Running Head Project 2 Weeks 3 And 4 Essay Questions 478401
Running Head Project 2 Weeks 3 4 Essay Questionspage5weeks 3 4
Research and describe two views for how to manage processes across a supply chain. For each view, include its primary focus, advantages, disadvantages, and provide an example from the internet. Use your own words and avoid copying or paraphrasing the textbook directly.
Assume a retail harbor can process 28,000 containers daily under maximum conditions using overtime. The harbor's designed capacity is 22,000 containers per day under normal conditions, and during July, it processed 19,000 containers daily. Calculate the harbor’s actual capacity and effective capacity, showing formulas and steps using Microsoft Office’s “Insert Equation” function.
Create three illustrations using Word “Smart Art” to depict the evolution of supply chain integration for Material Flow: (a) organizational functions are independent, (b) integrated within the organization, and (c) integrated across the supply chain. For each, provide a narrative explanation.
Explain the “Modular Method” for Enterprise Resource Planning, emphasizing its advantages and disadvantages. Research two expert resources online about the modular method, summarize their insights, and include hyperlinks. Avoid promotional content or product ads; rely on reputable sources using keywords from the question.
Papi Toys can produce 500 toys daily at maximum capacity, but its designed capacity is 400 units per day. In February, it produced 480 units per day. Calculate its capacity utilization based on design and effective capacity, and interpret what these figures imply.
Describe the unique operational challenges faced by manufacturing and service organizations. Use specific companies as examples to illustrate differences and potential consequences of poor management in each context.
Explain the Product Design Process in your own words, using a chosen example to illustrate the steps involved in designing a product.
Observe the process of creating a pizza in a “make-to-order” pizza restaurant of your choice, considering different sizes and toppings. Provide a detailed process design description, possibly through a field trip or observation.
Detail the four types of facility layouts, discussing their differences, typical applications, advantages, and disadvantages.
Discuss telehealth's role in healthcare, including:
- When telehealth is preferred over in-person visits and why.
- The differences between mobile health (mHealth) and telehealth, along with how healthcare should adapt to increased mobile access.
- Which clients are best suited for telehealth visits as a PMHNP, and which clients should be seen in person, with reasons for each.
Paper For Above instruction
Supply chain process management has historically been viewed through two distinct perspectives: the traditional and the integrated approaches. The traditional view focuses primarily on individual company efficiencies, emphasizing local optimization and siloed operations. This perspective sees each organization in the supply chain as a separate entity working independently to maximize its own performance. The primary goal here is cost reduction and process efficiency within each firm, often resulting in fragmented activities that can create delays and redundancies across the entire supply chain (Chopra & Meindl, 2016). Advantages of this approach include clear organizational focus and streamlined internal processes. However, its disadvantages become apparent when lack of coordination leads to increased overall costs, delays, and a reduced ability to respond swiftly to market changes (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky, & Simchi-Levi, 2008). An example of this approach can be seen in traditional manufacturing firms prioritizing internal efficiencies, sometimes at the expense of supply chain responsiveness.
Alternatively, the integrated supply chain management approach emphasizes collaboration and information sharing among all participants to optimize the entire supply chain’s performance. The main focus shifts from individual companies to the network as a whole, promoting synchronized planning, inventory management, and logistics. This view aims to reduce variability, improve delivery times, and foster long-term strategic partnerships (Christopher, 2016). The advantages include better responsiveness to customer demands, reduced costs from optimized inventory levels, and improved flexibility. Its disadvantages involve the need for substantial investments in technology and relationship-building, as well as potential risks linked to shared information security concerns (Mentzer et al., 2001). An example can be observed in companies like Zara, which integrates suppliers and logistics providers to rapidly respond to fashion trends and consumer preferences.
The second capacity calculation pertains to the effective capacity of the harbor. Given that the harbor processes 19,000 containers per day during July, its effective capacity can be calculated as:
Effective Capacity = Actual Output / Utilization Rate
Utilization Rate = Actual Output / Design Capacity
Effective Capacity = 19,000 / (19,000 / 22,000) = 22,000 containers
This indicates that the harbor’s effective capacity aligns with its designed capacity at 22,000 containers per day, reflecting the maximum sustainable output considering current processes without excess overheads or downtime.
Supply chain integration can significantly evolve over time. Initially, organizational functions operated independently, with each department managing its own processes without much coordination, leading to siloed information and inefficiencies. As integration occurs within organizations, departments such as procurement, production, and sales become more interconnected, sharing data to align goals and operations, which improves responsiveness and reduces redundancies. Ultimately, cross-chain integration extends these principles beyond organizational boundaries, fostering collaboration among suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors, creating a seamless flow of materials and information that enhances agility and customer service (Mentzer et al., 2001). Using the Word “Smart Art” function, one can visually illustrate these stages as layered or progressive diagrams to depict increasing levels of integration along the supply chain.
The “Modular Method” in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) involves implementing ERP systems in separate, functional modules—such as finance, manufacturing, or HR—that can be integrated progressively. This approach allows organizations to customize their systems to specific needs while avoiding the complexities of deploying an all-in-one solution at once. Its advantages include reduced implementation time, better risk management, and flexibility to upgrade modules independently (Nolan & McFarlan, 2014). Disadvantages encompass potential integration issues between modules, higher total costs over time, and challenges in maintaining consistency across modules. Experts online generally highlight the modular approach's strategic flexibility and risk mitigation benefits, with sources like TechTarget emphasizing its suitability for large or complex enterprises (TechTarget, 2020). A reputable summary can be found in scholarly analyses discussing modular ERP systems’ adaptability and implementation strategies.
Papi Toys’ capacity utilization can be calculated as follows. Under maximum capacity, the company produces 500 toys daily, but its designed capacity is 400 units per day. The capacity utilization based on design capacity is:
Capacity Utilization = Actual Production / Design Capacity = 480 / 400 = 120%
This indicates over-utilization, suggesting the company is producing beyond its intended design capacity, which may be sustainable temporarily but could lead to equipment strain or quality issues in the long term.
Effective capacity utilization, based on maximum capacity, is:
Capacity Utilization = Actual Production / Maximum Capacity = 480 / 500 = 96%
This figure demonstrates that Papi Toys is operating close to its maximum possible output, showing efficient utilization of its resources under current conditions. These metrics highlight operational efficiency but also flag potential risks associated with overuse beyond design specifications.
Manufacturing organizations face distinct operational challenges compared to service organizations. Manufacturing firms must manage complex supply chains, inventory levels, and production schedules. For example, an automotive manufacturer like Ford must coordinate just-in-time inventory, quality control, and production efficiency to avoid costly delays and defects (Stevenson, 2018). Poor management in this context can lead to excess inventory, production stoppages, or quality issues, damaging reputation and profit margins. Conversely, service organizations such as a hospital must manage customer interactions, employee skills, and real-time service delivery. A healthcare clinic, for instance, must optimize patient flow, staff scheduling, and compliance with regulations (Heizer & Render, 2014). Inadequate management here can result in patient dissatisfaction, legal issues, and compromised care quality. Both types of organizations must tailor their operations strategies to manage capacity, quality, and responsiveness effectively; failure to do so risks severe operational and financial repercussions.
The Product Design Process involves several stages: idea generation, concept development, prototype creation, testing, and final production. An example is designing a new ergonomic office chair. Initially, feedback from users may generate ideas based on comfort and adjustability. Concept development involves sketching and selecting materials. Prototype creation produces a sample chair for testing ergonomics and durability. Feedback from testing leads to refinements, and the final design is prepared for mass production, ensuring user needs are met efficiently and aesthetically (Ulrich & Eppinger, 2015). This iterative process underscores the importance of integrating customer feedback and technical feasibility at each stage.
Process design in a make-to-order pizza restaurant involves several key steps. First, customers choose a size—personal, medium, or large—and select toppings such as pepperoni, vegetables, or specialty cheeses. The staff then prepares the dough, adds sauces, cheese, and toppings according to specifications. The pizza is baked in a high-temperature oven with precise timing to ensure quality. The process includes order taking, topping application, baking, slicing, and delivery. To optimize efficiency, the restaurant may adopt a streamlined workstation layout to reduce movement and speed up service, ensuring quick turnaround times even during peak hours (Heizer & Render, 2014).
The four types of facility layouts are process layout, product layout, cellular layout, and fixed-position layout. Process layout groups similar resources or functions (e.g., all milling machines), suitable for low-volume, high-variety production but less efficient for high-volume output. Product layout arranges resources sequentially along the production line, ideal for mass production, such as assembly lines for automobiles, but inflexible to product changes. Cellular layout organizes equipment into cells that produce families of products, balancing efficiency and flexibility—for example, a cell manufacturing electronic components. Fixed-position layout places the product at a fixed site, with workers and equipment brought to it, often used in shipbuilding or construction. Each layout offers specific advantages and disadvantages depending on production volume, variety, and flexibility needs (Slack, Brandon-Jones, & Johnson, 2018).
Telehealth has become a vital part of healthcare delivery, especially amplified by recent global health challenges. It is preferred over in-person visits when patient conditions are stable, healthcare access is limited, or when reducing infection risks is paramount—such as during a pandemic or for immunocompromised individuals. Telehealth offers convenience, saves travel time, and allows for rapid consultations (Dorsey & Topol, 2016). However, as mobile health (mHealth) applications expand, they differ from traditional telehealth by providing continuous, on-demand access via smartphones and wearables, enabling ongoing monitoring and patient engagement outside clinical settings. Healthcare providers must adjust by enhancing digital literacy, ensuring data security, and integrating mHealth data into electronic health records (EHR) to improve outcomes (Klimkiewicz et al., 2020).
For psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), telehealth suits clients who have stable mental health conditions, are technologically literate, and prefer the convenience of virtual access—such as individuals with anxiety or depression managing their condition. Conversely, clients exhibiting acute symptoms, suicidal ideation, or requiring physical assessments should generally be seen in person to ensure safety, thorough evaluation, and immediate intervention if necessary. For example, new patients with complex issues or those in crisis may necessitate face-to-face visits, whereas routine follow-ups can be efficiently managed via telehealth, provided privacy and safety considerations are maintained (Shore et al., 2018).
References
- Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2016). Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation. Pearson.
- Simchi-Levi, D., Kaminsky, P., & Simchi-Levi, E. (2008). Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies, and Case Studies. McGraw-Hill.
- Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics & Supply Chain Management (5th ed.). Pearson.
- Mentzer, J. T., et al. (2001). Defining Supply Chain Management. Journal of Business Logistics, 22(2), 1–25.
- Nolan, R. L., & McFarlan, F. W. (2014). Information Technology and the Board of Directors. Harvard Business Review.
- TechTarget. (2020). Modular ERP: Benefits and Challenges. Retrieved from [URL]
- Stevenson, W. J. (2018). Operations Management (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
- Heizer, J., & Render, B. (2014). Operations Management (11th ed.). Pearson.
- Ulrich, K. T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2015). Product Design and Development (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
- Dorsey, E. R., & Topol, E. J. (2016). State of Telehealth. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(2), 154–161.