COMPANY STUDY OUTLINE SS 2015-2016

BA 187: OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Instructor: Prof. Manuel P. Ocampo

A Company Study on Operations Management

I. INTRODUCTION
A. Objectives of the Study
B. Scope and Limitations of the Study
C. Methodology
D. Operational Definition of Terms

II. COMPANY BACKGROUND

A. History and Evolution
B. Mission/Vision
C. Organizational Structure
D. Operations Strategy of the Company

III. DOCUMENTATION OF COMPANY OPERATIONS

A. System Design
1. Product and Service Design
2. Strategic Capacity Planning
3. Process Description
4. Facility Layout
5. Design of Work Systems
6. Location Planning & Analysis

B. Quality
1. Management of Quality
2. Quality Control / Acceptance Sampling

C. Supply Chain Management

D. Inventory Management and Scheduling

1. Inventory Management
2. Aggregate Planning
3. MRP and ERP (if applicable)
4. JIT and Lean Operations (if applicable)
5. Maintenance
6. Scheduling

IV. DECISION MAKING

A. IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS / POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT

IN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

B. FOR EACH PROBLEM IDENTIFIED:

1. Specify objectives and criteria for choosing a solution
2. Develop alternatives
3. Compare and analyze alternatives using operations management tools
4. Select the best alternative

V. REFERENCES

VI. APPENDICES

Note: The final paper is due on the date of the Final Examination of BA 187. Softbound.
Printed on front page: Title of Study, Proponents, Professor, Date of Submission. Use short
bond paper; font size 12, Calibri, 1.5 spacing; at least 35 pages, excluding Appendices.
INDIVIDUAL PAPER

Make a business plan (operations aspect only) of an establishment similar to the Company your
group studied.

A. System Design
1. Product and Service Design
2. Strategic Capacity Planning
3. Process Description
4. Facility Layout
5. Design of Work Systems
6. Location Planning & Analysis

B. Quality
1. Management of Quality
2. Quality Control / Acceptance Sampling

C. Supply Chain Management

D. Inventory Management and Scheduling

1. Inventory Management
2. Aggregate Planning
3. MRP and ERP (if applicable)
4. JIT and Lean Operations (if applicable)
5. Maintenance
6. Scheduling
 HOW TO ANALYZE AND PREPARE CASE STUDIES

There is no best way to study and prepare a case, nor is there a standard form in which to present
your report. The manner of presentation depends upon the following:

(1) the nature of the case,

(2) the need for detail and supporting evidence, and
(3) the purpose for which your analysis is being made.

Unless you are instructed to the contrary, the governing principle is one of brevity and conciseness. It
is well to remember that the difficulties of inducing a reader to study your report in detail increases at a rate
greater than the increase in the number of pages of the report.

Conciseness does not mean eliminating important areas of discussion, but rather by economy of
writing and clarity of style. Both depth and breadth are essential elements of your analysis; a comprehensive
analysis will not be superficial, nor will it omit consideration of all important ideas bearing upon the thesis or
exposition.

The following suggestions will help you study and prepare a case analysis, whether oral or written:

1. Read the case thoroughly and completely. If possible put the case aside for a time. Then carefully
reread the case once or twice. Try to get an accurate picture in your mind as to what is really
going on in that particular situation.

2. If the case is long, you may wish to make notes or summarize pertinent information before
proceeding with your analysis. Lawyers call it “briefing” a case. This procedure may be
unnecessary in preparing management cases if the information has been thoroughly assimilated.
A principal difficulty at this stage is to sort out important information from data of little
significance.

3. Formulate in writing a precise statement of the problem. This is an analytical step, not a
descriptive one. It does not help much to write down a rehearsed version of problem-type
statements lifted from the case data. Try to state the problem in such a way as to show
(1) which individual or individuals must take some action, and
(2) why some kind of action must be taken at this particular time.

4. Note the key alternative decisions or courses of action which can be taken. This is hypothesis-
testing by marshaling evidence available in the case material.

5. Concerning the various hypotheses, raise the questions that demand an answer. These are crucial
questions which constitute the heart of your analysis.

6. Tentatively, weigh the evidence and select the hypothesis which can be supported.

7. Organize the evidence so as to substantiate your case. Be sure to state your conclusion clearly.
Point out further actions which, if made, would improve the situation or prevent a recurrence.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WRITTEN REPORT

Putting your analysis into writing requires that the following points be considered:

1. Clarity and simplicity of written statements are essential. Use short sentences. Be sparing in the
use of descriptive adjectives. Avoid using passive voice.

2. Be sure to tell who is doing what, pin down those who have to take responsibility for certain
actions, who made mistakes, who failed, who is weak and so on.

3. Organize your writing so that the reader can identify a well-stated problem, an organized solution,
a set of conclusions or a summary of actions being recommended.
4. Avoid statements of opinions or argumentative matters unless you are sure that they cannot be
contested in the context in which you have used them. Your analysis must be supported
primarily by facts and situations supplied by you in the case itself, not the generalizations you
have picked up in various places.

5. An almost universal weakness in case analysis is that the writer fails to analyze the outcome or
possible effects of suggestions made. If for example, you suggest that new equipment be
purchased, you should also show that you have thought about
(a) how to find the working capital to invest in this equipment,
(b) the location and space needed for the equipment,
(c) the manpower to operate the equipment, etc.

6. Spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure are vital in every piece of writing you do. Your
evaluator will judge you heavily on this score, so the sooner you master this skill, the better.
Treat your case assignment as would a problem assigned by your employer.

GUIDE FOR THE ORAL CASE ANALYSIS

1. Define the problem in the case. - Each case represents a real-life situation. Buried in each case is a
multitude of business and management problems. There may be more than one major problem
presented, but each case problem should be explicitly placed in order of importance. Defining the
problem of a case is often the most difficult job facing the business student. It should be done
very carefully, for the entire analysis depends on the problem definition.

2. Set your objectives for problem solution. - Once you have defined the problem in the case (and to
help you define it, if it is especially complex), the student must decide “what he wants to do”. He
must set explicit objectives that he wants his decisions or actions to be accomplished. Without
such objectives, it would be impossible to tell a “good” decision from a “bad” one.

3. Outline alternative courses of action. - Once the problem has been outlined, and the specific
objectives have been isolated, the alternative solutions should be examined. Each alternative will
have its strengths and weaknesses, and these should be made explicit. None will be “perfect”, but
by keeping the objectives and standards in mind, one or two approaches can be chosen. There is
no right or wrong problem solution, the merits of the case analysis depends on the depth of
analysis as well as the decision reached.

In any case, one will have to make assumptions about facts that are explicitly outlined in the case.
The fewer assumptions that have been made in the case analysis, the better the analysis is. If you
must make assumptions, they should be explicit. In no case should a course of action revolve
solely around an assumption. If one uses an assumption to support the entire case, it can’t be
strong.

4. Come to a conclusion. - Each one should decide upon a course of action before coming to class.
The very process of making a decision and preparing to defend it should open the student’s eyes
to the strengths and weaknesses of his analysis. It is most important that decisions be directed at
the problem as defined and it is equally important that the consequences of the conclusions be
carefully examined.