Module 1 - Home

Productivity & Process Improvement

Modular Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:

  • Case
    • Analyze processes and productivity in a manufacturing company
    • Develop a productivity improvement plan for a manufacturing company
  • SLP
    • Analyze operations processes and develop a productivity plan for a non-mfg. company

Overview of Module 1

Scenario

COMPANY EMAIL

FROM: George Washburn

SUBJECT: Welcome to the Excellent Manufacturing Company

Glad to have you on board here at EMC as the Product Manager of the Plasti-Brack product line. And just in time to get in on the annual productivity planning. I will tell you more about that shortly, after you get acquainted here at EMC.

Let me know if you have any questions.

~GW

[Click Here to go to the Excellent Mfg. Co.]

Learning Wizard

Structure of the information on the pages. This subsection is the Learning Wizard, which provides you with the information you need to know to complete the tasks in the Cases and SLPs, to help you learn. You also will have the Scenario subsection which puts you into the virtual world of the Excellent Manufacturing Company, where you are the Product Manager of the Plasti-Brack Product line. You will get virtual emails from your boss, George Washburn, and he will give you your assignments for the Cases. Each case assignment will require you to write a report to your boss.

Why learn about Productivity? Recall from the Course Overview that Campbell Soup along with UPS, DuPont and other companies are focused heavily on productivity measurement and improvements during this weak economy[1]. And the MCJB is getting in on the productivity and process improvement movement[2].

A major responsibility of Operations Management is to measure performance and determine ways to improve it. Productivity measurement and process improvement are the focus of this first module.

What's on the Background, Case, & SLP pages?

The Background page will provide you with access to information and readings about productivity and process improvement.

The Case page will provide the assignment from George Washburn for you to analyze a situation in the Excellent Manufacturing Company and how determine how you recommend it should approach its productivity improvement.

The SLP page provides you with the first part of the Session Long Project. You will choose a specific type of organization, create a company and give it a name. Then you will use your knowledge of productivity and process improvement to determine the issues this company is facing and discuss how it could approach these issues. This is a chance to use your creative abilities!

What are other organizations doing about Productivity?

  1. Campbell's Quest for Productivity
    Torres, C. and Feld, A. (2010). Campbell's Quest for Productivity, Business Week. New York: Nov 29, 2010. p. 1, retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_49/b4206015275454.htm?chan=magazine+channel_news+-+global+economics
  2. BASE COMMANDING GENERAL SIGNS TO INITIATE CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT (2011). US Fed News Service, Including US State News. Washington, D.C.: Feb 18, 2011,
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