Question:
In this assignment you will showcase your visual-technical communication capabilities through selecting, summarizing, condensing, and presenting information. To complete this assignment, you will select a business field in which you would like to operate and then address each of the ten critical decisions of operations management regarding that business.
Answer:
Introduction
For understanding the key decisions of operations manager, I shall assume the identity of operations manager of an ecommerce retailer selling customized phone covers. The table below shows the ten key decisions that I will have to take in this position.
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Decision Factor
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Decision
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Design of products and services
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We shall be selling customized mobile covers by setting up an online retail store on Shopify. The products will be handcrafter using digital printing and according to customer demand.
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Managing Quality
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Quality monitoring will be required both in design and printing method. For printing method, high Quality UV/digital printing will be used so as to give better designs to the customers. Also suppliers have to be vetted properly to check the quality of phone cases.
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Process and Capacity design
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Digital/UV printing process will be used. It gives good quality finish at a low cost. AUV phone case printer will be required for the same
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Location
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The location will be online store on Shopify. The business is kept online as it saves a lot cost. Shopify provides number of advantages like mobile app, easy to use dashboard, social media support and analytical tool which helps startups to understand customers and demand.
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Layout strategy
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The shop layout will be selected from the templates provided by Shopify. The selected template is provided below. The layout will have payment options, return policy and the window having basic information about business along with lots of product photos.
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Human resource management
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This section is not applicable as the business will be started as a sole proprietorship and I shall be doing the work of printing on my own and selling goods online
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Supply chain management
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Printing equipment will be bought online. The suppliers will be selected on the basis of their ratings on Ali Express. For phone cases supply, quality standards have to be defined and cheap materials have to be avoided. For designs, own photo collection will be used initially as the external sources like Dribble cause $80-$200 per hour which will increase our cost.
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Inventory, MRP, JIT
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The designs have to be itemized on the basis of each order. Customers will be given a choice of around 50 designs initially to choose from.
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Intermediate and short term scheduling
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The business of phone case printing is not seasonal and not many employees are needed in this case. The cases will be ordered as per time and approximately 2 weeks’ stick will be kept as buffer.
After establishing the business, we shall be shifting towards 3d printing of other merchandise as well, like mugs, T-shirts etc.
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Maintenance
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The supplier providing printing equipment will be responsible for maintenance as per terms and conditions of annual maintenance contract
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Annexure – Shop layout
