Question answering

    Each essay answer should be no more than 1000 words in length. You must not
    exceed the specified word limit. This is a maximum word limit (+10% does not apply).
    Markers will be instructed that they do not have to mark anything beyond the 1000
    words limit.

    There are 4 questions pick 2 to answer. Some questions have 2 parts(A and B) and some have 1.

    Answer TWO questions!!!!!

    Question 1. Corporate strategy
    You work for a large private investment firm that has recently brought a controlling
    share of a large retailer based in Manchester. You have been asked as an operations
    consultant to outline the different strategies the new Managing Director could use to
    turn around the business.

    a. Outline the key features of the three key corporate strategies developed by
    Professor Michael Porter:
    (i). Cost leadership strategy
    (ii). Differentiation strategy
    (iii). Focus strategy (50 marks)

    b. Critically evaluate the key features of the disruptive innovation strategy and how
    it can be used by firms to compete against large established rivals in a
    competitive market. (50 marks)

    Question 2. Process Analysis
    The firm where you work is looking to design and develop a new performance
    management system that will be used for all the key processes along with the production
    line.
    Critically evaluate the importance of the following types of performance metrics and
    how they can be used to monitor processes within a production line. Use examples of
    specific performance measures to support your answer:
    Safety Performance
    Quality Performance
    Cost Performance
    Delivery Performance
    Morale Performance
    Environmental Performance
    (100 marks)

    Question 3. Lean production system
    You have been hired as an operations consultant to advise textile manufacturers that
    are struggling to respond to changes in customer demand and improve product quality.

    a. Describe the important role played by Just In Time (JIT) within the lean
    production system. (50 marks)
    b. Explain how the Andon System is used within the lean production system to
    help improve product quality. (50 marks)

    Question 4. ERP systems
    After graduating from the University of Manchester you have been hired by a small
    startup firm that is growing rapidly in the consumer products industry. Due to its fast
    growth rate it is struggling to coordinate its production, inventory, and shipping
    processes. Your first task is to write a report about how Enterprise Resource Planning
    (ERP) systems could be used by this firm to coordinate its operational processes.

    a. Describe how Aggregate Production Planning (APP) is used within a ERP
    system. (50 marks)
    b. Critically evaluate the important contributions the Master Production Schedule
    (MPS) and the Bill Of Materials (BOM) make to a ERP system. (50 marks)

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