Operations Management
STO7006
Individual Assignment – Liftall Company
Your consultancy company has been called in to improve the performance of the Liftall Company. Your colleague, a junior consultant, visited the company with the Manufacturing Manager and the Information Systems Manager. Unfortunately he was head-hunted by one of the larger consultancies and has now left. He has left you a short report (attached) which gives the main details. Your job is to produce the main text for a report to the company to describe our proposed developments to the manufacturing systems. The executive summary, introduction, etc. will be added later and you should focus only on the following questions, although you should provide references where appropriate.
Your tasks are:
1. Company competitive strategy
Identify the companys competitive priorities and the strategy they are using. Consider how well this strategy is working for them, and offer a new or revised strategy for the future. The new strategy will provide a basis for identifying the most serious problems and issues for urgent action.
2. Problem assessment
Considering the strategy proposed, assess how well the current operational arrangements (systems and procedures) suit the strategic requirements and estimate the importance of any problems you identify.
3. Operations direction and proposals
Identify what can be achieved by improving the companys operations and outline how the crane design and manufacturing operations should be managed in future. Include any relevant areas such as organisation, technology, factory layout, and explain how the operations should work.
4. Management decisions
Identify the key decisions that will need to be made by the management. Explain which decision-making techniques would be appropriate and how they can be used to help.
5. Costs and benefits
Estimate the costs and benefits of your proposed course of action. This does not need to be precise but it should convince the managers of the benefits of your proposals based on their current figures. Costs and benefits may be estimated on the basis of the financial information given in the brief (e.g. staff time, turnover, stock level etc) and estimated costs for equipment, consultancy time, etc.
Your manager may be able to clarify some of the details of the company and the brief. A clear proposal guiding the managers will be more helpful than a set of options. You may also e-mail your manager with queries, but dont expect him to have all the answers.
A report of up to 2000 words is expected. You may wish to represent your ideas using diagrams as well as text.
This work is to be done individually, not by groups
This assignment is worth 50% of the module
January 2022
Operations Management STO7006
Individual Assignment – Liftall Manufacturing Company
Marking Scheme
1. Company Competitive Strategy
Proposes business requirements to a high professional standard using the strategic approaches in the module, supported by appropriate further reading
20 points
Suggests business requirements to a good standard using the strategic approaches in the module, supported by appropriate further reading
16 points
Suggests business requirements using the strategic approaches in the module with some justification
12 points
Suggests business requirements to an acceptable level but lacking clear argument or with significant omissions
10 points
Inadequate or weak answer, perhaps not addressing the strategic requirements.
5 points
No answer or does not address the requirements needed to make the business competitive
0 points
2. Problem Assessment
Analyses the companys current arrangements to a high professional standard identifying any mismatches with strategy
20 points
Analyses the companys current arrangements well, in relation to its objectives
16 points
Sets out the current arrangements but with less clear linking to objectives
12 points
Understands the objectives of the company and the current operations without clearly linking them.
10 points
Inadequate or weak answer, perhaps not dealing with the current operations or the strategic requirements.
5 points
No answer, or does not assess the companys arrangements.
0 points
3. Operations direction and proposals
Sets out clear proposals to a high professional standard using material from the module supported by appropriate further reading
30 points
Sets out clear proposals to a good standard using material from the module supported by appropriate further reading
24 points
Sets out proposals showing understanding of module material and further reading but possibly lacking justification or completeness
18 points
Sets out proposals based on acceptable but limited understanding of module material and further reading
15 points
Inadequate or weak answer, perhaps not dealing with the operatio
