Talent in dry cleaning operations

Talent Dry-Cleaning

As this is an operation-intensive case, commence your discussion by drawing a detailed process flow map of the current process at Talent Dry-cleaners.

Registration

The operations at Talent Dry-Cleaning begin with registration process upon the delivery of the clothes by the clients. During this process, the company conducts slight inspection on the condition of the garment and the presence of valuables in the pockets. The inspections also ensure that there is no major stain or tear on the garment. The company tags the clothes with unique numbers for easier identification at this stage of the operations. The company also keeps records of the daily drops during the process of registration (Ojadi, 2006).

Initial Inspection & Sorting

This second stage follows registration in the front section of the office. The technical staff conducts extensive inspection in the back office by checking on the type of cleaning necessary for the cloth in accordance with prescription of the manufacturers (Ojadi, 2006). In cases of no directions from the manufacturers, the company decides to apply individual expertise and experience to offer the essential cleaning type to the garments. The main objective of this process is to classify the garments as either laundry or dry-cleaning depending on the labels on the clothes.

Spotting

Spotting process was crucial to offer special service to the armpit and collar sections that require vital cleaning procedures. The process takes place on the table for effective and efficient services to allow the company to meet the needs and demands of the clients. The spotting process in the Talent Dry-Cleaning occurs at two categories: wet and dry areas. The process is under one technical officer within the ranks of the company. In cases where fifty items pass through wet and dry spotting areas, the company considers the day to be a full workload. This occurs in the duration of eight hours a day (Ojadi, 2006).

Cleaning (Laundry and Dry-Cleaning)

Cleaning process takes place under two crucial phases: laundry and dry-cleaning. This is to ensure quality services to the clients.

Finishing

The last process of the operations involves ironing, collating, quality checks, packaging, and tagging of the garments. The company applies the use of manual ironing during high seasons (festive seasons) and long public holidays. The company operates on the three to four days of collection after finishing the process or cleaning of the garments. This limits the levels of profits at the end of the financial year. The company has the capacity to apply the express service of 12 to 24 hours turnaround thus maximizing its profit levels (Ojadi, 2006).

2. What is the maximum long-term achievable throughput of Talent Drycleaners given a typical shirt and annual average relative humidity of 50%? List two factors that would affect this throughout?

The maximum long-term realizable during the period of Talent Drycleaners would be one and half years. Within the period of one and half years, Talent Drycleaners would spread it branches to the populated areas realize extra twenty-five percent of the prevailing normal rate. The factors that would influence the operation of the Talent Drycleaners are the financial training and the massive populace to be serviced within the larger radius of residence.

3. Give two reasons why Eze opted for the industry practice of a three-day turnaround time, rather than a two or less. Can he reduce the turnaround time from three days to less? What aspects are the aspects of the operation he has to pay attention to?

The first reason is the application of manual ironing practices in the provision of services to the clients. This practice increases the amount of time by the company to ensure that it meets the demands of the consumers. The manual ironing system limits the achievement of express production or delivery of services on a 12 or 24-hour basis. The company takes much time in ensuring that it meets the preferences of the consumers in the process of dry-cleaning the garments. The other reason is insufficient financial resources to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery. Lack of financial resources indicates that the company has to operate in the small location thus limiting enough room to maximizing the operations. The company also lacks the capacity to hire more technical staff members to offer the dry-cleaning services to the consumers hence increasing the number of turnaround. Financial resources are also crucial to the procurement of more equipment to enhance the process of service delivery at Talent Dry-Cleaning Company. The equipment would allow the company to reduce the number of turnaround to lower than the three to four days. This makes financial resources critical to the provision of services by the company hence the adoption of the three or four-day turnaround. The manual ironing system and insufficient financial systems would not support the two or one-day turnaround (Plenert, 2009).

The company has the capacity to reduce the turnaround to two or less by focusing on the crucial aspects of the organization. The company needs to address the shortcomings such as financial resources and plant utilization in order to facilitate reduction of the turnaround to two or one. This would allow the company to increase the number of daily drops in relation to garments thus improvement in the profit or revenue levels. The company needs to increase the number of staff members in order to enhance the quality and quantity of services. The company should focus on the clients. This includes providing services in accordance with meeting the preferences of the consumers. The company should also identify and understand how to execute the processes effectively and efficiently. This would involve automating the information recording techniques. The company would also adopt automated ironing system to increase the number of drops per day while reducing the number of turnaround in the provision of services to the clients. The company should also focus on reducing the number of threats or risks and errors (wastes) in the process of meeting the needs of the clients (Drew, 2004).

4. Eze is geared to process a hundred garments a day, but currently is receiving only fifty. How would the economies of the business change if he increased throughput to 70%? What about 80%? You may assume the following cost structure fixed monthly cost of N33, 000; variable cost of processing a typical shirt of N55; tariff of N100.

70% production of garments = 70 garments

The production of the seventy percent of the required quantity will improved the both internal and external economies of the business. Eze will be advanced in both financial and technological thereby attracting massive number of customers and investors.