Impact of Working Environment on Job Satisfaction - Assignment Example

MGT310 Operations Management 1 Name Institution Date MGT310 Operations Management QUESTION 1 (a) Moving average will rely on historical data to predict the next period's forecast MAtn = (At+ At-1+ At-2 +At-3+ ….+ At-n+1 )/n Moving average for the next 3 weeks period Actual Demand 3 period Moving Average t At MA 1 142 2 145 3 145 144 4 147 145.7 5 146 146 6 145 146 7 152 147.7 8 153 147.7 9 157 150 10 161 154 11 166 157 12 167 161.3 13 170 164.7 14 116 167.7 15 120 151 16 135 135 17 124 123.6 18 125 125 The moving average for the next 3 weeks is 135, 124 and 125 (b) Simple exponential smoothing model to forecast demand for the next 3 weeks period Actual Demand Forecast error Simple exponential smoothing (0.2) Simple exponential smoothing (0.5) 1 142 0 0 0 2 145 3 145.6 146.5 3 145 3 145.6 145.6 4 147 5 148 149.2 5 146 4 146.8 148 6 145 3 145.6 146.5 7 152 10 154 157 8 153 11 155.2 158.5 9 157 15 160 164.5 10 161 19 164.8 170.5 11 166 24 170.8 178 12 167 25 172 179.5 13 170 28 175.6 184 14 116 -26 110.8 103 15 120 -22 115.6 109 16 135 -7 133.6 131.5 17 124 -18 120 115 18 125 -17 121.6 116.5 (c) The moving average is slightly better when compared to the exponential smoothing. This is because the moving average had small deviation from the initial figure. The demand for exponential smoothing was calculated using the same range for the moving averages to enable reasonable comparison (Wikner, 2006). However, the disadvantage of using the moving average in forecasting demand is that the averages normally stay within the past ranges and hence this requires broad record keeping (Loh, 2005). On the other hand, exponential smoothing, smoothens the data but it has significant variation when compared to moving average. (d) Other factors that should be taken into consideration when forecasting demand include the level of accuracy desirable, the time duration to be forecast, the cost benefit of the forecast to the organisation as well as the available time to perform the analysis. In addition, there are techniques that provide potentially higher accuracy but do not use past data or any other data that might be costly to obtain (Wikner, 2006). A technique that can be used to accurately forecast demand is the linear approximation formula. This method is used to calculate a trend from the number of sales period history as well as to forecast the trend. The trend is recalculated accordingly in order to detect any change. This technique necessitates the number of periods of best fit as well as the number of specific periods of sales order history (Wikner, 2006). (e) The advantages of aggregate demand from a forecasting view include that it assists the company in determining the overall production requirement for future period and therefore enables an organisation to access the total demand as well as market requirement for various products. In addition, aggregate forecasting assists organisations in their long-term decision making because an organisation analysis the overall change within the industry (Jacobs, et al 2005). However, disadvantages of aggregating demand from a forecasting view include that the aggregate demand does not include the variability of demand of a product across various regions. The various other things that should be taken into account when going from a MD to a DC include that SD can limit the market coverage when compared to MD. The most important thing that should be considered is that such decision is not supposed to influence the sales or the profitability of a company. QUESTION 2 (a) Number of work stations = (sum of total task times) / (cycle time) Total task time = 56 minutes × 60 = 3,360 Cycle time = 700 Number of work stations = 3360 /700 = 4.8 which is 5 stations So 5 work stations are required (b & c) Part B Designing Layout of a Hospital A hospital consists of various services and functional units. The layout of the hospital will consist of diagnostic and treatment functions like clinical laboratories, radiology department, emergency rooms, surgery department; hospitality functions like food service and housekeeping; and lastly inpatient care function which includes bed-related and ward department (Hahn& Krarup, 2001). The design process of the hospital integrates the key hospital staff as well as takes in consideration the needs of patients, visitors and support personnel as well. Basically, the hospital layout will put the following functions into consideration: Administrative functions Inpatient functions Outpatient functions Diagnostic and treatment functions Pharmacology function Service functions (food, supply) Research and teaching functions (Hahn et al, 2001) Figure 1: Design Layout of a Hospital The layout diagrams indicate the movement and communication of individuals as well as materials. Therefore, the physical configuration of the hospital and its logistics system are inextricably intertwined (Hahn et al, 2001). However, the configuration of the hospital is also impacted by location constraints and opportunities, climate, neighboring facilities as well as technology. In case the hospital is big, the type of the characteristic nursing unit is an important component of the overall hospital layout (Hahn& Krarup, 2001). This is because nursing units are mostly in compact shapes in order to reduce the distance between the nurse station and patient’s bed. Basically, an efficient hospital layout should: Encourage personnel efficiency by reducing distance of required travel between regularly used spaces Facilitates easy and efficient visual supervision of patients by personnel Encompass all required spaces and not redundant spaces Offer an efficient logistics system which should encompass elevators, pneumatic tubes, box conveyors, or carts to facilitates clean supplies and efficient handling of foods and other supplies (Hahn et al, 2001) Make efficient utilisation of space by positioning support spaces to ensure they can be shared by neighbouring functional areas and also ensure efficient use of multi-purpose spaces The functional areas which have alike system requirements should be combined Optimal functional adjacencies should be provided, for example the surgical intensive care unit should be located near the operating suite. As Hahn& Krarup (2001) provides, the basis of the adjacencies is supposed to be based a comprehensive functional program that details the hospitals functions as per the patients’ personnel, management and supplies perspective QUESTION 3 Part A Fine Food Restaurant vs. a Fast Food Restaurant The design of both fine food restaurant and fast food restaurant is almost the same. The layout of both should include the dining room, kitchen and serving line that should be designed for efficiency and flexibility and allow accommodation of the variation in customer traffic and peak meal periods (Usman, 2012). On the arrival, the customers will be greeted and welcomed instantly by the server and the server enquires the seating preference of the customer. The server then takes the orders. After the order is taken, the order is automatically printed to a requisition printer situated at the grill area. The grill cook then uses the printed receipt to track the order and place the requested meal under the heating lamps till when the order is complete (Usman, 2012). For both the fine food restaurant and a fast food restaurant, the kitchen preparation lines should be designed to be operated as per the number of cooks. This design enables regulation of the line staffing to the business volume. Changes of shift should also be taken into consideration. The closing shift should consist of the designated closed activities that ensure the restaurants are left clean and entirely prepared for the next shift (Frieden, 2010). However, the fine food restaurant and a fast food restaurant will have different multiple shifts. Therefore, this means that schedules differ and hence schedules will be planned in a way that allows the ability to increase or reduce hourly labour in accordance with the sales volume. This will ensure that a consistent labour cost control is maintained. Appropriate labelling and rotation systems as well as sufficient storage facilities will see that high quality prepared products meets the available demands during peak business hours (Usman, 2012). The operations manager has the responsibility of ordering, receiving and maintaining adequate inventory to ensure that the inventory demands are met. Ordering schedules should be spread out with consumable products being ordered multiple times weekly in order to ensure their freshness is preserved. For both the fine food restaurant and a fast food restaurant, standard supply orders should be ordered as per the programmed schedule and storage capacity. The operations manager should depend on operational checklists for the verification of all work shifts and for insuring the operational standards prior, during and after work shifts (Frieden, 2010). Part B (a) Reception for one hour will administer120 people Drug allergy consultation for one hour will administer 60 people Filling out forms for one hour will administer 45 people Administration of vaccines for one hour will administer 90 people And hence the maximum number of people that can be processed in one hour is 315 (b) The implication of 5th volunteer assigned to assist in administration of vaccines will increase the output and hence increase the number of maximum of people that can be processed in one hour. For example, the number of people administered with vaccine for one hour will increase. This is because the total product is normally the output that is produced by all workers assigned to do a job and hence additional of an extra worker implies additional output and reduced labour hours. Similarly, there is marginal product that refers to the additional output that is produced by having an added worker. For instance, with a fifth volunteer, the production will increase and hence the marginal product will increase. This is because with additional of more workers, the tasks will be divided and also there will be specialisation in regard to the tasks and hence efficiency in production. Consequently, with the increase with the marginal product, the total product increase at an escalating rate (Hales & Pronovost, 2006). Similarly, the cost of the added output after the fifth volunteer is added will be lower since the local pharmacy will be getting more output per worker. This therefore brings in an appealing relationship between marginal cost and marginal product. During the time the marginal product is at a peak, the marginal cost should be at minimum. When the marginal product is increasing, the marginal cost of production for another unit of the output declines and when the marginal product drops, the cost increases. Likewise, an increase in the average product results to a drop in the average variable cost and a drop in the average product leads to the increase in the variable cost. This is because when total product increases at a growing rate, the total cost increases at a declining rate. When total product increases at a declining rate, the total cost increases at an increasing rate. As a result, additional of a fifth worker will increase the total product and at the same time increase the total cost at a reducing rate (Jacobs, et al, 2015). (c) Reception should have 1 volunteer, drug allergy consultation have 1 volunteer, administration of forms have 1 volunteer while filling out forms should have 2 volunteers. The rationale of assigning 2 volunteers for filling out forms is because the task requires high labour when compared to other tasks. Process Flow Diagram QUESTION 4 Part A The Information Revolution and Supply Chain Metrics The information revolution will lead to the supply chain becoming more digitised and more connected, smart and highly efficient. Currently, the supply chain consists of a chain of a highly discrete steps taken via marketing, product development, manufacturing, distribution and lastly to the consumers. Therefore, information revolution will bring down these walls and the supply chain metrics becomes entirely incorporated ecosystem that is entirely transparent to all components of the supply chain; from suppliers of raw materials, to the transporters of the supplies and finished goods, and eventually to the customers who demand high quality goods (Henderson, 2008). Basically, the impact of the information revolution and supply chain metrics on operations management can enable management to respond to interruptions within the supply chain and even predict the disruptions and hence adjust the supply chain accordingly. Accordingly, the information revolution will provide the operations management with the digital supply network that will provide a new level of resiliency and responsiveness and hence enable organisations to satisfy customers by providing the customers with the most efficient and transparent service delivery (Jacobs, et al 2005). Increased Servitisation Servitisation is used in delivering a service element in tandem with the traditional product by adding value to customers, securing orders as well as increasing profitability. Servitisation is important for manufacturers to produce their products to the highest standards and also respond and capitalise on all service offers that arise from the product usage (Howard et al, 2013). Servitisation necessitates procurement and supply chain personnel to adjust to an elevated number of variables in their jobs as well as operating settings. The impact of servitisation in operations management facilitates identification of variables within the traditional manufacturing setting; in addition, the variables can be managed efficiently to produce the authentic output even when the variables are less defined. As a result, variables and intricacy increases as well as the planning needed to deliver efficient services; therefore, servitisation enables operations managers to have a higher understanding of service associated variables (Smith et al, 2012). Incorporation of Business Ethics Business ethics is about the ethical practices and behaviours within an organisation. Integration of business ethics creates positive impacts for the company because both employees and management behave and act morally and ethically. Business ethical greatly impacts the reputation of a company. Business ethics impact the employee loyalty, the morale and the strength of the management as well (Pitts & Rob, 2014). Ethical operation of an organisation has direct relationship with the organisational profitability. In addition, business ethics lead to positive reputation from the immediate community, other organisations as well as individual investors. Business ethics also affects investment from investors because if an organisation’s reputation is not okay, based on views that the organisational operations are not ethical, investors are not likely to invest in the company (Pitts & Rob, 2014). Increased use of modern technology at work The rapid technological development has taken over and enabled workers to interact with global market. Some of the impacts of the increased of modern technology at work for operations management include; efficiency and increased productivity where it has allowed optimisation of time management and hence there is reduction of the efforts put into the daily activities (Abdul & Raheela, 2015). Modern technology also improves employee productivity and efforts and allows them to emphasise on more important aspects like accuracy and creativity. Modern technology connects all workers constantly and results are much faster. Increased use of technology also increased collaboration and hence allows the management and personnel to have a continued partnership and collaboration. Technology also has improved cost management. This is because innovative technological equipment and software enables the operations management to optimise the tasks and time and hence leads to less time wastage. This results to increased productivity and hence increased profitability (Abdul & Raheela, 2015). Part B (a) The automated process is not under control because some important quality monitoring aspects need to be integrated in the production of the chocolates Figure 2: Quality management chart (b) The possible causes of under-weight and over-weight problems with the chocolate bars include variation in the production specifics. These variations can be cause by ineffective quality control of the production line. For instance, the operators may not be effectively monitoring the production process and hence results to variation. Secondly, there could be inadequate routine monitoring of the product design for problems and issues which could have resulted to lack of the problem being fixed. Monitoring the products at the end of production and also review of the products design can help in solving the under-weight and over-weight problems more efficiently (Topalovic, 2015). (c) The supervisor should ensure that the checkpoints throughout the production process are tested. This means that all discrete stages of the production flow ought to be tested prior to the product moving to the next stage. Test stations should be deployed throughout the production process. Basically, the testing should begin with inspecting the incoming raw material up to the final stage before the finished products are delivered to the customers. The supervisor should also ensure that the testing data is analysed within all testing stations situated on the manufacturing line. This is because the data will provide important information that will help the supervisor to perform root cause analysis of the detected problems and thus rectify the problems with the production line (Topalovic, 2015). In addition, the supervisor should ensure that the monitoring system of the production line is improved in order to assist in improving the risks. Efficient and proper monitoring of the production line will ensure there is a direct and quick access to the information that is obtained from the testing stations located on the production line. More importantly, rapid response is necessary as well as rapid root cause analysis. This will aid in quick identification and fixing of the problem and immediate recommence of the full and perfect production (Topalovic, 2015).   References Abdul R & Raheela M. (2015). Impact of Working Environment on Job Satisfaction.Procedia Economics and Finance. 23(1), pp:717-725. Frieden T. (2010). Restaurant Design. Am J. 100(4), pp:590–5  Hahn, P.M. & Krarup. (2001). A hospital facility layout problem finally solved. J. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing. (5)12, pp: 487-496. Hahn, P. M., Hightower, W., Johnson, T., Guignard-Spielberg, M. & Roucairol, C. (2001). 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