1. Identify and describe the five major tools of process analysis and design. Your response should be at least 200 words in length.
For this question I will identify and describe the five major tools of process analysis and design. Through identification purposes, the five major tools of process analysis and design are a flowchart, failure mode effects analysis (FMEA), mistake-proofing, spaghetti diagram and graphs and maps (ASQ, 2017). In terms of flow charts, these flow charts enable the developer of process analysis and design to clearly illustrate within a document the step-by-step and logical sequence that has taken place in order for the final conclusion and/or final analysis of the problem set at hand to be delineated. In terms of the failure mode effects analysis (FMEA), this process requires a thorough analysis of double-checking the information and the data that is contained in the presentation document and/or proposal and/or report that is being developed, resulting in a goal of having an error-free result in terms of the design of everything from a document to the planning of building a home (ASQ, 2017). Mistake-proofing is also highly linked to failure mode effects analysis, however is similar to the concept of proofreading a document in order to ensure that the communication and the message that is meant to be conveyed is crystal clear (ASQ, 2017).
A spaghetti diagram is a fabulous thing that truly takes much skill and dexterity that is usually developed for most people over time in terms of their computer skills. A spaghetti diagram which could be represented best through software applications such as Visio for Microsoft software or Graffle for Macintosh software is a tool that can be used in order to create the sprawling, highly visual and often rather detailed images on a page that allow the audience of the document to comprehend the message that is being conveyed (ASQ, 2017). These spaghetti diagrams are wonderful truly.
Graphs and diagrams are an important key to the process of analysis and design as well. Understanding that graphs and diagrams can often help to convey to the audience that the document is planned for and/or in the preparation of documents that will be used to build something in the real world, graphs are often useful for conveying numeric information as well as statistical information, plus diagrams are highly illustrative tools that often answer the question: “how has this been done?”
References
ASQ. (2017). Learn About Quality, ASQ. Online: United States. Retrieved from:
http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/process-analysis-tools/overview/overview.html
2. State the fundamental objective of a firm's location strategy. How do industrial or goods-producing firms carry out this basic objective; how does that differ for service firms? Your response should be at least 200 words in length.
The fundamental objective of a firm’s location strategy is to ensure that if they are distributing products that these products can be distributed easily be it locally, state-wide and/or nationally. The other fundamental objective of a firm’s location strategy if it is a service-oriented firm is to search for a location that is easily accessible to public transit and/or is situated within a community that would facilitate the participation of business from the local community.
An example of this on a local scale would be a Farmer’s Market. Most communities have Farmer’s Markets. At a Farmer’s Market, these markets would tend to have their clientele base from the local community which is why usually must Farmer’s Markets are administered by a city-wide and/or county-wide organization that ensures that the locations of the Farmer’s Markets are well located within the city in order to receive a financial surplus.
On the state-wide and national scale, an organization that delivers solely products and/or customer service for their products can be located away from accessible transit systems. They would then use courier, mail, shipping, and other services in order to distribute their goods. As well, these companies can access the online market which then introduces the concept of the sole proprietor that could be working from their basement apartment without clients coming to their home which could be a potential danger to their neighbors and other members of the community.
3. In an affluent society, how do we produce a wide number of options for products at low cost? Hint: Focus on how to address some of the major challenges of mass customization. Your response should be at least 200 words in length
In an affluent society, the real only way to produce a wide number of options for products at a low cost would be the use of the financial model of the store of Walmart as an example. Walmart, as well as the Dollar Store, often receive less expensive labor from outside of America. The reason why they do this is because of the basic minimum wage is less expensive in other parts of world in comparison to the United States of America.
When you have an organization that is receiving outside help from America in order to produce the goods and/or services (it could be a call center as an example or customer support), this ensures that the labor costs of the industry and/or organization will be reduced.
When the labor costs of the industry and/or organization are reduced then it is possible to have products that are at its lowest cost. As well, when you put American people who are the staff of the organization and pay them minimum wage – this too reduces the cost of the unit price resulting in the market price of each and every product.
It is almost impossible for a company to have customizable product that would not be expensive to the consumer. In order to customize a product, this requires a knowledgeable staff and knowledgeable staff are usually much more expensive than what you can pay someone who receives minimum wage. When you are paying your employees more than minimum wage – this increases the cost of the product.
Not only is it an issue of the wages to the employee, but also the materials and/or goods that would be required to produce the product which most likely would not be inexpensive.
4. How do service facility locations decisions differ from industrial location decisions in terms of the techniques used to analyze them? How do you explain these differences? Your response should be at least 200 words in length.
Service facility locations decisions are based on ensuring that they are located in accessible areas and that also they provide customer service support, technical support and other various forms of support on an ideal time cycle of 24 hours a day and seven days a week. A service facility location would also need to ensure that their employees look presentable because they are dealing with the public, as well that their offices look presentable because customers may come into the establishment at any given time. This means that with service facility locations the cleanliness of the facility needs to be paramount – an example of this would be a grocery store that could lose millions of dollars if a report were to be released that vermin was contained within the establishment.
In terms of an industry facility location, again, the presentation of the building in which is located is important as well for the workplace safety hazards that could arise if the building is not kept in order. As well, it is a little less important however that the presentation of dress of its employees because with an industry facility location the employees would not come in contact with the public as often as would take place with a service facility location.
An industry facility location could look resemble an auto body shop as an example, where the employees are not in suits and ties and tires and automobile parts are all over the establishment, however the main function of this establishment, presently used as an example, is not to impart a service that requires human contact – it is to ensure that the vehicle is in perfect performance for the client. Therefore, the needs of the vehicle would override the needs of the customer to a certain extent in order to provide the best quality work and satisfaction guaranteed for the automobile services but within the automobile sector of industry.