- Business Report
Read the following scenario to prepare for the Business Report Assignment.
“Chris, we make the highest-quality grass seed and fertilizer in the world. Our brands are known everywhere!” stated Caroline Ebelhar, the vice president of manufacturing for The Lawn Care Company. “Yeah! But the customer does not have a Ph.D. in organic chemistry to understand the difference between our grass seed and fertilizer compared to our competitors! We need to also be in the lawn-care application service business, and not just the manufacturer of super-perfect products,” responded Chris Kilbourne, the vice-president of marketing, as he walked out of Caroline’s office. This ongoing debate among Lawn Care’s senior management team had not been resolved, but the chief executive officer, Mr. Steven Marion, had been listening very closely. Soon they would have to make a major strategic decision.
The Lawn Care Company, a fertilizer and grass seed manufacturer with sales of almost $1 billion, sold some of its products directly to parks and golf courses. Customer service in this goods-producing company was historically very narrowly defined as providing “the right product to the right customer at the right time.” Once these goods were delivered to the customer’s premises and the customer signed the shipping documents, Lawn Care’s job was done. A local subcontractor or the customers themselves applied the fertilizer and seed for many park and golf course customers.
Even though all product packaging included detailed instructions on how to correctly apply the product, this application personnel often did the job incorrectly, using inappropriate equipment and methods. The relationship among these non-lawn care application service personnel, The Lawn Care Company and the customer was not always ideal. When claims were made against The Lawn Care Company because of damaged lawns or polluted lakes and streams, the question became one of who was at fault. Did the quality of the physical product or the way it was applied cause the damage? Either way, the customers’ lawns or waterways were in poor shape, and in some cases, the golf courses lost substantial revenue if a green or hole was severely damaged or not playable. One claim filed by a green advocacy group focused on a fish kill in a stream near a golf course.
One of Lawn Care’s competitors began an application service for parks and golf courses that routinely applied the fertilizer and grass seed for its primary customers. This competitor bundled the application service to the primary goods, fertilizer, and grass seed and charged a higher price for this service. The competitor delivered and applied the fertilizer on the same day to avoid the liability of storing toxic fertilizer outside on the golf course or park grounds.
The competitor learned the application business in the parks and golf course target market segment and was beginning to explore expanding into the residential lawn-care application service target market.
The Lawn Care Company sold the “highest-quality physical products” in the industry. However, it was not currently in the professional park and golf course or the residential “application service” lawn-care market segments. The Lawn Care Company considered its value chain to end once it delivered its products to the job site or non-lawn care application service. The competitor sold the customer “a beautiful lawn with a promise of no hassles.” To the competitor, this included an application service bundled to grass seed and fertilizer.
Assignment Instructions
In one paragraph summarize the case facts. Do not duplicate what is in the case itself.
The body of the report must address Questions 1-4 in a clear, concise and cohesive manner in Business Report format (See “How to Write a Business Report” in Announcements). This report should be business like, organized and methodical. Please note: each question should become a section title, with additional sub-titles as necessary.
- Sustainability of the existing business model from the business growth point of view.
- Risks of converting a manufacturing business into a service business.
- Options to compete in a broader geographic area.
- Partnership alternatives and your final recommendations.
Parameters of this assignment
- Brief response in Business Report format, NOT in essay format (See “How to Write a Business Report” in Announcements).
- Write as if you are employed by the subject company and writing an internal report. No need to cite internal sources (e.g. the Case Study or the text).
- Write in the present tense. You are solving this case as a current-day project.
- Write as a formal document, avoid 1st person (i.e. “I” or “We”).
- Assignment submissions are only accepted using Canvas.
- Business Report
Read Tom’s Auto Service on page 138 of your textbook.
Assignment Instructions
In one paragraph preview the case facts and background. Do not duplicate what is in the case itself.
The body of the report addresses Questions 1-5 in a clear, concise and cohesive manner. This report should be business like, organized and methodical. Please note: each question should become a section title.
- Define and draw an illustration of the customer benefit package, and state TAS’s mission, strategy, and rank order of competitive priorities.
- Identify and briefly describe the eight “design” features, described in Sections 5.4 and 5.5, of (a) the service-delivery system and (b) the service encounters.
- Identify and briefly describe five processes TAS stores use and their relative importance.
- Given your analysis of the survey data, what opportunities for improvement, if any, do you recommend?
- Summarize your final recommendations to the CEO.
Parameters of this assignment
- Brief response in Business Report format, NOT in essay format (See “How to Write a Business Report” in Announcements).
- Write as if you are employed by the subject company and writing an internal report. No need to cite internal sources (e.g. the Case Study or the text).
- Write in the present tense. You are solving this case as a current-day project.
- Write as a formal document, avoid 1st person (i.e. “I” or “We”).
- Business Report
Read “Bank USA: Forecasting Help Desk Demand by Day” on page 261 of your textbook.
Assignment Instructions
In one paragraph summarize the case facts and background. Do not duplicate what is in the case itself.
The body of the report must address Questions 1-4 in a clear, concise and cohesive manner. This report should be business like, organized and methodical. Please note: each question should become a section title.
- What are the service management characteristics of the CSR job?
- Define the mission statement and strategy of the Help Desk. Why is the Help Desk important? Who are its customers?
- How would you handle the customer affected by the inaccurate stock price in the bank’s trust account system? Would you take a passive or proactive approach? Justify your answer.
- Using the data on call volume in the table, how would you forecast short-term demand? Develop two or more forecasts using different methods and compare their accuracy.
Parameters of this assignment
- Brief response in Business Report format, NOT in essay format (See “How to Write a Business Report” in Announcements).
- Write as if you are employed by the subject company and writing an internal report. No need to cite internal sources (e.g. the Case Study or the text).
- Write in the present tense. You are solving this case as a current-day project.
- Write as a formal document, avoid 1st person (i.e. “I” or “We”).
1. Discussion: What does Operations look like in the industry of my major?
What does Operations look like in the industry of my major? ( My major is in Business Administration concentration on entrepreneurship)
All Sections
By now you would have perused the course shell and began to look over the material.
If you are not a graduate of the school, you might not have had an Operations or Supply chain course before! I would like to begin with you a discussion of what operations might mean to you in your chosen major and profession.
Explain what goes on in your industry from receiving an order (or generating a forecast) and the delivery of the product/service to the end user.
Please address the following:
1. how are customer orders received and processed for execution?
2. what production processes are involved?
3. what skills are required to execute production of an order?
4. what capital equipment/facilities are needed for production?
5. what materials are used to produce the products?
6. what information is needed/used for operations?
7. what does incoming supply chain look like?
8. how is the product delivered to the customer (outgoing distribution)?
9. what constitutes superior quality in that industry?
- Discussion Description
Comment on each element asked in Discussion questions 6.1-16 and 6.2-21 in textbook page 166.
Discussion Questions and Experiential Activities
6.1 One study that focused on the impact of China trade on the U.S. textile industry noted that 19 U.S. textile factories were closed and 26,000 jobs lost in the early 2000s. If these factories had not closed, it would have cost U.S. consumers $6 billion more in higher textile prices. Assuming these facts are true, offer an argument for or against off-shoring U.S. jobs.
6.1 How does globalization impact the supply chain design process?
6.1 If a small U.S. business with sales of $300 million wanted to expand into global markets, develop a check sheet with a list of twenty questions (and decisions) they might have to answer (make) regarding their supply chain(s). Be ready to present to the class.
6.1 Explain why it is important for operations managers to understand the local culture and practices of the countries in which a firm does business. What are some of the potential consequences if they don’t?
6.1 Research a U.S. company that recently moved a corporate headquarters or factory or research and development center from the United States to another country. What were the advantages and disadvantages for the company in their offshoring decision? Develop a government-based incentive system to keep this offshoring from happening. Be ready to present to the class.
6.2 Research the topic of “reshoring” in the United States and evaluate its impact. Develop an incentive system for U.S. firms to bring work back to the United States. Be ready to present to the class.
3. Discussion Description
Comment on all elements asked in Discussion questions 9.1-question 15 and 9.2question 17 in textbook page 256
15- 9.1 Suppose that you were thinking about opening a new restaurant. How would you go about forecasting demand and sales?
17- 9.2 Looking back at the chapters you have studied so far, discuss how good forecasting can improve operations decisions in these areas.
