ManagingMOperationsMAcrossMtheMSupplyMChain,M5thMEditionMSwink
ChapterM1-16
ChapterM1
IntroductionMtoMManagingMOperationsMAcrossMtheMSupplyMChain
Suggested Answers to Discussion Questions
M M M M
1. ReviewMFortuneMmagazine’sM―MostMAdmired‖MAmericanMcompaniesMforM1959,M19
79,M1999,MandMtheMmostMcurrentMyear.M(TheMissueMnormallyMappearsMinMAugustMeachM
year.)MWhichMcompaniesMhaveMremainedMonMtheMtopMthroughoutMthisMperiod?MWhich
M onesMhaveMdisappeared?MWhatMdoMyouMthinkMledMtoMtheMsurvivalMorMdemiseMofMthese
M companies?MTheMcompaniesMthatMhaveMstayedMonMtopMthroughoutMthisMperiodMareMSouthw
est,MBerkshireMHathaway,MandMProctorMandMGamble.MUPS,MCocaMCola,MandMGEMwereMsom
eMofMtheMcompanies
thatMdisappeared.MTheMcompaniesMthatMwereMableMtoMstayMatMtheMtopMofMtheMlistMwereMtheMones
ableMtoMdealMwithMmajorMchangesMinMtheMindustryMeasily.MInMorderMtoMstayMafloatMinMharderMti
M
mes,MtheyMwereMmanagedMbyMpeopleMwhoMunderstoodMoperationsMmanagement;MtheyMhadMaMw
inningMvalueMpropositionMthatMwasMcontinuallyMrevitalizedMbyMtheMintroductionMofMnewMproduc
tsMandMservices.MTheMcompaniesMthatMdidMnotMstayMatMtheMtopMunableMtoMmakeMtheMnecessaryMc
hangesMsoMeasily;MperhapsMtheirMoperationsMmanagementMwasMnotMatMtheMcaliberMofMtheMotherM
companiesMableMtoMstayMatMtheMtopMofMtheMlist.
2. SelectMtwoMproductsMthatMyouMhaveMrecentlyMpurchased;MoneMshouldMbeMaMserviceMan
dMtheMotherMaMmanufacturedMgood.MThinkMaboutMtheMprocessMthatMyouMusedMtoMmakeMth
eMdecisionMtoMpurchaseMeachMitem.MWhatMproductMcharacteristicsMwereMmostMimportantM
12-1
©MMcGrawMHillMLLC.MAllMrightsMreserved.MNoMreproductionMorMdistributionMwithoutMtheMpriorMwrittenMconsentMofMMcGra
wMHillMLLC.
,toMyou?MWhatMoperationalMactivitiesMdetermineMtheseMcharacteristics?
12-2
©MMcGrawMHillMLLC.MAllMrightsMreserved.MNoMreproductionMorMdistributionMwithoutMtheMpriorMwrittenMconsentMofMMcGra
wMHillMLLC.
,StudentManswersMtoMthisMquestionMwillMvary.MTheMfollowingMisManMexampleMfromMoneMstudent:
―TwoMproductsMIMhaveMrecentlyMpurchasedMwereMaMsweaterMandMaMhaircut.MTheMprocessMIMuse
dMtoMmakeMtheMdecisionMtoMpurchaseMtheMsweaterMwasMtryingMonMtheMsweaterMinMdifferentMcolor
s,McontemplatingMtheMpurchaseMatMhome,MwaitingMforMsweaterMtoMgoMonMsale,MandMthenMpurchas
ingMit.MTheMprocessMIMusedMtoMmakeMtheMdecisionMaboutMwhereMtoMgetMmyMhaircutMincludedMres
earchingMpicturesMofMhowMIMwantedMmyMhairMtoMlook,MaskingMadviceMaboutMwhereMtoMgoMfromM
friends,MresearchingMonlineMforMreviewsMaboutMstylists,MandMgettingMmyMhaircutMbyMthatMstylist.
I wantedMtoMmakeMsureMbothMproductsMwereMgoingMtoMsatisfyMmeMenoughMsoMthatMIMwouldn’tM
M M
regretMeitherMpurchase.MIMhadMtoMbeMcomfortableMwithMbothMmyMsweaterMandMmyMnewMhairMstyl
e,MluckilyMIMwas!MIMalsoMwantedMbothMmyMsweaterMandMmyMhairMstyleMtoMlastMforMaMwhileMtoMm
akeMthemMworthMtheMcost.MTheMoperationalMactivitiesMthatMdetermineMtheseMcharacteristicsMareMt
heMmanufacturing,MshippingMandMsellingMtheMsweaterMinMstores.MIfMtheMsweaterMwasMpoorlyMma
deMandMdidn’tMfitMcorrectly,MIMwouldMnotMhaveMpurchasedMit.MIfMitMwasMnotMavailableM(onMtheMsh
elf)MIMcouldMnotMhaveMpurchasedMit.MTheMoperationalMactivitiesMthatMdetermineMtheMcharacteristi
csMofMmyMhairstyleMareMtheMstylistMarrivingMtoMworkMonMtimeMforMmyMappointment,Mwashing,Mc
uttingMandMblowMdryingMmyMhairMinMaMwayMthatMIMwasMexpectingM(havingMsufficientMcapacityMs
oMthatMIMdidMnotMhaveMtoMwaitMtooMlong).
SinceMmyMhairMwasMcutMandMstyledMtheMwayMIMrequested,MIMwillMbeMreturningMtoMthatMhairMstylist.
3. WhatMareMtheMprimaryMoperationsMmanagementMdecisionsMinMeachMofMtheMfollo
wingMcorporations?
Again,MstudentManswersMwillMvaryMbutMmayMincludeMtheMfollowingMelements.
a. MarriottMHotelsMandMResorts:MHowMtoMgreetMandMtreatMcustomersMduringMtheirMstay,M
whatMservicesMtoMsupplyMtoMcustomers,MhowMtoMcheckMcustomersMinMsoMthatMtheyMareMnotMw
12-3
©MMcGrawMHillMLLC.MAllMrightsMreserved.MNoMreproductionMorMdistributionMwithoutMtheMpriorMwrittenMconsentMofMMcGra
wMHillMLLC.
, aitingMfor
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©MMcGrawMHillMLLC.MAllMrightsMreserved.MNoMreproductionMorMdistributionMwithoutMtheMpriorMwrittenMconsentMofMMcGra
wMHillMLLC.