Albatross Anchor Unit 6

Unit six Written Assignment

Brandi Locke

MT435 Operations Management

Kaplan University

March 12, 2013

Introduction

Question One

Carefully review the assignment scenario/case study. From the limited information in the scenario/case study, along with your answers to the unit three written assignment, identify at least three direct and specific long-term and three direct and specific short term operations changes that Albatross Anchor must make to gain a clear and sustainable competitive advantage (provide detailed information to validate and support each recommended change)

Long-Term Operational Changes

(01) Overall the plant is very outdated and they are very deprived as far as their technology. The administrative offices are low grade, much unorganized, and it is run inefficiently. The plant is antiquated, dirty, and it also no longer meets all of the required US safety and environmental standards and rules. In order for the company to stay within compliance they need to be able to follow US Safety and environmental standards, as well as needing to update their technology in order to meet these standards. If they improve their technology it will increase effectiveness and efficiency all throughout the plant. If the look at the long term operational changes I believe that they should be able to use a five year plan to address these issues.

(02) The manufacturing equipment that is being shared now is a major issue. In their current process every time each anchor type is changed for processing; there is a time lapse to switch over from one manufacturing process to another and that comes in at a long 36 hours. New equipment should be purchased or the technology should be updated allowing both products to be produced simultaneously. They need to implement better processes; this will allow the company’s goods processed to go up and for them to provide services that involve a multiple processing requirements. When they eliminate the 36...