Operations Scheduling for MBA

 CASE 

Operations Scheduling

US-based multinational corporation, General Electric (GE) developed world class expertise in medical

imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance

improvement and drug discovery. Its biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies helped clinicians

around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform and treat disease, so their patients can live their lives to the fullest. Its operations scheduling was exemplary. The company made parts for its diagnostic equipment in China, Hungary and Mexico and developed the software for them in India.

 This model was adopted by the company when it realized that the market for the equipment is

limited in low income countries.

 It decided to use the Indian facility as a global sourcing base as the Indian facility proved

superior to the Mexican facility in meeting global quality standards at a low cost . 

This strategy of operations scheduling enabled the company to be globally competitive. Globalization of supply chain operations brought new dimensions to operations scheduling in the company. Similarly, what gave Apple its massive competitive advantage was its operations strategy and operations scheduling? It built a closed ecosystem where its exerts control over nearly every piece of the supply chain, from design to retail store. Apple got big discounts on parts, manufacturing capacity, and air freight. For Apple, operations expertise was as big an asset as product innovation or marketing. This operational edge enabled Apple to handle massive product launches without having to maintain large, profit-sapping  inventories.

Operations scheduling is an important tool for manufacturing and engineering, where it can have a major impact on the productivity of a process. In manufacturing, the purpose of scheduling is to minimize the production time and costs, by telling a production facility when to make, with which staff and on which equipment.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the essential aspects of operational scheduling in an era of outsourcing?

(Hint: Scheduling and eco-system)

2. Draw an operational schedule for the introduction of a new model of a mobile phone

(Hint: Operations scheduling and outsourcing)

Sources:

i. G. Senthil,“Operations Scheduling”, www.slideshare.net

ii. www.gehealthcare.com

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