NMIMS Sem 3 Decemeber 2024 Operations Assignments
Procurement Management
1. GeoLinks is a medium-sized supply chain management company that operates in e- commerce industry. Describe the evolution of e-procurement, including its various stages and technological advancements and explain how understanding this evolution can guide GeoLinks in developing a robust e-procurement strategy. Also, recommend pricing models that GeoLinks can adopt to ensure competitiveness and profitability in the e-procurement marketplace.
2. XYZ Infra is a construction company specializing in large-scale infrastructure projects. The company often engages in contracts with government agencies to build roads, bridges, and public facilities. Evaluate the factors that XYZ Infra should consider when determining its pricing strategies to manage and negotiate government influences on pricing while maintaining a fair and mutually beneficial partnership. Also, suggest a contingency plan and contractual clauses that XYZ Infra should include to mitigate risks associated with contract cancellations and unexpected project disruptions.
3. GeoTronics is a multinational electronics company that sources components and materials from various countries for its manufacturing operations. It wants to source a wide range of products from multiple suppliers of south Asia and distribute them to various markets in the gulf.
a) Explain the legal authority and responsibilities of a purchasing manager and discuss the importance of ethical considerations in global sourcing decisions for GeoTronics.
b) Describe different methods of global sourcing that GeoTronics can adopt to procure products from international suppliers and outline the factors that they should consider when evaluating potential global suppliers.
Service Operations Management
Q1. Defining the concept of the ‘Service Design; explain in detail the different ways in which organizations can implement ‘Service Design’? Support your explanation with a reference to a restaurant setup (you can choose any reference setup of your own choice)
Q2. Enlist and explain in detail the various dimensions through which Service organisations are evaluated for Quality by customers? Elaborate your answer with a reference of any educational institute of your choice.
Q3. The Healthcare sector has become a very critical service sector domain in recent times, especially in the post Covid scenario. Hence it is very obvious for Healthcare Institutes to plan their operations in several ways to provide the best services to their target customers. Explain the following aspects of these organisations in context of the following areas as given below.
a) Enlist and explain the various elements that need to be incorporated in a Service Framework of the setup.
b) How do healthcare setups use the concept of a Service Design (Blueprinting) for their service operations.
Enterprise Resource Planning
Q.1 Maketyre is a tyre manufacturing company which makes tyres for various tyoes of vehicles. With the vast growing business across the Country, they decided to implement ERP system in their organization. Discuss the various factors for successful ERP implementation which Maketyre will follow and explain the challenges which Maketyre may face while ERP implementation.
Q2. Thakur Das Jewellers are into gem business based in Mumbai. Thakur Das Jewellers have expanded their branches with in different cities and have various departments such as Finance, Sales, Purchase etc. With the extending number of business processes, discuss using which technology Thakur Das Jewellers can integrate their processes to smoothen and streamline the business processes of their business. Discuss the features of Finance, Sales and Purchase modules with reference to the gem business of Thakur Das Jewellers.
Q.3 PeopleCare Technology is new IT Company with the motive of providing solutions to different Organisations by catering to their specific product requirements. They have decided to implement SAP software in their organization to integrate the various business processes and to enhance the efficiency of the organization. Considering the above scenario, discuss the following:
a) Discuss the benefits of SAP implementation by PeopleCare Technology.
b) Discuss the SAP architecture which PeopleCare Technology has used for implementation.
Total Quality Management
1. As a leader of new product development team, you are asked by the management of your organization to comprehend the expectation of the customers and design product and services in view of that. Discuss a valuable methodology you would adopt that can significantly enhance the new product development process and thereby meet customer satisfaction.
2. You are appointed as head of quality department and told it is utmost priority for your department to monitor defects and control quality. Discuss the seven basic quality control tools which may help your department in controlling quality and minimizing defects. Give examples for each tool.
3. After entering global market, Maxx Industry which had implemented TQM, wants to change from its traditional performance measure based on cost accounting information to performance measured against the result delivered to customers. In TQM, measuring performance requires a conceptual framework.
a) Discuss the criteria Maxx Industry should follow for measuring and evaluating performance under TQM framework.
b) Explain the four perspectives based on which Strategic Performance Measurement (SPM) is measured.
Operations and Supply chain strategies
1. Mr. Ranga is a store manager at Pmart Ltd one of the leading retail firm. To penetrate the market, he was using a low-price strategy. Due to competition, he also plans to use technology in the supply chain to reduce the cost. In such a scenario, every business requires some competitive edge to sustain in the market. Discuss different supply chain drivers with Mr. Ranga that ultimately helps Mega Mart to enable the entire supply chain.
2. Your artisanal ice cream company produces small batches of unique flavours sold in local shops. A large supermarket chain wants to carry your top five flavours nationwide, requiring a consistent and high volume of production. Considering your current small-batch production process, how would you adapt to fulfill this order? Would you switch to a mass production or continuous production process, or choose another method? Explain your decision, taking into account factors such as maintaining product quality, scaling up production, cost efficiency, and logistical challenges in distributing your ice cream across a national market.
Nikaa Ltd is leading e commerce company sells beauty, wellness and fashion products through its website, mobile app, and over physical stores. Company holds items bought directly from manufacturers in its warehouses, where they are supplied whenever there are online or offline purchases. Due to high demand company is not able to concentrate on the core business. E-commerce business has experienced significant growth, leading to challenges in managing inventory, order fulfilment, and timely deliveries. You are considering partnering with a third-party logistics provider to handle these logistics functions.
a) How would you evaluate the decision to outsource to a 3PL? Discuss the potential benefits and risks, including cost savings, efficiency improvements, loss of direct control over logistics, and potential impacts on customer satisfaction.
b) What criteria would you use to select a 3PL provider, and how would you ensure a smooth transition to maintain service quality during this change?
Project Management
Q1. What is a project life cycle? Using an example explain the primary phases of a project lifecycle and the main activities involved in each phase.
Q2. Using an example explain the importance of Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in project planning. How does it facilitate better project management?
Q3. Case Study Title: “The Solar Power Plant Implementation Project”
Background:
Green Energy Solutions (GES) is a renewable energy company that has recently won a contract to design, construct, and operate a 50 MW solar power plant in a rural area. The project is expected to help the region reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and meet its growing energy demands sustainably. GES has set an ambitious target to complete the project within 18 months and a budget of USD 50 million. The project involves multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities, suppliers, and contractors.
Project Scope:
Design and Engineering: Development of the solar plant design, including selecting solar panels, inverters, and other components.
Procurement: Sourcing and purchasing all necessary equipment and materials.
Construction: Building the solar plant infrastructure, including installing solar panels, wiring, and connection to the power grid.
Testing and Commissioning: Testing the plant to ensure it operates efficiently and meets regulatory standards.
Handover and Operation: The project will be handed over to the operations team, which will manage the plant.
Challenges:
Tight Schedule: The 18-month timeline is challenging due to the complexity of the project and potential delays in procurement and construction.
Budget Constraints: The project must be completed within the USD 50 million budget, requiring careful cost management.
Stakeholder Management: The project must address concerns from local communities and comply with environmental regulations.
Risk of Delays: Potential delays due to weather conditions, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory approvals.
a) Using the Critical Path Method (CPM), outline how you would develop the project schedule for the solar power plant. Identify potential critical paths and discuss strategies to manage schedule risks.
b) Discuss how you would develop the project budget and manage costs throughout the lifecycle of the solar power plant project. Include a discussion on cost estimation techniques and how to handle cost overruns.
