Reference no: EM132029355

1. Deliverables: Submit the following:
a. A Word document containing your answers to the questions listed below.
b. The Word document should meet the following criteria:
i. Be between 2,000 and 2,500 words
ii. All citations must follow APA format guidelines.
iii. Font size should be 12pt, and font should be Times New Roman.
iv. Spacing should be no larger than double spacing.
c. An Excel spreadsheet showing your work in a clear, easy-to-understand manner. Where applicable, please leave the formulas in place.

2. Company Selection and Information Sources for your Project: You must select a company for your report. Please adhere to the following conditions:
a. Your selected company should have a publicly traded stock in the United States.
b. All strategic and operational information used in your report about your chosen company, its customers, suppliers and competitors should be from the company's own website or from reputable media sources. [Please use your own best judgment as to what constitutes a "reputable source"].
c. All financial data used in your report should be from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at its "EDGAR" Company

Questions:

Answer the following questions about your selected company (Craft Brew Alliance, Inc.)

1. OPERATIONAL STRATEGY: What business is Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. in? Name its main competitors. Draw an Operations Frontier that shows Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. positioning versus its competitors(attached). Choose from any two of these dimensions: Product Price, Supplier Response Time, Product Variety, Product Quality, Time to Market.

2. PROCESS DESIGN: Discuss these process design options in the context of Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. business: Should Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. processes have a "Functional focus" or "Product focus"?

3. CAPACITY PLANNING: How should Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. define its "capacity" (some examples could be cars produced per year, customers served per hour, etc.)? How do they specifically manage their Supply/Demand strategy?

4. In this section, answer either the questions on Inventory Management or on Service Management.

Inventories Inventories, except for pub food, beverages and supplies, are stated at the lower of standard cost or market. Pub food, beverages and supplies are stated at the lower of cost or market. We regularly review our inventories for the presence of obsolete product attributed to age, seasonality and quality. If our review indicates a reduction in utility below the product's carrying value, we reduce the product to a new cost basis. We record the cost of inventory for which we estimate we have more than a twelve-month supply as a component of Intangible and other assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

We are dependent upon the continued service of our senior management and other key personnel. Our future success is dependent on the continued service of our senior management and other key employees, particularly Andrew Thomas, our Chief Executive Officer. The loss of the services of our senior management and other key employees could have a material adverse effect on our operations. Additionally, the loss of Andrew Thomas as our Chief Executive Officer, and the failure to find a replacement satisfactory to A-B, would be a termination event under the A-B Distributor Agreement. We also may be unable to retain existing management, sales, marketing, operational and other support personnel critical to our success, which could result in harm to significant customer relationships, loss of key information, expertise or know-how, and unanticipated recruiting and training costs.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT. [Answer this question if Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. is primarily in the manufacturing or distribution businesses]. Should Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. use a single-period or multi-period inventory model? If multi-period, should it use a continuous review or periodic review model? Why? How do you leverage their ERP system to manage inventory costs and obsolescence?

Inventories Inventories, except for pub food, beverages and supplies, are stated at the lower of standard cost or market. Pub food, beverages and supplies are stated at the lower of cost or market. We regularly review our inventories for the presence of obsolete product attributed to age, seasonality and quality. If our review indicates a reduction in utility below the product's carrying value, we reduce the product to a new cost basis. We record the cost of inventory for which we estimate we have more than a twelve-month supply as a component of Intangible and other assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

SERVICE MANAGEMENT. [Answer this question if Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. is primarily in a services business]. Describe how Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. should define its arrival rate, service rate and queue length. Describe some actions Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. could take to manage the length of its queues and improve their TAT (Turn Around Time)?

5. QUALITY MANAGEMENT: Discuss how you would integrate key elements of the Lean Principles at Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. to reduce waste and drive continuous improvement.

6. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: Could Craft Brew Alliance, Inc.'s supply chain be subject to the bullwhip effect? Why or why not?

7. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT: Describe how Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. could effectively use Big Data to improve their customer focus.

Attachment:- Operations.rar