Production and Operations Management

Introduction Improving the operations of a company that will enhance productivity and product quality may not only certainly benefit a company’s bottom line, but can also benefit national interests. Marathon Oil, for example, is the United States’ “fifth largest transportation fuel refining company and the largest in the Midwest” (“Corporate Profile”). This Findlay, Ohio based company’s operations “include a six-plant refining network, a comprehensive terminal and transportation system, and extensive wholesale and retail marketing operations” (“Corporate Profile”). Marathon’s six refineries have a total refining capacity of 1.142 billion barrels per day and provide the United States with approximately seven percent of its total capacity (“About MPC”). Marathon sells 4.1 billion gallons of gasoline each year that are then distributed to over five thousand independently owned and operated Marathon locations (“About MPC”). Marathon owns Speedway, the fourth largest convenience store chain in the U.S. Speedway not only sells gasoline but also sells food and beverages and a variety of other products in one of its 1350 locations scattered throughout the Midwest (“About MPC ”). To be sure, examining Marathon’s overall product process and identifying those phases which might be improved could result in more efficient refining and distribution of the United States’ life blood: transportation fuels.
Efficiency improvements to Marathon’s product production process
In order to understand at which phase of Marathon’s product process might be improved for efficiency, it is necessary to examine the current process. The current process for Marathon starts with the purchase, delivery, and transportation of crude oil to its refineries. Marathon purchases crude oil from a variety of sources. In 2010,