Service and Manufacturing Operations

1. Manufacturing and service operations are often presented as very different operations. In practice, pure examples of service and manufactured goods are difficult to observe. Manufacturing and service operations have many similarities as well as differences.

2. Service processes can be described using the customer – contact matrix: Front Office, Hybrid Office and Back Office. Manufacturing processes are categorized as: project, job shop, batch, line, or continuous.  

a) Select and defend your selection of the manufacturing process that has the greatest similarity to a Back Office service process. Discuss the similarities and differences of a Back Office service process and the corresponding manufacturing process chosen.

b) Garvin's eight dimensions of quality are described in manufacturing terms and are not specified for services. Discuss how the dimensions of quality of Performance Quality, Conformance Quality, and Durability Quality, apply or do not apply to a Front Office service process.

c) Lean Systems define 8 types of waste or Muda. Please discuss how the wastes of Inappropriate Processing, Overproduction, and Motion apply or do not apply to the Back Office service process.