1. Hazel is the operations manager of her business. Among her responsibilities are forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, quality assurance, and maintenance.
a. What kinds of things would likely require forecasts?
b. What inventory items does Hazel probably have? Name one inventory decision she has to make periodically.
c. What scheduling must she do? What things might occur to disrupt schedules and cause Hazel to reschedule?
d. How important is quality assurance to Hazel’s business? Explain.
e. What kinds of maintenance must be performed?
2. In what ways are Hazel’s customers most likely to judge the quality of her lawn care services? 3. What are some of the trade-offs that Hazel probably considered relative to:
a. Working for a company instead of for herself?
b. Expanding the business?
c. Launching a Web site?
4. The town is considering an ordinance that would prohibit putting grass clippings at the curb for pickup because local landfills can-not handle the volume. What options might Hazel consider if the ordinance is passed? Name two advantages and two drawbacks of each option.
5. Hazel decided to offer the students who worked for her a bonus of $ 25 for ideas on how to improve the business, and they provided several good ideas. One idea that she initially rejected now appears to hold great promise. The student who proposed the idea has left, and is currently working for a competitor. Should Hazel send that student a check for the idea? What are the possible trade- offs?
6. All managers have to cope with variation.
a. What are the major sources of variation that Hazel has to con-tend with?
b. How might these sources of variation impact Hazel’s ability to match supply and demand?
c. What are some ways she can cope with variation?
7. Hazel is thinking of making some of her operations sustainable. What are some ideas she might consider?

Hazel had worked for the same Fortune 500 Company for almost 15 years. Although the company had gone through some tough times, things were starting to turn around. Customer orders were up, and quality and productivity had improved dramatically from what they had been only a few years earlier due to a companywide quality improvement program. So it came as a real shock to Hazel and about 400 of her coworkers when they were suddenly terminated following the new CEO’s decision to downsize the company. After recovering from the initial shock, Hazel tried to find employment elsewhere. Despite her efforts, after eight months of searching she was no closer to finding a job than the day she started. Her funds were being depleted and she was getting more discouraged. There was one bright spot, though: She was able to bring in a little money by mowing lawns for her neighbors.