Productivity And Product Design & Quality

Week 2 Discussions and Required Resources

Two-part assignment: All parts must be at least 200 words unless otherwise noted. Please read all attachments and follow ALL instructions.

Part 1: Productivity

Many times trade-offs are necessary to increase productivity. What are important trades-offs involving the inputs to productivity? Your initial post should include real life situations and be at least 200-250 words.  NOTE:  Be sure to have a well-developed paragraph for all required work (posting & responses).  A well-developed paragraph contains 5-7 sentences for each paragraph created.

Part 2:   Product Design & Quality

Read the Forbes article, “The Forces That Are Transforming How Products Are Made” –  https://www.forbes.com/sites/ptc/2013/10/21/the-six-things-that-are-transforming-how-products-are-made/#360687314980. Based on the content presented in the article, what forces and important organizational activities enable a firm to build quality into its products? Explain each of these along with their benefits. Your initial post should include examples and be at least 200-250 words. Respond to at least two of your classmate’s posts.

NOTE:  Be sure to have a well developed paragraph for all required work (posting & responses).  A well developed paragraph contains 5-7 sentences for each paragraph created.

1. Business is a social science.

2.  A well developed paragraph is 5-7 sentences.

3.  Use third person voice instead of first person voice.

4.  You must use a thesis statement when writing your assignments.

5.  Use a variety of transitions to help the flow of the paragraphs

6.  Check out the PIE structure of your paragraphs mentioned in the writing center.

7.  There are two types of in-text citations that you should be using:  a.  parenthetical and b.  signal phrase

Required Resources

Text

Vonderembse, M. A., & White, G. P. (2013). Operations management [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

• Chapter 3: Enhancing Productivity
• Chapter 4: Quality Management

Article

Ambruch, B. (2013, October 21). The forces that are transforming how products are made (Links to an external site.). Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/ptc/2013/10/21/the-six-things-that-are-transforming-how-products-are-made/

Recommended Resources

Article

Stahl, R., & Pexton, C. (2003). Healthcare’s horizon. ASQ Six Sigma Forum Magazine, 2(2), 17-26. Retrieved from the ProQuest database.

Multimedia

July, E. (Producer) & Rodrigo, J. M. (Director). (2003). Business is blooming: The international floral industry (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from the Films On Demand database.

Watch the following segments:

• Competition and Commercial Breeding: https://fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=34961
• Cross-Breeding New Species: https://fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=34961
• French Horticulture Industry: https://fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=34961
• French Florists and Regional Flowers: https://fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=34961
• Lava Trading and the Floral Business: https://fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=34961

Websites

American Society for Quality. (n.d). Malcom baldridge national quality award (MBNQA). Retrieved from http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/malcolm-baldrige-award/overview/overview.html

NetMBA Business Knowledge Center. (2002-2010). Operations. Retrieved from http://www.netmba.com/operations/

The National institute of Standards and Technology. (2013, February 28). Baldrige performance excellence program. Retrieved from http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/