Discuss the Fundamentals Of Operations Management

1. There are 3 groups of questions: Introductory, Decision-Forcing, and Challenge.

2. Introductory Questions help you understand the case. If you can answer all of them, you are ready to take further analysis of this case. DO NOT answer them in your case report.

3. Decision Forcing Questions help you analyze Matsushita’s and Sony’s problems and solutions. You MUST answer these questions in your case report.

4. Challenge Questions help you evaluate Matsushita’s and Sony’s different supply chain management strategies. You MUST answer these questions in your case report.

a. Introductory Questions  What bad news had Mr. Yukio Shohtoku (managing director of Matsushita) been hearing?  What is the “eradicating and creating” strategy of Matsushita?  Why does Mr. Yoshihiro Taya (vice president of Sony MECS) worry about the “cycle time” of Sony’s digital camera and camcorder products?  How did Sony reengineer its supply chain to reduce the lead-time of its digital camera and camcorder production?

b. Decision Forcing Questions  What are the differences between Matsushita and Sony’s products?  What are the differences between Matsushita and Sony’s supply priorities?  Why did Matsushita and Sony’s former supply chains mismatch their product characteristics with their supply priorities?  What are the advantages of manufacturing in China? What are the disadvantages of manufacturing in China?

c. Challenge Questions  Whose supply chain reengineering strategy is a short-term solution and whose is a long-term solution?  What are the pros and cons of these strategies?

The report should be at least three pages, single space, 1 inch margins, and #12 fond.

1. There are 3 groups of questions: Introductory, Decision-Forcing, and Challenge.

2. Introductory Questions help you understand the case. If you can answer all of them, you are ready to take further analysis of this case. DO NOT answer them in your case report.

3. Decision Forcing Questions help you analyze Matsushita’s and Sony’s problems and solutions. You MUST answer these questions in your case report.

4. Challenge Questions help you evaluate Matsushita’s and Sony’s different supply chain management strategies. You MUST answer these questions in your case report.

a. Introductory Questions  What bad news had Mr. Yukio Shohtoku (managing director of Matsushita) been hearing?  What is the “eradicating and creating” strategy of Matsushita?  Why does Mr. Yoshihiro Taya (vice president of Sony MECS) worry about the “cycle time” of Sony’s digital camera and camcorder products?  How did Sony reengineer its supply chain to reduce the lead-time of its digital camera and camcorder production?

b. Decision Forcing Questions  What are the differences between Matsushita and Sony’s products?  What are the differences between Matsushita and Sony’s supply priorities?  Why did Matsushita and Sony’s former supply chains mismatch their product characteristics with their supply priorities?  What are the advantages of manufacturing in China? What are the disadvantages of manufacturing in China?

c. Challenge Questions  Whose supply chain reengineering strategy is a short-term solution and whose is a long-term solution?  What are the pros and cons of these strategies?

The report should be at least three pages, single space, 1 inch margins, and #12 fond.