Question

Hi,

1. What does the product-process matrix tell us? How should the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant be structured? 2. What strategy do the following organizations seem to use to manage customer-introduced variability? a. eBay b. Ritz-Carlton Hotels c. New airline check-in procedures

Answer 1

What does the product–process matrix tell us? How should the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant be structured?

The product–process matrix is a model that is used to demonstrate the combination of a product’s volume and various characteristics, together with the nature of the processes that make it.

• It is a tool to analyze the relationship between the life cycle of the product and the life cycle of the technology used.

• It is a convenient way of characterizing the relationship between product volumes and processing system employed by a firm at a particular location.

The relationship between the different layout structures is depicted on a graph with the following aspects on its axes:

• The horizontal axis maps the volume of the product, and the vertical axis plots the product standardization.

• Ideally, layout strategies are from project, work center, manufacturing cell, assembly line and continuous process as in the matrix shown below:

Project
	Work Center
		Manufacturing cell
			Assembly line
				Continuous

• Project: A project layout is advisable, when a single kind of a product is required, in low volume.

• Work Center/Job shop: A work center is required when a relatively low volume of products is required, together with a low level of standardization.

• Batch/Manufacturing cell: The manufacturing cell is required for a medium product volume which is quite standardized.

• Assembly line: The assembly line is used for relatively high product volume, and quite high level of standardization of the product.

• Continuous Process: The continuous process layout is used when high volume of a commodity is produced.

Typically, a Chinese restaurant is customer oriented and will be high on output. Therefore, a Chinese restaurant will be high on a product process matrix. However, as per the information given, it should be structured as a Continuous Process.

What strategy do the following organizations seem to use to manage customer-introduced variability?

a.  eBay

b.  Ritz-Carlton Hotels

c.  New airline check-in procedures

Company Eb:

Eb is one of the popular online shopping websites, which delivers primarily goods and services to the customers. The website management predominantly has to face request variability, wherein the surfer’s request for items, are not available in the specific type, volume or variety, as requested. This is generally tackled by using Classic Reduction strategy which requires customers to make reservations for specific types of services.

RC hotels:

In such Frontline hotels, customer variability is caused due to varied customer requests and subjective preferences, for rooms of their choice. This is tackled by uncompromised reduction, whereby the service breadth is limited, and the customers are split into target markets, depending on their requests.

NA airline check-in procedures:

In NA check-in procedures, customer variability is caused due to the lack of customer knowledge regarding service delivery procedures. Customers may not follow the instructions of the check in and checkout process. This can be mainly tackled by classic accommodation strategy.

****Please please please LIKE THIS ANSWER, so that I can get a small benefit, Please****