Purchase Solution

Operations Management: Innovation and Lean Manufacturing

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

1. What aspects of Google's approach to innovation can be seen at Libbey Glass Company and Westinghouse Electric Company? The first of the three key principles Google followed was focus on the user. Google felt if you focused on the user, everything else will fall into place (Chaffey, 2012). The second priniciple was it is best to do one things and do it really well.
2. Of the seven attributes of quality which are most related to Libbey and why?
3. What are the reasons for inventory?
4. What are some key programs in lean manufacturing?
5. Why would a company put in quality improvement program or just-in-time system before lean manufacturing?

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

This solution compares Google's approach to innovation to Libbey Glass Company and Westinghouse Electric Company, as well as determining which of the seven attributes of quality most relate to Libbey, the reasons for inventory, key programs in lean manufacturing, and why a company would put a quality improvement program or just in time system in before lean manufacturing. APA formatted references are included.

Solution Preview

Here you go- formatted copy is attached.

1. What aspects of Google's approach to innovation can be seen in Libbey and Westinghouse.

The first of the three key principles Google followed was focus on the user. Google felt if you focused on the user, everything else will fall into place (Chaffey, 2012). The second principle was it is best to do one thing and do it really well. The last of Google's principles to innovation is "You can make money without doing evil" (Chaffey, 2012).

Libbey Glass operates under similar tenets. For years, the Libbey Glass Company focused solely on glass, from cut glass to window glass, containers and bottles. By focusing on one product type the company was better able to be a product specialist and a market leader. In recent years, the company has acquired other companies that include the manufacture of ceramic dinnerware, metal flatware and plastic items, still focusing on table and home goods. As a result, the Libbey Glass ware is a leading producer of tableware products. It is obvious in pursuing the Libbey Glass website they are focused on the customer's needs, offering serving suggestions for their products, as well as gift ideas. One of the company's key values is to "understand the customer and generate customer enthusiasm" (Libbey Glass, 2012). In addition, the company appears to be focused on doing the right thing (another way of saying "making money without doing evil") by having a strong Code of Business Ethics and Conduct Statement, focused on acting with integrity (Libbey Glass, 2012).

Westinghouse Electric Company also focuses on the user, providing power to consumers. It is constantly innovating to please the customer more (holding more than 28,00 US government patents). The company focuses on power, and does an extremely good job of it, having been selected for at least 14 new plants in the U.S. The third Google principle, to make money without doing evil can be seen in the company's initiative called "Customer 1st" in which the company works on reducing waste, errors in production, and improving the product it produces. The results of this program include better results, thus higher profits. This equates to making money without doing evil.

Chaffey, D. (2012). Google mission. Retrieved from http://www.davechaffey.com/E-commerce-Internet-marketing-case-studies/Google-case-study.
Libbey Glass. (2012). Overview. Retrieved from ...

Solution provided by:
Sally Baldwin, Ed.D
Education
  • BA, University of Southern California
  • MSS, United States Sports Academy
  • Ed.D, Boise State University
Recent Feedback
  • "Thk u"
  • "Thank you!:)"
  • "Thank you!:)"
  • "Thank you!:)"
  • "Thank you!:)"
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Academic Reading and Writing: Critical Thinking

Importance of Critical Thinking

Understanding the Accounting Equation

These 10 questions help a new student of accounting to understand the basic premise of accounting and how it is applied to the business world.

Employee Orientation

Test your knowledge of employee orientation with this fun and informative quiz. This quiz is meant for beginner and advanced students as well as professionals already working in the HR field.

Social Media: Pinterest

This quiz introduces basic concepts of Pinterest social media

Business Ethics Awareness Strategy

This quiz is designed to assess your current ability for determining the characteristics of ethical behavior. It is essential that leaders, managers, and employees are able to distinguish between positive and negative ethical behavior. The quicker you assess a person's ethical tendency, the awareness empowers you to develop a strategy on how to interact with them.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Operations Management: Lean process design; use in planning

    435215 Operations Management: Lean process design; use in planning and management 1) Conduct research to describe "lean process design". 2) In addition, show how lean process design can play a part in planning and operations management within organizations

  • Lean Manufacturing Budget Table

    Keep in mind, the main goal for lean manufacturing is to showcase management more detailed reporting of how, when, what, and who in manufacturing a product.

  • New issues in Operations Management

    Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, "Lean Manufacturing and the Environment: Research on Advanced Manufacturing Systems and the Environment and Recommendations for Leveraging Better Environmental Performance ". www.epa.gov/innovation

  • Lean Sigma to Operational Excellence at Chevron Corporation

    This practice is an association of different business management strategies, lean manufacturing and Motorola's Six Sigma system.

  • Traditional Operations Management

    419659 Traditional Operations Management What tradeoffs are in involved in shifting from a traditional operational system to a lean system for? A. Manufacturing firm B.

  • Managerial Accounting Approaches

    Instead of using traditional per-unit costs and allocations of overhead, companies need to align operations with the value stream, and use rolling budgets (Vinas, 2007) SOURCE: Vinas, Tony. Lean Accounting, Focus on the Meaning of Numbers.

  • Difference between health care and manufacturing management

    At the core of operations management are the topics of process flow and capacity management, process design and layout, technology choice and management, quality management, lean manufacturing, supply chain management and operations strategy.

  • Issues and Trends on Global Value Chain Management

    Information technology tools such as web based supply chain management systems and other ERP systems play a major role in integrating such global value chain operations to support lean manufacturing.

  • Manufacturing Division Workforce

    - Discuss issues in manufacturing and service design. - Determine the appropriate mode of operations (e.g. JIT, lean operations, traditional operations) for a given situation.

View More Related Solutions