Value creation through operations and technology

Consider the following scenario. Be sure to reference the resources in your own research.

Your business is a computer manufacturing company. The business is set up internationally to take advantage of the technical skills and lower tax structures and costs of labor in multiple countries. The computer case, keyboard, and mouse components are manufactured in South Africa. The computer chip set is made in Japan, while the drives and machinery parts, like fans and switches, are manufactured in Germany. All of these countries have high tax structures, so your company sells the components to your plant in Galway, Ireland at cost. Hence, you pay no corporate income tax in these countries. The Galway plant then assembles and tests the computers and sells them for maximum profit to your distribution partners. Your distribution partners then sell the finished computers in the countries in which you have chosen to sell your products.
These very significant tax savings and the incentives from the Irish government (such as a very low corporate income tax) make your company very profitable. While Ireland is a part of the European community, which gives you access to a huge market, you would also like to enter other markets. However, tariffs may make this prohibitive unless you manufacture locally, which eliminates tariffs.
You have been asked to head a task force to determine what changes should be made to this approach and to report your findings to the executive management team. These findings will include a marketing and sales strategy, an outline of an operations plan, and a strategic planning approach for the business. You will need to consider many facets of marketing and operations, from small details, such as manufacturing hours, to large issues, such as product lines. You will also make recommendations on strategic planning, as it is used to modify operations and corporate direction, and how information technologies can help support operations and strategic planning. In addition, you must consider how various economic theories, strategies, and practices for global environments influence marketing and sales, operations, technology, and strategic planning for the business.

Based on the above scenario:

1. Outline a plan for the plant and facilities.
2. Describe the integration of manufacturing, production, and distribution functions.
3. Discuss any equipment and technology needed to support operations.
4. Describe how the management of information systems can influence operations.
5. Describe how this operations plan will create value for your business, in terms of integrating production and distribution and helping to reduce costs and promote productivity.
6. Consider how the various economic theories, strategies, and practices for global environments influence your operations and technology planning.
7. Describe how strategic planning will be undertaken in the business.
8. Outline the strategic planning process.
9. Identify how strategic initiative will be evaluated.
10. Describe the technologies that will be used to support strategic planning and how they provide this support.
11. Consider how the various economic theories, strategies, and practices for global environments influence your strategic planning.