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UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

DOM 102: PRINCIPLES OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

SUBMISSION DATE: 18th November 2014

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Instructions

Assignment should be submitted on the due date

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QUESTION ONE

The Big Picture: PROCESS CHOICE at King Soopers Bakery

IN THE BIG PICTURE ILLUSTRATION ON THE NEXT TWO PAGES, WE LITERALLY LIFTED THE ROOF OF THE MULTIPRODUCT BAKERY KING SOOPERS, A DIVISION OF KROGER COMPANY, IN DENVER, COLORADO, TO SHOW PROCESS CHOICE AT WORK. KING SOOPERS MAKES THREE TYPES OF BAKED GOODS—CUSTOM-DECORATED CAKES, PASTRIES, AND BREAD—WITH WIDELY VARYING VOLUMES AND DEGREES OF CUSTOMIZATION. IT USES THREE DIFFERENT MANUFACTURING PROCESSES TO MEET VARYING DEMAND.

As you can see from the bar graph of relative volumes to the right on the last page, the custom cake process is a low-volume process. It starts with basic cakes of the appropriate sizes, which are made from a batch process (not shown). From that point on, the product is highly customized and cakes are produced to order. The process choice is best described as a job process. Customers may choose some standard selections from a catalog but often request one-of-a-kind designs. Frosting colors and cake designs are limited only by the worker’s imagination.

The pastry process has higher volumes but not high enough for each product to have dedicated resources. The process choice is best described as a batch process. Dough is mixed in relatively small batches and sent to the proofing room (not shown), where general-purpose equipment feeds the batch of dough through rollers. Special fixtures, each unique to the product being made, cut the dough into the desired shapes. A great deal of product variety is handled, with each batch comprising about 1,000 units before a change is made to the next type of pastry.

The bread line is a...