The Case of the Pom

Answer

A Business Trip to Brussels

1. Identify all the micro operations and their activities which are mentioned.

The micro operations are categorised in 'order of appearance' in Attachment 1. In class this stage can be missed, going straight on to the analysis matrix. For assessed work both steps would probably be used.

2. Classify them in accordance with the structure in Table 1.5.

Refer to Attachment 2. Starting with the blank matrix, and filling it out on the board or overhead projector is a really good way of getting interaction with a big class early on a course. Everyone has an opinion, and there is a lot of debate about where each activity should fit. Often, of course, there are many places to put some activities, so we may decide to classify only dominant types of processing. In each case ask what is being processed (material, information, customers) and how is it being transformed to give value-added. The downside of this approach is the time it will take: allow at least half an hour for about 20 activities filled in.

3. Which of these micro operations were most affected by the severe weather?

The case study describes the effects of severe weather on the daily micro operations within the airport. All the micro operations listed in Question 1 have a challenge to meet due to the weather conditions, but in the majority of cases this is not caused directly by the weather. Rather, the severe weather affects some micro operations which in turn cause problems in other micro operations. This creates an operational 'chain reaction', which is illustrated in Attachment 3.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) reacts to the severe weather first by closing and later reopening the airfield. This micro operation then uses the limited flexibility of its operations by rescheduling aircraft take-off and landing slots. Meanwhile, on the airfield itself, runway clearance and de-icing operations commence as a direct consequence of the severe weather.

The...