Introduction

No industry has faced more competitive markets in the U.S. than textiles. The import of foreign textiles made using cheap labor has decreased profit margins for U.S. companies for years, and many have left the industry. In this discussion you will get the opportunity to “run” production operations of a textile company in a simulation scenario. Don’t be afraid of this opportunity, rather you should embrace it.  

This scenario illustrates the complexities typically associated with decision-making in a production department. The problems you will be faced with are complex, requiring the active involvement from multiple functional areas to fully understand the nature and scope of the problem, explore viable alternatives, commit to a solution, and then implement, monitor, and make necessary changes to achieve desired outcomes. As an operations professional, you’re responsible for executing due diligence when determining whether or not to support or put forward proposals and new ideas. These proposals can be as simple as modifying existing processes or as complex as expanding the company through “organic” or “inorganic” growth strategies. You need to be able to weigh decisions against existing realities while taking into consideration future uncertainties.

Unit Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate the impact of operations management on the competiveness and productivity of an organization.

Construct a production strategy based on customer demand.

Synthesize operations and customer satisfaction data.

Calculate productivity metrics for an operational scenario using Microsoft Excel.