Introduction

As operations manager you are responsible for designing and managing  processes that turn raw materials into finished goods and services. In  some cases, your customers only see the finished product, without any  knowledge of the process used to create and deliver the products to  them. Take the customers of Kibby and Strand, the company in our  simulations, for example. It is doubtful their customers come to the  factory where the clothes are being made. Customers in the scenarios are  deemed “satisfied” if the finished products arrive on time and are high  quality. In other words, our customers are not necessarily concerned  with the process, just the finished product.

However, not all businesses operate like Kibby and Strand. Take a  retail store or restaurant for example. When you visit one of these  establishments it is likely you will interface with a salesperson or  server, and if that person is rude or not helpful, then you may leave  without making a purchase even though the finished product may be  exactly what you wanted. 

In this week’s scenario, you are the manager of  a chain restaurant and company leadership has concerns younger diners  are not as satisfied with the “dining experience” as older customers.  This experience starts when the customer arrives at the restaurant and  carries through until they walk out the door.  In other words, there are  many opportunities for the customer to observe the process, and along  the way they formulate opinions that ultimate determine their  satisfaction with the experience.  If they are satisfied then they are  likely to come back in the future. Given that repeat restaurant  customers account for at least 33% of revenue, it is imperative  customers enjoy the experience and return in the future.

Source:

http://restaurantengine.com/customers-are-not-returning/ (Links to an external site.)

Unit Learning Outcomes

1. Document the requirements for an operational product / service plan for an organization. (CLO 2, 4, 5, and 7)
2. Analyze the risks to an organization resulting from a poorly formulated product / service plan. (CLO 2 and 7)
3. Examine considerations for sustainability of a product /service plan. (CLO 2, 3, and 7)
4. Prepare an operational product / service plan emphasizing efficiency  and suggested changes to improve operational outcomes. (CLO 1, 2, 3, 4,  5, 6, and 7)

Scenario Question

You are to role play an independent consultant for this assignment. Research a company or industry that is modifying its operations to  attract Millennial’s.  Prepare your submission as a combination impact  study and recommendation paper.  Basically, you are documenting how  Millennial’s are impacting the company / industry, and how the  organization should be trying to go after the Millennial market or  complete with it.  Also include any risks you identify.

This paper should be prepared as a Microsoft™ Word document, and then  attached to the unit discussion thread. There is no minimum or maximum  in terms of the word count; however, the response should explicitly  address all required components of this discussion assignment. The  document should be prepared consistent with the APA writing style (6th edition) and reflect higher level cognitive processing (analysis, synthesis and or evaluation).  

Instruction Guidance: It would be prudent to  consider content covered in chapter 4 of the textbook; however, there  are many other useful resources available on the Internet and in the  literature to support the construction of your action plan. 

This formal plan should be prepared as a Microsoft™ Word document,  and then attached to the unit discussion thread. There is no minimum or  maximum in terms of the word count; however, the response should  explicitly address all required components of this discussion  assignment. The document should be prepared consistent with the APA  writing style (6th edition) and reflect higher level cognitive processing (analysis, synthesis and or evaluation).