Assessment Problem: Read the Quality Parts case and answer the following questions:

Identify the existing and potential sources of waste in the case:

$1.$ They produce excess inventory and produce excess waste due to overproduction.

$2.$ They waste excess time, and their customers wait longer than they should for their orders to be completed, this leads to wasted time waiting.

$3.$ Transporting parts$/$products between locations adds wasted time and excess cost

$4.$ Excess and redundant movement of parts and products around the facility leads to wasted motion and therefore a waste of time and resources.

$5.$ Excess inventory leads to wasted storage space and increased costs to warehouse items waiting for shipment.

$6.$ Quality issues can lead to wasted time in remaking parts and extra costs in wasted materials.

$7.$ They have some redundant processes that add wasted time and extra cost to the production process.

$8.$ Lack of communication between Quality Parts and their clients can lead to inaccurate orders, miscommunication and wasted time and resources.

For one or more of the sources of waste identified in part a$)$ write a one paragraph description of what you would do as Operations Manager to reduce or eliminate this waste.

If I were hired as the Operations Manager of Quality Parts, I would make several changes to the process they use to produce their products and move them through the supply chain. I would start using a Just$-$in$-$Time production process to reduce the need for excess inventory and storage. I would work with production engineers to redesign the production process to eliminate redundancy in the movement of materials and products around the facility and eliminate any $$extra$$ steps or motion in the processes. The order fulfillment process needs to be overhauled and automated to reduce wait times and improve communication. A new order fulfilment process can allow Quality Parts and their clients to communicate more easily and accurately. I would focus efforts on efficient ways to transport parts and products to help reduce fuel waste and save on transportation costs. With these changes Quality Parts could save time, money and resources while reducing wait time for customers, increasing their overall satisfaction with the relationship.