Consider the following scenario: ABC Company is a new manufacturer of Motorcycles. The Company cannot compete with
Question:
Consider the following scenario:
ABC Company is a new manufacturer of Motorcycles. The Company cannot compete with well-established Motorcycle manufacturers, such as Harley Davidson, therefore, ABC’s CEO decided adopted a Niche-Market Strategy that targets specific Customer Persona such as retired people and seniors who need small to medium size motorcycles with multiple features to help them drive safely and carry whatever they need for reasonable distances. The Purchasing Power of this customer persona (retired and seniors) is not high, but reasonable. This is you need to consider when manufacturing the motorcycles to sale to them. To implement this Niche-Market Strategy, ABC Company established a factory that manufactures specific types of motorcycles to serve this type of customers.
You are a Senior Production Manager, recently hired by ABC Company. You are responsible for managing the Manufacturing Process of multiple types of motorcycles. Your scope of work includes Managing and Controlling the Value – Adding Process of Production starting from the Inbound Logistics (ordering raw and recyclable materials from suppliers) to the delivery of ready-to-use motorcycles to your Clients. You have been contacted by a potential Client who has different characteristics / features for the motorcycles that he wants to order and purchase for his customers. The communication with the Client was as follows:
The Client asked you to provide him with two types of motorcycles to serve two customer personas: TYPE (1) motorcycles to serve recently retired people and TYPE (2) to serve seniors 10-years after retirement. The Client’s requirements are detailed as follows:
TYPE (1): You should manufacture and ship to the Client 250 motorcycles within a 3-month timeframe. TYP (1) motorcycle consists of parts that can be manufactured as Mass Production; however, other parts of the motorcycle should be well-designed, configured and assembled. The Client has no design requirements, but has some specific features to include in TYPE (1); therefore, you have to coordinate with the Client’s technical manager and ask her to provide you with the Client’s configuration and assembly requirements before finalizing your manufacturing process.
TYPE (2): The Client needs only 40 motorcycles of this type, but because he will sale them to seniors who are 10 years or more after retirement, there are some specific features you need to
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include in this type. The Client asked you to develop a Conceptual Design for TYP (2) motorcycle
and to meet with his engineers, explain the design requirements to them, obtain their comments,
implement the comments in your design development, and send the FINAL DESIGN for the Client’s
approval before starting the process of ordering materials and manufacturing. Moreover, you need
to make a prototype and show to the Client and get his approval before starting the manufacturing,
configuration, and assembly.
Question: After you have discussed the Client’s requirements with your direct manager by phone, he
called you for a meeting and asked you to provide a Business Production Report. Your report must
include a detailed analysis and recommendations on how to meet the requirements of this Client. Your
direct manager will rely on your analysis and recommendations to make a COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL
and submit to the Client to get Job. The COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL must include the Scope of work,
Products to be provided, Time of Delivery, Quality of the Product, After-delivery Service, and Price).
Your Analysis and Business Production Report must include the following:
1- Explain the requirements of this Client (in-detail) including: Design and Engineering Requirements,
Machine Assembly Requirements, Machine Configuration Requirements, and Requirements of the
Process of Communication and Coordination with the Client’s technicians and engineers.
Based on the Client’s needs, how do you perceive the two types of motorcycles that you are going to
manufacture? Are they Fully Customized, Partially Customized, Mass Production, Mix? Explain and
justify your decision.
2- Based on your analysis of Client’s requirements, what is your DECISION as a Senior Production
Manager regarding the type of Manufacturing Strategy that you are going to use in your
manufacturing, production, and delivery of the two types of motorcycles to this Client? Is it: Make-to-
Order, Make-to-Stock, Engineer-to-Order, Assemble-to-Order, Configure-to-Order, Mix? Explain,
Justify / Defend your recommended Strategy with clear and detailed evidence.
Hint: You may defend your decision according to your Four Key-Objectives of your business (Minimum
Cost of Operations, Minimum Delivery Lead Time, Best Quality, and Maximum Profit).
3- Explain the potential impact of the following Factors on your Production Process: Client, Material
Suppliers, and Logistics Service Providers. What is their potential impact on your Four Key-
Objectives of your business (Minimum Cost of Operations, Minimum Time-to-Consumer Product, Best
Quality, and Maximum Profit)? How do you plan to control the Risk of their Potential Impact on your
business objectives: Monitoring? Corrective Actions? Explain and Justify.
Fraud examination
ISBN: 978-0538470841
4th edition
Authors: Steve Albrecht, Chad Albrecht, Conan Albrecht, Mark zimbelma