In this module we have learned that companies who focus on operations management are able to position themselves better to serve their customers. Effective operations management lays the foundation for strategic decisions that affect processes, quality, capacity, and inventory. Krajewski, Malhotra, & Ritzman (2016), teaches how a firm’s internal processes need to be organized to ultimately be effective in a competitive environment. This paper analyzes the case study of Vistron Inc: The Z-Glass Project. First, this paper will identify the operational management problems at Vistron. Next, it will explore the decline and improvement of the yields specifically at the Toledo plant and its contributing factors. Following, it will analyze the performance
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According to the text, "the product-process matrix brings together three elements: (1) volume, (2) product customization, and (3) process characteristics. It synchronizes the product to be manufactured with the manufacturing process itself" (Krajewski, et al, 2016). In the product-process matrix, the vertical axis addresses the level of divergence in the manufacturing process. The Z-Glass manufacturing process is actually made up of three processes, some with more of a line process and another that's more customized. That said, all three processes need to support high volume. In analyzing the Z-Glass manufacturing process and volume demands, it's evident that the process choice at the plant does not put them in one of the four desirable positions: job process, batch process, line process or continuous-flow process. One or more of the three sub-processes needs to be re-engineered to get the overall process into the desired …show more content…
Contributing factors for the decline include both human and non-human. Human factors include the inexperience of department supervisors. The plant manager saw the yield decline as a people problem. With a shift in tenure and expertise, the department was suffering with the ability to maintain production quality and control. This changed the experience levels and skill levels of the employees as well. The fact that employees were resistant to change contributed to the lack of flexibility which we understand is a competitive priority. Finally, from the human factor aspect, we also see a lack of process understanding as well as the inability for the organization to conduct an overall analysis to help determine what the problem
According to the text, "the product-process matrix brings together three elements: (1) volume, (2) product customization, and (3) process characteristics. It synchronizes the product to be manufactured with the manufacturing process itself" (Krajewski, et al, 2016). In the product-process matrix, the vertical axis addresses the level of divergence in the manufacturing process. The Z-Glass manufacturing process is actually made up of three processes, some with more of a line process and another that's more customized. That said, all three processes need to support high volume. In analyzing the Z-Glass manufacturing process and volume demands, it's evident that the process choice at the plant does not put them in one of the four desirable positions: job process, batch process, line process or continuous-flow process. One or more of the three sub-processes needs to be re-engineered to get the overall process into the desired …show more content…
Contributing factors for the decline include both human and non-human. Human factors include the inexperience of department supervisors. The plant manager saw the yield decline as a people problem. With a shift in tenure and expertise, the department was suffering with the ability to maintain production quality and control. This changed the experience levels and skill levels of the employees as well. The fact that employees were resistant to change contributed to the lack of flexibility which we understand is a competitive priority. Finally, from the human factor aspect, we also see a lack of process understanding as well as the inability for the organization to conduct an overall analysis to help determine what the problem