POM 102 – GUIDELINES FOR PROJECT REPORT

FOR MANAGEMENT AND MAC STUDENTS

BACGROUND

For the course project, you are to develop an operations feasibility study of a new business.

The paper must describe POM strategies in the light of overall business strategy. You must
therefore provide some indication of company goals and objectives over the next few years,
and current performance. You must also provide the details of the company’s operating
setup and practices that contribute to overall company performance. The paper should
conclude with a projected income statement and payback period calculations for any
investments in long-term assets.

COVERAGE/OUTLINE:

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

List of Tables & Figures

List of Abbreviations

I. Introduction

A. Company Profile (3-5 pages)

• Nature of business (product/service offerings, target market segments)
• Size (projected asset, employees, sales revenues)
• Areas of operation (market coverage, office/sales branches or locations)

B. Industry Background (4-7 pages)

• Industry structure (business clusters, major players, & linkages)
• Development trends (industry directions, external factors affecting growth)
• Competition (nature/basis of competition, strategies for competition)

C. Core Strategies and Key Programs (3-5 pages)

1. Company goals and objectives (revenue/profitability growth targets)
2. Key strategies (geographic expansion, product diversification, capacity growth,
technological innovation, etc.)
3. Key programs (what initiatives are being undertaken in pursuit of #C.2?)

II. Operations

A. Products/Services
1. Mix (current offerings)
 2. Product/Service Design (assessment of current design)
• Are products “customer friendly”?
• Are products competitive? (design benchmarking)
• Can products be improved? How? (value analysis)
3. Product Development (current approaches & methods)
• Does the company follow House of Quality/QFD principles?

B. Process Design
1. Key processes
• What are the steps in making the product or service?
• Provide detailed process flow charts (“swim lanes”)
2. Process Technologies
• What are key technologies (tools & machinery) used in production?
• Are the technologies in use competitive? (obsolescence, efficiency
criteria)
3. Technological Competence
• What is the level of technological competence? (vs. primary competitors)
• How were technologies/knowhow acquired?
4. Process Performance
• Throughput time, cycle time, reliability, etc.

C. Location Planning
1. Where are facilities to be located? (Show site/location map, access route, photos)
2. Is the location appropriate given operating requirements?
3. What criteria are used for evaluating alternative locations?

D. Capacity Planning
1. Demand Forecasting
• Forecast the demand for the product (monthly for 6 months, quarterly for
following 1½ years and yearly for subsequent 3 years)
• Provide the basis for your forecast.
2. Capacity Analysis
• What are the key equipment?
• What is the design capacity? Effective? Actual? Utilization rates?
• What are the bottlenecks? What can be done to increase capacity?
Improve utilization?
3. Expansion Strategies
• What are alternatives for capacity expansion?

E. Facilities Layout (for all key processes in B).

1. Show compound layout, floor plans and process flows (from entry to exit points)
2. What is the logic for the current layout?
3. Would the layout produce optimal results? (use of space, work flows)

F. Work Systems
1. Job Design
• What are the critical skills and competencies required?
 • What are the key positions? Position qualifications?
2. Recruitment, selection, and training
• What are current practices to ensure on-the-job competencies?
3. Work Place
• How are man-machine interfaces (work stations) configured? (Show
pictures)
• What are the working conditions (ergonomics, occupational safety &
health practices)

G. Supply Chain Management

1. Material Requirements Planning
• Who is in charge/responsible?
• What are the current practices? Can these be improved?
2. Inventory Management
• Identify all inventories (RM, WIP, FG).
• What are the stocking/replenishment policies?
• What are the storage and handling practices? (physical stocking,
withdrawal)
3. Materials Handling/Distribution Systems
• How are physical stocks moved about? What equipment are in use?
• What is the logic underlying current physical handling?
H. Quality Management
1. What are the quality control issues? What are the current costs of quality?
2. What are the quality management practices?
• Dimensions and determinants of quality
• Compliance with Inspection/Assurance standards
i. Quality Control practices (per ISO 9000-2002)
ii. Environmental Management (per ISO 14000)

I. Operations Scheduling
1. Aggregate Planning
2. Production Scheduling
2.1, Show typical production schedule (weekly, monthly/quarterly, annual).
1.2. What scheduling techniques should be used?
3. Job Assignment
• How are jobs/tasks assigned?
4. Maintenance Management
• How des the company handle breakdowns, replacements, and preventive
maintenance?

J. Performance Management
1. Monitoring and Assessment practices
• What measures of performance are tracked by management? How?
(reporting systems)
2. Rewards and incentives
• What are compensation scheme, benefits & bonuses given to workers?
• How are rewards systems linked to on-the-job performance?
 3. Control Practices (checks & balances, security measures)

III. Business Case Analysis

A. Projected Financial Statements

B. Justifications for Investments

1. Investment Requirements
2. Payback Period

C. Implementation Plan (Gantt Charts)

1. Timetable (Gant Charts)
2. Responsibility Assignments
3. Monitoring Plan

FORMAT:

Papers must be prepared on short bond paper (8.5”x11”).

• 1.5 line spacing]
• size 12 font (Arial or Times New Roman)
• 1 inch margin on all sides
• pagination on lower right corner

SUBMISSIONS:

1. The first submission should introduce the company you are working on and your group’s
work program detailing the activities you will undertake, a tentative timetable, and (most
importantly), individual work assignments. The detailed work program must be presented
using a Gantt chart. (Check out your textbook for an example. You should have a column
indicating work assignments).

2. The final report must be submitted with a covering PICS page.

3. Papers may be submitted via e-mail to beat the deadlines. The time stamp on the e-message
will be considered the submission time. However, a hard copy of the paper must be
submitted within 24 hours. The submitted document should not vary in any way from the e-
mailed version for the submission time to hold; else, the paper will be considered late.

4. Papers submitted will be given a 0.5 point deduction for each half day of delay (i.e., 5 pm to
midnight, midnight to noon, noon to midnight).

CONSULTATIONS:

You are encouraged to consult with me regularly in the course of preparing your paper.
Consultations, however, are premised on written output (i.e., no consultation without prior
submission of section(s) to be taken up).
PANEL PRESENTATIONS:

1. The schedule for group presentations will be announced later. This will be before final
exam week.

2. Each group will have one hour before the panel (10 minutes set-up, 30 minute
presentation, 20 minutes Q&A). You are expected to use Powerpoint tools during your
presentation. Your presentation should be limited to 25-30 Powerpoint slides, if you expect
to keep within the allowed time. Focus on the key issues.

3. Projects will be evaluated based on two factors : the written submission and the oral
defense.

As far as the write-up is concerned, pay attention to your grammar and technical production.
Language and typographical errors diminish the quality of the output.

The oral presentation will be evaluated based on technical soundness, organization, clarity,
and brevity.

Specific guidelines are shown below.

1. Did the group demonstrate a clear understanding of the business and operations of the
company and the critical success factors for competitive performance?

• Product mix + product development

• Procurement practices + supplier relations
• Production processes + technologies
• Scheduling, machine assignment
• Facility conditions + work flows
• Physical storage and materials handling
• Logistics (warehousing + distribution) practices

2. Was the group able to provide sufficient detail on the problem areas that they have
identified? Were they able to establish priorities?

3. Did the group provide an intelligent analysis of possible/probable causes underlying the
identified problems? Were alternative solutions considered? Evaluated?

4. Did the group provide a workable plan for implementing their recommendations? Did
they consider potential sources of resistance and provide measures to mitigate such?

5. Group Presentation (organized/fluid, good visuals, teamwork)