Operations

Question 1

role of operations management - strategic role of operations management

Answer 1

 strategic role of operations management – cost leadership, good/service differentiation

Question 2

role of operations management - goods and/or services in different industries

Question 3

role of operations management - interdependence with other key business functions

Answer 3

Marketing
Finance
Human Resources

Question 4

influences G,T,QE,CB,C,GP,LR,ES, CSR

Answer 4

 globalisation, technology, quality expectations, cost-based competition, government
policies, legal regulation, environmental sustainability
 corporate social responsibility
– the difference between legal compliance and ethical responsibility
– environmental sustainability and social responsibility

Question 5

operations processes - Inputs

Answer 5

– transformed resources (materials, information, customers)
– transforming resources (human resources, facilities)

Question 6

operations processes - transformation process 4V

Answer 6

– the influence of volume, variety, variation in demand and visibility (customer contact)

Question 7

operations process - transformation process

Answer 7

– sequencing and scheduling – Gantt charts, critical path analysis
– technology, task design and process layout
– monitoring, control and improvement

Question 8

operations processes - outputs

Answer 8

– customer service
– warranties

Question 9

operations strategies PO,SCM,O,T,IM,QM,ORC,GF

Answer 9

 performance objectives –
 new product or service design and development
 supply chain management –
 outsourcing –
 technology –
 inventory management –
 quality management
 overcoming resistance to change –
 global factors –

Question 10

Operations strategies - performance objectives

Answer 10

performance objectives – quality, speed, dependability, flexibility, customisation, cost

Question 11

operations strategies - supply chain management

Answer 11

supply chain management – logistics, e-commerce, global sourcing

Question 12

operations strategies - outsourcing

Answer 12

advantages and disadvantages e.g ( + focus on core business functions - the potential loss of quality.)

Question 13

operations strategies - technology

Answer 13

technology- leading edge, established e.g. (AfterPay, Tesla Giga factories) (Email, word processes)

Question 14

operations strategies -inventory management

Answer 14

inventory management – advantages and disadvantages of holding stock, LIFO
(last-in-first-out), FIFO (first-in-first-out), JIT (just-in-time)

Question 15

operations strategies - quality management

Answer 15

– control (reactive)
– assurance (proactive)
– improvement (total / improvement)

Question 16

overcoming resistance to change

Answer 16

financial costs, purchasing new equipment, redundancy
payments, retraining, reorganising plant layout, inertia