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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................................3
Game Description............................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
How to Win........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Gameplay............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Overview of Modules...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Module 1: The Production Process...............................................................................................................................................4
Module 2: Managing Suppliers.......................................................................................................................................................4
Module 3: Forecasting and Contracts..........................................................................................................................................4
Module 4: Human Resources and Capacity Planning...........................................................................................................4
Module 5: The New Branch..............................................................................................................................................................4
Module 6: Maximize Net Worth..................................................................................................................................................... 4
System Requirements.................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Training.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 27
Hiring...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Managing the Organization Chart...............................................................................................................................................28
Capacity Planning........................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Scheduling a Job Shop with a Spreadsheet........................................................................................................................................ 30
Gather Basic Information............................................................................................................................................................... 30
Prepare a Schedule............................................................................................................................................................................ 31
Compare Schedules using Different Priorities......................................................................................................................32
Matching Capacity to Demand............................................................................................................................................................... 32
Maximizing Throughput................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Constraints and Bottlenecks.................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Routing Pathways.............................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Finding Bottlenecks.......................................................................................................................................................................... 34
End of the Tutorial....................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
NOTE: Due to the update that caused Practice Operations to be hosted via Connect ABA assignment rather than MHPractice,
each module is now designed and scored around a set number of turns so that student performance may be compared against
values derived from historical norms. As a result of this, the number of turns per module is now set and not customizable by
instructors.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Introduction
Game Description
Practice Operations puts players in the role of an operations decision maker for a clothing
manufacturing company. Operations is the engine that drives a business. Play begins with an overview
of the heart of that engine – managing the production process. Players review the contract
specifications as well as the production process by walking through the Production Floor and Shipping
area. Players then analyze the receiving department functions of managing the supply chain and
material inventories to ensure client needs can be met. In order to grow the business, players choose
which new contracts to pursue and then optimize their receiving, production, and shipping departments
accordingly. As the business grows, players manage both the human and facility resources in order to
meet capacity challenges. Customer satisfaction is a key metric for success. In the final stages of the
game, the company puts players in complete control over all areas of operations at the New Branch,
with the challenge to build the most profitable company possible.
How to Win
Your goal is to make the most money possible. This will happen if you run your operation efficiently.
Getting orders out to customers on time, with the correct quantity and quality will make your customers
happy, which in turn raises your reputation. As your reputation increases, you will be able to
successfully bid on contracts from a larger pool of customers, which will generate more revenue. If you
run your operation poorly and your customers receive orders late or with errors in quality or amount,
your sales force will lose bids to your competitors and you will make less money, or even run a deficit!
Gameplay
The game is turn-based. Each turn is one week. Each module is a specific length and has objectives that
must be achieved before time runs out.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Learning Outcomes
The interactive experience focuses on gaining experience through trial and error and learning
how the elements of operations and production come together.
Supports online, out-of-class play and competition between you and your fellow students.
Features game-world data and situations that reflect real world operational situations.
Highlights the inherently interdisciplinary nature of business by demonstrating that the various
functional areas of the company – Human Resources, Manufacturing, Accounting, and Sales –
must work together in order to meet company goals.
Opportunity for actual hands-on practice as an operations manager in a manufacturing scenario
Analyze and evaluate quality considerations in the production process.
Stresses both customer satisfaction and financial results as the key success metrics.
Provides reporting features that make it easy for instructors and students to review and assess
your performance and decision-making.
Overview of Modules
Module 1: The Production Process
Operations is the engine that drives a business. This module focuses on the heart of that engine,
managing the production process. Module 1 should take 25-45 minutes to complete.
System Requirements
Computers used to run Practice Operations must meet the Technical Requirements listed below.
Windows OS:
1. Operating systems: Windows XP with Service Pack 3 / Windows Vista SP2 / Windows 7
/ Windows 8.
2. Internet Browser: Firefox version 31 or above OR Internet Explorer 11 or above OR
Google Chrome version 31 or above
3. Memory: 512MB RAM
4. Processor: Intel Pentium 3-4 processor or equivalent/better
5. Video: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or better OR ATI Radeon 8500, 9250 or better OR Intel 945
chipset or better, 1024 x 768 resolution minimum
6. Internet: 128kbit/s Cable/DSL/LAN connection per computer
7. Hard Disk Space: 500MB free
8. Direct X: DirectX 9.0c
Mac OSX:
1. Operating system: Must have OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or later.
2. Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (PowerPC not supported)
3. RAM: 1GB System Memory
4. Video Memory: 256MB graphics card or decent integrated graphics chip. Must support
OpenGL 1.5+
5. Internet Browser: Firefox version 31 or above OR Safari 7.1 or above OR Google Chrome
version 31 or above
Apple iPad:
1. Model: iPad2 or later.
2. Operating System: iOS 8 or later.
3. Screen Resolution: 1024x768 or greater.
Android Tablet:
1. Operating System: Android 4 or later.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
You also may be able to access Practice Operations assignments directly from your learning
management system, if your instructor chooses to add the links.
To start working on a Practice Operations assignment, simply click the arrow ( ) located at the right-
hand side of the assignment.
A window will appear displaying the assignment information (see below). In addition to the assignment
title, the window will also show the start and due dates for the assignment, the number of attempts you
are allowed and the total points associated with the assignment. Click the Continue button to enter the
simulation.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
The Launch Assignment window will open. This window includes basic information about the module
and will also show you the instructions your instructor has included with this assignment. To start an
attempt, click the Play Attempt button. To return to the previous screen without starting an attempt,
click the Previous button.
You can start the simulation by clicking the Play Attempt button. This will start the Practice Operations
simulation. Each module starts with an introduction that describes the goal of the module. You can click
on the View Objectives button to see the specific learning objectives for the current module.
For example, module 1 is designed to familiarize you with production processes and the Practice
Operations simulation itself.
When you have read the learning objectives, click the Play button to enter the simulation. Each module
starts a little differently, so pay close attention to the introduction that is presented at the beginning of
the module.
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Make-to-Order Processes
By following the screen prompts, a production order that precisely matches the customer order is
started on the production floor. This 1:1 relationship between customer orders and production orders is
a key characteristic of a make-to-order process.
For example, review the open contract from Stallion Apparel (below), highlighting the importance of
individual orders in a make-to-order system. In particular, the key elements are the client, item ordered,
order quantity, unit price, and due date.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Click the Manager’s Desk, then select each order from the Production Schedule.
NOTE:
You can also change
priority of production
with the mouse by
grabbing a product in
“Current Production
Runs” and dragging it
to a new slot.
To keep track of the state of multiple orders, go to the View Production Plan panel.
The Production Plan panel shows which machines are in use and how much of their total capacity is
being utilized. Prioritizing jobs can save players from several utilization mishaps such as being on track
to complete orders for your customers on time only to have several products all arrive at the packaging
station at the same time.
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For silk, Preston Premium, Reliable Clothing, and United Fabrics are highly reliable suppliers. Once again,
all meet the necessary quality level. Reliable Clothing offers a significantly better price, even though an
order of 400 units of silk will not qualify for a quantity discount. Preston Premium is more expensive
than Reliable Clothing
and United Fabrics has
a minimum order
quantity of 500 units.
Therefore, we place an
order for 400 units of
silk with Reliable
Clothing.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Due to the delay in getting materials sorted, the slacks and shorts are not completed and in finished
goods inventory until February, week 4. As a result, you would be forced to use expedited shipping to
get the products to the customers on time at an additional cost of $404! That small holdup will
significantly impact your bottom line!
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Quality Inspection
Stock inspections can increase the quality of your raw materials. This identifies and removes sub-
standard items, decreasing the available quantity but increasing the overall quality of the remaining
stock. Inspection is
generally an expensive
option since you are, in
effect, throwing away raw
materials that you’ve
already paid for.
In Module 2 gameplay, you
are prompted to inspect a
shipment of Denim. Quality
inspection is initiated from
the Material Stock window.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
So how can inspections help you? Well, they can allow you to make use of extra materials. Perhaps you
ordered cotton at a quality of 40 and you have several hundred left over. If a small order comes in with
a quick turnaround at quality 50, you may be able to produce it right away by inspecting the lower
quality material and finding enough quality 50 material to get the job done.
For example,
Alpine and
Tigerlily Textiles
are very similar
suppliers of
wool. Both have
the same price,
reliability, and
quality levels.
However, their
available capacity is not comparable.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Vendor selection must include more aspects than just quoted price. Quantity discounts, lead times, and
other factors can make a significant difference between vendors.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
After gathering this data for all cotton suppliers, the following table can be assembled.
The vendor scorecard can be prepared in many ways. One possibility is to rank the vendors in each
category, and to assign equal weighting to each category. The vendor with the lowest weighted rating is
most attractive.
Rank
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0.6
Use of different weights for the three categories can lead to a different result. Consider the results if
price is considered most important (assigned a weight of 0.6), while quality and reliability are assigned a
weight of 0.2.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Research NOTE:
In longer games, purchase as much market
You can buy market research reports that forecast
research as you can right away. There is a
trends for up to a year in advance. minimal cost to buy it, and the knowledge
can really help you plan your strategy!
Make-to-Order vs. Make-to-Stock
Until now, you have been running a Lean / Just-in-Time operation and buying specific raw materials
when you needed them. However, once you have a sense of what products will be popular in the near
future, you can stockpile required materials in advance, and upgrade or add machines to your
production floor. Of course, there is a risk involved in purchasing materials without a specific contract in
place.
Bids
It’s tempting to bid on everything; however, if too many bids are accepted, you can easily be swamped
and unable to complete the work. Therefore,Module 3 limits you to 2 bids per turn. A higher concern is
bidding on contracts that you are unlikely to win.In this case, you can easily find yourself with too much
of your facility idle and losing money. Properly acknowledging these scenarios can help you build a
positive reputation!
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
At the beginning of
Module 3, there are
three materials already
in stock – Nylon, Silk,
and Cotton.
Notice that the factory
is already short of
cotton, so bidding on
jobs that use cotton
will require additional
purchases. However,
we have unallocated
supplies of both Nylon
and Silk, so jobs that
use those materials will
allow us to reduce our
overall inventory
holdings.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Looking at the work requests available for bid, most are out of
our league (as far as reputation is concerned) or require
materials that are already in short supply, such as cotton.
However, the order for Boxer Shorts (Down Under) and one
order for sports pants (Burgundy Fashion) are possibilities. We
can see that both orders require only cutting, sewing, and
packaging, so no new equipment is needed. Although both require more material than we currently
have on hand, the lead time is sufficient to obtain more.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
To overcome the mismatch in reputation with Down Under, we reduce the unit price to $13.50.
Sports pants use 2 units of nylon for each item. Nylon of acceptable quality (50) can be purchased for
$1.76 per unit from Owens Textiles. Once again, the unit price of $14.75 leaves a large profit margin.
To overcome the mismatch in reputation with Burgundy Fashions, we reduce the unit price to $13.00.
Although both bids are
rejected, additional
opportunities to reduce raw
material inventories will
arise. In turn 3, a work
request from Stallion Apparel
becomes available for
bidding. This request
matches our reputation
better, and still utilizes the
existing stock of nylon.
However, it requires heat
transfer equipment which is
not currently in the factory.
This equipment must be
purchased at a cost of $1,800.
In this case, the profitability of the order ($5,850 less $1,056 in materials) can justify the purchase of the
new equipment. If the bid is accepted, the new equipment can be purchased in the next turn.
Batch Manufacturing
In Practice Operations, products are produced in batches. Each batch moves through the factory
together, from machine to machine, until all necessary processes have been completed. The
shortcomings of batch manufacturing can be highlighted in Practice Operations.
For example, a work order for
200 coaches’ jackets will first be
processed at the cutting station,
then proceed to sewing, heat
transfer, and packaging.
Notice that each step doesn’t
begin until the preceding step is
completed, which results in a
long lead time for the products,
with much of the time spent idle.
In this example, each finished
goods item spends 550 seconds
being processed (96 seconds in cutting, 166 seconds in sewing, 144 seconds in heat transfer, and 144
seconds in packaging.) However, total production time for the batch of 200 units is 1,873 minutes.
Therefore, each item spends less than 0.5% of its time in the factory actually being processed and over
99.5% of the time waiting! Batch processes can also lead to low levels of equipment usage.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Khaki
In Bermuda Shorts
addition to raw material considerations, process commonality is another key factor. Existing
processes (cutting, sewing, press transfer, and packaging) can support sports pants, ties, and boxer
shorts. Addition of heat transfer equipment will allow production of coaches’ jackets and windbreakers.
A specialized production system with cutting, sewing, press transfer, heat transfer, and packaging, using
nylon and silk raw materials, would support at least two of the top/hot products for both the winter and
spring seasons.
So far, you’ve been managing production, ordering, shipping, receiving, sales and predicting the market.
It’s time to add human resources to the mix. This module will help you identify when and how to
expand your workforce to handle a growing customer base seeking more and larger orders. You will
also see when it is cost effective to purchase upgraded equipment and to train existing staff to increase
production capacity.
Human Resources
When more work is required in a specific area, you can either train an existing employee or hire
somebody new. This area is also where you manage the organization of each department.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Training
When you get really busy, you will
quickly reach a point where more
help is needed. You can train an
existing employee or hire someone
new. If you have an area that won’t
be busy for several weeks, it can
make sense to train an employee
who is currently working in a
relatively quiet department and
reassign that person to the busy
area. Staff trained in multiple areas
can be very useful at preventing
holdups in production.
Hiring
Training is a good idea overall, but you will also need to
hire new people when the volume of work demands it.
Your pool of potential hires will have a variety of skills and
demand different amounts for a salary. For example, Tom
O’Leary is hired into the receiving department in order to
help sort more incoming materials. As was illustrated
earlier in the manual, the inability to sort fast enough can
delay production. However, that skill will also serve you if
you need to shift Tom to the shipping department after
materials have been sorted and you need more staff
helping to get product out the door.
NOTE:
Be sure to compare all potential hires
before making a decision. An employee
Try not to wait too long to hire or train new staff.
may require a higher salary but have skill
Anticipating your needs will prevent delays that in multiple areas, saving you the cost of
may occur while waiting for a person to accept training later. Conversely, hiring someone
your offer or complete training. with higher skills in a single area for less
salary can make sense if that area is
always busy.
(More on this is in the Tips in Module 5)
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Severance
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Capacity Planning
The most straightforward approach to capacity planning takes place in the receiving area. Each shipment
must be sorted before it is available for use. Since incoming shipments are fairly predictable,
determining the necessary
capacity is easier here than
elsewhere. Each week’s
expected deliveries can be
observed in the Receiving
screen by clicking on the
Delivery Schedule.
For example, early in
Module 4, the delivery
schedule shows 825 units
per week are scheduled to
arrive.
NOTE:
Longer term, you should
observe your usage of raw
materials and plan your
receiving staff accordingly.
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These five products have different routings, which causes different processing durations as they pass
through production. Here it will be helpful for you to build an interactive spreadsheet to evaluate the
impact of different prioritization schemes.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Prepare a Schedule
With this information, it is possible to prepare a schedule for each work center. The Cutting process for
the first job (Plain T-Shirts) starts at time 0 and lasts 0.9 weeks. Once this order is complete, the next job
at the Cutting center (Sports Shorts) can begin and the Plain T-Shirts order can begin at the Sewing
center (the next process required for this product).
Note that an order cannot begin processing until it has finished at the preceding workstation. For
example, Sports Shorts cannot begin processing at the Dyeing station when Plain T-Shirts are finished (at
time 6.0) because the Sports Shorts are not finished at the Press Transfer station until time 8.2. Sports
Shorts are similarly delayed at the Packaging station.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Maximizing Throughput
In order to maximize throughput, these jobs should be processed as quickly as possible. Assuming there
are no equipment upgrades, the production floor should be staffed to maximize utilization of the
equipment. Although this staffing level does depend somewhat on the order in which jobs are
processed, we will assume jobs are processed in order of their due dates. Therefore, the approximate
production schedule for these jobs will be as follows (if no equipment upgrades are purchased).
From this production schedule, it is clear that as many as 4 jobs can be active at any time. In fact, if we
consider that additional work requests may be added to the schedule as earlier jobs are completed, it
seems that 3 or 4 active jobs will be the norm. Therefore, staffing the production floor with 3 employees
is a good starting point.
With this production schedule, it will be necessary to have all raw materials in stock and available within
3 weeks. This means that receiving capacity may need to be as high as 3,000 units per week. This is, in
fact, not feasible in this module. A more reasonable plan might be to increase receiving capacity to
1,500 units per week (by hiring 3 new employees for the receiving area). This causes the production
schedule to be modified, but production staffing of 3 employees is still reasonable.
In the Shipping area, base capacity is quite low. One order with a size limit of 75 pounds is insufficient.
Therefore, additional staffing is required. Hiring two workers increases capacity to three orders per
week with a total weight of about 2,500 pounds. This may be more weight than is needed, but our long
term goal of having about 3 orders per week in process will require this level of capacity.
Finally, the Bidding and Contracts area also needs to be in balance with the rest of the facility. With two
to three jobs being completed each week, the ability to bid on two or three orders (assuming some bids
will not be won) is needed. Staffing the Bidding and Contracts area with two employees gives us the
ability to bid on three contracts each week.
At this point, the production system is well-balanced, with each department capable of supporting the
goal of three active jobs at any given time.
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Routing Pathways
At the start of Module 4 there are five work requests in the factory, with three separate routings.
Routing 3 Low Rise Jeans and Bermuda Shorts Cutting, Sewing, Dyeing, Packaging
Finding Bottlenecks
To identify the bottleneck, cycle through the stations and record the cycle time (notice that the cutting
station has already been upgraded in the first turn).
For routings 1 and 2, the bottleneck operation is Press Transfer. For routing 3, the bottleneck operation
is Sewing. Upgrading both of these work stations is recommended (with the following results).
With four work requests active in the factory, the production plan initially shows that Sewing is the most
highly-utilized work station (after upgrades as described earlier).
This is not surprising because Sewing (and Packaging) are two of the three operations that all work
requests pass through (the third is Cutting, but capacity there is highest of all workstations). Packaging
has not been highly utilized at this point because no jobs have reached that stage.
For the next week, the production plan shows that Sewing and Press Transfer are the most utilized
operations.
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For February, Week 2, utilization changes as the product mix begins to shift.
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As products move closer to completion, the Packaging station becomes highly utilized.
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Note that in this example no new jobs were started into the system. However, it is clear from actual
utilizations that the bottleneck resources are still Sewing and Packaging. Upgrading each of these
stations is recommended.
Students can continue this analysis as the module progresses to better tune their system.
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If we are hiring for the Production area, Aiko Chan has a higher
skill level (his Machine Operations skill level is 3) than Sandeep
Patel. However, the higher skill level comes with a higher salary
cost. To equalize the skill level, we will need to provide Sandeep
Patel with training at a cost of $800 per week (for two weeks). In
addition, Sandeep will not be available to work during the two
weeks of training, making the total cost of training $1,240.
However, after training, Sandeep Patel will have equivalent skills to Aiko Chan at a lower salary. The
train-versus-hire decision can be evaluated using a “make versus buy” analysis.
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Since we are hiring for the Production area, the candidates’ Machine Operations skills are of highest
interest to us. Clearly, Ali Ismail is significantly more expensive to hire than either Danny Kaiser or
Joseph Escobar. It seems prudent at this point to hire only two candidates and to wait to see if a better
candidate arises in the near future. Note that this ability to wait is only available if the firm has planned
ahead and begins the hiring process before actual needs occur. In this case, an economic analysis of
total hiring costs can be used to examine the total cost of employment.
Assuming employees will be actively working in Production for 10 weeks (starting in week 4), total cost
for these three candidates is:
Candidate Week 2 Week 3 Weeks 4 – 13 Total Cost
Although it may be prudent to hire Johnathan Martin, we may decide to see if a better option will arise
in week 3.
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Total cost analysis for the candidates shows the possible outcomes.
Candidate Week 2 Week 3 Weeks 4 – 13 Total Cost
If we choose to hire Aleksander Batalev, total costs for the decisions made are $6,140.
Candidate Week 2 Week 3 Weeks 4 – 13 Total Cost
Total $6,140
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If we had known the available pool of candidates ahead of time, we could have made the best possible
hiring decisions, with a resulting total cost of just $5,500.
Candidate Week 2 Week 3 Weeks 4 – 13 Total Cost
Total $5,500
On the other hand, hiring the first three available candidates would result in a total cost of $9,240.
Candidate Week 2 Week 3 Weeks 4 – 13 Total Cost
Total $9,240
Remember, if you find you don’t need an employee’s services you can fire him/her. However, this is not
a decision to be taken lightly. You will be charge the equivalent of two week’s salary in severance
charges.
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Reputation
In Practice Operations, customers rate performance on three dimensions. Quality is determined by the
quality of raw materials used, timeliness is measured by how well the requested delivery date was met,
and customer service is driven by the number and skill of Bidding and Contracts staff.
As in the real world, improving your reputation increases your potential customer base and can improve
margins by allowing the firm to charge a higher price for goods. Students can directly observe the impact
of quality, timeliness, and customer service on an order-by-order basis.
In this case,
timeliness was
good, quality was
fair, and customer
service was poor,
leading to a
moderately
satisfied
customer.
In this order,
timeliness was
poor, quality was
bad, and customer
service was good,
leading to a
moderately
dissatisfied
customer.
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Finally, by
exceeding
customer
expectations in
quality and
delivery, strong
improvements in
customer
satisfaction can be
realized.
Although the treatment of customer satisfaction in Practice Operations is necessarily simplified, the
impact of meeting (or exceeding) customer expectations is clearly visible.
Long-Term Perspective
In this module, you are committed to run your business for 50 turns, so be sure to consider the long-
term effects of you decisions. The two main expenses you are likely to encounter are employee wages
and inventory costs. Wages were covered in the Module 4 and 5 guides. In module 6, you should also
pay close attention to your inventory expenses.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
These costs can really add up! In Practice Operations, the cost of holding raw materials is about 10% of
the inventory value each turn. Finished products are less expensive, but still cost you 5% of value each
turn. Managing inventory carefully can really contribute to your net worth.
One way to carefully manage your inventory is to delay raw material purchases as long as possible. This
expands upon the vendor selection discussion that was started in module 2. The Total Cost of Ownership
analysis allows us to develop a more complete view of what each vendor really offers.
Let’s examine the Total Cost of Ownership for silk material by evaluating two potential vendors. First, we
need to gather the necessary data.
We will compare two potential vendors – Owens Textiles and Tigerlily Textiles. For silk, the holding cost
is $0.41 per unit each turn (this is based upon the average cost of all vendors). To continue our analysis,
we will also need the specific quantities and price discounts offered by each vendor.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
For now, we will ignore the difference in quality between the two vendors. Both vendors offer a
quantity discount, although Tigerlily is more generous with this discount if the quantities are high
enough. On the other hand, Owens offers a larger discount if we can provide them with sufficient lead
time. To keep our analysis from getting too complicated, we will assume that we can order with at least
three weeks’ lead time and that we will order at least 175 units at any given time. This evens the special
discounts to 25% for each vendor.
The biggest difference between the two vendors is their maximum order quantity. Owens can provide
up to 250 units per week while Tigerlily can meet larger weekly orders --up to 1,200 units per week. If
we need to accumulate larger quantities, this could be very beneficial. Of course, Tigerlily’s higher initial
price may still tilt the scales in favor of Owens.
To complete our analysis, we will evaluate the two vendors over a range of purchase quantities to
determine the total cost of ownership.
For any given desired quantity, we will need to determine how long it will take to accumulate the
materials from the vendor. This will allow us to calculate the average inventory and holding costs
associated with waiting for the materials to all become available.
For example, if we want to have 1,000 units of silk available at some time in the future (say 5 weeks
from now), we can place an order with Tigerlily to have all 1,000 units delivered 5 weeks from now.
However, the quantity constraints imposed by Owens will require us to have the deliveries spread over
time. It will take us 4 weeks to accumulate 1,000 units from Owens, so we will hold inventory according
to this schedule.
from Owens.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
Continuing this analysis for a range of quantities, we can determine the total cost of ownership
associated with the two vendors.
Total Cost of Ownership – Owens Textiles
Quantity Unit Time to Average Total Purchase Quality Total Cost
Price accumulate Inventory Holding Cost Cost
(weeks) Cost
250 $2.40 1 0 $0.00 $ 600.00 $ 64.80 $664.80
500 $2.40 2 125 $102.50 $1,200.00 $129.60 $1,432.10
750 $2.40 3 250 $307.50 $1,800.00 $194.40 $2,301.90
1000 $2.40 4 375 $615.00 $2,400.00 $259.20 $3,274.20
1250 $2.40 5 500 $1,025.00 $3,000.00 $324.00 $4,349.00
1500 $2.40 6 625 $1,537.50 $3,600.00 $388.80 $5,526.30
1750 $2.40 7 750 $2,152.50 $4,200.00 $453.60 $6,806.10
2000 $2.40 8 875 $2,870.00 $4,800.00 $518.40 $8,188.40
2250 $2.40 9 1,000 $3,690.00 $5,400.00 $583.20 $9,673.20
2500 $2.40 10 1,125 $4,612.50 $6,000.00 $648.00 $11,260.50
2750 $2.40 11 1,250 $5,637.50 $6,600.00 $712.80 $12,950.30
3000 $2.40 12 1,375 $6,765.00 $7,200.00 $777.60 $14,742.60
Total Cost of Ownership – Tigerlily Textiles
Quantity Unit Time to Average Total Purchase Quality Total Cost
Price accumulate Inventory Holding Cost Cost
(weeks) Cost
250 $ 3.00 1 0 $0.00 $ 750.00 $0.00 $750.00
500 $ 3.00 1 0 $0.00 $1,500.00 $0.00 $1,500.00
750 $ 3.00 1 0 $0.00 $2,250.00 $0.00 $2,250.00
1000 $ 3.00 1 0 $0.00 $3,000.00 $0.00 $3,000.00
1250 $ 3.00 2 1200 $492.00 $3,750.00 $0.00 $4,242.00
1500 $ 3.00 2 1200 $492.00 $4,500.00 $0.00 $4,992.00
1750 $ 3.00 2 1200 $492.00 $5,250.00 $0.00 $5,742.00
2000 $ 3.00 2 1200 $492.00 $6,000.00 $0.00 $6,492.00
2250 $ 3.00 2 1200 $492.00 $6,750.00 $0.00 $7,242.00
2500 $ 3.00 3 1800 $738.00 $7,500.00 $0.00 $8,238.00
2750 $ 3.00 3 1800 $738.00 $8,250.00 $0.00 $8,988.00
3000 $ 3.00 3 1800 $738.00 $9,000.00 $0.00 $9,738.00
The results of this comparison show that for small quantities (500 or fewer units), Owens Textiles
provides a lower total cost of ownership. However, once the required quantity rises to 750 or more
units, choosing Tigerlily Textiles can lead to significant savings.
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McGraw-Hill Practice Operations
In addition, Tigerlily’s ability to provide larger weekly quantities means your firm can respond much
more quickly to large customer orders. By the time the required quantity reaches 2,000 or more
units, the total savings can add up to thousands of dollars. Of course, be careful not to order too
much material. If you have to sell it back later you will lose all of these savings and more!
Careful analysis of purchasing options allows you to consider all of the costs of buying (and holding)
materials. The cost savings you identify can quickly add up, enabling your firm to achieve a truly
impressive net worth. j
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