Evaluate how the company in the case study uses operations management functions to provide products and generate value for its customers.
Prompt: For the first milestone of your final project, you will submit a managing operations case study analysis that uses the tools and techniques that operations managers use. This case study analysis will be incorporated into the final summative analysis. This milestone is due in Module Two.
Refer to the Nissan case study, your own independent research, and the course materials to complete this milestone. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
- Generating Value
- Evaluate how the company in the case study uses operations management functions to provide products and generate value for its customers. Support your claims with examples from the case study or outside sources.
- Assess how this company achieves a competitive advantage using operations management. Provide examples found in the case study or outside sources to support your reasoning.
| Critical Elements | Proficient (100%) | Needs Improvement (75%) | Not Evident (0%) | Value |
| Generating
Value: Functions
|
Evaluates how the company in the case study uses OM functions to provide products to customers and generate value both for customers and the firm | Evaluates how the company in the case study uses OM functions to provide products to customers but does not describe how OM functions generate value for the customer or firm | Does not evaluate how the company in the case study uses OM functions to provide products to customers | 15 |
- Compare and contrast service operations and manufacturing operations at the company in the case study. How are they the same? How do they differ? How does each of these operations provide value for their customers?
- Theories and Techniques
- Compare and contrast the critical path method (CPM) and the program evaluation and review technique (PERT). What types of projects at this company would favor PERT over CPM? Why? What types of projects at this company would favor CPM over PERT? Why?
- Explain the steps used to develop a forecasting system. How would these steps be specifically utilized by this company? What do you predict would be the result of implementing a forecasting system for the top-selling product line at this company?
- List the major categories of supply chain risk and associated risk reduction tactics. How could the company mitigate exposure to supply chain disruptions caused by natural disasters? For example, consider the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan.
Guidelines for Submission: The format for this assignment will be a Word document using a business writing format of your choice. There is no minimum page length requirement, but the submission should be no more than four pages in total. Copy and paste any data analysis from Excel into your Word document for submission. You may include your original Excel documents as supplementary material if you believe this will strengthen your contribution.
Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these instructions.
| Generating Value:
Competitive Advantage |
Accurately assesses how the company in the case study achieves a competitive advantage using OM and provides support | Assesses how the company in the case study achieves a competitive advantage using OM but assessment is inaccurate or does not provide support | Does not assess how the company in the case study achieves a competitive advantage using OM | 15
|
| Generating
Value: Compare and Contrast
|
Compares and contrasts service and manufacturing operations and includes how each operation provides value for its customers | Compares and contrasts service and manufacturing operations but does not include how each operation provides value for its customers | Does not compare and contrast service and manufacturing operations | 15 |
| Theories and Techniques:
Compare and Contrast |
Compares and contrasts CPM and PERT and explains which projects would favor each technique | Compares and contrasts CPM and PERT but does not explain which projects would favor each technique | Does not compare and contrast CPM and PERT | 15 |
| Theories and Techniques:
Forecasting System
|
Accurately describes the steps used to develop a forecasting system and predicts the results of using a forecasting system in the context of the case study | Accurately describes the steps used to develop a forecasting system but does not predict the results of using a forecasting system in the context of the case study | Does not describe the steps used to develop a forecasting system or description is inaccurate | 15 |
| Theories and Techniques:
Supply Chain Risk
|
Correctly lists the major categories of supply chain risks and associated riskreduction tactics and explains how the company could avoid exposure to supply chain disruptions | Correctly lists the major categories of supply chain risks, but does not accurately identify associated riskreduction tactics or explain how the company could avoid exposure to supply chain disruptions | Does not list the major categories of supply chain risks and associated riskreduction tactics or list and associated risks are incorrect | 15 |
| Articulation of Response | Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization | Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas |
