Discussion-Exploring Potential Research
Based on your business experience and the information accumulated in this course, identify three possible research topics related to the subject of the course. What managerial problems or opportunities would each of the three topics address?
Provide a short description for each research topic, highlighting the below:
• The problem or opportunity in organizations that needs to be addressed
• The purpose of the research
• The question(s) that, if answered, will help in solving the problem or seizing the opportunity
Response in 300 to 500 words. Your response should be thorough and address all components of the discussion question in detail, include citations of all sources.
Facilities Operations:
Lean operations create more value for customers while using fewer resources than traditional operations. In this assignment, you will identify the business planning process for a lean management operation by implementing an information system in a service or manufacturing organization.
Choose a company different from those evaluated in previous assignments. Examples of information systems that reduce waste in organizations could include the following:
• A new inventory tracking software
• An electronic payment system for products and services (For example, aservice organization such as a car wash that currently only accepts cash payments upgrades their systems to accept credit card and PayPal payments.)
• A Web site to receive personalized orders from customers for amanufacturing organization
Based on your analysis of the company, address the following:
• Explain the current business model and discuss the benefits of incorporating the lean process. Describe a specific approach to acquiring and using the lean process.
• Justify the incorporation of a lean approach. Describe the potential effect of the business growth as related to supply chain management. Include safety and precautionary processes to protect the business from fraud.
• Examine the product components for the selected business operation. Include the business management aspects of the process, in addition to information on the following topics:
o Purchasing operations
o Outsource delivery
o Lean tenets
o The push-pull system
• Create a 1-page, high-level flowchart of the process with a maximum of ten activities. The flowchart should be precise and look professional. If needed, you can download a trial version of visual or graphic design software such as SmartDraw.
Create a 3 to 5-page paper, including the flowchart, in Word format. Use at least three scholarly articles to complete your research. Your writing should be clear, concise, and organized; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of resources.