Deck 1: Introduction to Managing Operations Across the Supply Chain

Question 1

Draw a diagram that illustrates the textbook supply chain from the publishers' point of view.

Answer 1

Supply chain:
Supply chain is the flow of the goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption.It is the sequence of people, activities, resources and information that flows from one place to another.The aim is to transfer goods from supplier to customer.
Facts of the case:
The case deals with the publishing house, which is facing a major transformation due to the change in technology.The introduction of e-books and demand for consolidated books has increased the flexibility associated with the book publishing industry.There are drastic changes in the market and technology which have affected the book publishing industry.
Supply Chain:
The supply chain of book publisher is depicted as follows: The supply chain begins with the author, followed by the text editor, graphic artists, commercial printers, suppliers, transportation suppliers, distribution centre.From the distribution centre the books are sent to book stores and online retailers.

Question 2

Review Fortune magazine's "Most Admired" American companies for 1959, 1979, 1999, and the most current year.(The issue normally appears in August each year.)Which companies have remained on the top throughout this period? Which ones have disappeared? What do you think led to the survival or demise of these companies?

Answer 2

The companies that have stayed on top throughout this period are General Electric, Southwest, Berkshire Hathaway, and Proctor and Gamble. UPS and Coca Cola were some of the companies that disappeared.The companies that were able to stay at the top of the list were the ones able to deal with major changes in the industry easily. In order to stay afloat in harder times, they were managed by people who understood operations management; they had a winning value proposition that was continually revitalized by the introduction of new products and services.  The companies that did not stay at the top unable to make the necessary changes so easily; perhaps their operations management was not at the caliber of the other companies able to stay at the top of the list.

Question 3

Who are the various customers for textbooks? What do these customers want in terms of goods and services related to textbooks? From the publisher's point of view, who is the critical customer?

Answer 3

Standard definition defines customers as individual, group and organizations who purchases and uses the product or services.Among different customers, there exist customers having greatest impact on the product related processes and attributes such as design, sales and future growth and are critical to the supplier.These customers are called critical customers.
The various customers for text books are students, professors, book stores and online retailers.
Wants of different customers
Students: Students want flexibility of content in books as well as better service in terms of ease of purchasing the books.
Professors: Professors require book to be flexible as well as of high quality covering all the contents required to complete a particular course.It requires combining cases and contents from several different sources in single book that can serve purpose of a pocket book.
Booksellers and Retailers: The booksellers and retailers remains concerned about profit margin and profitability associated with the sales of books.
From publishers point of view professors are critical customers as they had a greater impact on the book design, sales (by recommending books to students)and growth opportunities for the books.

Question 4

Select two products that you have recently purchased; one should be a service and the other a manufactured good.Think about the process that you used to make the decision to purchase each item.What product characteristics were most important to you? What operational activities determine these characteristics?

Question 5

Who are the major players in the supply chain? What operational roles do they play in terms of creating value for the critical customers?

Question 6

What are the primary operations management decisions in each of the following corporations?
a.Marriott Hotels and Resorts.
b.A private golf and tennis club.c.Ben Jerry's.
d.ExxonMobil Corporation.

Question 7

Given the anticipated changes in the market and in product and process technologies, how do you envision each supply chain player's role changing in the future?

Question 8

Consider the following processes that you frequently encounter as a college student:
a.Enrolling in classes.
b.Taking a class.
c.Buying a ticket for a play, concert, or basketball game.
Describe each process and its input, activities, and outputs.What is being converted or transformed in each process? Who are the customers, suppliers, and stakeholders for each process?

Question 9

What advice would you give to Dave Eisenhart regarding long-term operational changes the firm should consider?

Question 10

Recall the last time you went to a fast-food restaurant such as McDonald's.Describe all of the goods and services that make up your total product experience.

Question 11

The following firms have long been seen as having strong competitive advantages.
a.IBM
b.Coca-Cola
c.Xerox
d.Walmart
Read about one of these companies.Also draw from your experience as a customer to identify that company's competitive advantage.Discuss how operations management relates to the company's competitive advantage.

Question 12

Why should a firm consider the position of stakeholders when evaluating operational alternatives? Consider the role of government and its impact.( Hint: Consider working conditions and pollution.)

Question 13

Most people have worked as "operations managers" at some time.Describe a job or experience that you had that involved the management of a process.