As to question 2, my understanding of 4V of the company's products/services are as below: Volume=>low Variety=>high Variation in demand=>high Visibility=>high
but for volume I am not sure very much because it does not mention the sales number or products in the case study.
Question 1: Why is operations management important in CDS?
In general, Concept Design Services (CDS)is complete and includes everything from helping to select the correct product for your needs. From the case, it would seem to me that CDS emphasizes on the importance of product development (design value) as a result of a distribution service which is tailored to customer's needs.Therefore, it would appear that they highlights the significance of the product improvement and the customer satisfaction.
With regarding the operations management is the activity of managing the resources which are devoted to the production and delivery of products and service. Thus, it would be clear that operations management is significant in CDS because all the activities of operations management can improve the processes, products and services in term of customer satisfaction that is the aims of CDS.
As the article present, unpredictable demands from the customers are inevitable which a company has faced. In my view, the company should survey and collect data regarding the requirements of customers before planning, designing and manufacturing. This solution may help the company accurately predict the demand of customers. This means that consequences of accurate demands of customer directly affect customer satisfaction because correct calculation of customer requirements can reduce out-of-stock. Hence, customers will be happy to receive the right products that they exactly want to buy. This solution may have benefits for the company since the company can maintain their customers.
In contributing to question 2 where Rad states the Volume was low, i fail to agree because there volumes went high as a result of low unit costs that they were able to maintain as a result of subcontracting focus products to smaller moulding companies enabling them to focus on core activities making there tasks more systematized; hence increasing productivity since specialization came into play.
Regarding as question 1, in my opinion, operations management plays an important role in CDS is because CDS replace new moulding equipments and decrease the requiring time for changing product lines and increase the productivity than before. Moreover, the distribution service also provides a planning system from forecast input to finished goods shipping to help CDS to meet customer demand. These operation adjustments help CDS to enhance its competitiveness and provide a variation for better services.
Picking up on Phailin and Rad's comments on the importance of OM for CDS, I would like to emphasize that there are three basic operations in the company: design, manufacturing and distribution. You may consider this classification to highlight how each of these operations can contribute to company's business objectives to enhance customer service, reduce cost, improve efficiency, etc.
I feel that Rad's comment on 4V classification is correct, if restricted to the Partnership products. However, Harry is also right in his disagreement on the volume dimension when he refers to the Focus products. Please note that besides these two categories, there is a third group of products (Concept products) which might have a different pattern. Any idea on 4V profile of this later category?
Donya, you point to an important issue on the importance of accurate customer demand to improve operations. However, in order to increase accuracy of demand forecast, the company need to invest on its marketing, CRM, etc. To what level this investment can be justified? There should be a trade-off on extra investment to improve accuracy of data.
There are other areas of improvement that can be recommended to CDS. Any ideas on this?
Thanks for collective contribution of all group! Keep posting your comments!
In regard to question 3 and how the company could improve its operations, i do think they could this better if they stuck to what they know best which is plastic moulding and specialized in it, this makes standardization speed up production processes for them as well as reduces unit costs. In terms of operations, i do believe if they were to separate partnership operations from other activities, though the main decisions do still come from one central operational body, it would work to their advantage. This is because by offering first priority to designers, it caused delays and friction within the firm as well as to waiting customers. Close coordination by all aspects from product testing to scheduling and forecasting, will enable unit costs to be lowered since waste reduction will be minimal as well as offer relevant feedback to designers. This will enable them to know what feedback marketers are getting in regards to there products, whats being em brassed and whats not. The company seems to be gaining more from a narrow client el that have heavy based accounts, thats why separating operations shall enable more concentration to be placed on them to ensure their retainment is guaranteed as well as show them that they are being prioritized, for some can easily change their ming where operations are visible and not to their satisfaction. Where as for normal day to day orders and activities another part can be set up to cater with these orders enabling flexibility and speeding of requests that may range from color changes that seem to be taking longer, therefore dealing with a wider variety of clients who may not have weighty orders enabling both types of client need to be dealt with.
In regard to question 3, an additional activity of providing cross-training between designers and marketing departments to enhance sales forecasting can be carried out.
As to question 2, my understanding of 4V of the company's products/services are as below:
ReplyDeleteVolume=>low
Variety=>high
Variation in demand=>high
Visibility=>high
but for volume I am not sure very much because it does not mention the sales number or products in the case study.
Question 1: Why is operations management important in CDS?
ReplyDeleteIn general, Concept Design Services (CDS)is complete and includes everything from helping to select the correct product for your needs. From the case, it would seem to me that CDS emphasizes on the importance of product development (design value) as a result of a distribution service which is tailored to customer's needs.Therefore, it would appear that they highlights the significance of the product improvement and the customer satisfaction.
With regarding the operations management is the activity of managing the resources which are devoted to the production and delivery of products and service. Thus, it would be clear that operations management is significant in CDS because all the activities of operations management can improve the processes, products and services in term of customer satisfaction that is the aims of CDS.
As the article present, unpredictable demands from the customers are inevitable which a company has faced. In my view, the company should survey and collect data regarding the requirements of customers before planning, designing and manufacturing. This solution may help the company accurately predict the demand of customers. This means that consequences of accurate demands of customer directly affect customer satisfaction because correct calculation of customer requirements can reduce out-of-stock. Hence, customers will be happy to receive the right products that they exactly want to buy. This solution may have benefits for the company since the company can maintain their customers.
ReplyDeleteIn contributing to question 2 where Rad states the Volume was low, i fail to agree because there volumes went high as a result of low unit costs that they were able to maintain as a result of subcontracting focus products to smaller moulding companies enabling them to focus on core activities making there tasks more systematized; hence increasing productivity since specialization came into play.
ReplyDeleteRegarding as question 1, in my opinion, operations management plays an important role in CDS is because CDS replace new moulding equipments and decrease the requiring time for changing product lines and increase the productivity than before. Moreover, the distribution service also provides a planning system from forecast input to finished goods shipping to help CDS to meet customer demand. These operation adjustments help CDS to enhance its competitiveness and provide a variation for better services.
ReplyDeletePicking up on Phailin and Rad's comments on the importance of OM for CDS, I would like to emphasize that there are three basic operations in the company: design, manufacturing and distribution. You may consider this classification to highlight how each of these operations can contribute to company's business objectives to enhance customer service, reduce cost, improve efficiency, etc.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Rad's comment on 4V classification is correct, if restricted to the Partnership products. However, Harry is also right in his disagreement on the volume dimension when he refers to the Focus products. Please note that besides these two categories, there is a third group of products (Concept products) which might have a different pattern. Any idea on 4V profile of this later category?
Donya, you point to an important issue on the importance of accurate customer demand to improve operations. However, in order to increase accuracy of demand forecast, the company need to invest on its marketing, CRM, etc. To what level this investment can be justified? There should be a trade-off on extra investment to improve accuracy of data.
There are other areas of improvement that can be recommended to CDS. Any ideas on this?
Thanks for collective contribution of all group! Keep posting your comments!
In regard to question 3 and how the company could improve its operations, i do think they could this better if they stuck to what they know best which is plastic moulding and specialized in it, this makes standardization speed up production processes for them as well as reduces unit costs.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of operations, i do believe if they were to separate partnership operations from other activities, though the main decisions do still come from one central operational body, it would work to their advantage. This is because by offering first priority to designers, it caused delays and friction within the firm as well as to waiting customers.
Close coordination by all aspects from product testing to scheduling and forecasting, will enable unit costs to be lowered since waste reduction will be minimal as well as offer relevant feedback to designers. This will enable them to know what feedback marketers are getting in regards to there products, whats being em brassed and whats not.
The company seems to be gaining more from a narrow client el that have heavy based accounts, thats why separating operations shall enable more concentration to be placed on them to ensure their retainment is guaranteed as well as show them that they are being prioritized, for some can easily change their ming where operations are visible and not to their satisfaction.
Where as for normal day to day orders and activities another part can be set up to cater with these orders enabling flexibility and speeding of requests that may range from color changes that seem to be taking longer, therefore dealing with a wider variety of clients who may not have weighty orders enabling both types of client need to be dealt with.
In regard to question 3, an additional activity of providing cross-training between designers and marketing departments to enhance sales forecasting can be carried out.
ReplyDeleteDiscuss all operations management topics mentioned in this case study
ReplyDelete