Operations: Hot Dogs starter video

This video is one I use as a started to teaching HSC Operations....always gets good response from the students

DIE it! : a framework to create an introduction paragraph for any short response questions

I like to use the D.I.E acronym with my students as a way for them to produce an effective starting paragraph for any short answer response:  The acronym is Define term(s), state its Importance, provide an Example

Students can use the acronym for any topic of course: for example, if students have a question on HSC Business Studies topic ‘Marketing’, she/he can use the acronym to build a good starting paragraph for a short response question as follows....

 

· Define the terms - in this case 'marketing'

· Importance – say why marketing is important (e.g. marketing helps the business to achieve business objectives of increased market share

· Example – give an example where any aspect of marketing helps the business – e.g. a successful promotion strategy that leads to increased market share

Putting this together gives us the following introduction that would be suitable for any question on marketing....

(define) "Marketing is defined as a total system of interacting activities designed to plan, price, promote and distribute products to present and potential customers.

(importance) Marketing is important because it helps the business to achieve (SMART) objectives. (example) For example, the marketing department may run a successful promotion campaign that helps the business to achieve its objective of increasing market share by 5% in the next year.

Quality - Qantas: why quality matters

Qantas - the gift that keeps on giving: this time - from early Nov 2011.

Instructions:

What the video below, then read this article . Then post an answer to this question:

Q What do these news items have to do quality management at Qantas?

Hints for your post:

Check the Blog Posts for background on Qantas (the industrial dispute mush have some effect on quality hmmmm?)

1. Click here for a easy to understand prediction for Qantas expected profits
2. The following would be a pretty good intro to your post (and for HSC answer or intro to Ops strategy....

Operations strategies describes the work done by the Operations department to contribute to long term business survival through profit maximisation. These strategies include work relating to

• New product design and development
• Outsourcing
• Quality Management

Businesses such as Qantas measure the effectiveness of their Operations Strategies using metrics called Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) for the quality, cost, flexibility, speed, customisation, and dependability of each strategy - for example .

New product design and development

KPIs may be COST (to design), SPEED (to develop)

Outsourcing

KPI's may be FLEXIBILITY (to meet demand changes), DEPENDABILITY (levle of service provided by external suplier)

Quality Management

KPI's may be CUSTOMISATION (how well Qantas is able to meet specifc neeeds of its passengers)

Quality is defined as products 'fitness for purpose', and Quality Management refers to the work done by a business to ensure the reliability, safety and consistency of its product.

What is a Marketing plan, and why is it important

D = Definition. A plan is a strategy (set of steps or activities) that will achieve an objective. Therefore, a marketing plan, is a set of marketing activities to achieve marketing objectives


I = Importance. If a business does not plan, it ends up reacting to events only when they occur, which can cause the business to fail to achieve the business objectives it has set 

E = Example. For example, a marketing department that does not plan will be slow to act on changing customer wants and needs. 


As competitors respond to market changes and produce popular products, a business that has not planned is stuck making products that become harder to sell, which results in falling sales and less profits.

What is branding and why is it important?

D = Definition. A brand is a name or image used to differentiate a product or business from its competitors.


Brands are included in the range of Product features in the marketing mix.


What do you think when you see the Nike Swoosh?



I = Importance. Brands are important because they are used to quickly identify a business and its products in competitive markets.

For example, you will instantly form an impression about the features, quality, pricing and so on of the products offered by this brand?




 

E = Example. Firms take branding very seriously. For example, Gap, the US clothing business got so much bad feedback from customers on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook when it tried to make changes to its branding recently that it abandoned its new brand image after only 1 week.

Have a look at this BBC link if you want to find out more about branding.