The self-serv
> Why is process thinking important in operations management? Thinking of yourself as an “operations manager” for your education, how could process thinking improve your performance as a student?
> Draw the customer benefit package (CBP) for one of the items in the following list and explain how your CBP provides value to the customer. Make a list of a few example processes that you think would be necessary to create and deliver “each good or servi
> Explain how the customer benefit package is enhanced from the customer's viewpoint by adding digital content to a physical good such as an automobile, cell phone, or appliance? How is value increased?
> Choose one of the following services and explain, using specific examples, how each of the ways that services differ from manufactured goods apply. a. a family practice medical office b. a fire department c. a restaurant d. an automobile repair shop
> Do you think you will be working in manufacturing or services when you graduate? What do you think will be the role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy in the future?
> Explain why a bank teller, nurse, or flight attendant must have service management skills. How do the required skills differ for someone working in a factory? What are the implications for hiring criteria and training?
> Explain how the seven differences between goods and services would be applied to a major airline service. Provide airline examples that illustrate each difference.
> Interview a working friend or family member as to how they use operations management principles in their job and write a short paper summarizing your findings (maximum two pages).
> Evaluate how the activities described in the box “What Do Operations Managers Do?” can be applied to a student organization or fraternity to improve its effectiveness.
> Interview a manager at a local company about the work he or she performs. Identify (a) the aspects of the job that relate to OM (like the OM activities in the box on page 3, “What Do Operations Managers Do?”) and (b) examples of value-creation, suppor
> A rare book library at a University of England in England houses first edition (FE), original manuscript (OM), and authors’ journals (AJ). Some of these rare books are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and most are worth more than
> Search recent articles in your local newspaper and business magazines such as Fortune, Business Week, Fast Company, and so on and identify OM concepts and issues that are discussed. How do these fit into the classification in the box “What Do Operations
> Describe a customer experience you have personally encountered where the good or service or both were unsatisfactory (e.g., defective product, errors, mistakes, poor service, service upsets, etc.). How might the organization have handled it better, and h
> Select a business with which you are familiar and identify examples of customers using search, experience, and credence quality to evaluate the good or service. You might also research the businesses on the Internet or visit the library.
> Select a business with which you are familiar and identify examples of order qualifiers and winners. You might also research the businesses on the Internet or visit the library.
> A manufacturer uses a moving average to predict how many replacement parts for Part #8119 they should produce per month. Past demand is as follows. What are the forecasts for month seven using two-, four-, and six-period moving averages? What can we lear
> Ink cartridges for the Burke Model 901 printer the last four weeks are as follows: a. What is the three-week moving average for the fifth week? b. What is the four-week moving average for the fifth week? c. Actual sales for week five were 126. With this
> Cynthia’s Design Studios had sales the last four months of $13,700, $15,400, $17,100, and $18,800. Sales are related to how many designers Cynthia has on-duty. The sales forecast helps her decide on the proper staffing levels. a. What is the forecast fo
> ProScript sells writing software that edits and proofs manuscripts. The last five months of data are shown below. Compute MSE, MAD, and MAPE (Equations 9.1 to 9.3) for these data.
> Compute MSE, MAD, and MAPE (Equations 9.1 to 9.3) for the following customer satisfaction data.
> A supply chain manager faced with choosing among four possible locations has assessed each location according to the following criteria, where the weights reflect the importance of the criteria. How can he use this information to choose a location? Can y
> 1. Explain how capacity is measured at the following stages of the diamond value chain: (a) mining, (b) cutting and polishing, (c) jewelry manufacturing for custom and standard jewelry, and (d) the retail store? (There can be multiple measures so mak
> The Hudson Jewelers case study in MindTap integrates material found in each chapter of this book. Case Questions for Discussion: 1. Use one of the three value chain frameworks dis- cussed in this chapter to characterize the diamond value chain. How does
> Using the following information about material volume shipped from a factory to four retail outlets, find the best location for the factory using the center of gravity method. Use the center-of-gravity method to determine an ideal location for a service
