ops management, Operation Management

Assignment Help:
Case study: Implementing Operations Management Tools in UK SMEs
The
intense competition in the current business environment has forced both the service and
manufacturing industries to re
-
examine their methods of doing business. In recent years,
even well
-
known names in manufacturing and service sectors have struggled with
growing
competition from emerging companies who use superior manufacturing practices and use of
quality initiatives in the form of
materials requirement planning
(MRP),
just
-
in
-
time
(
JIT
)
and
theory of constraints (
TOC
)
.
You have been appointed as a
production manager in a U.K. based company specialised in
manufacture of piston for internal combustion engine made from Aluminium (Al) and
Magnesium (Mg) alloys. The company has a production capacity of 500 pistons per day, in a
complete process from cast
ing to assembly and quality control. Four different types of
pistons are produced two of which have been launched within past two years.
The production process takes place in two separate areas of the factory. In one area, the Al
and Mg alloys are cast wh
ile the casings are machined and finished in another area. A total
of
5
0 people are at work in this plant. The main raw materials, Al and Mg alloys, are sourced
directly from two different suppliers from within the U.K. located about 150 miles away. Other
small parts required for the piston is sourced from a supplier from the US.
Parts are held in a large central store, however, difficulty is often found in obtaining
components in a specified time. The company very often faces part shortages at assembly
wh
ich leads to high “Work In Progress” (WIP).
The company is currently using the materials requirement planning (MRP) inventory
management system. For the last couple of years the top management of the company has
been considering to switch to just
-
in
-
time
(JIT) inventory management system which is a
complex decision, requiring careful examination of each system and its possible impact on a
variety of factors. Your immediate task is to undertake a comparative analysis of these two
popular inventory managemen
t practices and provide a report indicating a number of
benefits and critical
factors
so that upper management can make a decision on whether or
not to switch to JIT. Your report should include important factors such as:
1.
Critical
elements and
criteria for
judging level of success
of
the systems
;
2.
Critical
factors
for implementation;
3.
Implementation stages and cost;
4.
Limitations of the system
s

Related Discussions:- ops management

#tLean synchronization, Examples of how companies use lean synchronization ...

Examples of how companies use lean synchronization to reduce the environmental impact of their products

Explain cost effectiveness of your supply chain, In order to assess the ope...

In order to assess the operational and cost effectiveness of your supply chain it will be necessary to MEASURE progress (or the lack of it.) How do you go about creating a measurem

What are the pros and cons of flexible schedules for staff, What are the pr...

What are the pros and cons of flexible schedules from an employee's perspective?

What is horizontal integration, Horizontal integration has benefits to the ...

Horizontal integration has benefits to the firms involved. Consider the consolidation in the vent-promotion business when Live Nation bought Ticketmaster in 2010. List some specifi

Explain a wealthy farmer owns fifty acres of land, A wealthy farmer owns fi...

A wealthy farmer owns fifty acres of land. He is going to plant each acre with sugarcane or corn. Each acre planted with sugarcane yields Rs 16,000 profit; each with corn yields Rs

How to develop an aggregate plan for product line, DAT, Inc, company needs ...

DAT, Inc, company needs to develop an aggregate plan for its product line. Relevant data are Production time: 1 hour per unit Average labor cost: $10/hour Workweek: 5 d

Explain what lessons learned other companies, • What lessons learned other ...

• What lessons learned other companies (in vastly different industries) could take away from the innovative practices at Holden. Provide specific examples to support your response.

Decision making process for ethical solution, Profits have been decreasing ...

Profits have been decreasing and power plant executives are considering whether to use a production process that decreases costs (and therefore increases profits) but adds to the p

Describe americans doing business in china, 1. Americans doing business in ...

1. Americans doing business in China. 2. What are the pros and cons of doing business in China? 3. What kind of strategy do the Chinese use? 4. Rules for doing bunnies in China. 5.

Describe three challenges that firms face, Identify and explain three chall...

Identify and explain three challenges that firms face in the future regarding quality

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd