Why does ‘cutting waste’ help increase business efficiency?

Define the term ‘labour productivity’.

Define the term ‘contingency planning’.

Select one example of adaptive creativity and explain why it is not 'innovatively creative'.

$$\begin{array}{|l|l|} \hline \textbf { Adaptive creativity examples } & \textbf { Innovative creativity examples } \\ \hline \text { Cameras in mobile phones } & \text { VolP (e.g. Skype) } \\ \hline \text { ATMs } & \text { Online banking and insurance } \\ \hline \text { iPad mini } & \text { iTunes } \\ \hline \text { Airbus A380 } & \text { Jet airliners } \\ \hline \text { Flat beds in business class } & \text { Low-cost airlines } \\ \hline \end{array}$$

Define the term ‘crisis management’.

What would be meant by the term ‘optimal location’ for a new Walmart supermarket?

‘JIT is something of an exception. The cultural differences between countries are so strong that it is impossible for the management techniques of one country to be used effectively in another.’

Using a case study you have studied, discuss the validity of this statement.

Define the term ‘JIT stock control’.

Evaluate whether mass customisation is a production method that should be adopted by all businesses.

Define the term ‘social sustainability’.

Define the term ‘supply chain’.

The operations manager at Westlife Jeans Ltd is concerned about the declining rate of productivity in the factory. He has collected the following data from factory records. Each worker is paid $\$ 3000$ per year and this has not changed for three years. New workers have been employed and put into the production department with training. The additional machines were purchased second-hand and some of them have proven to be unreliable. The operations manager has been told to increase productivity within six months, as it is believed that the labour costs of Westlife Jeans' main competitor are $20 \%$ lower. Although the marketing department admits that the higher quality of Westlife's jeans allows higher prices to be charged, the lack of cost competitiveness is cutting into profits. Falling profitability may make it difficult to raise the capital needed for any technological improvements in the factory - but, without these, profits could fall even further.

$$\begin{array}{|l|c|c|c|} \hline & \textbf{ 2012 } & \textbf{ 2013 } & \textbf{ 2014 } \\ \hline \text { Total output of jeans } & 50000 & 55000 & 60000 \\ \hline \text { Workers employed } & 20 & 24 & 30 \\ \hline \text { Number of machines used } & 10 & 12 & 15 \\ \hline \end{array}$$

For each year calculate the labour productivity and capital productivity for the Westlife factory.

Workers at a factory in Guangdong province have complained about low pay and aggressive and verbally abusive behaviour from managers. British-owned luxury goods manufacturer Burberry has pulled production of its bags from a factory in the Guangdong province of China.

The move follows concerns that working hours and conditions at the factory, operated by the Korean company Simone Accessories Collection, were in possible violation of Burberry's ethical guidelines. The China-based factory makes handbags for several Western clothing and accessory brands.

There's a big potential upside to GM's insourcing effort - if managed correctly. 'Higher productivity, lower management burden, reduced travel costs, improved quality, reduced 'rework', increased convenience of shared working hours and better cultural fit are all tangible benefits experienced by organisations that have repatriated roles,' says F. B. Mack, director of operations for outsourcing advisory Sylvan Advisory.

Discuss GM’s and Burberry’s decisions to insource more of their operations.

Define the term ‘operations management’.