Bsop 330 Master Planning Final Project

Southwestern University Case Study: G Aggregate Planning

1. Which variations in demand for police services should be considered in an aggregate plan for resources? Which variations can be accomplished with short-term scheduling adjustments?

 Ans:

Leveling the schedul in an effort to maintaining a constant workforce level over the planning horizon. The planning horizon is one full academic period that will consit of a 9 months period. The case of Southwestern University, the strategy possibly may not work as because their demand varies greatly throughout the year. During the summer, student population is ¼ th of what is there during the fall and spring semesters. Also, they have special events like football weekends and check in/out and commencement when the request for the extra police service unexpectedly goes up considerably. It would be better to follow other types of aggregate planning.

The chase strategy typically attempts to accomplish output rates for each period that match the demand forecast for that period. The strategy can be done in a variation of ways. The campus police chief of Southwestern University would be able match the extra police service demand with overtime, part-time employees, or out sourcing for contract workers. By using part-time workers it would reduce cost and allow flexiblity to moving employees aroung than full-time workers. Though the part time workers can only be employed or used during the football weekends or special events only. Also, it is given in the case facts that there is unlimited supply of officers who can work for the college during special events.

By adjusting the extra work hours of the police through overtime can meet the demands for fall and spring semester schedule, but this could possibly also cause fatigue and overtime premium. The police chief’s plan to hire 4 supplementary officers, this might get eased out for the current sworn officers and probably they possibly would not need to...