Operations Management Term Paper

MAN 351 Operations Management

TERM PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

 Each student is to prepare a typewritten report on one (2) of the assignments indicated in the attached sheets. The report should be no less than five (5) typewritten pages not including the cover sheet, table of contents or reference list.

Each report should contain a cover sheet with the following information:

Title of Report

Course Number

Student’s Name

Date Report is Submitted

 Each report should contain a table of contents to identify the main elements of the report and a reference list to identify the sources of information. Students are expected to utilize outside source materials to research the necessary information. These sources can include the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, New York Times (past and present issues), Fortune, textbooks, reference books, etc.

 Copied reports will not be accepted.

ASSIGNMENT 1 – Operations Management in Services

1. Give one example of a business following each of these approaches. Describe each business – name, what the service is, who are target customers.
2. Production line approach
3. Customer involvement approach
4. Personal attention approach
5. For every business you listed above, identify two important operations management challenges.
6. Describe how technology is being used in service production by every business you listed above.

ASSIGNMENT 2 – Supply Chain Management

1. Consider consumer products such as Starbuck’s coffee, Nestle chocolate, Coca-cola drinks and McDonald hamburgers. Describe the SUPPLY CHAIN of any one of these produces in detail from supplier to consumer. Identify and evaluate any challenges or issues associated with the efficient flow through the supply chain. Use reliable publications (NOT Wikipedia) for information. Add diagrams, where appropriate, to illustrate your points of discussion.

ASSIGNMENT 3 – New Product Introduction

The following companies are known for their strong ability to introduce new products quickly. Go to the websites for the firms below and

1-      Identify and describe the new products that are being offered to the public.

2-      Determine whether the new product(s) fall into the category of (a) incremental or derivative, (b) next generation or platform, (c) breakthrough or radical.

3-      Explain and justify your choice.

Apple

Samsung

Hewlett-Packard

ASSIGNMENT 4 – Quality Management

A-    Compare the ISO certification process with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria. What are the main differences?

B-    Explain why some quality initiatives fail in American Organizations?

C-    Explain the concept of Six Sigma and its relationship to ISO certification and the Malcolm Baldrige Award system.

ASSIGNMENT 5 – Technology

Advances in technology in recent years have had a significant effect on the operations management function. Discuss how such technologies as: CAD/CAM, Management Information Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Electronic Data Interchange and Enterprise Resource Planning, allow organizations to mass customize their products and services to meet the needs of individual customers and place them where and when they are needed to supply demand.

MAN 351 Operations Management- Term Project Assignment

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ASSIGNMENT 6 – Algorithms: The New Paradigm

The single greatest instrument of change in today’s business world and one that is creating major uncertainties for global economy and the nature of business is the advancement of mathematical algorithms and their related sophisticated software. Machines are communicating with other machines without human intervention, learning through artificial intelligence and making consistent decisions based on prescribed rules and processed through algorithms.

1-      Discuss the nature and structure of a business algorithm.

2-      Discuss how this technology connects the corporation to the customer experience, speed decision-making, flatten the organization and force the creation of new performance metrics.

3-      Discuss three organizations that are successfully using algorithm technology to their competitive advantage.