MC Operational Management Critically Analyze Discussion – Description
300 words (Critical Analysis), 1 citation, apa citation Critically analyze at least one other student’s post concerning quality goods and services. Your discussion post will be graded based on original post and review of other posts in the application of assembly lines process strategies. 1. Many consumers embrace the ability to customize their new cars, computers, and sneakers, but did you know you can also customize an ambulance? Wheeled Coach is a manufacturer who recognized a market demand for this, and became a producer of custom-built ambulances, headquartered in Winter Park, Florida. Although they are not one of the largest volume ambulance producers in this industry, they do differentiate their offerings by offering to customize ambulances to exact specifications. In fact, they consider themselves an industry leader in developing the innovative technology that supports this customization, and in the development of such proprietary ambulance features as SafePass Emergency Exits, and PureAirFiltration systems. They combine these competitive advantages with quality and durability to position themselves as providers of “mission critical durability”. Wheeled Coach presently uses what I’d call a modified assembly line type of production process; whereby some of the customized components are added as the chassis moves down the line over a period days. 350 employees working four, 10-hours days per week participate in this production. Since the chassis is so similar to a Ford truck and an assembly line process is already in place, some of inquired why don’t auto manufacturers just make ambulances too? This probably would not work for two reasons; the best use of assembly lines is to produce high volumes of uniform goods, very efficiently. Wheeled Coach is neither high volume, nor uniform. In fact, an assembly line production process would completely ignore their primary appeal of customizing ambulances. The auto manufacturer would therefore sacrifice efficiency and the ability to meet their customer value promise. As Wheeled Coach is now receiving more orders, it may make sense to revisit their process strategy and consider a new alternative; moving more towards a process focus or even mass customization if demand volume warrants. Process Focus specifically serves lower volume but higher variety (customization) processes, while Mass Customization provides a framework for adapting the customization ability to higher demand volumes. The recommended evaluation process is as follows: Decide where Wheeled Coach needs to be in terms of volume and customization and develop the process recommendation around that. Some of the specifications and costs to be collected for this evaluation should include capital investment if different or digitized equipment is needed, hiring and training for design and skilled operators who can customize with flexibility (handle many, rapidly changing job instructions, transitioning to build-to-order vs. made-to-order), floor layout and opportunities with automation and robotics, and a review all scheduling and processes. Costs should include adjustments in fixed vs. variable costs according to each process being evaluated since the process focus requires lower fixed cost and higher variable cost, but mass customization is the opposite. This data should be used in crossover charts to determine the volume at which it will make sense to switch to mass customization. Can also do value stream mapping to see where value is added throughout entire supply chain should also be conducted. By consulting with both engineers and operators, it should then be determined how production should be altered for the sake of time, efficiency and cost. This might include developing teams that specialize only in one component, adopting robotics or other automated systems, or even restructuring the entire factory schedule develop a rotation of specialty teams that follow a total design from raw materials to finished product. Consideration can also be given to Capability Maturity Model Integration, to determine what level Wheeled Coach is presently executing, and they might evolve to meet growing demand. Each concept should be tested to determine the most viable process to continue meeting consumer expectations at the lowest possible costs, and eliminate steps that do not add value, but with the ability to expand and continue customizing to demand. Since it’s likely demand is not yet present to justify mass customization, process focus will likely be the recommended system. If that also does not prove to be the optimal production method for Wheeled Ambulance at this time, their current strategy of producing modules that feed into the assembly line as needed, is still recommended as a type of modified or focused assembly line process. This is due to the fact that it’s actually more efficient for businesses of this type to produce separate modules delivered to the assembly line, rather than developing components on the line. Again, this is because assembly lines are designed to for mass production of a uniform product at a fast pace, which is directly opposed to Wheeled Coach’s strategic objective and primary value offering; highly-customized vehicles. The assembly line would lose this flexibility, have a higher likelihood of creating waste, and be subject to time delays as the entire line could be delayed if any one of these complicated components is delayed. In addition, assembly lines tend to require more, less-skilled labor, which is prone to injury, illness and lower capability of meeting not only customization requests, but also meeting the high standards of Wheeled Coach’s proprietary components, versus process focus, which allows for the hiring of more specialized operators where needed. In sum, optimal efficiency would likely be achieved with continuation of delivering modules to the line. Also, technology and demand are both likely to continue evolving at fast pace, so implementing process strategy that capitalizes on Wheeled Coach’s primary point of competitive advantage in offering innovative customization will best position them for continued growth. 300 words (Critical Analysis), 1 citation, apa citation Critically analyze one other student’s post concerning the facility layout of this hospital. Your discussion post will be graded based on original post and review of other posts in the impact technology has on facility layout for hospitals. 2. Layout design is essential for any organization. They assist in enhancing productivity and ensuring that the firm’s objectives are met. Additionally, layout designs are necessary for adding aesthetic value to a firm’s outlook. Various layout designs apply to different types of businesses. For instance, the office layout aims to accelerate and enhance the flow of information (Couto, 2012). Arnold Palmer Hospital’s new facility has a unique layout with a circular pod design. The circular pod design promotes better workflow and movement for hospital staff. Halawa et al. (2020) found that healthcare professionals can spend more time focusing on patient care with shorter distances to travel between patient rooms, medical supplies, and other essential areas. The centralization of break and medical supply rooms in the circular pod design encourages interaction among staff members. This setup allows for easier communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals, improving patient care and outcomes. The work cells reorganize people in groups and put a staff together in a space where staff moves within distance to save time and energy. For example, the Arnold Palmer Hospital features a patient-centered design with a serene environment for patients and their families (Couto, 2012). Servicescapes are extremely important at Arnold Palmer Hospital because they help create a positive and welcoming environment for patients and their families, which can significantly impact patient satisfaction and outcomes. The hospital’s layout design incorporates servicescapes through bright colors, natural light, artwork, and amenities such as a rooftop garden and a family resource center. If the hospital moved from a central computer system at the nurse’s station to computers in the room or on a cart, changes in the facility layout would be required to accommodate the new technology. For example, there may be a need for additional power outlets and adjustments to the placement of furniture and equipment to ensure easy access to the computers.300 words (Critical Analysis), 1 citation, apa citationCritically analyze at least one other student’s post identifying both the strengths and weaknesses of the peer’s initial discussion. Please support your critique with relevant course and research materials, as applicable.3. One thing that Wendy and Premier Bicycle can do in the future is to become more vertically integrated so that the supply of parts is dependent on themselves rather than other companies. Becoming more vertically integrated will require more expenses to produce the new products initially but being able to produce them themselves will prevent them from having to rely on other companies in an event such as COVID. Another thing that Wendy specifically could do is to have more suppliers. From the article, it seems like Wendy had a very limited line of suppliers, and losing three of them could have been catastrophic if not for her last-minute resourcefulness. Having more suppliers on hand and relationships forged with many more companies would have allowed for a larger safety net in an event like this and could have even saved them money because of their potential business relationships. Premier made the mistake of not communicating with its supplier enough about the expected demand for parts needed. If Premier Bicycle would have communicated its need sooner, some of this could have potentially been avoided. Also, if Premier would have made deals with its local purchasing group sooner, the rush to find and modify parts would have also been avoided. When forecasting sales for the next few years, I think the sales will decline from what they are now but may be higher than they were previously. The demand for bikes will slow down due to the repercussions of Covid slowly going away and society returning to normal. This will cause sales to decrease. However, with a new surge in biking and more people being exposed to the activity, I do believe that there will be more bikes sold than pre-covid. The alliance with Dynamic has its benefits along with its drawbacks. First, making the alliance helped Premier Bicycle meet its supply problem. However, Dynamics is said to create products that are more “average” than “luxury”. Dynamics may create simple parts, but the devil is in the details, and cutting corners on even the smaller things may lose customers in the end. Also, partnering means meeting in the middle so my guess is that Premier Bicycle must pay more for subpar parts. Dynamics would only make an alliance if it was profitable and the demand for the parts was most likely high enough that Premier Bicycle was willing to pay more than they normally would have under normal circumstances.
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