Questions that are asked and can be answered from given wall street journal articles, simple answer’s some can be answered in a few sentences. times new roman 12. font 5 articles about 5 questions per article. questions and article names provided
team_questions_for_march_19.docx
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How 5G Will Change So Much More
Than Your Phone
By Drew FitzGerald and Sarah Krouse | Feb 27, 2019
TOPICS: Automation, Technology
SUMMARY: New wireless technology promises to make everything connected. Here’s
a sample of what that could mean.
CLASSROOM APPLICATION: Students will explore the possibilities of wireless
technologies for Operations Management.
QUESTIONS:
1. (Introductory) What is 5G technology? What are some of its potential uses?
2. (Introductory) How could 5G impact manufacturing? What benefits will it have?
3. (Introductory) What challenges will manufacturers have implementing 5G
technology?
4. (Advanced) How could your company utilize 5G technology in your operation? What
would be the benefits? What are the challenges?
5. (Advanced) How do you currently update machine capabilities? How could you
streamline this process? What would be the costs?
Mining Firms Seek New Rules For Waste
Dams
By Alistair MacDonald and Rhiannon Hoyle | Feb 27, 2019
TOPICS: Operations Ethics, Safety
SUMMARY: Some of the world’s largest miners said they would create a global
standard for managing waste dams that will likely include a system for independent
reviews of the structures, after one collapsed in Brazil killing at least 179 people.
CLASSROOM APPLICATION: Students will discuss the importance of operational
safety and the ethical responsibility of manufacturers to provide an adequately safe
workplace. Students will also discuss the hurdles to enforcing workplace operating
standards.
QUESTIONS:
1. (Introductory) To what lengths should companies pursue safety for their employees?
For customers? For the environment? As a manager of such a company, what
probability of death is acceptable (realizing that 0% probability is impossible)? What
probability of minor/major injury is acceptable? Debate this issue with your classmates.
2. (Introductory) Why might mining operators be opposed to governmental regulation
of mine safety standards? Why might mining operators support such regulation? What
is your opinion about the role of government in developing standards for mining
operations?
3. (Introductory) As a manager, how do you determine the “break-even” point for
safety versus profits? How safe is “safe enough”? When the operations task is
inherently hazardous, how does this change your decision? For these hazardous tasks
(such as fire-fighting, hazardous waste removal, etc.) what role does compensation
and employee benefits play?
4. (Advanced) Discuss the importance of developing contingency plans for process
failures, especially when dealing with new products or processes. What are the
additional costs involved in developing such plans? What are the potential benefits?
What training activities are necessary to ensure that contingency and emergency plans
are followed?
5. (Advanced) The article provides an opportunity to discuss the often opposing forces
of quality/safety and productivity. Evaluate your company’s quality and safety
practices. How are these balanced against productivity? If quality and safety practices
were diminished, would productivity increase? Cite how you would use operations
management tools to increase quality and safety within your operation, while
maintaining or increasing productivity.
6. (Advanced) Discuss your own company’s emergency procedures. What disasters
does your company anticipate are possible? What procedures are to be followed in
such circumstances? How will these procedures enable employees to handle the
emergency if problems escalate quickly? How would you revise the procedures or
training to be better prepared?
Fast On Its Feet
By Angus Loten | Feb 25, 2019
TOPICS: Design of Work Systems, Technology
SUMMARY: Keeping up with customer-service expectations in the digital age takes
more than tech know-how. Especially when the customers are young, tech-savvy
“sneakerheads” who want tomorrow’s shoes today-or even yesterday. To meet that
challenge, Foot Locker Inc. is focused on analyzing huge amounts of data, innovative
digital marketing-and speed.
CLASSROOM APPLICATION: Students will discuss the importance and connection
between data and speed in an operation.
QUESTIONS:
1. (Introductory) How is Foot Locker using data to improve Operations?
2. (Introductory) How has Foot Locker streamlined its product development process?
3. (Introductory) Why is it important for today’s businesses to be responsive to
customer trends?
4. (Advanced) What opportunities in data mining exist in your company’s industry?
What changes would be needed in your organizational staffing to take advantage of
these opportunities?
5. (Advanced) If you were to take advantage of the data available for your industry,
what operational changes would be needed to be more responsive to your customers’
desires?
Kitchen Aid’s Secret Ingredient;
Investment In Its Workers
By John D. Stoll | Feb 23, 2019
TOPICS: Human Resource Management, Training
SUMMARY: As the U.S. labor market continues to tighten, companies are reaping
decades of underinvestment in their workers. Blame it on a wave of skilled baby
boomers retiring or colleges teaching the wrong things or a lack of loyalty among
younger workers. The harder it gets to find the next generation, the bigger the
headaches get in the human-resources department.
CLASSROOM APPLICATION: Students will explore the importance of Human
Resources and training for an Operation.
QUESTIONS:
1. (Introductory) What makes Kitchen Aid different from other employers in today’s
market?
2. (Introductory) What additional benefits does Kitchen Aid offer? What benefits do
they get in return?
3. (Introductory) How can a manager determine the ROI on training? How does
company culture influence the effectiveness of training?
4. (Advanced) The article mentions that the average company caps tuition
reimbursement at $3800 and spend less than $1000 on training per year. How much
does your company dedicate to training and developing your employees? Why?
5. (Advanced) How could training your employees improve your products? How could
it improve your relationships with customers? How could you develop new training
programs that would help with employee retention?
The Patient I.D. Bracelet Gets an
Overhaul
By Lucette Lagnado | Feb 21, 2019
TOPICS: Managing an Operation, Technology
SUMMARY: Hospitals are souping up patient-identification wristbands with smart
technology-and testing substitutes that get rid of the bracelet entirely.
CLASSROOM APPLICATION: Students will discuss the importance of traceability in
an operation.
QUESTIONS:
1. (Introductory) What is the purpose of a hospital ID bracelet? What are the different
ways that hospitals track patients?
2. (Introductory) Why is traceability in an operation important? What technologies are
used for tracking the movement and identity of materials in an operation?
3. (Introductory) How are labels in manufacturing designed to minimize errors?
4. (Advanced) How does your company track a job or order through your processes?
What labels are involved? What technology? What works well? What causes
problems?
5. (Advanced) Does your company have traceability of materials throughout your
operation? Throughout your supply chain? What would be the benefits? What
technology would be required to make this happen?
…
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