You are the Operations Manager of a Fresh Seafood business. This business includes both managing a small fleet of fishing boats and a retail business - which sells fresh fish to the public.

Recently the owner visited another fresh seafood business in Auckland and discovered the tremendous efficiency improvements they had achieved by reviewing and refining their processes and systems. So now the owner wants you to undertake a similar review of her business - both the fishing (at sea) processes and those which define the business from catching the fresh fish to presenting the fish for sale in the display cabinets of the retail arm of the business; and as a result create “process chart” which maps the time and function of the business.

a) Prepare a Process Chart which features these categories:

l  Time (minutes)

l  Chart Symbols

l  Process Description

Hint: often it is helpful to start by drawing a simple flowchart - which then defines for you exactly what happens at what step, and where the decision / action points are along the way.

b) Analyse your Process Chart and identify where you think at least 2 further improvements to your process can be made - could either be through eliminating one or more elements and / or reducing the time required to complete one or more process element.

Don’t re-draw you Process Chart, but use around 150 words to describe in some detail what two elements you could change to achieve further improvements and why.