Production Management Essays (Examples)

It has been stated by Dupont that "maintenance is the largest single controllable expenditure in a plant." (What is Proactive Maintenance?) The first difficulty for many is to understand the reality of large costs for maintenance. The costs come from loss of production while the workers have to be paid. The general reasons for the failure of any machinery, of whatever type it may be is due to fluid contamination for all equipment failure. This is true for any type of machinery and the smallest particle can ultimately bring a machine to a halt.

Among the three types of maintenance that are used, predictive maintenance is based on maintaining the machine once signs are seen that the machine has begun to give trouble. In this manner, there will be a few machines which will be left free for maintenance, and thus save on wages to be paid to the employees.…

The case is in similarity with the next proceeding process of attaching wheels and handles and further they will receive the goods from just the previous section and then further push it on to the next stage. The third stage is in relation to the installation of the motor, and then after that the installation of the controls and lastly the final stage is with regard to testing. This is all fine in theory and one would say that the organization will have only the correct absolute number of the employees present in each stage so that there is no excess stock is built up anywhere. In the case of production, it could be said that there is no guarantee that the demand would be at constant levels, or that workers will all be regular and would work at the same continued speed. In some of the cases, the workers…

e. 20th in our case compared to selecting as many as random numbers as the sample size. Besides, it also gives a good spread throughout the population size. However, a demerit is that a list is needed to begin which, in case it is desired to know the sample size and calculate the sampling interval. (Sampling Methods)

Other Quality Control (QC) Measures:

Tuff Tires should also follow the Quality Cost Delivery -- QDC approach to measure efficiency. Through the use of QDC there can be a focus to clarify the priorities for enhancing the production processed or service delivery. Simplicity gives a big picture, simplification of a complex production process and identification of unambiguous path for improvements. Feedback can also be used to measure the results of any changes that have been made to the production process or service delivery. QCD gives quick feedback -- it delivers the facts and…

The factors that play a significant role in the placement of these two different businesses are actually the same. Supply and demand are the most significant factors of all. Where is there a strong need for this product, where can production take place to insure efficiency as well as insure that the location is cost effective? A plan is needed to map where the business is starting, as well as projected growth for business in the future (Graham, 2003, pp. 1-4). Another important factor is whether one's business would lose money, time, or productivity in regards to location. These factors all play significant roles in determining where to locate a business for optimum proficiency and productivity (Covey, 2004, pp. 2-3). It is easy to overlook questions like; where does one locate a business, and what factors play a role in the decision making process. Market research is a method that…

If most of the manufactured fixtures were tailored to fit the requirements of clients, it would be hard to find a machine for every design there is. If there is such machine, it may cost relatively high, and this is as opposed to if the factory sold generic designs instead. In addition, the decision maker should make a research on how much the machines may cost and what types of equipments to buy. Another is that the decision maker must do some financial analysis, such as knowing when the company can actually get returns on the actual investment (OI), and doing a cost-benefit analysis to see if the actual act of automating is feasible or not. Finally, one must be clear of the purpose or objective as to why the company should be geared toward automation. Is it to increase production? Minimize cost? Or maximize profit? If the decision maker…

This can create inefficiencies in the production process. The advantage of discrete manufacturing is that the process is often quite flexible. This means that a manufacturer can often handle both an increase in demand and a decrease in demand by adapting its output to suit. This includes that there is generally only a minor increase in the cost per unit if less items are produced. Another advantage is that any error in the production process that damages the product will typically only damage one or a few products.

The main disadvantage to process manufacturing is that any error that damages the product, damages the entire batch of product. This will typically cause a significant loss to the organization. The loss can be even greater if the raw materials for the process are limited. For example, consider an organization that produces coffee by processing coffee beans. If the coffee beans are…

Materials requirement planning can achieve this.

Materials requirement planning is a system that allows for raw materials to be purchased as they are needed. Meredith (1987, p. 456) explains that this is achieved by considering the demand forecast, the master production schedule, and the inventory information. Based on this information, a computerized materials requirement planning is able to quickly and accurately determine the best way to meet raw materials needs. Utilizing a materials requirement planning would provide Hickory Chest Company with many advantages. Firstly, it would be an efficient way to manage the ordering process. Since the system is computerized, it limits the need for human decision-making. This means that purchasing could become largely automated, which would provide for a saving in both time, resources, and money. The system would also ensure that Hickory Chest Company is always able to meets its demand and manufacture efficiently. This would reduce the…

Another solution is to reengineer back-room operations that consist of many repetitive operations and hamper front line operations, as Citicorp has done, by applying the concept of "mass production," streamlining, and standardization of tasks. Banks can also provide important service information like the busiest days in the branch so that customers may want to avoid these periods. With the segregation of lines, ASB Bank Limited has created two customer flows or lines to deliver services more effectively. One was for loans and similar products that require customized and personalized services. The other line was for the standard and repetitive services like deposits and withdrawals. By creating two service environments that cater to two different types of needs, service is enhanced and speeded up. These solutions that have been discussed may allow banks to deliver quality customer service, thus providing them with solutions to sustain profitability.

eference

Banking Markets: Productivity, isk,…

Fast Food Franchise

Both Burger King and McDonalds seek to have a high level of efficiency in their layouts. There are different elements to a fast food layout, in general, those being the front of house, the production area and the storage areas. There is also a division between building, parking and Drive-Thru as well, but mostly this will focus on the interior.

McDonalds dedicates the most production space to the service area, both in-house and drive-thru. This allows the company to process customers quickly, and efficiently. Easier service items are handled by the counter staff. The kitchen is dense, and relatively small compared with the front of house area. The menu is somewhat limited into a handful of categories, and some things are pre-prepared. Burgers are pre-cooked and then assembled to order. Storage space is generally limited, and the company presumably receives regular shipments of supplies to allow this.…

This then results in lower production time, which implies an improvement in productivity. The information exchanged via the various channels involved would then also stimulated innovation and improve the overall process.

The new car dealership therefore has to conduct careful research into the partnerships that would provide it with the best costs, quality and information exchange. Quality management should also involve the creation of overall company and partnership goals. Customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance, and this goal then should be combined with the above-mentioned elements of TQM to ensure that the dealership remains as competitive as possible.

ources

Biz/ed, JIC. (2004, May). "Total Quality Management and IO 9000." Mind Your Business, 10 May 2004. http://www.bized.ac.uk/current/mind/2003_4/100504.htm

Zeller, Thomas L. & Gilles, Darin M. (1995, May-June). "Achieving market excellence through quality: the case of Ford Motor Company." JAI Press, Inc. Accessed via database: FindArticles.com.

3). When the first two processes have been, completed one would then incorporate change into the process model, this will allow one to see where there are possible places for change and give one the opportunity to train all staff and associates on the new processes (LCP, p. 4). Now is the time to monitor the process. During this phase, one will measure performance, monitor potential problems, and look for future improvements. These processes are important factors in locating, correcting, and monitoring the successfulness as well as the problems in one's business. By gathering this information and using it, one has the necessary tools to see where one's business is going wrong and how to alleviate current problems as well as project growth for the future. With proper preparation and forecasting hopefully, the problems in this scenario are non-existent.

eferences

LC Powers (2005). Project Management Series. Project Management series -…

Some of the above options (especially on-site daycare) can be provided at a minimal cost to Calls-R-Us.

Another method of increasing employee satisfaction (and in turn, productivity and retention) is to give employees more autonomy-in the form of flexible schedules or a compressed workweek (Schmidt 299). Allowing employees to select their own schedules-if even by half an hour each shift-gives them more flexibility in their personal lives, increases their job satisfaction, and in turn, makes them more likely to stay and perform better.

These options (direct benefits and flexible schedules) will quickly translate into higher levels of employee satisfaction at Calls-R-Us, meaning that employees will be more likely to remain in their current positions. This stability will increase productivity and, soon after, profits.

orks Cited

Alonzo, Vincent (2000). "Throwing Money Away," Incentives 174(8), 8-8.

Schmidt, Diane E. And Duenas, Gilbert (2002). "Incentives…

This integration allows the supplier, manufacturers and customers to become an extension of the manufacturing production process, rather than each process being independently isolated, when actually these three sets of manufacturing stages are inter-related and dependent on one another (Just1 pp). The rules of productivity standards have changed to shape the economy and today's markets, thus every company should be receptive to changes and responsive to demand (Just1 pp). Every department should be committed to a common goal which is supported by the company's top management in order to have resources and time allocated to developing the necessary systems and procedures (Just1 pp).

orks Cited

Just-in-Time Manufacturing. Retrieved August 19, 2005 at http://www.computerworld.com/industrytopics/manufacturing/story/0,10801,54131,00.html

Just1-in-Time Manufacturing. Retrieved August 19, 2005 at http://kernow.curtin.edu.au/www/jit/jit.htm

Management Theories

Historical records show that people always organized themselves in order to work together towards a common objective and they coordinated their efforts to achieve this objective (Accel-Team 2004). It was not until the latter part of the 19th century that the concept of scientific management entered history during the Industrial evolution, but management skills existed long before the 19th century. Ancient Egyptians built the pyramids, ancient Chinese erected the Great Wall of China, the Mesopotamians irrigated their lands and walled their cities and the omans of old put up their roads, aqueducts and notably Hadrian's Wall not without established and superb management standards of their leaders (Accel-Team) and massive obedience and coordination among the followers. The pyramids of Egypt, wonders of the world, each measure 75,600 square feet at the base, 480 feet high and consists of more than two million blocks of stone, each weighing 2.5 tons.…

Production and Operations Management: Case Study of Hudson Alpine Furniture

Organizational growth is among the chief objectives for nearly any small business. However, particularly for small business of limited resources and scale, sometimes this growth can come on more rapidly than expected. In such instances, it is incumbent upon the organization to accommodate this growth. This often calls upon organizational leaders to make difficult decisions about how best to proceed. Such is the nature of the dilemma facing Hudson's Alpine Furniture, serving the entire Australian Alps region with custom-designed furniture that is locally sourced and targeted to appeal to private owners of ski lodge properties and vacation rentals. As the analyses hereafter demonstrate though, the unexpected acceleration of commercial buyer interest has led to a Production and Operations Management (POM) impasse that will be examined hereafter.

Technical Analysis:

The impasse centers on the increased workload produced by a heightened demand…

The difference between these two methods lies in the fact that whereas the latter works on making itself thinner in order to reach customer as fast as possible, the former attempts to achieve its objectives by strengthening internal communications and operations management.

The research proposition of Caglaino et al. (2006) was that supply chain strategies and manufacturing strategies should be linked in order to be most effective. their study showed the existence of a link between the two dimensions of supply chin system (i.e. The integration of information flows with physical flows (of products itself) and their conclusion was that external integration strategies need to be supported by internal integration within the firm, for both together provide the whole with a coherent approach and potential successes of the project.

Attention to both internal and external details is also important since organizations increasingly find that they need to rely on effective…

Hospital SCM

Arnold Palmer Hospital

Managing Service, Processes and Supply Chains

Hospitals and Supply Chains - Overview

Hospital Supply Chains - Advancements

Standard Supply Chain

Stockless Inventory

Vendor Managed Inventory

Consignment

Automated Point of Use Systems

The Next Step in Supply Chain Evolution

Arnold Palmer Hospital Supply Chain

The Arnold Palmer Hospital is one of the country's leading hospitals for women and children. It is located in Orlando, Florida and is currently a part of a national purchasing group in which it utilizes to provide supply chain purchases. Even though being a part of the purchasing group has some cost advantages stemming from the collective bargaining power, there are also many disadvantages that are not entirely consistent with the organizations priorities. These disadvantages can be mitigated by equipping the hospital with more modern supply chain technology. Therefore, an investigation was conducted that identified the supply chain options available for the…

The Improve Phase of the DMAIC process is also essential for managing the piloting and testing of the Six Sigma solutions discovered. It is also essential during the new product development process for measuring and quantifying the unique value proposition of the product or service being produced as well. The final phase, Control, is essential in both a Six Sigma and new product introduction process as well (Pestorius, 2007).

Conclusion

The DMAIC process aligns very well to the new product development and introduction process and is used extensively for that purpose in applying Six Sigma to marketing. Six Sigma can change an entire company's culture and make the many processes synchronized and in unison in making new product introductions more profitable and capable of gaining market share as a result.

eferences

Brian Cocolicchio (2007). Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way. Quality Progress, 40(9), 79. Link: http://www.sixsigmaselling.com/six_sigma_selling/2006/07/about_sales_and.html

Fundin, a.P., &…

The two basics to keep in mind is that managerial accounting should be used early and often and not just internal stakeholders should be heeded and listened to (Tutor2U.net, 2013).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Thai Airlines would benefit greatly from an entrenched and well-managed managerial accounting framework. It should supplement and complement both the financial accounting mechanisms of Thai Airlines as well as general process management, general product management, marketing, other accounting matters and general business decision making for Thai Airlines. Part and parcel of all of that is integrating stakeholder's expectations and conversely managing the expectations and perceptions of those same stakeholders is also vital on a number of levels. However, if all of the above is managed and managed well, then the outcomes for firms like Thai Airlines that use managerial accounting effectively will tend to be very good.

eferences

Holtzman, M. (2013, May 12). Managerial Accounting for Dummies…

esearch Objectives and Scope

The main objective of the research then relates closely to the research problem. It is to research the problem of uncertainty as it manifests in the global business environment. Specific issues to be investigated include supply chain management and its related uncertainties, the production process itself and uncertainties related to it, as well as the post-production phase and market uncertainties that are related to it.

Time is also an important factor. Some industries require a long-term time frame in their planning process, which exacerbate uncertainties. The time factor should also be an important consideration in terms of creating a model that can effectively help businesses achieve their manufacturing and revenue goals.

To achieve these aims, the main objective of the research will then be to research industries and companies that operate on a global scale. They will be investigated for the models they have implemented to…

The performance of each team member depends on the performance of all others, this being a team project. Constraints include time and financial resources; as such improvement requires permanent improvement effort.

isk Management. No risk has been identified related to the project's completion.

Monitoring and Controlling Mechanisms. The data analysts will develop a metric system to measure each member's performance on a weekly basis. This weekly performance will be submitted to the project manager for potential adjustments.

V. Operations management plan

Operations Strategy. An easy way to understand the meaning of operations strategy is to break the word into the two separate words: operations and strategy - these words being the opposite of each other (Slack & Lewis, 2002). 'Operations' is about the functions and procedures regarding the day-to-day processes, while 'strategy' is about the direction and scope of an organisation over a long period of time. The operations strategy…

This concept originated with the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM).

The notion that only managers play a role in controlling work activities is based on two false ideas. One is the antiquated notion of totalitarian management. Modern management does not follow this style, as it is often not consistent with organizational objectives. The second false idea is that the manager can control the employee at all times. In practice, managers merely provide instruction and guidance with respect to work activities. Employees often devise their own ways of performing different tasks, and it would be near impossible for management to control this. Thus, employees do exert some control over work activities.

Q3. Operations management can be applied to any managerial function.

Operations management techniques are based around analysis of processes. Control is merely one aspect of the role, even within the operations setting. In fact, operations management also consists of…

He wished to build the happiest place on the planet and this message continues to be handed over to the new recruits who join the organization presently also. Disney exists to give a guarantee to the Americans that are there for real. Disneyland is not just unreal, rather it is hyper-real. As a result it is possible to express of the corporate culture of Disney as being created. ("eading Organizations from behavior and experience to representation and experience," n. d.)

4) Explain how the four functions of management support the creation and maintenance of a healthy organizational culture

The four functions of management support the creation and maintenance of a healthy organizational culture as it leads to planning, organizing, leading and coordinating of resources and it is these 4 activities which recur across the institution and are extremely unified. Present features relating to management cover claims leading are distinct from…

Management Quality ontrol

Dr. Kaoro Ishikawa is one of the world's idealized leaders in quality management control. He joined Japanese union of Japanese scientists and Engineers in 1949 to research on quality, after knowing that America's produce such as toys and cameras was cheap and defective. Ishikawa's greatest concern was to improve quality management involving every employee from top management to the front-line staff, without relying on professions. His significant contribution to evolution of quality management when he introduced the "fishbone" diagram that emphasized on quality services to customers made him known, and this could only be achieved by quality organization first in production of quality goods and services (Dahlgaurd 2005).

Bibliography

Kaoru was born on July 13th 1915 in Tokyo, and was the eldest son among the Shikawas, and in 1939, he obtained a degree in the University of Tokyo for applied chemistry. This knowledge helped him in construction,…

Management Case Study

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Total quality management (TQM), defined in the most simplistic of terms, is the incremental improvement of all facets of a business to increase customer satisfaction and, in turn, company viability. Although TQM is often applied first to manufacturing functions in an organization (zero defects, on-time production), the intent of TQM is equally meaningful in all aspects of business, from administrative (zero defects in billing and timely collection of accounts receivable), to distribution (no breakage, just-in-time delivery) to management (appropriate incentive structures, timely and accurate stakeholder reporting). The increased efficiency and competitiveness created through TQM initiatives is not limited to only the manufacturing sector, with many of the benefits of TQM occurring in the service sector, too.

In the case of ridgestone/Firestone, TQM was not pursued prior to the recall of its 6.5 million tires in 2000, as evidenced by the magnitude…

Management Functions

If one takes the broad generalization of the mega-environment (general environment); one finds the conditions and trends that make up the organizational culture or even the society in which one operates. This term actually encompasses a number of similar and disparate factors. The technological part of the environment tends to focus on knowledge; the economic element the means of production, distribution and consumption of wealth; the legal-political element focuses on the governmental or rule-based systems to organize the society; the international element the external relationships, and the socio-cultural environment the attitudes, values, norms, believes and behaviors of a particular group or organization (Organizational Environment and Culture, 2008). All these forces are a sum total of how organizations act and react -- whether regionally or internationally.

The legal-political element of the environment is the systems that organize that environment, the rules that are enforced, and the overall manner in…

Managing Quality in Practice Settings: Six Sigma at Floyd Medical Center

By examining an organization's approach to establishing, measuring, and evaluating performance and outcomes, it is possible to develop a firmer grasp on how the quality control process functions in practice. To this end, this paper provides a review of the literature concerning quality management practices at Floyd Medical Center in ome, Georgia, followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues in the conclusion.

Meaning of "managing quality" and what it means at Floyd Medical Center

Managing quality at Floyd Medical Center is the responsibility of all staff members and the hospital's stated goal in this regard is to "provide excellent care while ensuring the comfort, privacy and safety of our patients and visitors"; the medical center adds that its healthcare teams are "dedicated to continually improving your experience by providing quality health care that…

This would allow IM to find individuals from other countries and also to take a more global approach to training and staff development. Hire the "best and the brightest" to rapidly reenergize the organization and product line.

Grow existing lines and existing customers -- Instead of trying to grow rapidly, IM could target its current user base and simply solidify their needs by using market research to contact them and find ways to improve and maintain market share while retaining talent in the current geographical model. This model would be more conservative about hiring and wages, and would of course allow for some expansion, but keeping most of the &D in Waterloo, Canada. This would also retain more control over the design and marketing of the product for those in the organization who prefer to manage each instance and aspect of the organization from a Central --( field mentality.

Aggressively…

The people belonging to the third corporate culture are from the engineering culture. This culture is personified by engineers and technical specialists, who believe on the awesome power of the technology in solving the organizational culture. These people believe on the power of the machines in solving human and organizational problems.

According to Schein, people involved with any of the above three cultures often fails to see the other side and the perspective of other culture, often resulting failure in organizational learning. Although people belonging to each of the culture do great service for the organization, yet they fail to see the holistic picture of the organization and fail to share the similar meaning of the organizational problems. The main reasons for these problems certainly occur because of the people inheriting different norms, educational experiences, expectations, and rewards structures in their professions.

Therefore, it is now wonder that an organization…

One of the strengths of this article is the fact that the author provides several different ways to successfully expand one's companies across international borders. His case studies, which pertain to companies such as IM, Procter & Gamble, TCS and other reputed organizations explain the various factors that influenced which particular strategy or strategies was necessary for these companies to succeed. In that sense, he has effectively produced a blueprint for success that other organizations in similar industries to those discussed in the article can follow.

As such, it is difficult to argue with the Ghemawat's claim that AAA Triangle is required for international expansion, since he offers so many real life examples that follow this model. That is why it is all the more interesting to note the degree of difficulty the author states is involved in attempting to utilize all three strategies simultaneously. It appears that this limitation…

True, a virtual team approach with fewer face-to-face meetings might be logistically easier, but it will not in the long-term create a cohesive organizational culture. Human resource staff is available at present to conduct team building exercises to create a greater sense of singular organizational culture, which would be ideal as soon as possible

An even better solution than teams, virtual or otherwise, would be constructing a matrix organization, which would retain some of the functional structure currently under operation. In this structure, every worker reports his or her functional manager as well as to a program manager. But although workers in different sub-specialties like technical employment might retain their loyalty to their functional areas, they would also have links to other group projects that were shared between other areas of the organization. This creates more cohesion in the long run. True, complexity can raise the potential for greater conflicts,…

Managing Across Cultures

Internationalization of the economy has influenced companies to operate their business globally. The global operation has impact managers with several challenges. Market, product, and production plans must be coordinated on a worldwide basis. The global operation necessitates organization structure to balance centralized home-office control with adequate local autonomy. As companies have started their business operation on the international front, the number of their employees has increased. Increase in the employee's abroad management is faced with new global challenges. The three broad international business management challenges were identified by the management gurus as follows (obert, Kossek & Ozeki, 1998):

a) Deployment: To get the right skills where it is required in an organization regardless of the geographical location.

b) Knowledge and creativity distribution: Spreading the knowledge and practices throughout the organization regardless of where they have actually originated.

c) Talent identification and development on global basis: To identify…

Since, this one lacks structure means that many employees can become confused about their responsibilities. Once this occurs, it can often lead to employee issues, where this confusion can become an issue of contention between the staff and management. As management is telling them to engage in particular activity, yet they don't understand why they are doing such tasks. Over time, this can cause moral to drop as those employees who do not thrive under such a system, begin to lower the overall positive attitude in the work environment. ("Contingency Theory," 2010)

Despite some of the obvious weaknesses, the contingency theory is effective for those organizations that are small. This is because the in formalized structure allows managers / owners the opportunity to adapt to changes that are occurring in real time. Where, they can use their experience and common sense to adjust to various business conditions. As a result,…

Management of Technology in Developing Countries Such as Iran

Technology management arrangements of developing countries vary from those of first world ones. The requirement for skill in these states is not growing from within, but somewhat cropping up from new wares imported from first world countries. Technological growth in addition does not consequence from inner data and research, but resulting upon the technology transmission from abroad. In these environments, technology management by customary way is barely effective. These are troubles facing the Islamic epublic of Iran these days and as a consequence organizations controlling the technology management endure non-compliance, then technological development does not trail an accurate trend (obertson, 2002).

Lack of distinctive management, vagueness of technological precedence's, misunderstanding of policy-making roles and inter-organization implementation and management, tremendous government involvement in all fields and lack of specialist manpower are amongst the vital troubles of the topic (Sveiby et. al 2001).…

Managing Professionals in Virtual Environment

As technology has evolved, the reality of virtual organizations has begun to take hold in a variety of industries. It is now commonplace for employees to work, at least in part, from offsite. Telecommuting is a reality that has allowed companies to reduce costs, become more competitive, and facilitate happier more productive employees. Virtual employees, or "telework is one of the most radical departures from standard working conditions in the suite of flexible work practices now gaining widespread acceptance." (Daniels, Lamond, & Standen, 2001)

Managing Professionals in Virtual Environment

As technology has evolved, the reality of virtual organizations has begun to take hold in a variety of industries. It is now commonplace for employees to work, at least in part, from offsite. Telecommuting is a reality that has allowed companies to reduce costs, become more competitive, and facilitate happier more productive employees. Virtual employees, or…

Taking the relationship of employee morale and its linkage with organizational culture to the most extreme case, Yaghi (2007) studied how decision-making processes are implemented in companies where there is a dominant organizational culture. Selecting a faith-based organization as one of the cases for the study, the author determined how decision-making is mainly influenced by the organizational culture, influenced by the values of solidarity, guardianship, and (belief in a) mission (361). While from an organizational effectiveness perspective, this kind of decision-making is not recommended, Yaghi ultimately pointed out that organizations with a highly-organized and dominant culture results to improved employee morale and commitment, mainly because subsistence to the values of solidarity, guardianship, and commitment to the mission "strengthen (the) relationship among organization's members" (357).

From this review of literature relevant to employee morale and its link with organizational culture, it was established how person-to-job fit or subjective fit in the…

Anything that appears challenging or threatening in the external environment needs to be taken seriously and this is where management plays a key role.

Internal factors or forces on the other hand are more concerned with organizational culture, mission and values and human resource. While all managers are required to remain true to organization's culture and uphold its values at all times, a real manager is the one who knows when to mould the culture in such a way that it would remain close to its original values while at the same time also become more accepting of external changes. A manager who is blinded by his organization's culture and beliefs is likely to miss signs of external change. Management needs to understand that internal forces are within its control and thus can be used constructively for the benefit of the entire organization instead of allowing it to control the…

Managing Diversity in the Workplace

The modern business environment is marked by numerous people-oriented variables brought to organizations. These variables include gender, race, age, and religion, and socioeconomic background, regional and national origin. All these factors form the current workforce in the market place. Diversity is widely recognized as one of the world's greatest strengths. Diversity continues to affect the society and the organizational workforce in the process of shaping the 21st century workforce (Konrad, 2006). Organizations appreciate individual sensitivity and differences to enable them discharge the organizational mission. Sensitivity and training on diversity focuses on changing valid standards and expectations of people. This paper gives details on understanding diversity. Although the scope is limited, it highlights how the understanding of diversity is a challenge in managing the current workforce. It remains a fact that the contemporary workforce does not have the same desires as the previous workforce.

Problem statement…

Managing to Keep Apple Fresh: Organizational Culture

Issue Identification

Employees

Competitors

Critical Discussion

Path-goal Model

Today, Apple can be regarded one of the most successful companies in the industry within which it operates. At some point, the company was headed for collapse. After Steve Jobs took control as CEO (from 1997), he instituted a drastic turnaround of the firm which has since then more or less dominated the industry. A number of factors have contributed to Apple's success; one of those being effective leadership skills. Steve Jobs knew how to set goals and get everyone to work towards achieving them by amongst other things aligning the organizational culture with the organizational goals. Apple's success story is proof that effective culture management is one of the ingredients of effective leadership. This text will explore the different culture-management practices that have been employed by Apple's leadership.

Issue Identification

Organizational culture refers to…

Managing Diversity in Organizations

Diversity can be described as the manner of recognizing, appreciating, accepting, respecting, and reveling dissimilarities among individuals with regards to age, class, ethnicity, sex, physical and intellectual capability, race, and sexual orientation (Esty et al., 1995). Diversity has become a significant and beneficial component for organizations. With the constant increase in globalization, organizations have been forced to diversify their set of personnel in the work environment. Employees come from diverse backgrounds, geographical areas, tribal and ethnic origins and bear distinctive diverse abilities and aptitudes. It is essential for people to work together and combine abilities and manage diversity commendably in the environment. Every individual's opinions, activities, and also principles are molded by his or her culture. Organizations have to institute diversity into their structures and policies in order to attain the projected goals and objectives (Esty et al., 1995).

The issue of diversity does not just…

Production of Value using SDL:

Service-dominant logic is a mindset or model that has emerged as the world continue to be increasingly interconnected and turbulent. This logic emphasizes on the relations of the producer and consumer as well as other partners in the supply and value network in their co-production of value through collaborative procedures. The logic is driven by an intrinsic purpose of carrying out an activity with other parties making it to be customer-centered and responsive. Actually, service-dominant logic considers service as the application of knowledge through actions, procedures, and performances for the advantage of the entity itself or another entity. Therefore, the concept leverages the strengths of the company to meet the needs of customers and accomplish both organizational and societal objectives (Lusch & Vargo, n.d.). Consequently, is generates competitive advantage and long-term customer loyalty through aligning the firm's capabilities with the needs of customers.

Co-production in…

This differentiation refers to the management and administration of the agricultural resources of the kingdom. This in turn involved an organized network of royal foundations. (Wilkinson 116) the second area of administrative concern was the processing of government revenue and "…its redistribution to the various state operations…" (Wilkinson 116) Wilkinson in his book also deals extensively with managements issues in relation to the Egyptian treasury. (Wilkinson 125)

In understanding the background to management in ancient Egypt one has to continually take into account the wide range of concerns and activities that required ordered control and administration. As Erman states in his work Life in Ancient Egypt (1894), "The enormous properties belonging to the temples required of course complicated machinery for their administration & #8230;certain members of the priestly college were deputed to manage the affairs of the treasury, the commissariat and the correspondence…" (Erman 303)

Taking into account the above…

Production and Operations Management

Marketing is an important function and acts a key contributor in success of any product. A good marketing strategy can make a not so good product become a blockbuster while a bad marketing strategy can put an excellent product down the drain. Marketing is an amalgamation of various elements that lead with different aspects of getting the product to the consumer. One of the major elements of this marketing mix is the product placement. Placement involves determining where the product will be sold and how will be it be transported to that selling point in a manner that efficiently reaches the potential consumer and is profitable to the company. Over a period of time, various channels of distribution and transportation methods have evolved depending upon the nature of product and suiting the other external requirements of the region where the product is supposed to be transported.…

Managing Innovation

Innovation in its simplest form can be termed as something new or newly introduced into the market. Innovation in the business field is quite necessary since it forms the backbone of a company's growth and that of the economy as a whole. Innovation is the success of every business and must be managed effectively and efficiently (Limerick, 2002).

The ever changing technology and instant global communication have made it easier for companies to find answers to some problems they encounter and more so come up with innovations to improve on the current ones. Companies are also faced with pressures arising from global competition and by this; most of them are seeking the need to manage their innovations. Companies are nowadays attracting and managing innovations by having rewards or prizes for individuals within the company who manages to come up with brilliant and innovative concepts. This will give the…

Productions Operations Management

Supply Chain of Zara

Supply Chain of the etailer ZAA

Fashion industry is no more the game of rich only. The cost effective fashion businesses have helped penetrate the fashion industry so deep that today even an average earner can enjoy latest fashion by Zara. Being a Spanish retail fashion designer, Zara is strongly accepted fashion brand in Europe, America and United Arab Emirates. In less than 50 years' time, since 1975, Zara has achieved a status others might take centuries to reach. Zara promises quality as well as affordable prices (Zara: Official Website, 2013). While fashion industry mainly depends on new, creative, original ideas, this report studies if supply chain management is important for Zara too and how supply chain management can be used as a competitive advantage.

Thesis Statement:

How the supply chain management can be used as a competitive advantage?

Supply Chain Management

Supply…

By monitoring these results, the company's managers can control and determine whether the company has achieved its objectives, and whether the company's efforts are justified.

Problems that arise during the production process outsourced to India as also caused by individual workers. Such problems include fluctuations in the degree of quality and of craftsmanship of Indian workers. As a consequence, it is necessary to implement an operational control system that would better monitor the activity and the results of each employee.

Conclusions

Production outsourcing has become one of the solutions implemented by small or large manufacturers as a response to increased production costs on national level. India has become one of the most targeted production outsourcing destinations, especially for small companies.

The advantages provided by the country justify the efforts made by companies in order to overcome the numerous barriers that India also presents. The cheap workforce in India seems to…

Production and Operations Management

Explain one possible option that Marathon could take to reduce the time involved in the production process.

Of the many potential strategies for reducing the time-to-market between initial arrival of the various grades of oil in the Gulf of Mexico-based receiving location through the refining process and finally to delivery of gasoline to Marathon retail locations, the company has many options for streamlining their supply chain. By alleviating the major lags in their supply chain logistics their entire production process could be significantly accelerated. As the video shown by Marathon indicates, the entire production process is more push-driven than governed by forecasts.

What Marathon Oil needs is to have a much greater level of intelligence and insight into their retail chains' demands. As the presentation from Marathon shows, the entire production system is very push-based, instead of taking into account variations in demand by retail channel…

" (fom Wold envionmental news, Intenet edition)

Besides developing flexible legislation that will distibute the functions of ecycling between manufactues and municipal sevices thee has to be a definite and developed pogam that would specialize on the optimal and the most exhaust utilization of electonic waste, eduction of e-waste landfills and incineation. Recycling pogam should not be limited to the ecycling of CRT monitos, as thei ownes ae moe likely to bing the whole obsolete compute system to the ecycling, not just compute monitos.

The benefit of integal pogam of ecycling is that it allows using a vaiety of mateials used in the electonics manufactuing like pecious metals, semi-pecious metals, and some electonic items in the euse.

The most impotant pat of the e-waste management is seach of the most appopiate and qualified patnes in the technical o pactical pat of the poblem solution. This poblem is of the essential…

Production & Non-Production Effects of EP Technology on Businesses

Information Technology

Author's note with contact information and details of collegiate affiliation, etc.

Enterprise esource Planning Software (EP) ambitiously attempts to consolidate the departments and functions of an entire business, organization, etc. into a single computer system. EP consolidates all the needs of the every department into one system. EP systems are most often found within the Finance and Human esources departments, but again, EP aims to serve every department's needs. EP systems must be dynamic because each department within any company operates differently and therefore requires specific options for their computer systems. EP systems function similarly to the software used in departments such as manufacturing, finance, and human resources. Where EP systems differ from those softwares is that EP systems link all the softwares of every department within its systems together. Employees across departments can access information they need from…

Production Possibilities

Production possibility curves are representation of the amount of two different goods that can be obtained by shifting resources from the production of one, to the production of the other. In addition, the graph represents maximum specified production level of one commodity that results given the production level of the other (Samuelson, 1962). The curve is used to describe consumers' choice between two different goods.

The curves represent a wide range of economic factors; scarcity, opportunity costs, and choice. According to the curve, scarcity is the fundamental economic problems all societies face; opportunity cost being the cost of anything used in the production in terms of what has to be given; these costs could be financial, but they could include individuals' time and other intangibles. Besides, the possibility curve shows two products and the consumer has the choice to choose the best one between them.

An individual earning…

The most recent trajectory for China's economy has been notable for its absence of emphasis on heavy industry. Mao's original plans focused on heavy industry the major driver of Chinese economic growth. Deng, too, had wanted to build out China's capacity in steel and heavy manufacturing industries. In recent years, service industries and light manufacturing have taken a more prominent role in the Chinese economy. The sense is that during the first years of the reforms, it was essential for China to build out its industrial capacity. Having done that, the only role left is to leverage the heavy industry infrastructure in order to help build out the fledgling service industry.

It was the heavy industry that facilitated productivity growth in China in the past couple of decades. Productivity has contributed 13.5% of China's economic growth since the early 1930s (u, 2003). Substantial improvements in infrastructure and technology were able…

Production of Caps and Shirts

A part written report assignment-based forthcomming olympics produce a company I production shirts caps named company GLOBAL SUCCESS PLC.

Company profile

Global Success PLC is a company that deals with event planning marketing and organization. In the forth coming Olympics, the company wishes to venture in the production of Shirts and caps for corporations. The forthcoming Olympic Games present an opportunity for firms to gain recognition on an international scale. Global success intends to take this opportunity to provide services to willing corporations to capitalize on the event and build their company and product reputation.

Global success tag line in the campaign for production of the shirts and caps is "create a long lasting impression on potential consumers"

Branding

According to Brynard P.A. & Hanekom S.X., 2006()

branding is a measure targeting to make known a product, service or company to a market or potential…

Managing Reebok

History of Reebok

he company of Reebok started in England in around 1890 to provide shoes which could help athletes run faster. he cleated running shoes were developed by Joseph William Foster and he had then started a company to make hand-stitched athletic shoes for the runners of that time. he enterprise continued in that manner and started with the name of Reebok International due to the starting of a new company by the grandsons of JW Foster. he name was taken from the name of an African gazelle. he company came to USA in 1979 when Paul Fireman bought an exclusive license for distribution of Reebok in North America. From the beginning itself, the products were the most expensive, and were being sold for $60 a pair even in 1979. he sales increased over time, and became $1.3 million in 1981, and then the production capacity of…

The vision Oracle has is one of unifying all of their enterprise applications into their Fusion architecture and creating a single unifying Service oriented Architecture (SOA) was first announced in 2006 (Krill, 13). Since that time Oracle has continually strived to create an SOA in Fusion that would appeal to its corporate customers. The proposed Fusion SOA platform has been designed to be robust and scalable enough to encompass enterprise-level applications including Enterprise esource Planning (EP) applications while also being flexible enough to provide for individualized application development. There are critics of SOA in general and Fusion specifically, with industry analysts considering it too difficult to create a process-centric model that allows for pervasive, in-depth applications necessary for mission-critical business while at the same time allowing for significant scalability (Handy, 2005). Despite these concerns however Fusion continues to gain market acceptance and provide Oracle with a path to the fulfillment…

Productions and Operations Management

America produces merely thirty seven percent of its oil demands, requiring sixty percent of its oil to be imported from additional countries, including Nigeria, Kuwait, ussia, Norway, and Canada (Marathon, 2010). With such high demands for oil, America has ports in which the imported oil can be brought in through vessels, carrying up to three million barrels on a very large crude carrier (VLCC). Once these crude oils have been brought to America's coast, it is loaded to a storage facility and then transported to a refinery to be processed into different types of products (Marathon, 2010). At Marathon, this is done through the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, or LOOP. This entire process can take approximately one month to complete (Marathon, 2010). Marathon is in need of creating a new plan, designing new ways to be time efficient with the crude oil process. While creating the…

Managing Demographic

The change in the world structure population and the trend of migration of people from developing to developed countries raises critical issues that no company can ignore. Demographic changes are already influencing human resource and other departments of companies across major cities of developed nations like Japan, United States and German (Florian Kohlbacher, 2010). Demographic, therefore can be defined as the study of composition of social entity in terms of its members attributes which includes such factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, occupation, seniority, salary level and marital status (Kirton. Greene 2011).

However, during times of global economic and financial crisis, many companies usually deal with issues that seem to be more urgent, but with demographic change the issue is more complex, for example German's companies doing business in Japan need to face the challenges of demographic change in Japan population if they want to be successful in…

Management Analysis of JCPenney

One of America's iconic department store fixtures is J.C. Penney which has provided American consumers with a wide range of family clothing and other merchandise for more than a century. In recent years, though, JCPenney has been experiencing some difficult times as its core market continues to be eroded by competitors and an aging business model. This paper provides a review of the relevant literature to develop a description and history of the company, its recent financial performance and to identify some of the managerial decisions that were made in response to changes in its market or competitive environment by JCPenney in recent years. A summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues are presented in the conclusion.

Description and History of the Company

According to JCPenney's promotional literature, "More than a century ago, James Cash Penney founded his company on the principle of…

Management Action and Productivity

usinesses in developed countries tend to think of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a characteristic that is centered in their own businesses or, failing that, situated in the industries of wealthier nations. The CSR movement is substantively skewed in the direction of the developed world where the motivation for adopting a CSR initiative is driven more by altruism -- or "enlightened self-interest" (Vogel 2006: 18) -- than profit margins. It is unusual to find a perspective that considers CSR from the perspective of a sourcing company. In the centrically-oriented corporate arena of the developed world, CSR is seen as originating with the company that establishes a supply chain with a multinational company -- not the other way around. In order to manage and control ethical issues arising from doing business with overseas markets, many corporations rely on a social compliance model (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007).

The social compliance…

To avoid all these hassles, corporates should take the lead. They should ensure that the environment is not harmed in any way and people are treated with respect and dignity without exploiting the people or the environment in any unfair way. Such initiatives get publicity too and this has a positive impact on the company's business interests. Therefore, technology has been another driving factor that induces companies to take the right steps to preserve and protect the environment and the people who depend on it.

Steps that should be taken by the company

Companies should have a clear strategy of how they are going to address their issues and this should be decided after taking into account its impact on the environment as well as its business interests. ecent years has seen more importance being given to shareholders and so company executives do everything possible to increase the returns for…

In October 2005, EXXON had to pay a $8.7 million civil penalty, while at the same time spending $9.7 million on community environmental projects. In my opinion, these are unnecessary costs that can be eliminated in the future with an adequate financing for research and development in environmental protection and pollution reduction.

The marketing segment also needs an increased attention in 2006. For example, on the gasoline market, EXXON brands such as Mobil or Esso are already well-known throughout the world. Nevertheless, the specificity of the industry brings about the necessity to constantly promote these brands. How is an Esso gas station different from a Shell or Texaco one? EXXON needs to think out marketing campaigns deemed to bring out the main competitive advantages over other companies on the market: excellent service, better quality gasoline (going hand in hand with the spending in research and development in this segment, previously…