Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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Assignment Details and Rubric
Unit 10 Assignment: Case Study 3
Written Assignment
As a representative and consultant for KU Consulting firm your task is
to use your expertise in
Operations Management to assist Albatross Anchor.
Write a report answering all the questions posed regarding the case
study of Albatross Anchor.
Demonstrate your understanding of course content by using concepts and
principles from your
textbook and from academic quality research to solve these challenges.
All necessary materials for these Assignments are available below as
well as in Doc Sharing.
Submit your Written Assignment by the end of Unit 10 to the “Unit
10 Assignment” Dropbox. For
help on accessing the Dropbox, see the Dropbox Guide link located in the
Academic Tools tab.
Question 1
Refer to the Albatross Anchor scenario/case study. Make recommendations
for at least four of the
following challenges:
List of challenges
(a) Time management
(b) Cost management
(c) Quality management
(d) Performance management
(e) Enterprise project management
(f) Technology adoption
(g) Supply chain management
(h) Distribution management
Question 2
As the consultant for KU Consulting, you have been authorized to change
the existing facility (limited
construction budget) and/or refine the process flow of the manufacturing
area. All changes must be Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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completed within a 60-day window with the majority of the changes
happening at night when the plant
is idle or on the weekend when the plant is idle.
(a) List and detail the proposed changes and/or alterations. Please
explain why you chose what you
chose, give the rationale behind your choices and finally, substantiate
your work.
(b) List and detail three implications and three complications that may
occur as a result of the
recommended changes. Remember activities in one area of the facility may
have an impact on other
areas of the facility.
(c) Create a Gantt chart showing a timeline for when the different
changes proposed should be made,
detailing which changes may overlap and showing how long each change
will take to institute.
Provide information to support your decisions and to explain your
choices as shown in the Gantt
chart.
MT435 Unit 10 Assignment: Albatross Anchors Case Study 3
Content (50%) 30 pts. (4 Full Pages of Content)
Points
Possible
Points
Earned
For Question 1:
Select four operational challenges (select 4 of the 8
items listed) and make recommendations for each
selected item as they relate to the case study.
10
For Question 2:
List and detail proposed changes and/or alterations.
List and detail three potential implications.
List and detail three potential complications.
10Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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Create an example of a Gantt chart supporting your
decisions and proposed timeline.
Template Used Appropriately. 10
Analysis (30%) 18 pts.
Work demonstrates synthesis of concepts, research,
and experience. 6
Work demonstrates the studentâs ability to tie relevant
information to real life applications. 6
Analysis exceeds basic comprehension to
demonstrate higher order thinking. 6
Writing (20%) 12 pts.
Correct use of APA 6th edition format, all sources used
to support the paper are referenced, 4 references
minimum
4
Sentences are clear, concise, and direct; tone is
appropriate 4
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct 4
Total 60Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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Case Study 3
KU Consulting
KU Consulting has been asked to bid on a large consulting job with
Albatross Anchor. In
order to win the contract for this consulting job a well written,
logical, and highly
organized proposal must be written. It is your task/challenge to write
the proposal for
re-vamping Albatross Anchors Operations systems so that KU Consulting
may win the
$50,000 contract.
Using the mandatory template (found in Doc Sharing) prepare your
proposal by
answering (in detail) all of the questions posed below.
Your answers must demonstrate your understanding of the
concepts and principles identified within the textbook,
course information, and activities, but also from
independent academic quality research to solve these
challenges.
While it is acceptable to use the textbook as foundational
material you must conduct independent research, as well,
using the Kaplan virtual library and the Internet to find
information that supports your findings and conclusions. A
minimum of four academic resources, in addition to
the textbook, is required for each section of the proposal.
Please note: Quotations should make up no more
than 10% of your proposal.
Requirements for successful completion of each section of the proposal
include:
? Prepared using the mandatory template for each
section of the proposal (the
templates for each section can be found in Doc Sharing of this virtual
classroom).
Failure to use the mandatory template will result in an automatic
reduction of one
grade level.
? Proposal Cover Page
? APA style reference page.
? The body of the paper must be 4 full pages long
(this does not include the cover or
reference pages).
? Body of the paper must be double-spaced (this
includes spacing between Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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paragraphs and before/after headings).
? One inch margins on all four sides of the page.
? Times New Roman 12-font only.
? Indent the first sentence of each new paragraph½ inch (this
is already set in MS
Word as the first âTabâ settingâ)
? Grammatically and mechanically sound.
? Introductory and concluding paragraph(s).
? A minimum of four academic quality research
sources in addition to the textbook).
? Citations, within the body of the paper,
identifying source materials, and in APA
format are required along with corresponding reference page listings.
The following documents are in Doc Sharing.
? MT435 Case Study 3.pdf
? MT435 Case Study 3 Template.doc (Template is required)
Please note*
1. Do not use Wikipedia, wikis, Answers.com, Ask.com, online
dictionaries, or online
encyclopedias for this project. As a senior level student you are
responsible for
independent research and for veracity of source.
2. A search engine is not a source but a tool used to find a resource.
For information
on APA referencing of Internet-based information use the information on
APA
formatting contained within the Kaplan Writing Center for more
information or you
may use the Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing that is located in the
Doc Sharing
area of this virtual classroom.Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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Albatross Anchor Case Study 3 (Note: This is not a real company)
Introduction
Albatross Anchor is a small family owned business that began in 1976
with four family
members. Albatross anchor has grown exponentially and now employs 130
people. This
one location/facility is situated on 12 acres located in a rural suburb
of Smalltown, USA
(Please note* the building and facilities for Albatross Anchor are
landlocked).
The plant* and the administrative offices are located in the same
building.
(*Note: The plant includes: manufacturing, the shipping department, the
receiving department, raw materials
storage, finished product storage, and the foundry).
The administrative offices are in the front of the building and the
plant is located directly
behind the administrative offices (see diagram). The administrative
offices have issues
because they are somewhat shabby, disorganized, and run inefficiently.
The plant is antiquated, worn, dirty, and technology-deprived and it no
longer meets all
U.S. safety and environmental standards.
The owners of this small business have added on various processes as
needs arose;
within the limited space of the plant. When Albatross Anchor first
opened its doors their
expertise was in the manufacturing of bell/mushroom anchors (using a
foundry process).
In 1989, in response to international competition, the owners of
Albatross Anchor made
the decision to expand the product line to include fabricated snag hook
anchors.
Customers
Albatross Anchor is a manufacturing factory that sells only at the
wholesale level.
Albatross Anchors sales their products in two ways:
(01) Distributors that act as the middleman. The distributor accepts
bulk delivery
of anchors at their large distribution centers. At the distribution
center the bulk
shipment of anchors is broken up into smaller batches and shipped to
individual
retail locations.
(02) OEM customers that purchase anchors in large batches to be used as
a
component in the manufacture of boats.
Albatross Anchor does not sell retail. They are strictly a wholesale
organization.Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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Products
The bell anchor is manufactured primarily through a foundry process in
which ore is
transformed into a liquid state and then poured into molds as part of
the production
process. The bell anchor is used primarily by freshwater marine craft.
The snag hook anchor is fabricated through the bending and welding of
iron rods and flat
iron into a hook design. The hook design is best when used in saltwater.
This hook design
snags bedrock and seaweed which holds the marine craft at anchor. The
snag hook
anchor is used primarily for small to medium sized saltwater marine
craft.
Each anchor is produced in multiple sizes to accommodate the type of
watercraft, the
size of the watercraft and the place where the anchor will be used
(saltwater or
freshwater).
Manufacturing
Each anchor type requires its own unique equipment and manufacturing
process. Yet,
both manufacturing areas share the same shipping area, receiving area,
warehouse
area, and administration offices.
The manufacturing area of the plant has had to change to accommodate the
manufacture of the two separate types of anchors. As each anchor
requires its own
manufacturing challenges the manufacturing line must be completely
changed over each
time the anchor type is changed. The time to switch over from one
manufacturing
process/operation to the other manufacturing process/operation is 36
hours.
The plant space is at a premium and warehousing space for raw materials
and finished
product is limited and located at the far south end of the building.
Plant antiquation and safety issues result in small batch production
only. As a result of
this limitation, lead time for exceptionally large bulk orders is 3 to 4
weeks.
Costs
Current manufacturing costs are $8.00 per pound for mushroom/bell
anchors and
$11.00 per pound for snag hook anchors. Albatross Anchor charges the
same per unit as
their competitors. However, the profit margin can sometimes be as much
as 35% less
(on some of the anchors) because of operations inefficiencies.
Shipping challenges
Outgoing freight
Product size, bulk, and weight and maximum load limits require that the
anchors be
shipped by large truck, rail, or large ocean-going freighter. Domestic
orders are usually Unit 10 [MT435:Operations Management]
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shipped by large truck. International orders are shipped by rail and
ultimately by large
ocean-going freighters. These are the only two methods of product
shipment.
Incoming freight
Receipt of raw materials is by rail. Prior to the sale of anchors into
the international
market all shipments of finished product went out completely by truck
and therefore all
shipping activities were limited to the east side of the building.
Now, because of the limitation of shipping product into the
international marketplace, all
product shipments for international delivery go out of the receiving
dock for the initial
leg of shipment by rail. Prior to expansion into the international
marketplace shipping
had been limited to the shipping department and receiving was limited to
the receiving
area. However, with this change in international shipping the receiving
area must now
do double duty â shipping of international orders as well as receipt of
all incoming raw
materials.
Please view the below representation of the current building/facility
set up.a