Short Essay Management Questions

Short Essay Management Questions

Question #1

A critical characteristic is featured throughout the product development process, which includes adaptability, scope, product completeness, and operational assessment, plant maintenance that, if not taken care of correctly it may fail a safety product. Significant benefits that control the critical characteristic should be determined before essential components are identified to that the traits conform to the defined dimension or tolerance.

After a Critical Characteristic has been determined, it is essential to do the variation management activities to ensure processes that are influential to the characteristics are in control. It is also necessary to create a monitoring methodology to enable the continuity of performance.  For example, the Critical Process characteristic of the steel manufacturing process is thickness. For control, the thickness variation process parameter should be managed. To control depth techniques mentioned above can be used to control the process.

Question #2

Hoshin concepts of Catch-Ball are applied as a guiding principle, which is utilized to design effective management strategies. For instance, in the hospital, the hospital management determines the vision and mission statements. The statements need to be affected at all stages in the company for its effectiveness. All plans contained in the vision and mission statement will only be prosperous if all stages in the company uphold the objectives and principles as well as implementing the strategy.   Typically, in all organizations, the management designs the vision and mission statement and creates a plan for their accomplishment.

Nonetheless, middle management and frontline executives are accountable for the development of operational plans. They are also responsible for executing the strategy at the bottom level. For this scenario, Hoshin concepts of catch ball have the responsibility in identifying the objectives and strategy, initiating the catch ball, and receiving feedback. For example, Paul Polman, the Unilever Ex-CEO, clearly demonstrated this when he developed strategic vision and objectives that will make Unilever a sustainable company by focusing on improving people’s nutrition at the same time reducing water usage by half while utilizing its products. In doing so, the company made ensured it achieved its goals, created mission and vision for the century. As provided in the question, in this case, hospital management developed a clear purpose and mission. The vision is to delight its customers through their service and mission endlessly is to eliminate variation while providing their service. The first step as per the Hoshin concept, is done. The success of this step lies in clearly articulating what the strategy would be and what the organization hopes to achieve after its execution.

The most important step in the Hoshin concept is starting the catch-ball game. The top management rolls down their strategy and their thoughts to the mid-level managers. The mid-level managers brainstorm and come up with ideas that can be implemented to achieve the plan and goal. In the case of Unilever, ‘Brands with purpose’ was kick-started by management to mid-level managers, who brainstormed on how their brands can position in markets to bring in sustainability. The brand managers showcased and positioned their brands differently, the supply chain managers, thought of ways to reduce ecological footprint while production and distribution, etc. In the hospital management case, the mid-level managers clearly need to come up with ideas that will ensure that customer service forms the core of their daily operations. Customer’s well-being should become the essence of the hospital operation. No customer should feel hardships after visiting this hospital. They should think of ways to enlighten the customer’s experience by providing proper waiting areas and efficient staff to take care of the patients no matter what is their ailment.

The frontline executives or the operations executives are the most vital part of catch-ball. The mid-level managers cascade the ball to the front line executives. In Unilever, the frontline staff took up the mission of the management wholeheartedly. They understood the aim of the management and embraced the goal as their own and were successful in positioning the brands and optimized their supply chain networks so that the ecological footprint is less. The hospital staff should also embrace customer service as their core purpose and work in sync to provide a flawless experience to the patients visiting the hospital.

The frontline executive gives back the ball to the mid-level managers, which is their feedback. This feedback will contain ways to improve the performance and scopes or areas of betterment. The success of the company revolves around how the management will listen to the executives. They should be hearing the problems of the executives and understand areas of weakness in the strategy and methods that can be improved. The ball should then be rolled on to the top management. The senior management should listen to the feedback, perform a Gemba walk (Study of the process by walking the lines or floors of the hospital), and develop strategies to combat the problem areas. This new updated strategy will be cascaded to the mid-level management again, which in turn is cascaded to the frontline executives and so on, and the cycle continues.

Question #3

Kansei is addressing the practical concerns of customers through the introduction of customer’s psychological perception and needs in designing its products and services. The process is different from the actual planning procedures that are possibly addressing the psychomotor and cognitive issues. Kansei’s approach works as a preventive way, while the normal process works as a reactive approach.  In short, the principle here is that prior intervention actions are recommended in the management of future needs and expectations for effective, efficient, and economic management. For instance, Kansei’s engineering has been incorporated as an effective device for the product designing and development process in many organizations. This methodology has been designed purposely for the better management of customers’ concerns and expectations during designing products process so that the manufacturing of products meets the customers’ needs and requirements as well as customers getting influenced, thus deciding to purchase the products.

Question #4

Variation reduction is a procedural strategy that aims at reducing product variation at the same time producing the desired product by ensuring it meets performance requirements regardless of variation, while reduced variation aims at reducing the processes of variation at the same time improving the output. The reduced variation includes: identifying the variation process, taking corrective measures, developing a new proposal for the customer, and convincing the customer to agree on the new plan.

The variation reduction is disadvantaged when compared to the APQP Section 5.0 reduced variation as it allows room for delay in decision making; variation is made until the desired solution is achieved. This variation process may have severe consequences on the planning of the project and performing duties effectively.