Assignment 1: Vice President of Operations, Part 1

Supply Chain Management – Honda (Automobile – Cars)

Due Week 3 and worth 200 points

Scenario: Imagine that you are the vice president of operations at a production or service organization. You have noticed that your organization’s current operations strategy is not supporting the challenges that the organization is presently facing. In order to maintain a competitive edge, you must address these challenges with your Chief Executive Officer immediately.

Select an existing production organization. Analyze the organization’s current vision, mission, business strategy, operation strategy, supply chain, total quality management, just-in-time philosophy, forecasting method, statistical technique, facility location, work design, project life cycle, and project management. Note: You will need this information in order to complete this and subsequent assignments.

As you collect the information for Assignment 1 and Assignment 2, remember that in Assignment 3 you must prepare a presentation for your Chief Executive Officer.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

1.Evaluate key elements of the selected production or service organization’s operational efficiency with its operational strategy. Determine three (3) tasks that do not align with the operational strategy. Determine the weaknesses that are evident in each task.
2.Formulate a new operations strategy for the selected organization based on the four (4) competitive priorities (i.e., cost, quality, time, and flexibility).
3.Analyze both the structure of the competitive priorities and infrastructure of the production process. Develop three (3) new enablers that are aligned with the long-term plan of the selected organization. Evaluate three (3) pros and three (3) cons of the new enablers.
4.Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

•Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
•Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

•Analyze the differences between service and manufacturing operations management to identify planning considerations.
•Formulate an operations strategy to conduct production or service operations.
•Explain how an operations strategy impacts product design and process selection.Use technology and information resources to research issues in operations management.
•Write clearly and concisely about operations management using proper writing mechanics. 

Assignment 2: Vice President of Operations, Part 2

Due Week 6 and worth 280 points

Refer to the scenario from Assignment 1.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1.Evaluate two to four (2-4) weaknesses that are evident in the selected organization’s product life cycle. Generate a new product design and product selection, and then determine three (3) strategies that the organization needs in order to strengthen the operation. Provide support for the rationale.
2.Determine the key components of supply chain management for the company you have selected. Determine three (3) major issues that could affect the structuring, sourcing, purchasing, and the supply chain of your organization. Provide a solution to each issue.
3.Develop a total quality management tool that identifies and analyzes any future issues. Provide a rationale for developing the selected tool. 
4.Analyze three (3) advantages in employing the just-in-time philosophy in your organization. Evaluate three to five (3-5) means in which the philosophy could potentially impact quality assurance. Provide specific examples to support your response.
5.Determine a qualitative and quantitative forecasting method for your operation. Next, create a table in which you identify the characteristics of the operation that relate to each method. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each method.
6.Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

•Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
•Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. 
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

•Determine the key components of supply chain management including structuring, sourcing, purchasing, and managing the supply chain.
•Examine how the total quality management process is a strategy for a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
•Identify the key elements of just-in-time manufacturing and its impact on quality assurances.
•Develop a forecasting method appropriate to a production or service operation.
•Use technology and information resources to research issues in operations management.
•Write clearly and concisely about operations management using proper writing mechanics.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills. Click here to access the rubric for this assignment.