BSOP 330 Discussions Week 1 to 7

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 1 to 7

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 1

Week 1 DQ 1

How does master planning affect the overall organization? Why is this a necessary part of the overall management process of an organization?

Week 1 DQ 2

Planning Horizons (Graded)

What are time horizons as used in the corporate planning process? How do these horizons affect our forecasting processes? What are planning horizons and why do we need them, or do we?

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 2

Week 2 DQ 1

Which forecast error measuring tool is the best? (Graded)

Of the four error tracking tools we have learned about today (MAD, MSE, MAPE and seasonality), which method provides the best way to track forecast error? Give examples.

Week 2 DQ 2

Is it possible to forecast seasonal products without removing the seasonal variations? (Graded)

We calculate a seasonal index in order to remove the seasonal component before creating a forecast. Is it possible to remove this step and create a forecast with the seasonal variation still in place? Why or why not? Explain.

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 3

Week 3 DQ 1

Aggregate Planning Strategy (Graded)

Mixing options to develop an aggregate plan is a common practice. How would you mix the chase and level strategies at your place of employment (or former place) to come up with a better overall plan?

We have a number of options when it comes to aggregate planning. Pick one from Table 13.1 and discuss its advantages, disadvantages, and possible alternative if there is one.

Week 3 DQ 2

Aggregate Planning in Services (Graded)

How do plans differ in services from a production or manufacturing setting? How do the planning strategies impact operational plans in services?

Different services have slightly different approaches to aggregate planning. Select one the 5 service scenarios provided in our text and discuss it. What, if any, commonality does your selection share with other aggregate planning approaches.

Another thing to factor in is the planning/forecasting with the off seasons and sales promotions. How does one forecast sales promotions?

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 4

Week 4 DQ 1

Inventory Management (Graded)

What is inventory management? Is inventory management really any more than just counting what is available in the warehouse and reporting that to operations? It’s a matter of buying more when you are short, and holding what you have for an emergency, right?

Week 4 DQ 2

Inventory Models (Graded)

Choose one of the inventory models (either from the independent demand section or the dependent demand section), and explain why that model works in certain situations and not in others. Do we really need this many different ways to count widgets? How do costs come into play in such planning decisions?

What is the difference between independent and dependent demand?

Inventory control models assume that demand for an item is either independent of or dependent on the demand for other items. For example, the demand for refrigerators is independent of the demand for toaster ovens. However, the demand for toaster oven components is dependent on the requirements of toaster ovens.

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 5

Week 5 DQ 1

Master Scheduling Time Fences (Graded)

Based on our discussion of master schedule time fences, why are they (or why are’nt they) so important in maintaining a stable master schedule? Hint: additional information on this subject can be found at www.apics.org

Week 5 DQ 2

Overloaded Master Schedule (Graded)

Capacity planning is used to ensure that the MPS is not overloaded. Discuss the effects that an overloaded MPS has on the MRP system and the factory.

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 6

Week 6 DQ 1

Material Requirements Planning (Graded)

What exactly is material requirements planning (MRP)? Why is MRP referred to as a dependent demand scheduling system?

Week 6 DQ 2

DRP and ERP (Graded)

How do distribution resource planning (DRP) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) differ? Why do we need all of these complicated systems? Can’t we just make our products and sell them for a profit? How does using systems like ERP and DRP improve our operational efficiency?

BSOP 330 Discussions Week 7

Week 7 DQ 1

Why Lean? (Graded)

Lean production is a way to eliminate waste through a focus on what the customer wants. First, can we ever really know what the customer wants? And second, even if we can determine what the customer wants, how can that help us reduce waste?

Week 7 DQ 2

JIT in Services (Graded)

How does JIT practice differ when applying it to services compared to when we use the concept in manufacturing? What advantage, if any, do we get from using JIT in the service sector?