Discussion
Overview
The purpose of this discussion exercise is to provide you with a forum to discuss your newly discovered production and operations management concepts considering current issues and real business situations. This is a practice ground for ensuring that your reasoning and foundation of these concepts are secure. This portion of the course requires you to interact with your fellow classmates and critique their submissions.
Note that all these topics refer to the Operations function of a business, to manufacture a product or create a service. We all know that these topics may be used in other business functions, such as in marketing or finance, but for the discussions in this course, please focus on Operations examples and articles.
Directions
Select one of these concepts
Socially Responsible Material Management in Operations
Green Materials Management in Operations
Lean Concepts applied to supply chain processes
Lean Concepts applied to service processes
Any other Topic listed in a Discussion Thread in the Course. (identify the topic and Unit)
Then find a current event in an article from the resources below to illustrate that concept.
Library Resources
Industry Week
Wall Street Journal
Industry Week
Global Manufacturing
Analysis Post
After reviewing and analyzing at least one of the current events articles, compose an analysis of that event or situation using the unit operations concept that you selected.
Assignment: SCM
Value stream mapping involves first developing a baseline map of the current situation of a company's external and /or internal operations, and then applying lean concepts, developing a future state map that shows improved operations.
The diagram above shows the current state with production lead time of 4.5 days. This system is a batch/push system (indicated by stripped arrows) resulting in long delays and inventory buildups.
The diagram below also shows the future state map with a production lead time of 0.25day.
This was accomplished by moving to a continuous-flow pull system and attacking the seven wastes.
Value stream mapping uses a number of special icons and a display of boxes and flows.
o Eliminating the queue of work dramatically quickens the time it takes to flow through the system. What are the disadvantages of removing those queues?
o How do you think machine operators would react to the change?
o What would you do to ensure that the operators were kept busy?
o Stopping waste is a vital part of lean. Using value stream mapping, identify some sources of waste in your home or dorm and discuss how they may be eliminated.
o Discuss ways t use lean to improve one of the following: a pizza restaurant, a hospital, or an auto dealership.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.