...Albatross Anchor Case Study 3 (Note: This is not a real company) Introduction Albatross Anchor is a small family owned business that began in 1976 with four family members. Albatross anchor has grown exponentially and now employs 130 people. This one location/facility is situated on 12 acres located in a rural suburb of Smalltown, USA (Please note* the building and facilities for Albatross Anchor are landlocked). The plant* and the administrative offices are located in the same building. (*Note: The plant includes: manufacturing, the shipping department, the receiving department, raw materials storage, finished product storage, and the foundry). The administrative offices are in the front of the building and the plant is located directly behind the administrative offices (see diagram). The administrative offices have issues because they are somewhat shabby, disorganized, and run inefficiently. The plant is antiquated, worn, dirty, and technology-deprived and it no longer meets all U.S. safety and environmental standards. The owners of this small business have added on various processes as needs arose; within the limited space of the plant. When Albatross Anchor first opened its doors their expertise was in the manufacturing of bell/mushroom anchors (using a foundry process). In 1989, in response to international competition, the owners of Albatross Anchor made the decision to expand the product line to include fabricated snag hook anchors. Customers Albatross...
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...Unit six Written Assignment Tamisha Matus MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University December 16, 2011 Introduction Question One Carefully review the assignment scenario/case study. From the limited information in the scenario/case study, along with your answers to the unit three written assignment, identify at least three direct and specific long-term and three direct and specific short term operations changes that Albatross Anchor must make to gain a clear and sustainable competitive advantage (provide detailed information to validate and support each recommended change) Long-Term Operational Changes (01) Improved technology to increase efficiency and effectiveness throughout the plant. Without a doubt, old technology makes it harder for the manufacturing process and takes longer to get the products to the end user. A five year plan to update technology would be more cost effective and can address the technology issues on a predetermined plan over the five year term. (02) Purchase new equipment to eliminate sharing manufacturing equipment between the two different types of anchors. The new equipment should be state of the art to assist with the technology upgrades and to get the most for the money. The separate equipment will eliminate the 36 hours of down time necessary to change over the equipment between production runs. (03) Separate manufacturing areas for the snag hook anchor and the bell anchors to increase production. This will tie the...
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...six Unit Written Assignment Erica R Watson MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University June 28, 2011 Introduction Albatross Anchors manufactures two different types of anchors to satisfy their wholesale customers. The company once only manufactured the mushroom or bell anchor but when the competition heated up they began producing the snag hook anchor as well, this occurred in 1989. (Case Study) Being that Albatross Anchors is a major manufacturer and that they are continuing to grow it seems as though a bigger more organized workspace is needed to speed up both production and shipment of each anchor order. Question One Carefully review the assignment scenario/case study. From the limited information in the scenario/case study, along with your answers to the unit three written assignment, identify at least three direct and specific long-term and three direct and specific short term operations changes that Albatross Anchor must make to gain a clear and sustainable competitive advantage (provide detailed information to validate and support each recommended change) Long-Term Operational Changes (01) A long term operation change that Albatross Anchor needs to make is building another Administrative office that is detached from the warehouse in order to make it both safe and more efficient for all employees. (02)Installing up to date technology into the warehouse and administrative offices will help to gain business and give the company a more smooth transition when taking orders...
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...Unit three Written Assignment Carrie Flood MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University October 6, 2012 Introduction Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: Albatross charges about the same price as the competitors do. However the inefficiency of their operations can sometimes reduce their profit margin by 35% which leads me to believe that it could be better for them to outsource the product (Russell & Taylor, 2011). If they were to outsource it would reduce their overhead which includes labor and materials and they wouldn’t have to incur those costs anymore therefore making them more profitable (Russell & Taylor, 2011). b) Economies of Scale in material purchasing: Albatross is able to spread their fixed costs over the number of units they produce because they produce them in large quantities and do not sell individual orders or to retail stores (Wise Geek, 2012). c) Cost of Raw Materials Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: Albatross receives all their raw material by rail. In order to keep the cost of raw materials down, Albatross has to plan the utilization of these products so that they do not sit very long (Voortman, 2004). d) Cost of Finished Goods Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: It is important for Albatross to get out product as soon...
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...Unit three Written Assignment Christine Carter MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University September 13, 2013 Introduction Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: ” In a recent paper, Glock (2010a) studied the impact of variable production rates on the build-up of inventory in a two-stage production system and showed that deviating from the ‘design production rate’ of the system may reduce the system’s total costs. This is important, as varying the production rate gives production planners flexibility in smoothing material flows and in avoiding the accumulation of inventory at bottleneck stations.” Since Albatross Anchors has such inefficiencies when it comes to not only the production of their anchors, it also has inefficiencies when it comes to the shipping. With the design layout of the receiving department also being the shipping department for international orders, this is causing a bottleneck situation which is lowering their profit margin. With the cost of manufacturing mushroom anchors at $8.00 per pound and $11.00 per pound for the snag hook anchor Albatross Anchors needs to re-evaluate their production methods and warehouse layout in order to maximize their profits. b) Economies of Scale in material purchasing: c) Cost of Raw...
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...Unit 1 Quality Manageent MT435-02 -Operations Management Professor: Jason Jackson Magida Taracena 8/2/2014 A business may manufacture goods and to meet their clients needs. It is obvious that many customers always know that some businesses make better products than others, and therefore buys accordingly to it. So, that means that the business must reflect on how the client labels the word quality. I think that quality should be meant at the requirements of the customer. From here we can take that product and service quality is highly influenced by what the client want and especially by what is willing to pay. It all depends on what their needs are, and their quality expectations. The dimensions of quality for manufactured products a consumer seem to be looking for are performance, features, reliability conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, safety, and other perceptions. Performance is basically how well a product is working. Features are the additional piece added. Reliability is basically the possibility that manufactured goods will operate correctly in a projected time. Conformance is the extent to which a product meets the reestablish averages. Durability is practically how long the product will last before it has to be replaced. When it comes to serviceability they are talking about the simplicity of getting things repaired. Aesthetic is the way the product looks to end-users. Safety guarantees clients that they wont experience...
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...Albatross Anchor Unit 6 Unit Six Written Assignment Ury Salinas MT435 Operations Management Introduction Question One Carefully review the assignment scenario/case study. From the limited information in the scenario/case study, along with your answers to the unit three written assignment, identify at least three direct and specific long-term and three direct and specific short term operations changes that Albatross Anchor must make to gain a clear and sustainable competitive advantage (provide detailed information to validate and support each recommended change) Long-Term Operational Changes (01) An improvement in technology can increase efficiency and effectiveness throughout the plant. It is obvious that technology changes at such a rapid rate, older technology can slow down or inhibit the manufacturing process, making it longer for the products to reach the consumer. A plan over the span of 3 to 5 years to update technology is realistic because it gives enough time for the updates to be made effectively. (02) The purchase of additional equipment can take away the need to share manufacturing equipment between the two different types of anchors. The new equipment should be top of the line, because this will not only fall in line with the upgrades to technology, but will be the most cost-effective. Time is what will be saved primarily, since the separate equipment will do away with the 36 hours that are needed during equipment change-overs between production...
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...MT435 Operations Management Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: Albatross Anchor’s fixed costs are down due to the fact that they house all departments in one location. The cost of manufacturing is $8.00 per pound for mushrooms and bell anchors and $11.00 per pound for snag hook anchors. Although, the advantage of housing all departments in one location is that their fixed cost is down the disadvantage is greater because they are operating inefficiently. In the long run this brings down their profit margin giving them a disadvantage when compared to competitors. b) Economies of Scale in material purchasing: Economies of Scale focuses on the company/plant getting larger and volume increasing, making the average cost per unit of output to drop. Albatross Anchor’s is not able to realize the economies of scale because they produce small batch sizes c) Cost of Raw Materials Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: Because raw materials just sit there until they are ready to be shipped out the cost is high. The company’s material purchasing department is able to get economies of scale but I assume this is what leads to the large idle inventory sitting in the warehouse. d) Cost of Finished Goods Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: Finished products also...
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...Unit three Written Assignment Lisa Schwartz MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University June 26, 2012 Introduction A small family owned business that they started in 1976 with four family members is Albatross Anchors. Now Albatross Anchors now employees one hundred and thirty. The building sits on 12 acres in a small town. We know that the adminidtravie offices are disorganized, dirty and are un inefficiently. The plant is old worn, dirty and not up to date with the new technology and it does not meet all US safety and environmental standards. In 1989 Albatross Anchors started fabricated snag hook anchors to be able to compete internationally. Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost A) Cost of Production: Albatross has manufacturing costs set at $8.00 per pound for bell/mushroom anchors and $11.00 per pound for snag hook anchors. Even though they charge the same as their competitors, Albatross Anchors is experiencing a profit of 35% less. The losses seem to be caused by inefficiencies, and have affected the profit margin. B) Economies of Scale in material purchasing: In 1989 when Albatross Anchors starting manufacturing the snag hook, they needed new equipment. When the did that they did not expand the building, now both anchors have to share the one...
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...Unit three Written Assignment Vanna Mata MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University September 22, 2011 Albatross Anchor has been in business since 1976. They are manufacturer of bell/mushroom anchors. They are only deal with wholesale; there is no retail service at all. Their building consists of their administrative offices, foundry, shipping and receiving, raw materials and finished materials storage, and manufacturing. Their building is not up to standards and is very old. In this case study, I will discuss as how to improve Albatross Anchor competitiveness and see if there is a new process to help bring down the costs. Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: Since Albatross Anchor keeps all departments in one building; this keeps the fixed cost down. The cost of manufacturing for the mushroom/bell anchors are $8.00 per pound and $11.00 per pound for the snag hook anchors. The charge the same per unit as their competitors due but since all departments are housed under one building, there are operations inefficiencies. This can bring down their profit margins. This would mean that Albatross Anchor has a cost disadvantage compared to competitors. b) Economies of Scale in material purchasing: “Economies of scale, also called increasing returns...
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...Unit Three Written Assignment MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University July 25, 2011 Introduction Question One Albatross Anchor started as a small family business of four people in the 70s and expanded quickly to a facility on 12 acres an employees of over 130. By 1989, the product line was expanded to include snag hook anchors suitable for saltwater marine crafts. This expansion of products allowed Albatross to compete internationally; however, the technology-deprived and out of date facility has run inefficiently for years causing loss on their bottom line. 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: Currently Albatross Anchors is experiencing a profit margin 35% less on some of the anchors produced than their competitors, even though the prices they charge are the same. Albatross has manufacturing costs set at $8.00 per pound for the mushroom/bell anchors and $11.00 per pound for the snag hook anchors they manufacture (Albatross Anchor [case study]). These losses in the profit margin have been determined to be caused by inefficiencies in the operations. b) Economies of Scale: When Albatross decided to begin manufacturing the snag hook anchor in addition to the mushroom/bell anchor in 1989, they invested in the new machinery necessary for the snag hook anchors design and manufacturing process. However, no expansion was made to the building so all machinery for both anchor types share the same plant space. Since each manufacturing...
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...Unit three Written Assignment Lacy Smith MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University July 1, 2013 Introduction Albatross Anchor’s is a family owned business that started in 1976 that grew to employ one hundred and thirty employees. All departments of the company are in one building and the departments consist of an administrative office, manufacturing, shipping, receiving, raw materials storage, finished goods storage and the foundry. Through the years the standards of the department has decreased and Albatross needs to revamp their company to be up to those standards of the US and environmental. Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: Cost of production is $8.00 per pound for mushroom/bell anchors and $11.00 per pound for snag hook anchors. The cost of production definition is the cost of making or acquiring goods and services that directly generates revenue for a firm. It consists of direct and indirect costs. (Cost of Production, 2013) b) Economies of Scale in material purchasing: An economy of scale is the reduction in long-run average and marginal costs arising from an increase in size of an operating unit. (Economies of Scale, 2013) It can be external or internal; external will increase the productivity of the industry and will result...
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...Unit Six Written Assignment Naomi Grier MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University March 26, 2012 Introduction Albatross Anchor is a small family owned business that began in 1976 with few family members. The company has grown tremendously over the years causing issues with production and the administrative area is also affected. The plant is technology deprived, dirty, disorganized, and not meeting US safety and environmental standards. As the company grew more processes were added and with the limited space, production was not running smoothly. When Albatross Anchor first opened its doors their expertise was in the manufacturing of bell/mushroom anchors. In 1989, in response to international competition, the owners of Albatross Anchor made the decision to expand the product line to include fabricated snag hook anchors. Albatross Anchor is a manufacturing factory that sells only at the wholesale level. The owners will need to rethink the overall process and layout design of the facility. Once these areas are identified and implemented it will help will sustain a competitive advantage for Albatross Anchor. Question One Carefully review the assignment scenario/case study. From the limited information in the scenario/case study, along with your answers to the unit three written assignment, identify at least three direct and specific long-term and three direct and specific short term operations changes that Albatross Anchor must make to gain a clear and sustainable...
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...Unit three Written Assignment MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University 1/23/2012 Introduction In the following case study, an overview of the competitiveness of a small family owned business, Albatross Anchors will be provided. In addition an analysis of two differing manufacturing process cost models will be included. Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: The cost of production for Albatross Anchors has two variables: 1) Mushroom/Bell Anchors: $8.00 per pound 2) Snag Hook Anchors: $11.00 per pound The cost for the consumer is comparable to other competitors at the unit level. They will need to make operational improvements in order to keep their profit potential in line with competitors. b) Economies of Scale in material purchasing: According to Investopedia, and economy of scale is “The increase in efficiency of production as the number of goods being produced increases.” (Investopedia, 2011) In terms of material purchasing participation in an economy of scale is not practical. The orders are processed in small batches as orders are received. If the business where to participate in an economy of scale they would have to house the material in the Warehouse in the mean time which would cause an increase...
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...Unit three Written Assignment Tezra Lee MT435 Operations Management Kaplan University June 4, 2013 Introduction Albatross Anchor has been in business since 1976, and are the manufacturer of bell/mushroom anchors. They are strictly a wholesale organization; there is no retail service. Their building is comprised of their administrative offices, foundry, shipping and receiving, raw materials and finished product storage, and manufacturing. The plant is located directly behind the administrative offices in a building that is outdated and no longer meets US safety and environmental standards. In this case study, I will discuss possibilities to improve Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness, and determine if a new process will help to reduce costs. Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost of Production: Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to cost is about 35% lower than their competitors as a result of operational inefficiencies. They need to address the problems causing their inefficiencies in order to be in line with their competitors. The cost to manufacture mushroom/bell anchors is the same as their competitors at $8.00 per pound, and $11.00 per pound for snag hook anchors. Some of the problems causing the company to lose money include...
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