Reference no: EM132496546

BUS 309 Operations Management Assignment - Emirates College of Technology, UAE

Part I - Operations Management at Travel Luggage Company

The Travel Luggage Company "LugPro" designs and manufactures several different styles of soft- and hardcover luggage, briefcases, hanging bags, and purses. Their best-selling item is a line of hardcover luggage called the Trotter. It is produced in a basic five-stage assembly process that can accommodate several different outer coverings and colors. The assembly process includes constructing a heavy-duty plastic and metal frame; attaching the outer covering; joining the top and bottom and attaching the hinge mechanism; attaching the latches, lock, and handle; and doing the finishing work, including the luggage lining. Several hundred new pieces of luggage of particular shape and color are initiated through the assembly process each week in the company's two factories. Travel Luggage Company also runs its own logistics operations to serve their customers in their 200 outlets all around Middle East.

1 - Answer shortly the following questions:

a) Name three main functions, which are found in every organization, in Travel Luggage Company.

b) What constitutes operations in Travel Luggage Company? Name at least three activities?

c) Describe the inputs and outputs of Travel Luggage Company's manufacturing operations.

d) Name and explain at least three differences between Travel Luggage Company's operations and a bank's operations?

2 - The Travel Luggage Company has production facilities in two locations. Average monthly cost data and output levels are as follows.

 a. Which factory has the highest labor single factor productivity?

b. Which factory has the highest total factor productivity?

c. Which factory has the highest multifactor productivity measure for finished goods to labor and material?

3 - Travel Luggage Company wants to add a new line of luggage that targets business travelers to their product portfolio.

a) List the major stages of the design process and explain two of these stages shortly.

b) Explain what the functional design would include.

4 - Travel Luggage Company tries to decide which type of production process to use for the new line of luggage. They consider using batch production or mass production. Compare these two types of processes and discuss their advantage and disadvantages.

5 - Travel Luggage Company is trying to determine how best to produce its newest product. The new luggage line could be produced in-house using either batch production or mass production. Cost data are given below.

a) Compute the break-even point for each process.

b) Compute the point of indifference between batch and mass production.

c) How the company should schedule these processes?

Part II - Mini case study- Quality Management

Maurice Clarks works for a software company as a technical support representative. His duties include answering customers phone calls, providing information to customers, and troubleshooting technical problems (encountered by customers using the company software). His boss told him to be courteous and not to rush callers. However, his boss told him also that he must answer an average of 20 calls per hour so that the department can meet its target in term of number of answered calls. Sometimes Maurice needs to search deeply in complex manuals in order to provide the right answer/information to customers facing sometimes urgent unusual problems. Maurice feels frustrated as satisfying his boss and compromising between his requests is not an easy task.

1 - Outline the different quality dimensions necessary in Maurice work.

2 - Based on Deming wheel, propose a plan to improve the situation of Maurice.