OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Instructor: Vasile Zamfirescu

MIDTERM (see Syllabus and Moodle for the due date)

MIDTERM QUESTION #1

Create a comprehensive QFD for a good of your choice. Please review the corresponding lecture

and workshop materials and apply fully the learning contents. In addition to including the

various evaluations and analysis stages that are mandatory to make this tool effective, your

submission must include the following:

• at least ten (10) customer requirements (VOC)

• at least eight (8) design specifications (VOE)

• at least one example of real-life good produced by a real-life company to be used for the

competitive assessments

• brief comments justifying the choice of target values (max. 100 words).

Notes regarding Question 1:

• The following types of goods DO NOT QUALIFY for this exercise, so you may not choose

them: Cars, Computers of any kind, and Smart phones. Submissions developed on these

types of goods will be marked zero (0).

• Ideally, you should have some experience either with the use or with the production and

delivery of the chosen type of good. However, this is NOT an R&D project or a Research

project! This is an assignment meant for students to demonstrate understanding of the QFD

approach (“tool”) when managing the design/redesign of goods. In other words, you don’t

necessarily have to conduct market research to identify the VOC (you are “familiar” with

your shoes or your hair dryer, so you may use your own requirements, or talk to a few

people around you); likewise, you don’t need to hire an engineer to set up the new specs

(you know what you want – for example, from a hair-dryer – and you may look online at a

comparison between competing brands and decide what specifications you may want to

include in your analysis).

• In addition to the actual QFD diagram (which should be self-explanatory), the ONLY

narrative should be the explanations regarding target values (max. 100 words).

• If your QFD is drawn by hand, you may scan it and merge it with the cover page (see

below), the comments about the target values, and your answers to Midterm Question #2. If

applicable, make sure your hand-drawn diagram is perfectly legible in the final document

that you are uploading (whether you digitalize it through scanning or by taking a snapshot).

A QFD diagram that is not readable will be considered not submitted. The aspect is of the

essence too!

MIDTERM QUESTION #2

Choose an actual service organization familiar to you (because you are or used to be either their

employee or a frequent customer) and graphically illustrate their current activities employing the

tool called Service Blueprinting. Please review the corresponding lecture and workshop material

and fully apply their contents.

You must provide a COMPREHENSIVE blueprint FOR AN ACTUAL SERVICE WITH

ABOVE-AVERAGE DEGREE OF COMPLEXITY (example: “Customer comes in, obtains

a Money Order, leaves” DENOTES BELOW-AVERAGE COMPLEXITY).

Then, describe the ORGANIZATION’S:

a) Current Service-delivery System Design

b) Current Service-encounter Design

c) Current situation of their practices destined to improve efficiency behind the Line of

Visibility.

Further, discuss at least three (3) service design and/or service process “imperfections” in

any area of this organization’s service and which you have identified in your service

blueprint tool. Make suggestions for improvement for each of these areas. Be specific.

Please examine carefully the Moodle materials regarding Service Design and Process Design for

Services and use as many concepts and tools as possible to analyze (in a comprehensive

manner) the design of the service chosen and the process that delivers the service. Remember:

the detailed diagram/flow chart illustrating the journey of the customer or of something

belonging to the customer is just the beginning of any Service Blueprinting job. It is essential for

your work to demonstrate understanding of the large variety of aspects of service design as

introduced in this course and their application to the actual organization that you chose.

Notes regarding Question 2:

• The following DO NOT QUALIFY for this exercise: Fast Food (e.g., McDonald’s and

similar, and Coffee Shops (e.g., Starbucks and similar). Submissions developed on these

types of services will be marked zero (0).

• The “blueprint” should be self-explanatory. The “discussion” required and any other

comments may not exceed a maximum number of 500 words in total. However, remember

that the narrative is allowed IN ADDITION TO any words used on the Service Blueprint

and on any diagrams or graphical representations directly related to the Service Blueprint.

For absolute clarity, the separate answers (meaning comments provided separately from

any text embedded into the Service Blueprint diagrams) to sub-questions (a), (b) (c) plus the

discussion of “imperfections” may not exceed a COMBINED TOTAL of 500 words.

• If your Service Blueprint is drawn by hand, you may scan it and merge it with the cover

page (see below), with your discussion and suggestions as required above, and with your

answers to Midterm Question #1. If applicable, make sure your hand-drawn diagram is

perfectly legible in the final document that you are uploading (whether you digitalize it

through scanning or by taking a snapshot). A “blueprint” that is not readable will be

considered not submitted. The aspect is of the essence, too!

UPLOAD TO THE MOODLE DROP-BOX (“ASSIGNMENT”) CALLED Midterm Exam, ONLY ONE (1) FILE CONTAINING ALL YOUR ANSWERS AND DIAGRAMS.

Formats allowed: MS Word, Excel, .pdf. If you have difficulty in “packaging” the various parts into a Word or Excel

file, remember that both such files, as well as pictures, may be saved as PDF and then “assembled” in one single

PDF file.

Make sure ALL your answers are included in the file that you upload (no “hyperlinks” to external materials, no

zipped files, and no separate emails).

The Moodle drop box allows the upload of only one (1) file for each student.

The uploaded file must be saved as “Lastname-Firstname-Midterm” and file extension.

ONLY THE FILE UPLOADED TO MOODLE WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR GRADING, ANY OTHER MATERIAL

SUBMITTED BY OTHER MEANS (HARD COPY, E-MAIL) WILL BE IGNORED.

THERE WILL BE ZERO (0) TOLERANCE FOR ANY DEVIATION FROM THESE INSTRUCTIONS

PLEASE FILL OUT AND INCLUDE THIS PAGE AS “COVER PAGE” OF THE

DOCUMENT THAT CONTAINS YOUR ANSWERS TO THE MIDTERM

EXAM QUESTIONS

MIDTERM

Instructor: Vasile Zamfirescu

My uploading of the digital version of this assignment to the KPU-Moodle drop box

“Midterm Exam”, represents my confirmation (as if I had signed a hard copy of it)

that I read and understood the student’s statement below

STUDENT NAME: FIRST………………………….. LAST…………………………………

STUDENT’S “PREFFERED NAME”……………………… STUDENT ID# …………………

COURSE/SECTION/TERM: BUSI 2405-xxx - xxxxxx 20xx

STUDENT’S KPU E-MAIL ADDRESS …………………………………….

STUDENT’S STATEMENT

I declare that the work performed for this Midterm and the contents of this

submission represent only my own original work; material from other sources, if any,

has been clearly referenced and credited, and the answers are not acquired from

third parties, copied from, or developed together with, other students, nor recycled

from another project in another course, whether at KPU or elsewhere. More

generally, I declare that the work performed for this assignment and the contents of

this document comply fully with my signed Statement of Academic Integrity and with

the provisions of KPU policy ST2.