Case Study: Topic and Detailed InstructionsCase Study: Topic and Detailed Instructions

Attached Files:

• Flow Chart Examples.pptxFlow Chart Examples.pptx - Alternative Formats(1.172 MB)
• CTQ Tree.pdfCTQ Tree.pdf - Alternative Formats(354.035 KB)

A central theme of contemporary operations management isfocus on the customer. This is commonly understood to mean that if a company does focus on its customers and it if is able to consistently deliver what the customer wants in a cost-effective manner, then the company should be successful. The hard part is to be able to truly understand what the customer wants. Translating what the customer wants into a deliverable product (meaning some combination of goods and services) and designing a set of processes that will consistently deliver the product in a cost-effective manner are every bit as difficult. Finally, connecting the management of these products and processes to obtain desired business outcomes of the organization is a further challenge.

The Setting: Airline Industry Shortfalls With demand for travel rebounding,pilot shortageshave caused a host of flight cancellations in recent months. There is no easy solution in sight. Some airlines in the United States are looking to hire pilots from other countries such as Australia, Canada, and many other global locations to fill the gap. Candidates from Australia are particularly attractive because of a "specialty occupation" U.S. visa that is fairly easy to get and can be renewed two years at a time as many times as needed. In December 2022, Southwest Airlines cancelled 70% of its flights as travellers tried to get home for the holidays. The airline acknowledged it had been cripped by winter weather and staffing issues. These are but a few examples of how the airline industry could use continuous improvement metrics to meet customer requirements.

Questions:

• Make a list of air travel attributes that are important to you as a customer. Think like a customer and brainstorm a list of attributes that are important when it comes to selecting an airline. Briefly discuss each attribute.
• Now, think like the airline operations manager and translate those attributes into a measurable process. Associate with each attribute/customer requirement a quantitative measure that would ensure the process meets the requirement. Refer back to the House of Quality example on page 51. You do not need to create a house of quality, but you need specific, quantitative measures such as the target values in the house ofqualityexample. See the Critical to Quality (CTQ) tree attachment for examples of quantitative measures.
• Create a service blueprint for a process that meets your requirements. Describe it by using a flowchart similar to that show in Exhibit 9.6. Your flowchart can be any part of your process you select (a process of booking a flight from start to finish, a process for hiring pilots or other employees, a process for winter weather preparedness, a process for cancellations, etc.).

YourCase Study Assignmentwill be written in the form of a memorandum. The memo should be formatted as follows:

• Although this is a business memorandum and not an APA paper, you will be doing research to organize your thoughts and support your assertions. We need to document those sources to give proper credit to the authors and avoid plagiarism. You must use at least 2 scholarly sources in your research and they should be documented in APA manual 7th ed. format (an APA handbook is on reserve at Athens State University library and an additional copy is at the reference desk - the book can be only used in the library - you cannot check it out - of course you can purchase a copy at any book store for your own reference). APA resources are provided in theSupplemental Materialsfolder located below.
• Remember, this is an organizational communication document so it should flow. You don't want to merely state the question number and then answer it. Make your thoughts and analysis flow with a coherent purpose.
• The flowchart should be inserted into the memo but you can refer to it as a separate attachment in your memo. See the Flow Chart Examples file for examples of acceptable and unacceptable flow charts.

Here are some answers to other potential questions related to theCase Study Assignment:

• The minimum number of references is two. They can be anycredible and scholarlyreferences. Remember, these should be business-related references and not just references for airline services. Be sure to cite the references in your memo.
• The flowchart should be drawn either in Word,PowerPoint, Excel, Visio, or some equivalent drawing tool and inserted in the memo. Do not hand-draw flowcharts.
• Make sure you are constructing a flowchart and not a picture/image. Do not useSmartArtfromPowerPoint. See exhibit 9.6 for an example of a sophisticated flowchart. The flowchart must be your own creation, not something you get off theinternet.
• Make sure that in question 2, you identifyquantitative (numerical)measurements.
• There is no minimum page number requirement. Use the grading rubric to ensure you proficiently meet the grading criteria.