Each essay answer should be no more than 1000 words in length. You must not
exceed the specified word limit. This is a maximum word limit (+10% does not apply).
Markers will be instructed that they do not have to mark anything beyond the 1000
words limit.

There are 4 questions pick 2 to answer. Some questions have 2 parts(A and B) and some have 1.

Answer TWO questions!!!!!

Question 1. Corporate strategy
You work for a large private investment firm that has recently brought a controlling
share of a large retailer based in Manchester. You have been asked as an operations
consultant to outline the different strategies the new Managing Director could use to
turn around the business.

a. Outline the key features of the three key corporate strategies developed by
Professor Michael Porter:
(i). Cost leadership strategy
(ii). Differentiation strategy
(iii). Focus strategy (50 marks)

b. Critically evaluate the key features of the disruptive innovation strategy and how
it can be used by firms to compete against large established rivals in a
competitive market. (50 marks)

Question 2. Process Analysis
The firm where you work is looking to design and develop a new performance
management system that will be used for all the key processes along with the production
line.
Critically evaluate the importance of the following types of performance metrics and
how they can be used to monitor processes within a production line. Use examples of
specific performance measures to support your answer:
Safety Performance
Quality Performance
Cost Performance
Delivery Performance
Morale Performance
Environmental Performance
(100 marks)

Question 3. Lean production system
You have been hired as an operations consultant to advise textile manufacturers that
are struggling to respond to changes in customer demand and improve product quality.

a. Describe the important role played by Just In Time (JIT) within the lean
production system. (50 marks)
b. Explain how the Andon System is used within the lean production system to
help improve product quality. (50 marks)

Question 4. ERP systems
After graduating from the University of Manchester you have been hired by a small
startup firm that is growing rapidly in the consumer products industry. Due to its fast
growth rate it is struggling to coordinate its production, inventory, and shipping
processes. Your first task is to write a report about how Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) systems could be used by this firm to coordinate its operational processes.

a. Describe how Aggregate Production Planning (APP) is used within a ERP
system. (50 marks)
b. Critically evaluate the important contributions the Master Production Schedule
(MPS) and the Bill Of Materials (BOM) make to a ERP system. (50 marks)