Essay Sample on Operations Management

Question 1. Explosion Concept in Manufacture of Travel Luggage

The concept of explosion refers to the rapid increase in the amount of something as a result of an increase in availability, demand, or sophistication (Winters, 2007). In the manufacture of travel luggage, the concept of explosion would mean a rapid change in an aspect related to the manufacturing of the travel luggage such as a surge in demand for a particular type of luggage manufactured by that company. This means that the company will have to increase its production of that particular luggage to meet the high demand. For instance, our company manufactures traveling bags and cases of different sizes ranging from small to big. These traveling luggage are convenient for any mode of transport one could be using. Over Christmas holidays, there is much traveling as people join with loved ones in the celebration and as such, the demand for our products goes up. Our aim would be to manufacture bags and cases that that meets and exceeds the demand as well as improve the quality and sophistication.

As the manufacturing manager for the company, my job is to ensure that all the production plans go smoothly and what is needed is manufactured. To ensure that the increase in demand stays intact or continues to rise, I would include the introduction of new designs to provide a variety to the customers from which to choose from, as well as to attract other customers who would like our new designs. To ensure that the explosive demand is met satisfactorily, it would require the marketing team to identify exactly which bags or cases are in demand, how many, and by when are they needed (Chaudhary, 2017). This will help in scheduling in the excess number needed in the earlier developed manufacturing plan and to determine how much extra resources need to be sourced to cover the extra number. A quick research would need to be carried out for the new designs that are being introduced and the likelihood of them being purchased. This way, we would be on the right track on handling the explosion in demand for the travel luggage.

Question 2. Input/output Control Approach to Capacity Management Issue

Input/output control is also referred to as input/output analysis. It is considered as the best approach capacity management. Capacity management refers to the management of the limits of a companys resources such as the raw materials, the labor force, technology, equipment, inventory, and office space in addition to other resources (Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, 2010). Additionally, capacity management deals with the capacity of an organizations processes such as the development of a new product or marketing, as well as the capacity constraints arising from a combination of various resources. These capacity constraints can be a major bottleneck for a company, and this makes capacity management of critical importance in ensuring the smooth operation of the company (Stevenson & Hojati, 2007). Of the approaches applied in capacity management, input/output control proves to be the best.

Input/output control is a technique used in the capacity control. The approach involves monitoring the planned and actual inputs as well as the planned and actual outputs of a work center (Miller & Blair, 2009). All the planned inputs and outputs in each of the work centers are developed by capacity requirement planning and approved by the manufacturing management. After production, the actual input is compared with to planned input to allow identification of when output at the work center might differ with the plan since work is not available at the work center. In the same way, actual output is compared to planned output to help identify problems within the work center. By comparing the actual input and output against the planned input and output, the management can determine the performance of the company as well as identify the possible constraints on resources that could have resulted in underperformance if that is the case. This way, they can define mechanisms to handle the bottlenecks by either boosting their resources that are constrained or finding alternatives.

In summary, the concept of explosion and the input/output approach to capacity management are aspects both applicable to manufacturing. Explosion concept refers to the rapid increase in the amount of a product caused by an increase in availability, demand, or sophistication. This concept necessitates companies to increase their production, particularly when there is a rise in demand. However, as they increase their production, they need to keenly monitor the preferences of the customers which should act as a guideline on which specific product needs the attention. In the manufacturing of travel luggage, introducing new designs which are an improved model of the earlier ones can be done to push up the demand even higher. Input/output analysis/control is an approach used in capacity management to monitor input and output in the company. It involves comparing planned and actual input and output to identify any bottleneck at the work center. This approach assists managers to identify constrained resources and act accordingly.

References

Chaudhary, Y. (2017). Reinventing the suitcase and its accessories.

Miller, R. E., & Blair, P. D. (2009). Input-output analysis: foundations and extensions. Cambridge University Press.

Slack, N., Chambers, S., & Johnston, R. (2010). Operations management. Pearson education.

Stevenson, W. J., & Hojati, M. (2007). Operations management (Vol. 8). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Winters, N. (2007). What is mobile learning? Big issues in mobile learning, 7-11.