The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow students to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the DB question. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of each unit.
In your role as the memory chip company's production planning staff member, one of your tasks is to help the supply chain team focus on capacity planning. The company has determined it will use one or more of the following options to optimize capacity planning:
- The use of dedicated and flexible facilities: The company has several permanent storage facilities and has used temporary storage in the past.
- Flexible workforce: The company's workforce generally works 8-5 Monday through Friday, though some Asian locations have different days of working. Management is considering adjusting existing workforce time structures to meet planned demand.
- Subcontracting: With the planned demand increasing, perhaps temporarily, subcontracting the additional resources might be an option.
- Product design flexibility: The company is considering modifying its factory production lines to be better able to handle future demand.
Using course materials and other research, complete the following:
- Identify one or more capacity planning methods that you will recommend for the company, and explain the method and how it is used in various industries. Are there other options?
- Identify the advantages and disadvantages of your proposal.
Comment on other postings by critiquing the other proposals and suggesting aspects of your classmates' plans that may have been overlooked.
In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on 2 other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.
Production Planning and Quality Management:
As the company prepares to meet demand and capacity requirements for its planned future growth, you have been asked to review the current forecasting strategy and help implement a new strategic plan for forecasting demand. The new forecasting plan ties directly to the overall strategic planning methodology established by the company. The company historically has used a time series method. The forecasting methods under consideration are the following:
- Qualitative: human judgment, usually best used when little data is available
- Simulation: the use of computer models or judgment to imitate customer behavior
- Causal: used when there is a direct tie between demand and an environmental factor, such as cold weather
- Time series: the use of historical data to predict future needs
Using course materials and other research, complete the following:
- Identify which forecasting technique or multiple techniques should be used in the future for the company's strategy. Are there other techniques available that are not listed above?
- Explain the technique you identify, and give an example of how it is used in the manufacturing, retail, and health care industries.
- Detail if 1 of the 4 techniques listed above should NOT be used and why.
- Evaluate the significance of forecasting error for the technique or techniques you have selected. What is the impact of error on your chosen technique?
Please submit your assignment.
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course material.