1. Production Times
Case Brief
Production times are made up of employee performance and machine performance. Employee performance is related to experience, time of day, time of week, training, and machine quality (motivation). Performance is lowest at the start of the day/week and highest at the end. Machine performance is related to age, make, and type. Older and inferior-make machines are slower and break down. Complex processes use complex, slower machines. The plant cannot be expanded, but excess storage space is available. The factory runs a single 9-5 shift, 5 days a week. A new competitor is building a plant locally and will be hiring from the same limited, skilled labour pool.
The Question
The problem was redefined as: ‘How can we increase the daily production levels?’ Critically evaluate what the firm did. Can you reach different conclusions by using a different approach? Illustrate and explain.
2. Quillian Pens
Case Brief
Quillian Pens carried out a SWOT analysis:
Opportunities: Growth in developing markets, growing pen collectors, interest in high-tech pens, corporate gift market.
Threats: Increasing competition at low price points, imitation, strong competitor identity, growth in secondary/own brands.
Strengths: High consumer awareness, strong brand names, global recognition.
Weaknesses: Too many old products, lack of innovative products, 'boring' image, insufficient range in low price category.
The Question
Identify the problem objectives to which the Quillian company might seek answers.
3. Catalogue Selling
Case Brief
A catalogue sales company has problems filling an increasing amount of orders, leading to customer dissatisfaction. Sales and profits have been rising steadily, and marketing has been very successful. However, weather-related delays and cost overruns on a new warehouse mean it's impossible to expand inventory storage or hire more staff for at least six months.
The Question
Using the first three stages of the creative problem solving process, suggest how the problem may be redefined for the purpose of generating insights into the situation.
4. Reducing Wear & Tear
Case Brief
Motorways wear out gradually and unevenly. Regular resurfacing is necessary, which is costly and causes huge traffic jams in high-density areas. Creativity consultants have been called in to gather information and obtain different perspectives to facilitate ideation.
The Question
What redefinitions of the problem might they consider?
5. Production Problems (Ebonite Company)
Case Brief
The Ebonite Company (car batteries) has production problems. The operations manager has been considering an alternative method of working, but bosses and employees are resistant.
Trouble-spots:
■ Many defective items
■ High staff absenteeism
■ Low productivity
■ Raw materials and finished inventory levels too high
The Question
Consider the kind of fact-finding activities that the operations manager needs to undertake in order to define the real problem or problems in this instance.