Thesis on "Managing Projects Operations and Information Systems"
Thesis 8 pages (2210 words) Sources: 10 Style: APA
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Managing Projects, Operations and Information SystemsEnd of Seminar Project
The time optimization of the storage activity in United Biscuit logistics department [Coordinator's name]
Project management plan
Stakeholder analysis
Project manager
Project team
Team contract
Project deliverables
Reference materials
Project organization
Organizational structure
Work breakdown structure and schedule
Work Breakdown Structure
Dependencies
Resource requirements
Budget requirements
Schedule
Managerial process
Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints
Monitoring and Controlling Mechanisms
Operations management plan
Operations Strategy
Process Improvement Plan
Operational Efficiency/Operational Effectiveness Improvement
Technical Process/Information Management Plan
Information System Objectives
Hardware/Software Requirements
Conclusion
Executive summary
An important challenge for United Biscuits' logistics department is the optimization of the storage activity, including here the supply with raw materials that serves as an input to production and the distr
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The team consists of a project manager, 2 Area Managers (one for raw material supply and one for finished goods storage and distribution), 1 Operations Manager, 1 General Transportation Manager, 2 logistics trainees, 1 electronics engineer (in charge with the RFID implementation), 1 assistant for the electronics engineers with it background and 2 data analysts to monitor progress.
The work breakdown structure includes: analyzing sources of delay in logistics activities involved in the warehousing process; identifying constraints; improving processes; and the project completion phase.
The improvement will translate into an RFID implementation that will require an initial investment of $100,000. The costs related to this technology will also include a variable component, each product having to be tagged. One tag is in average $0.1. The company's suppliers will also have to comply to RFID technology requirements.
It will be assumed that all team members will perform their tasks within the time frame established for each task and without errors. The performance of each team member depends on the performance of all others, this being a team project. The operations strategy in this case is to optimize the resource deployment involved in the project to increase long-term efficiency.
Introduction
United Biscuits (UB) is one of the world's pre-eminent branded snacks businesses. The company's portfolio of sweet and savoury snacks includes brands, such as McVitie's, Jacob's, Carr's, McCoy's, Hula Hoops, McVitie's Jaffa Cakes, KP, Mini Cheddars, go ahead!, Verkade, Sultana, BN, and Delacre, the products ranging from crackers to cakes (UB corporate website, 2009).
An important challenge for the logistics department is the optimization of the storage activity, including here the supply with raw materials that serves as an input to production and the distribution of finished goods products to retailers or distributors. An optimal inflow of raw materials implies that every item is replaced in the storage when it is about to finish in order to avoid overstocking costs with these items or a stock rupture that could potentially delay production. An optimal outflow of finished goods implies that items are distributed soon after the production process is finished to reduce storage time and implicitly storage costs.
Project management plan
I. Project overview
Project goal. The project's goal is to reduce by 30% the storage costs related to items being stocked for more than 10 days in the company's facilities within the next 9 months.
The market needs to generate products faster then their life cycles end, in order to maintain its growth rates. To reach these objectives, according to Cooper & Lambert (2000), product development and commercialization managers should: Coordinate with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to identify the customers' articulate and unarticulated needs; the materials and suppliers' selection should be made in correlation with the procurement function; Work to develop production technology in the manufacturing flow in order to manufacture and integrate the supply chain flow that is best fit for a given market/product. Logistics studies suggest that the adoption of logistics technologies, such as Enterprise Resource Management, Customer Relationship Management and Supply Chain Management would facilitate the cooperation of different companies along the value chain (i.e. suppliers with retailers) (Johnson and Wood, 1996; Keah & Handfield, 1998).
Stakeholder analysis. Stakeholders include manufacturing staff, raw material suppliers, transportation staff/intermediaries, warehousing staff, logistics coordinating team and distributors. Additionally, global stakeholders include the final customer and the authorities in charge of food regulations.
Improved efficiency in the logistics department has a direct impact on almost all the stakeholders as it translates into lower costs along the value chain, which imply lower prices, discounts, a better distribution and the opportunity to focus more on customer needs and wants.
Project manager. John McBiscuit
Project team. The team will be made of 2 Area Managers (one for raw material supply and one for finished goods storage and distribution), 1 Operations Manager, 1 General Transportation Manager, 2 logistics trainees, 1 electronics engineer (in charge with the RFID implementation), 1 assistant for the electronics engineers with it background and 2 data analysts to monitor progress.
Team contract. The team members and project manager reached a mutual agreement compelling all involved in the project to keep an open communication environment, contribute with ideas, participate in all meetings and discussions, and commit to pre-established deadlines.
Project deliverables. The team needs to deliver on the project's goal, which is to reduce by 30% the storage costs related to items being stocked for more than 10 days in the company's facilities within the next 9 months. Additionally, the team needs to meet weekly milestones and produce a weekly report of the project's progress.
Reference materials: (1) Johnson, J. C. And Wood, D. F 1996. Contemporary Logistics, N.J.: Prentice Hall Upper Saddle Creek; (2) Shepard, S. 2005. RFID -- Radio Frequency Identification, McGraw Hill: New York; (3) University of Wisconsin Milwakee, EDI notes, website accessed July 2007, http://www.uwm.edu
II. Project organization
Organizational structure.
III. Work breakdown structure and schedule
Work Breakdown Structure.
1. Analyze sources of delay in logistics activities involved in the warehousing process.
1.1. Research industry logistics trends and best practices
1.2. Analyze logistics logs for reception of raw materials and match this against the necessity to re-fill the stock (e.g. what is the quantity of raw material on stock that triggers a new order to the supplier).
1.3. Analyze logistics logs for the delivery of finished goods to distributors and identify reasons for delayed delivery.
2. Identify constraints
2.1. Analyze logistic center/warehousing processes.
2.2. Analyze the synchronization with the production and the distribution.
2.3. Analyze the capabilities/skills/deficiencies of the logistic center/warehouse's personnel.
2.4. Analyze the logistic center/warehouse's it endowment (e.g. equipments, it skills).
2.5. Analyze financial resources required to fill the technological gap between current it endowment and the needed one to meet the final objectives.
3. Improve processes
3.1. Implement RFID technology
3.2. Make improvements to logistics constraints identified in phase 2
3.3. Test and measure the new technology
3.4. Request additional equipments/man power if necessary
3.5. Train the personnel
4. Project completion phase
4.1. Perform before and after analysis
4.2. Put together final presentation of the project
Dependencies. There is a clear sequence for the main four phases. However, within each phase there is no dependency and the team members can perform their tasks independently from each other.
Resource requirements. The engineer's expertise will be required throughout the entire process. Additionally, the data analysts will have to report the project's progress every step of the way.
Budget requirements. The RFID implementation will require an initial investment of $100,000. The costs related to this technology will also include a variable component, each product having to be tagged. One tag is in average $0.1. The company's suppliers will also have to comply to RFID technology requirements. This translates into supplier costs, "the average consumer-goods company spending about $662,000 on simple slap-on-a-tag-and-ship deployments" (Sullivan, 2005).
Schedule.
Task
Target completion
1. Analyze sources of delay in logistics activities involved in the warehousing process.
Research industry logistics trends and best practices
January 15th
Analyze logistics logs for reception of raw materials and match this against the necessity to re-fill the stock
February 1st
Analyze logistics logs for the delivery of finished goods to distributors and identify reasons for delayed delivery.
February 15th
2. Identify constraints
Analyze logistic center/warehousing processes
March 30th
Analyze the synchronization with the production and the distribution
May 15th
Analyze the capabilities/skills/deficiencies of the logistic center/warehouse's personnel.
May 30th
Analyze the logistic center/warehouse's it endowment (e.g. equipments, it skills).
June 7th
Analyze financial resources required to fill the technological gap between current it endowment and the needed one to meet the final objectives.
June 30th
3. Improve processes
Implement RFID technology
July 30th
Make improvements to logistics constraints identified in phase 2
August 15th
Test and measure the new technology
August 22nd
Request additional equipments/man power if necessary
August 29th
Train the personnel
September 7th
4. Project completion phase
Perform before and after analysis
September 21st
Put together final presentation of the project
September 28th
IV. Managerial process
Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints. It will be assumed that all team… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Managing Projects Operations and Information Systems" Assignment:
Preferred ***** - ***** brebenel
Assignment: Develop an integrated plan incorporating project, operations and information systems management to improve organizational performance.
o Identify an important managerial challenge facing his or her work or other organization.
o Develop a plan that integrates project management, operations management, and information systems management to successfully meet this challenge and improve organizational performance, in a succinct report that includes an executive summary.
How to Reference "Managing Projects Operations and Information Systems" Thesis in a Bibliography
“Managing Projects Operations and Information Systems.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2009, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/managing-projects-operations-information/612379. Accessed 1 Jul 2024.
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