NMIMS Sem 4 April 2025 Operations Assignments
Business: Ethics, Governance & Risk
Q1. “Business should conduct and govern themselves with integrity, and in a manner that is ethical, transparent and accountable” (Principle 1). Prepare an executive summary (in your own words) based on the disclosures given under Essential Indicators and Leadership Indicators, to showcase how the company is delivering on this principle from the Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report – 2023-24 (BRSR) of a company of your choice. You will find this report under Director’s Report section. Please select any ONE company that is listed as Large Cap. For this selection you must refer to the NSE’s Nifty 50 list by market cap. It is required that you include the name of the company in the brief introduction at the beginning. You must also go through the website of the company as well as its sustainability report, if available in public domain for relevant information on Principle 1. DO NOT copy paste.
Q2. Go through the ‘Management Discussion & Analysis’ section under the Director’s Report in the annual report (FY2023-24) of the company selected in question1 and prepare an executive summary (in your own words) on the following two topics:
Opportunities and threat
Internal control systems & their adequacy
You must mention the name of the company. DO NOT copy paste.
Q3. As Head of Sales in a medium size consumer durables company selling cooling systems and air conditioners you have just bagged a Rs 75 lac worth of order from an out-of-town company, (their first order with you). The purchase executive of the client company agrees to confirm the order on the condition that you will agree to pay for his and his wife’s travel and stay in your city, while visiting your office for finalizing and signing of the contract.
3a. What do you think are the ethical dilemmas involved in this scenario?
3b. Describe the process you will adopt to resolve the dilemmas in this scenario?
Research Methodology
Q1. Samsung mobile phones have been facing a significant decline in market share over the past one year in India, despite the growing overall demand for Mobile Phones. The company’s sales have decreased by 12%, while competitors have seen a growth of 18% in the same period. This decline is affecting the company’s profitability and brand position in the market. This decline is occurring despite an overall increase in industry demand. The problem impacts the company’s profitability, brand strength, and market position. Which type of research study is above and what can be the research questions for this study? Explain which research design you will follow and why?
Q2. You are working in the HR department of Havells India; who have 15 state-of-the- art manufacturing plants spread across 8 locations in India. You have to study the relationship of Annual Increment (three levels 5%, 8% and 10%) and employee productivity (in units). Explain the design of experiment, independent, dependent and extraneous variable (assume any) for the study. What can be the potential threat to internal and external validity in this experiment?
Q3. In recent years, the financial landscape has witnessed significant transformations driven by advances in technology and the widespread adoption of online banking platforms. The emergence of online banking has revolutionized the way consumers engage with banks. With the increasing adoption of digital banking channels, it is crucial to assess how traditional banking methods are affected in terms of customer behavior, service demand, Trust, Security, operational adjustments and the response to the socio-demography of consumers.
a. Develop a comprehensive research plan to compare customer satisfaction and service efficiency between online and offline banking.
b. Develop a Structured questionnaire for this study.
Lean Six Sigma
1. Imagine you are working in a large e-commerce fulfillment center. Identify a process within the fulfillment operation that requires improvement and outline a broad approach to apply the DMAIC methodology for enhancing this process. Additionally, as the project leader of a Six Sigma project, draft a set of guidelines that your team should follow to ensure collaboration, avoid conflicts, and maintain project efficiency.
2. Discuss the application of DMAIC methodology and its associated tools for improving business processes within a healthcare equipment manufacturing company. Identify five process audits relevant to healthcare equipment manufacturing and provide a detailed explanation of at least two of these audits.
3. Assume you are a Six Sigma project leader in a large hotel chain.
a) Develop a schedule outlining all activities involved from the moment a guest checks in at the reception desk to when they enter and occupy their assigned room.
b) Create a process map detailing the steps involved in the guest check-in process, starting at registration and ending when the guest settles into their room.
New Product Development and Managing Innovation
1. An important aspect of launching new products is defining a ‘new product strategy’ before delving into idea generation. Imagine that you are part of the Product Strategy team for a global electric vehicle manufacturer. The company plans to introduce an affordable, entry-level electric car for the Southeast Asian market. Using the Ansoff Matrix and the BCG Matrix, analyze the strategy for this product launch.
2. Can you explain the various stages of a product/technology lifecycle? Use appropriate examples of brands/products (from industries of your choice) to explain different aspects of the product/technology lifecycle stages.
3. a) Explain the 4 different types of innovation (based technology and market)? Provide a real-life example for each.
b) Why should companies do competitor analysis & what are the benefits of it? Explain Porter’s 5 forces model with an example from an industry of your choice.
World Class Operations
1. There is a common thread which connects Leading Manufacturers in diverse sectors such as Machinery (Caterpillar, Komatsu, JCB), Semiconductors (Intel, Motorola, Nvidia), Appliances (Samsung, Phillips, Whirlpool), etc., – They are all World Class Manufacturers (WCMs).
All WCMs are highly reputed for their unflinching commitment to Quality. These manufacturers have understood that Quality is about identifying “what is important to Customers” and delivering this to their customers. Explain how these (and other) WCMs use frameworks such as QFD and HOQ to help embed Quality into every aspect of the Product Creation – From Concept to Manufacturing.
2. Vijay Vasanthan has just joined as the GM – Maintenance at Melanathuru Tools, a leading Manufacturer of CNC Machines. As he reviews the company’s Equipment Maintenance history, he is concerned that there is no coherent Maintenance Strategy – i.e., except for some cases (e.g., critical machines) where the company uses Preventive Maintenance. For all other machines & equipment, they’re fixed when they break down. In order to streamline the Maintenance Department, Vijay is keen to adopt a Predictive Maintenance Strategy. In this context, …
Describe the Reactive Maintenance & Preventive Maintenance approaches, along with their respective Pros & Cons. Explain the Predictive Maintenance approach and why Vijay would want to adopt it to overcome the problems of Reactive Maintenance & Preventive Maintenance.
3a. Quality Awards are not only about rewarding organizations but also about recognizing the importance of quality in the business. These awards are often used as a tool to raise awareness among both Employees and as well, Customers about the importance of quality. They also help to improve Customer Satisfaction and Employee Morale. Discuss the difference between Regional and International Awards.
b. With reference to Quality Awards, what are the Deming Criteria (any 4) for Performance Excellence in assessing the award?
