Operationsmgmthw

oOperations Management

HW#1

Benihana of Tokyo, HBS case (available in e-packet)

Read, analyze, and be prepared to discuss the Benihana of Tokyo case. Use the following study questions

as an aid in analyzing the case.

a. Describe Benihana as an operating system. (Draw a process flow diagram.) List the relevant

inputs, process, and output elements in three columns.

b. How does the operating system support the Benihana concept? How this operating system impact

Benihana’s “revenue per available seat hour (RevPASH)” (see article “Implementing Restaurant

Revenue Management” for a definition and further discussion).

c. Which parameters of the operating system influence the throughput of a Benihana Restaurant?

d. How does the cost structure of a Benihana restaurant compare with that of a typical American

restaurant? How does Benihana get its competitive advantage? (Excel spreadsheet with Exhibit 1

data available in e-packet)

HW#3

Case: Shouldice Hospital

a) Outline the main differences between the experiences faced by a patient at Shouldice, relative to that of a patient at a typical hospital. If possible, use a personal anecdote to demonstrate your observations. (1 paragrpah)

By seeking to get their hernias removed at Shouldice, patients are at utmost risk to get the sunburn. That is the most dramatic difference in my opinion. Of course, making friends and wanting to stay few extra days at the hospital are interesting differentiating factors. In fact, from the questionnaire at the start of the journey to the alumni patient reunions at the end of it, nothing about “the Shouldice experience” seems to be ordinary. The way they not only care for the patients, but also give them freedom to be themselves as they recover from the surgeries, is outstanding. I personally would likely enjoy staying at the hospital where the person I would share room with would be selected based on my hobbies and interests. However, my greatest impression was that the...