Study the scenario described below and answer all questions that follow. Firms achieve their missions in three conceptual ways: (1) differentiation, (2) costs leadership, and (3) response. In this regard, operations managers are called on to deliver goods and services that are (1) better, or at least different, (2) cheaper, and (3) more responsive. Operations managers translate these strategic concepts into tangible tasks to be accomplished. Any one or combination of the three strategy options can generate a system that has a unique advantage over competitors (Heizer, Render and Munson, 2017:74). P\&B Inc., a medium-sized manufacturing family-owned firm operates in a market characterised by quick delivery and reliability of scheduling as well as frequent dramatic changes in design innovation and customer demand. As the operations analysts at P\&B Inc., discuss how you would prioritise for implementation the following FOUR (4) critical and strategic decision areas of operations management as part of P\&B's 'input-transformation-output' process to achieve competitive advantage: 1. Goods and service design 2. Human resources and job design 3. Inventory, and 4. Scheduling In addition to the above, your discussion should include an introduction in which the strategy option implicated by the market requirements is comprehensively described. Use the information provided below to answer all questions that follow. Thabs Performance Auto, Inc. specialises in the modification of cars. Mr Thabiso Mokwena, the managing director of Thabs Performance Auto wants to measure the performance of the business and has asked you to determine the multifactor productivity of the operations. You have assembled the following data: 2.1 If the multifactor productivity of Thabs Performance Auto's operations last year was 1.4, calculate how much was charged, on average, for each car modification. (5 marks) 2.2 Assuming the average price per modification has not changed, calculate the multifactor productivity of Thabs Performance Auto's operations this year (round off answer to 2 decimal places). (4 marks) After watching the video described below, answer all the questions that follow. The global e-commerce market is expected to grow to about $1.4 trillion by 2021 (Euromonitor, 2021). Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is challenging Amazon by promising fast deliveries from China to anywhere in the world. The video shows how Alibaba's largest automated warehouse uses robots and a vast logistics network to expand globally (Wall Street Journal, 2021). The video is available at: https://www.wsj.com/video/series/in-depth-features/alibaba-challenges-amazonwith-a-promise-fastglobal-shipping/626A320A-56AB-4776-AD4C-014FF9A7D86F [Accessed on 19 August 2021]. 3.1 Based on the video, discuss the TWO (2) strategy options underpinning Alibaba's e-commerce operations and elaborate on how Alibaba competes for global e-commerce dominance. (8 Marks)