Case study: Operations management

Submit Case Study #2/Your Selected Chapter Presentation: Due Sunday of Week 6 by Midnight

Submit your Case Study-Chapter Presentation: Please submit a power point presentation of your selected chapter this week: Due Sunday Midnight Week 6.

CHAPTER PRESENTATION INSTRUCTIONS:

In week 3 this term you selected a chapter of your choice from the textbook.

Prepare a power point presentation with minimum of 5 slides, as your Teaching Contribution to the learning as if you were teaching a class. Be creative and imaginative; include appropriate short clips, photos, arts to convey your message in a professional and fun presentation. Grading criteria includes the areas cited; each team member’s contribution to the presentation is a vital element of the final grade for this assignment.

Clarity of Expression

Logical Organization of Ideas

Elaboration and Detail

Critical Thinking

Effective Use of Research Techniques Where Appropriate

Effective Use of Language and Diction

Mechanics and Usage

Reflection of Internalized Knowledge

Running Head: CASE STUDY 1

CASE STUDY 2

CASE STUDY

Institution Affiliation

Student Name

Date

Question one

The Active Sports Equipment company is a shoe manufacturing company. One of the problems facing the company is the threat of a new market. The new competitors will compete in price, quality and performance. However, they fail to match the products of the company due to their speed and ease of assembly, transportation and compactness. Engineering does not guarantee that the level of success will be maintained. Other factors that can lead to the success of the business include marketing and determining the needs of customers. Moreover, there is also a problem in the management and distribution of labour. There should be more attentive to the customer such that when a need or taste and preference changes, it will be recognized by those who control strategic agenda. People in the organization are afraid of giving their opinion on some of the ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the company. For example, the production department is aware of some of the ways to reduce manufacturing cost. However, they are afraid of losing their jobs.

Question two

The staff roles have been redefined. The company has also improved internal communication, the planning process, and the way the organization is structured. The company has also introduced a number of innovations the most significant one is the option of a number of titanium parts that deliver important weight-saving advantages.

Question three

In order to resolve this case, everybody should be given the opportunity to give their own opinion or idea. For Active Sports equipment to be the leading company in the sports industry, they need to concentrate on other factors other than engineering since the firms that are entering into the industry are also coming up with new designs. The company should also change their strategic agenda, (Morck & Yeung, 2017). They should concentrate more on marketing the products and satisfying the needs of the customer. In addition, they should also concentrate on customer service, (Wichmann, 2019).

Question four

Some of the real-life business problems include price competition which can lower the sales of the company. Another problem is uncertainty about the future. This means that managers are not able to predict future trends, (Michalewicz, et al., 2016). Some businesses are resistant to change. Disorganized organization and operation procedures. Poor communication has also lead to business failure. A lot of problems in the workplace can be avoided if people learned how to communicate.

Question five

I would have tried to influence the company’s strategic agenda. Sharing ideas and opinion in an organization is very important because it increases creativity. When a person shares their opinion or idea, they help other employees think in a unique way, (Van Der Aalst, 2017). It also helps other people learn new skills in their career. When employees share ideas, it increases productivity and teamwork, (Hisrich & Brush, 2016). Due to the rapid growth if technology, people can easily share ideas through the email, file sharing, messages and video conferencing. Sharing ideas paves the way for brainstorming. It also increases the morale of the employee. Workers should develop a mind of sharing ideas and make the workplace a united one, (Huang & Brown, 2019).

Question six

Before submitting the strategic agenda, I would have held a meeting with the workers. The main agenda of the meeting is to ask the employees about their opinion and ideas as well as some of the opportunities. Finding other companies in the same industry and learning more about their management is important. I would also invite guest speakers to talk about how they changed their business. Engineering is not the only factor that can lead to the success of the business as new companies are venturing into the industry. They will come with new designs. Therefore, the focus should be more on marketing and satisfying the wants and needs of the customer. I would also engage with people from different departments and try to learn more about what they do. It is important to understand what works for them and what does not. Start socializing your improvement ideas to anyone who will listen.

In my experience planting the seed of ideas can make the discussion on change easier. Sit down one on one with people who can change the process is also an effective way to change the strategic agenda. I would also gather interesting trends about the work that I am doing. In order to lead change, it is important to have a strong relationship with other people. I would start pairing with other people in the same role with the aim to build a relationship with them. In conclusion, I would have defined what I am going to do to ensure that the organization maximizes its opportunity. I would also explain to the manager and stakeholders the benefits of the change and the dangers of not changing the strategic agenda. Before submitting the agenda, I would ensure that everyone understands it and agrees with the changes that will be made.

Reference

Hisrich, R., & Brush, C. (2016). The woman entrepreneur: Management skills and business problems. Journal of small business management, 22(1), 30-37.

Huang, X., & Brown, A. (2019). An analysis and classification of problems in small business. International Small Business Journal, 18(1), 73-73.

Michalewicz, Z., Schmidt, M., Michalewicz, M., & Chiriac, C. (2016). Adaptive business intelligence (pp. 37-46). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Morck, R., & Yeung, B. (2017). Agency problems in large family business groups. Entrepreneurship theory and practice, 27(4), 367-382.

Van Der Aalst, W. (2017). Process mining: discovery, conformance and enhancement of business processes (Vol. 2). Heidelberg: Springer.

Wichmann, H. (2019). Accounting and marketing—Key small business problems. American Journal of Small Business, 7(4), 19-26