Operations Management: Processes and Supply Chains 13th global edition by Lee J. Krajewski Solution

sauce,” there is no delay or waste of materials. Service clerks specialize. One clerk
takes orders and payment. Others fill portions of the order. Orders are processed in
single file. Throughput is normally restricted by transactions at the cash register. At
busy times, throughput is increased by splitting the bottleneck operation. One clerk
takes customer orders, another receives payment. The Wendy’s operation has some
characteristics of assembly. Therefore, the impact of new menu items on the
production operations must be carefully considered.
9.  Grandmother’s Chicken.
a. Kathryn Shoemaker’s strategic plans include the following:
 Product and service plans: Should the new location offer a new mix?
 Competitive priorities: If the product mix and service mix are different at the new
location, the thrust could be on low volumes and high quality.
  Quality management: Should the goal be reliability or top quality?
 Process strategy: What processes will be needed to make chicken dinners in the
addition or new facility?
 New technologies: Is it time to automate? Is this why there is a problem in service
times?
 Capacity: How large should the addition or new facility be?
 Location: Should we locate in Uniontown or expand in Middlesburg?
b. Attitudes toward nutrition could change the demand for chicken. Competitors such
as Boston Market may be planning to move to Uniontown or even Middlesburg.
There may be a trend toward demands for ever-faster service, which cannot be
supported by the processes specified in the “unique recipe.” The economy of
Uniontown might not be supportive of restaurant services. Shoemaker should also
consider the availability of key resources, such as servers, whole chickens, spices,
and cooking oil. Will Uniontown labor organize?
c. The possible distinctive competencies at Grandmother’s Chicken Restaurant include
the “unique recipe,” the homey atmosphere, and friendly, prompt service.
Using Operations to Create Value   CHAPTER 1 
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10. Wild West, is recognizable as US WEST, which was bought out by Qwest in a
hostile takeover in June, 2000. But many other “Baby Bells” are in a similar
position.
a. Strategic plans include reducing overhead, reengineering operations, and investing in
new technologies to meet competition. The “do-nothing” option of remaining a local
monopoly telephone company is not viable because of competition from cable
systems and wireless systems that are capable of business and personal
communication. If the mission is too broad, Wild West should sell its financial
services and commercial real-estate businesses. Those businesses do not match their
distinctive competencies.
b. One environmental issue is whether communication, like health care, will be viewed
as a “right” and therefore should be free. A significant portion of Wild West’s
business is governed by regulatory agencies. Customer service in their core business
is essential to maintaining a favorable regulatory environment. Other business
opportunities, such as manufacturing and providing information services, are
prohibited by the same court order that formed the “Baby Bells” from AT&T.
c. Wild West’s distinctive competency is in connecting people (or machines) for the
purpose of communication. A weakness is high overhead inherited from the era of
telecommunication monopoly.
11. Although the answers may vary depending on the “niche” elements of the business, the
competitive priorities would include on-time delivery, low-cost operations, and
customization. The latter competitive priority comes from the capability to assemble
unique “baskets” of food items for each customer. There may be a need to coordinate a
given basket between two different stores. Capabilities to develop would include
information systems and Web page design, efficient scheduling of delivery trucks (which
must first collect the items in the basket and then deliver them to the customer’s door),
and an adequate fleet of trucks with drivers.
12. Additive manufacturing is an excellent approach to achieving low volume, highly
customized output. If time is of the essence in producing the parts and the manufacturer
has access to 3D printers, they may be able to produce what they need more quickly than
working with a subcontractor or outsourcing the work. If volumes increase, then the
inexpensive, custom tooling that can be achieved via additive manufacturing may not be
the best approach. The high volume of output might enable the manufacturer to recoup