Essays and Research Papers on Applied Operations Mgt.

A 5 page paper discussing the team concept as defined by Total Quality Management (TQM) and its application at three companies. Each practices and promotes the use of teams, but each approaches the concept in different ways. Marriott's use of teams is highly formal and structured; Planet Hollywood's is much more informal. At McDonald's, the point ...

A 10 page paper reviewing five articles for their applicability to TQM and grounding in real-world situations. As Total Quality Management (TQM) grew to become the fad of the 1980s, myriad companies sought to implement what they believed would represent TQM in their organizations. Few chose to implement the principles of TQM as they had come to ...

This 16 page paper consider what we mean when we talk of ISO 9000, how it is gained, what it entails, and how it can be used in order to gain an advantage or increase quality. The paper then considers the effect it will have on the employees and the company culture of a company ...

This 10 page paper consider how the ISO 9000 quality certification may be seen as improving productivity. The paper looks at the way it may be perceived by businesses and uses an example to illustrate how it may be proven that ISO 9000 increases productivity. The paper then goes on to argue that productivity may ...

A 10 page overview of the emergence of strategic procurement and supply chain management in their ability to enhance the organization's competitive advantage. The paper uses Dell Computer as its example of the integration of electronic operation, strategic procurement, supply chain management and JIT manufacturing. Bibliography lists 20 sources.

A 10 page paper describing the work process at a small, independent bakery and why customers return. The paper discusses work processes, information flows and value-added activities, providing full-page illustrations of each. No sources listed.

A 7 page paper discussing the role of master planning in today's organizations. Whether producing widgets, lifetime memories or life saving operations, organizations must be able to accurately plan for future capacity and demand needs in order to operate as efficiently as possible. This paper discusses the planning activities of James River Corporation and Disney World, as ...

20 pages in length. The fundamental function of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is to first anticipate and then address customer needs. With the recent and tremendous industry growth, it is not surprising to note that CRM has become the trendsetter for all to watch and learn. That customer service is the backbone ...

Ford and Firestone Tires: A 7 page paper discussing how Total Quality Management can be used for survival as well as for greater productivity at reduced cost. Though there are questions about the Explorer's design, the fact that Goodyear tires manage to hold together on Ford Explorers points to the greater quality issue being that of Firestone. ...

A 5 page paper discussing operational and profitability considerations for a recycler of used batteries. SED processes the batteries for its parent company, which buys all its output of recovered lead. The paper discusses ways that both companies can increase profitability, recommending that SED operate at capacity and add recycling services for other heavy metals requiring the same ...

8 pages in length. Maintaining one's competitive edge while immersed within the local and global marketplace not only takes substance and endurance but also an inherent ability to see beyond tomorrow. Establishing a firm grip upon the many variables that are associated with competitiveness is a challenge that XYZ Plumbing will likely encounter ...

(5 pp) One of the challenges of any piece of literature seems not to just read it for the sake of information, but to see,if there is a way that it may still apply in the lives, that we have made for ourselves today. That is the approach that the author takes ...

20 pages in length. The relationship that exists between a supervisor and supervisee within the clinical setting is one that not only changes in regular intervals as the supervisee increases knowledge and confidence, but it is also one that affords the supervisor constant self-evaluation in relation to supervisory technique and application. Indeed, the ...

This 9 page paper contemplates the combining of the quality control management position with health and safety management. Should these two roles be combined? Pros and cons of doing so are discussed. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

An 8 page paper. Decentralization can refer to any number of management approaches from decentralizing decision making all the way to the employee level to decentralizing a large corporation with multiple sites. The writer describes the case of a merger of two companies, one that was decentralized and one that was centralized. The decisions regarding ...

A 22 page paper discussing the vagaries that have occurred in the capacitor industry over the past several years, focusing on that between late 2000 and mid-2001. Supply, demand and prices of ceramic capacitors all have fluctuated wildly as purchasers double-ordered and then subsequently cancelled shipments. The paper examines the capacitor industry as it relates to the ...

A 5 page paper discussing the ECR approach to grocery inventory management. ECR is an approach similar to Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing in which organizations keep on hand only those items needed in the short term, while also incorporating principles of supply chain management and activity-based costing. Under ECR, retailers are not required to stockpile vast quantities of inventory ...

This 7 page report discusses the key factor underlying the role of hazard insurance -- the probable nature of risk prediction. Such prediction comprises a combination of hazard, vulnerability and exposure. As data becomes more precise, predictability is also improved. As predictability improves, overall costs are reduced since there is a greater degree of awareness of what may take place ...

This 17 page report discusses the logistics of transporting bulk materials and the challenges transportation has always presented in industry. Both large capacity trucking and conveyor systems for bulk each face unique problems that require a specialized degree of attention. Manufacturing and distribution coordination are becoming more important managerial concerns as the operating costs of hedging against demand uncertainty and inaccurate demand forecasts ...

A 5 page paper discussing assessment of the evolution of organizations, attempting to identify when in their evolutionary path that they began to settle into rational and non-rational system patterns. The study of when the dichotomy occurred and the differences in the two resulting groups can inform the efforts of non-rational organizations to turn to more rational choices. ...

A 10 page paper. Lean manufacturing is also known by other names, such as just-in-time, flow manufacturing or the Toyota Production System. It is intended to reduce waste and meet customers' needs more efficiently. This paper provides an overview to lean manufacturing, including definition, goals and description; a glossary of common terms and concepts; ...

This 8 page paper considers a factor case of a company that needs to improve. The writer uses the framework from the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award, paying particular attention to point six; process management, to demonstrate how it can be used to increase quality in a company. The bibliography cites 5 sources.

A 5 page discussion of the factors influencing airline success and failure. Identifies Southwest as standing head and shoulders above its competitors in term of market share. Notes that this success revolves around Southwest’s emphasis on being a short-haul company; one that doesn’t pretend to offer many of the amenities of the industry ...

This 5 page paper considers how forecasting may be inaccurate and problematic. Reliance on forecasting can lead to erroneous operational decisions being made, such as the case of Bic's subsidiary company Sheaffer found out. In this paper the writer looks at the different forms of forecasting and how they may be used, but arguing that ...

An 11 page paper which examines the benefits and dangers of continuous and discontinuous change. Bibliography lists 4 sources.