d-9

Required readings

Jacobs, F.R & Chase, R.B. (2013). Operations and supply management: The core (3rd e.d). New York, NY: McGraw Hill/Irwin.  Chapter 1 (in eReserves)    Jacobs & Chase Operations and Supply Management, The Core

 Required Multimedia

D’Mello, J. (2015). Introduction to operations management

Objective: Determine the key factors that establish an organization's operational efficiency and effectiveness,  and apply them to effective operational decision making.  Competency in focus: critical thinking. .

Assignment Overview:

There are many concepts associated with operations management that are important for managers making operational decisions to understand.  In this discussion, the goal is to define, understand and differentiate these concepts, in order to understand how they affect management decisions and organizational success.

Be sure to think analytically-- You must critique, compare, evaluate, and use examples to clarify your points and compare to others.

 

Group one questions

Define in your own words the phrases (1) “operational efficiency,” (2)  “operational effectiveness” (3) "operations strategy" and (4)  "operational sustainability."

For each definition:

Offer an example from your own organization or another with which you are familiar, and distinguish this concept from the others (compare and contrast).  

Explain why each is important for decision makers to  understand, and how such  understanding  may affect their decisions or actions.  Give examples.

There are numerous important external factors that affect the operational effectiveness and operational efficiency of an organization.  Two of the most significant external factors, typically, are resource constraints imposed from above and laws and regulations with which compliance is required.  For each of your examples,

Identify external factors that affect the examples you have provided and  how you would/can  mitigate the negative effects of external factors or leverage the positive effects.

Group Two questions

Define in your own words, the concept of “quality” as used in your work organization or family and give examples.

Define Six Sigma, and comment on its applicability and its value, if any, in your or  another organization.  According to the full version of Jacobs & Chase (2009) (ISBN 978-0073403304), 

Six Sigma is a philosophy and set of methods companies use to eliminate defects in their products and processes 

Six Sigma as an important OM technique in the reduction of production errors, albeit at a high price to the enterprise using it. 

Give examples of advantages and disadvantages of this technique, and suggest ways in which it might be best utilized in your organization or one with which you are familiar. .