Module 4 – SLP
OPERATIONS DECISIONS
Assignment Overview
With Process Management and Productivity, Quality, and Supply Chain analysis completed, it is time to
focus on operations. Your company is poised for growth.
OPERATIONS
The SLP focuses on operations decision-making in your company
Two types of research are required for SLPs in this class:
General research on Operations which may be found in course readings, the library, or online.
Research on real companies engaged in the type of business that you have chosen.
In retail businesses with physical locations where customers are served, capacity can be measured in
terms of size of the facility and throughput of customers. How many customers can you serve with your
current capacity? Often there is a trade-off in size of the facility for backroom inventory or kitchen,
displaying inventory to customers or seating, and customer space such as aisles and checkouts, or bar
space and waiting areas. You should consider all of these in your capacity analysis.
SLP Assignment
Company Overview (may be the same every module).
Provide an overview of your company.
Company name
Location (can be virtual)
The type of business. Keep the concept simple and focused on one thing. Be specific.
This section should be no longer than ½ page
Operations Decision-Making
Identify how your company uses forecasting for purposes of capacity planning and how you can utilize
productivity, inventory control, and quality improvements to meet this new demand (Operations decisions).
Review different kinds of capacity and capacity constraints. How is forecasting used to generate short-term
and long-term information about demand that affects capacity? What are some options that the company
has in terms of increasing its capacity?
Research capacity and constraints. Provide background on the concepts.
Identify at least two types of capacity in your company.
Indicate constraints that act on them now and in the future.
This section should be 1 ½ pages in length. Research is required.
Forecasting Methods
Discuss the types of forecasting methods that your company uses.
How do they generate short-term and long-term demand forecasts?
This section should be 1½ pages in length. Research is required.
Application
Determine and discuss some options that the company has in terms of relaxing or eliminating constraints
and increasing capacity in the two areas you have identified.
Which of these options would you recommend and why?
This section should be 1 ½ pages in length. Research is required.
Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite and reference the sources in APA format. The paper
should be written in third person; this means words like “I”, “we”, and “you” are not appropriate. For more
information see Differences Between First and Third Person. The excessive use of quotes or unoriginal
content will directly impact performance since it suggests lack of comprehension and indicates that a
student may not have mastered the concepts.
Module 4 SLP Background Readings
Productivity and Process Analysis (26-pages)
https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/26445_2.pdf
Types of constraints. (2018)
https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/2017/5/15/types-of-constraints
Theory of Constraints in a Service Organization
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/theory-constraints-service-organization-77337.html
SLP Assignment Expectations
Use the attached APA-formatted template (OPM500 SLP4) to create your submission.