This report gives a summary of operations in Oregon. It is based on important aspects such as communication, materials and inventory, order entry, supervision at the plant, and the general flow of production. To begin with communication, it is vital to mention that poor communication within the plant has resulted in instances where there has been late delivery of materials. This has caused high production Which has consequently led to periodic missed contractual ship dates. If there were good communication this would not arise. Poor communication has also led to compromised quality of finished products for instance when the wrong plastic resins have been used for the production of some molded parts. But overall communication is good in the plant as it has been noted with just on-time deliveries which cannot be accomplished without good communication in the plant.
In terms of materials, there has been a notable delay in the delivery of materials and this has an impact on production. Habitual run out of accessory parts has been witnessed in Facility S and this affects production. The order entry is carried out well in the plant as it was demonstrated by the over one day ahead of the shipping schedule. Without proper order entry, this could not be possible. Good order entry can also be evidenced by the fact that it is easy to locate missing parts for instance the ones in the trailer in the yard next to facilities P and T. Supervision at the plant can be said to be insufficient. As it was observed, there is only one supervisor present only during midnight shifts and on weekends. The rest of the time work proceeds without a supervisor. This has been attributed to the economic status of the plant which does not allow the creation of more supervisory posts. The general flow of production can be said to be optimal as there have been few noted incidences whereby the production process has been interfered with. The only incidence is that of misplaced work in process within the stamping department. This reflection of good organization within the plant ensures that each activity is performed at the right time and in the correct way. The only department where things could be observed not working properly was the quality assurance department. The team mentioned that they did very few quality checks in their department. They attributed this situation to a lack of equipment and training to perform what is required of them.
This report recommends that the plant should give the quality assurance department the seriousness it deserves. This should be achieved through the education and training of the available staff. The provision of adequate supervision is also instrumental in ensuring that good quality checks are performed in the concerned department. Therefore supervisors should also be introduced to the other departments to foster performance amongst the staff. There is a need for more supervision within the plant. This should not only focus on the performance of individuals but also ensure that quality work is done. To prevent quality problems such as the use of wrong plastic resins should not arise with adequate supervisory measures. The necessary measures should be undertaken in the stamping department to ensure that there is no interference in the downstream manufacturing due to their mistakes. With these recommendations in place, the production within the plant’s departments would be greatly enhanced and the company would meet its targets smoothly.
References
Halldorsson, A., Kotzab, H., Mikkola, J. H., Skjoett-Larsen, T. (2007). Complementary theories to supply chain management. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 12 Issue 4, 284-296.
Simchi-Levi D., Kaminsky P., Simchi-levi E. (2007), Designing and Managing the Supply Chain, third edition, Mcgraw Hill.
Anna Nagurney: Supply Chain Network Economics: Dynamics of Prices, Flows, and Profits, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006 Schroeder, Chapters 10-12.