Week

Then find a current event in an article at the inline periodical listed to illustrate that concept. Compose an analysis of that event or situation using the weekly operations concept that you selected. Try to choose the concept that has been addressed the least by your classmates. Your post is due by Midnight (Central Time) Thursday. Next, respond to at least three classmates' posts by Midnight (Central Time) Sunday. Remember that content matters. You need to write more than â€Å"Great Job† or â€Å"l agree with you† to get full credit on your discussion responses.Week 1 Discussion The weekly textbook concepts for our discussion this week are: Operational efficiency Operational effectiveness Operational Sustainability Strategic Operations Planning Operational Productivity Operations and Supply Chain Strategy Select one of these concepts and find a related article at the New York Times: http://www. Anytime. Com/ . Try clicking on â€Å"Business† on the left to se e the business related articles or search by entering your topic in the search box. You'll find one (or several articles) to analyze.Remember to focus upon your selected concept in your analysis. After reviewing and analyzing one of the current events articles, post your analysis and comments to your classmates low. For full credit, review three of your classmates postings and reply to them. If you're the first to enter the Discussion there will only BEA Respond button. Otherwise, you will see others' posting below. Click on the + Expand All button to view all of the entries made by your fellow learners. This section lists options that can be used to view responses.Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Response Author Defeatism* Week 1 Nicole Haunt 3/19/2013 PM Speedy Check-Len Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk The hotel industry is becoming more electronic fr iendly by placing check-in kiosks in their hotels for quick and easy check-in. It is the age of social networking and people like to get things done quickly and having this capability in the hotels will allow things to go a lot quicker.This also allows the hotels to cut down on staffing and increase revenue. They have also added kiosks by the elevators so that if their keys do not work the customer does not have to go all the way to the front desk to get it fixed. Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people heckling-in and then help then when it is needed. This represents operation effectiveness because it is something that can be continuously improved; it improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. The hotels are maximizing their check-in process by making it faster and reducing wait time. Http://www. Anytime. Mom/2013/03/19/business/speedy-chi eek-in -lets-h Tool- guests-bypass-front-desk. HTML? Ref=business&_r=O RE: Weekly Eduardo Bertha 3/1 9/2013 PM Nico le remember the first time when I encountered the electronic check-in. It was in NY City and it seemed very unusual. There I was checking into the hotel hill the lady was standing behind the counter watching me. This was about 8 years ago and din ‘t understand the point Of having the electronic check-in at a small hotel†¦ It makes sense to have it in a large hotel where the electronic check in will reduce waiting times†¦ RE: weekly Memorable Ramona 3/19/2013 PM Good point Eduardo.In big name hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, and Hilton I can see where providing kiosks to their guests would benefit in time managing. This way, the hotel clerks can accommodate and assist their guests in different areas. From experience, have had to check-in to plenty of hotels Ewing in the Air Force Reserves and it does get pretty bothersome having to wait in line, especially after a long tiresome drive. RE: Weekly Nicole Haunt 3/20/2013 AM also agree that it would seem unusual to have a kiosk at a small hotel because I would think that you would want more of a mom and pop feel when you go to small establishments like that.I know that when I go on vacation to Vegas or any where that is popular the last thing I want to do is stand in line so a kiosk would be helpful but then I wonder if customer service will go down because they are not pay too much attention to the customer. RE: Week 1 Nicole, Geisha Bristol 3/20/2013 9:48:49 PM You hit the nail right on the head. Customer service WILL go lacking. L, myself, have worked in the hospitality/hotel field (and hoping to one day get back into this field) and know that customer service is a BIG deal when it comes to that.That first â€Å"meet and greet† is important when checking into a hotel. I can understand the functionality of using kiosks. But can also see the downside. You would still need the staff to clean the rooms from previous guests. Somehow, the status on each room needs to be updated to make the system of the kiosk work. Housekeeping and the front desk work very closely in the hotel setting. As housekeeping cleans the room, the front desk is updated on what rooms have been cleaned and are ready for a new guest.The use of a kiosk, I feel can become a problem down the road. Thatcher's how feel. RE: Weekly Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:44:19 PM Niccole, This was news to me! I was unaware that hotels would start using kiosks to check-in. I suppose it makes sense since the Airlines do it as well and the process has proven to work in that regard. As a customer, this is great. I would think that this is a win/win situation. I hope they do not do away with he bell man though! I kind of of still want my baggage carried for me if I'm on a fancy vacation!Tony RE: Weekly Instructor Cube 3/23/2013 AM Nicole, you wrote that â€Å"Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. † You are doing a good job in this analysi s Of illustrating the similarities between services processes and assembly (manufacturing) processes. There really are a lot of similarities that are evident when we consider efficiency and effectiveness improvement methods. Chapter 2 (page 30-31 ) does a good job of illustrating how Operations managers measure productivity (partial, multiracial, total).Which of these methods would you think that a services business, like the hotel in your article, would apply? Class, any ideas on this†¦ RE: weekly Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 PM Professor, believe using a partial measure of productivity would be ideal. The Operation manager of a hotel would be interested in the productivity of its staff. Fifth Operations manager were in charge of multiple hotel chains, then he/she would use total measure of productivity or even malefactor measures. According to the textbook, a total factor measure would be used to measure he productivity of an entire organization.This way the Operations manager can compare and make adjustments in the less producing hotel chains. Eunice RE: weekly Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:3108 AM Right, in services process with lots of people, labor productivity (partial measure) is a good way to measure productivity. Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:37:33 PM In 2012, Shell Oil Company had to suspend operations in the Arctic Ocean when their drilling rig the Kulak was grounded. Shell had attempted to drill for oil in the Arctic but the harsh climate made oversight of the operation very difficult.A recent review concluded â€Å"Shell had failed in a wide range of basic operational tasks, like supervision of contractors that performed critical work, including towing one of the company's two drilling rigs†. This failed operational control caused the rig to be damaged. The ineffectiveness to oversee these operations correctly diminished the value of drilling in the Arctic. For now Shell states that they â€Å"will not return to the Arct ic Ocean in 2013†. Overall, I believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment.Despite the unfortunate towing incident, Shell has made the right decision to reevaluate how things are being managed. Brooder, John M. (2013), Interior Dept. Warns Shell on Arctic Drilling. Retrieved March 1 9, 2013 from http://YMMV. Anytime. Com/2013/03/1 5/business/gibbon/ RE: Shell in the Artic Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8:40:23 AM Anthony, you wrote that â€Å"l believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment. Despite the unfortunate towing managed. † Which of the weekly textbook concepts (above) do you thing was involved in this decision?Would it be Operations efficiency, Operations effectiveness, Operations productivity, or some other factor? Class, what do you think†¦.. RE: Shell in the Artic Sandra Rolling 3/20/2013 11 AM think this is would be under Chapter 2 – Page 22 , Exhibit 2. 1 – Shell is actively working their Triple Bottom Line Thanks Sands RE: Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/21/2013 8:23:38 PM Proof, would think that Operational sustainability was a big factor in considering to terminate operations in the interim. Because of the issues that happen, value was lost and therefore so was effectiveness and efficiency.Its to me that each concept must hold strong for operational management to work. RE: Shell in the Artic Matthew Bat-y 3/22/2013 10:35:02 AM I think, in this case, operational sustainability was going to be lost. There were too many negative consequences in continuing action in the Arctic, not least of which was the safety hazard to the employees. Inclusively, both efficiency and effectiveness would have been diminished. RE: Shell in the At-tic Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Good observations about social responsibility. The way that companies pursue operations is very important.RE: Shell in the Artic Eduardo Bertha 3/24/ 2013 2:02:32 PM Social responsibility has different meanings depending on the culture where the many originates and where it operates†¦ Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/19/2013 PM Textbook definition Of efficiency means doing something at the lowest possible cost while effectiveness means doing the right things to create the most value for the company. (Jacobs & Chase 11). An article from the NY Times focuses on Promethean, a biodegrade company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats. (Promethean 2).It develops several medical treatments to meet the critical needs of the united States and its allies by developing and counterclaiming medical entrepreneurs against biological and chemical threats. The company employs both operational efficiency and effectiveness through reduced operating expenses that went from $21. 2 million in 2011 to $19. 5 million in 2012 by cutting unnecessary operating expenses. Also general and administrative expenses went dow n from $14. 3 million to $11. 6 million as a result of a reduction in legal and other general and administrative expenses.As a result of being efficient, some trade-offs were made. â€Å"Trade-offs occur when activities are incompatible so that more of one thing necessitates less of another. (Jacobs & Chase 27). The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. In this line of business, dealing with break-through medical advancements, the company must strive on process quality. Being effective is more important than being efficient for Promethean. Jacobs, F. Robert & Richard B. Chase. Operations and Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill & Irwin. New York, NY, 201 1.Print. Promethean. â€Å"Promethean Reports Year-End 2012 Financial And operational Results. † NY Times. Com. 13 Mar 2013. Web. 19 Mar 2013. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8137138 AM Eunice, you wrote that â€Å"The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. † Everyone should note that every business must choose among the focus dimensions (pages 25-27) to decide how they will compete, and then the Operations function of that company has to apply the business level focus dimensions that support the overall business plan.Class and Eunice, in this case above which of the focus dimensions did this firm adopt in its operations function and which did they trade-off? † Any ideas†¦.. RE: Portfolio Jill Davis 3/23/2013 PM Eunice, I liked your post. I think that in terms of product and service safety, especially in the health care fields, companies should make the trade off toward products and service quality, rather than a cheaper or faster service or product. Our text says that a company has to decide on which parameters of performance are critical to success and focus on those.High quality can be a trade off to low cost, but when it comes to health services and pharmaceutical companies the performance parameters critical to success are the well-being of their customers so low cost should have to take a back seat to product and service quality. Jacobs, Robert F. & Chase, Richard B. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Right Jill, we have all seen how a focus on low cost and low quality in the medical industry can endanger consumers.RE: Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 6:54:56 PM As Jill and Jordan stated, quality is more important when it comes to the healthcare field. Not only would Promethean lose its business if even one person dies from the company's negligence, but it would face tremendous lawsuits from individuals and the government. Its reputation would be destroyed. Promethean understands the repercussions if they don't deliver a quality product so it sacrifices cost in order to deliver quality products. People are willing to spend money on medications that work.I think this is one field where consumers will pay anything for medicine that truly works. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:36:44 AM Right Eunice, so these Operations managers do not focus upon low cost, flexibility, customized products, or high efficiency. They have traded off all of these focus dimensions and their approach is high quality. RE: Portfolio Steven Rice 3/24/2013 3:44139 PM would say the main focus dimension is to focus on quality, or â€Å"Make a great Product† vs.. â€Å"Deliver a great service†. Anything in the healthcare industry has a heavy emphasis in the quality control in design and process quality.I used to work for a company that produced Animal Drugs and was heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, because the animals that received the drugs we produced were farmed for human consumption. As consumer, I always want the best quality for the price I'm willing to spend or can afford. Steve Rice RE-: Portfolio Jordan Edwards 3/20/20 13 PM Modified:3/20/2013 1184 PM Thanks Eunice for the insightful analysis on your article. It seems like a lot of firms/organizations are looking at ways they can save by eliminating inefficiencies or other processes altogether.In this case I would say that Promethean opted to focus on quality or making a great product and sacrificed cost or price-?making the product cheaply. RE: Portfolio Kristin Truer 3/24/2013 PM think that being effective vs. being efficient has paid off for this organization. Sometimes, a company or organization may have to pay a little more to be ore effective in delivering their product that they want and are needing to get out. In the end, its what is going to pay off for the company when the product is sold to its customers.Good info and article. Kristin Operational Sustainability Pamela Chafed 3/19/2013 10:58:43 PM I would not normally think of using Wall-Mart in the same sentence with the term operational sustainability but an article titled Unexpected A lly Helps Wall-Mart Cut Waste changed my thought process. Wall-Mart courted environmental groups and sought their input on its policies since it first announced a sustainability program. The major push for Wall-Mart to strive towards operational sustainability was to transform the publics' opinion of the corporation.With negative public views towards Wall-Marts environmental impacts and treatment of women in the workforce, H. Lee Scott, the chief executive, now retired, announced wide ranged plans to lessen the environmental impact the company had on the communities it served. The company has met some environmental goals and missed others. One of these was increasing reuse or recycle of waste produced in its stores by 64 percent, not quite the zero-waste goal that was set, but a huge step forward s progress continues to be made. Week Then find a current event in an article at the inline periodical listed to illustrate that concept. Compose an analysis of that event or situation using the weekly operations concept that you selected. Try to choose the concept that has been addressed the least by your classmates. Your post is due by Midnight (Central Time) Thursday. Next, respond to at least three classmates' posts by Midnight (Central Time) Sunday. Remember that content matters. You need to write more than â€Å"Great Job† or â€Å"l agree with you† to get full credit on your discussion responses.Week 1 Discussion The weekly textbook concepts for our discussion this week are: Operational efficiency Operational effectiveness Operational Sustainability Strategic Operations Planning Operational Productivity Operations and Supply Chain Strategy Select one of these concepts and find a related article at the New York Times: http://www. Anytime. Com/ . Try clicking on â€Å"Business† on the left to se e the business related articles or search by entering your topic in the search box. You'll find one (or several articles) to analyze.Remember to focus upon your selected concept in your analysis. After reviewing and analyzing one of the current events articles, post your analysis and comments to your classmates low. For full credit, review three of your classmates postings and reply to them. If you're the first to enter the Discussion there will only BEA Respond button. Otherwise, you will see others' posting below. Click on the + Expand All button to view all of the entries made by your fellow learners. This section lists options that can be used to view responses.Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Response Author Defeatism* Week 1 Nicole Haunt 3/19/2013 PM Speedy Check-Len Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk The hotel industry is becoming more electronic fr iendly by placing check-in kiosks in their hotels for quick and easy check-in. It is the age of social networking and people like to get things done quickly and having this capability in the hotels will allow things to go a lot quicker.This also allows the hotels to cut down on staffing and increase revenue. They have also added kiosks by the elevators so that if their keys do not work the customer does not have to go all the way to the front desk to get it fixed. Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people heckling-in and then help then when it is needed. This represents operation effectiveness because it is something that can be continuously improved; it improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. The hotels are maximizing their check-in process by making it faster and reducing wait time. Http://www. Anytime. Mom/2013/03/19/business/speedy-chi eek-in -lets-h Tool- guests-bypass-front-desk. HTML? Ref=business&_r=O RE: Weekly Eduardo Bertha 3/1 9/2013 PM Nico le remember the first time when I encountered the electronic check-in. It was in NY City and it seemed very unusual. There I was checking into the hotel hill the lady was standing behind the counter watching me. This was about 8 years ago and din ‘t understand the point Of having the electronic check-in at a small hotel†¦ It makes sense to have it in a large hotel where the electronic check in will reduce waiting times†¦ RE: weekly Memorable Ramona 3/19/2013 PM Good point Eduardo.In big name hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, and Hilton I can see where providing kiosks to their guests would benefit in time managing. This way, the hotel clerks can accommodate and assist their guests in different areas. From experience, have had to check-in to plenty of hotels Ewing in the Air Force Reserves and it does get pretty bothersome having to wait in line, especially after a long tiresome drive. RE: Weekly Nicole Haunt 3/20/2013 AM also agree that it would seem unusual to have a kiosk at a small hotel because I would think that you would want more of a mom and pop feel when you go to small establishments like that.I know that when I go on vacation to Vegas or any where that is popular the last thing I want to do is stand in line so a kiosk would be helpful but then I wonder if customer service will go down because they are not pay too much attention to the customer. RE: Week 1 Nicole, Geisha Bristol 3/20/2013 9:48:49 PM You hit the nail right on the head. Customer service WILL go lacking. L, myself, have worked in the hospitality/hotel field (and hoping to one day get back into this field) and know that customer service is a BIG deal when it comes to that.That first â€Å"meet and greet† is important when checking into a hotel. I can understand the functionality of using kiosks. But can also see the downside. You would still need the staff to clean the rooms from previous guests. Somehow, the status on each room needs to be updated to make the system of the kiosk work. Housekeeping and the front desk work very closely in the hotel setting. As housekeeping cleans the room, the front desk is updated on what rooms have been cleaned and are ready for a new guest.The use of a kiosk, I feel can become a problem down the road. Thatcher's how feel. RE: Weekly Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:44:19 PM Niccole, This was news to me! I was unaware that hotels would start using kiosks to check-in. I suppose it makes sense since the Airlines do it as well and the process has proven to work in that regard. As a customer, this is great. I would think that this is a win/win situation. I hope they do not do away with he bell man though! I kind of of still want my baggage carried for me if I'm on a fancy vacation!Tony RE: Weekly Instructor Cube 3/23/2013 AM Nicole, you wrote that â€Å"Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. † You are doing a good job in this analysi s Of illustrating the similarities between services processes and assembly (manufacturing) processes. There really are a lot of similarities that are evident when we consider efficiency and effectiveness improvement methods. Chapter 2 (page 30-31 ) does a good job of illustrating how Operations managers measure productivity (partial, multiracial, total).Which of these methods would you think that a services business, like the hotel in your article, would apply? Class, any ideas on this†¦ RE: weekly Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 PM Professor, believe using a partial measure of productivity would be ideal. The Operation manager of a hotel would be interested in the productivity of its staff. Fifth Operations manager were in charge of multiple hotel chains, then he/she would use total measure of productivity or even malefactor measures. According to the textbook, a total factor measure would be used to measure he productivity of an entire organization.This way the Operations manager can compare and make adjustments in the less producing hotel chains. Eunice RE: weekly Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:3108 AM Right, in services process with lots of people, labor productivity (partial measure) is a good way to measure productivity. Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:37:33 PM In 2012, Shell Oil Company had to suspend operations in the Arctic Ocean when their drilling rig the Kulak was grounded. Shell had attempted to drill for oil in the Arctic but the harsh climate made oversight of the operation very difficult.A recent review concluded â€Å"Shell had failed in a wide range of basic operational tasks, like supervision of contractors that performed critical work, including towing one of the company's two drilling rigs†. This failed operational control caused the rig to be damaged. The ineffectiveness to oversee these operations correctly diminished the value of drilling in the Arctic. For now Shell states that they â€Å"will not return to the Arct ic Ocean in 2013†. Overall, I believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment.Despite the unfortunate towing incident, Shell has made the right decision to reevaluate how things are being managed. Brooder, John M. (2013), Interior Dept. Warns Shell on Arctic Drilling. Retrieved March 1 9, 2013 from http://YMMV. Anytime. Com/2013/03/1 5/business/gibbon/ RE: Shell in the Artic Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8:40:23 AM Anthony, you wrote that â€Å"l believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment. Despite the unfortunate towing managed. † Which of the weekly textbook concepts (above) do you thing was involved in this decision?Would it be Operations efficiency, Operations effectiveness, Operations productivity, or some other factor? Class, what do you think†¦.. RE: Shell in the Artic Sandra Rolling 3/20/2013 11 AM think this is would be under Chapter 2 – Page 22 , Exhibit 2. 1 – Shell is actively working their Triple Bottom Line Thanks Sands RE: Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/21/2013 8:23:38 PM Proof, would think that Operational sustainability was a big factor in considering to terminate operations in the interim. Because of the issues that happen, value was lost and therefore so was effectiveness and efficiency.Its to me that each concept must hold strong for operational management to work. RE: Shell in the Artic Matthew Bat-y 3/22/2013 10:35:02 AM I think, in this case, operational sustainability was going to be lost. There were too many negative consequences in continuing action in the Arctic, not least of which was the safety hazard to the employees. Inclusively, both efficiency and effectiveness would have been diminished. RE: Shell in the At-tic Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Good observations about social responsibility. The way that companies pursue operations is very important.RE: Shell in the Artic Eduardo Bertha 3/24/ 2013 2:02:32 PM Social responsibility has different meanings depending on the culture where the many originates and where it operates†¦ Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/19/2013 PM Textbook definition Of efficiency means doing something at the lowest possible cost while effectiveness means doing the right things to create the most value for the company. (Jacobs & Chase 11). An article from the NY Times focuses on Promethean, a biodegrade company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats. (Promethean 2).It develops several medical treatments to meet the critical needs of the united States and its allies by developing and counterclaiming medical entrepreneurs against biological and chemical threats. The company employs both operational efficiency and effectiveness through reduced operating expenses that went from $21. 2 million in 2011 to $19. 5 million in 2012 by cutting unnecessary operating expenses. Also general and administrative expenses went dow n from $14. 3 million to $11. 6 million as a result of a reduction in legal and other general and administrative expenses.As a result of being efficient, some trade-offs were made. â€Å"Trade-offs occur when activities are incompatible so that more of one thing necessitates less of another. (Jacobs & Chase 27). The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. In this line of business, dealing with break-through medical advancements, the company must strive on process quality. Being effective is more important than being efficient for Promethean. Jacobs, F. Robert & Richard B. Chase. Operations and Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill & Irwin. New York, NY, 201 1.Print. Promethean. â€Å"Promethean Reports Year-End 2012 Financial And operational Results. † NY Times. Com. 13 Mar 2013. Web. 19 Mar 2013. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8137138 AM Eunice, you wrote that â€Å"The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. † Everyone should note that every business must choose among the focus dimensions (pages 25-27) to decide how they will compete, and then the Operations function of that company has to apply the business level focus dimensions that support the overall business plan.Class and Eunice, in this case above which of the focus dimensions did this firm adopt in its operations function and which did they trade-off? † Any ideas†¦.. RE: Portfolio Jill Davis 3/23/2013 PM Eunice, I liked your post. I think that in terms of product and service safety, especially in the health care fields, companies should make the trade off toward products and service quality, rather than a cheaper or faster service or product. Our text says that a company has to decide on which parameters of performance are critical to success and focus on those.High quality can be a trade off to low cost, but when it comes to health services and pharmaceutical companies the performance parameters critical to success are the well-being of their customers so low cost should have to take a back seat to product and service quality. Jacobs, Robert F. & Chase, Richard B. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Right Jill, we have all seen how a focus on low cost and low quality in the medical industry can endanger consumers.RE: Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 6:54:56 PM As Jill and Jordan stated, quality is more important when it comes to the healthcare field. Not only would Promethean lose its business if even one person dies from the company's negligence, but it would face tremendous lawsuits from individuals and the government. Its reputation would be destroyed. Promethean understands the repercussions if they don't deliver a quality product so it sacrifices cost in order to deliver quality products. People are willing to spend money on medications that work.I think this is one field where consumers will pay anything for medicine that truly works. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:36:44 AM Right Eunice, so these Operations managers do not focus upon low cost, flexibility, customized products, or high efficiency. They have traded off all of these focus dimensions and their approach is high quality. RE: Portfolio Steven Rice 3/24/2013 3:44139 PM would say the main focus dimension is to focus on quality, or â€Å"Make a great Product† vs.. â€Å"Deliver a great service†. Anything in the healthcare industry has a heavy emphasis in the quality control in design and process quality.I used to work for a company that produced Animal Drugs and was heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, because the animals that received the drugs we produced were farmed for human consumption. As consumer, I always want the best quality for the price I'm willing to spend or can afford. Steve Rice RE-: Portfolio Jordan Edwards 3/20/20 13 PM Modified:3/20/2013 1184 PM Thanks Eunice for the insightful analysis on your article. It seems like a lot of firms/organizations are looking at ways they can save by eliminating inefficiencies or other processes altogether.In this case I would say that Promethean opted to focus on quality or making a great product and sacrificed cost or price-?making the product cheaply. RE: Portfolio Kristin Truer 3/24/2013 PM think that being effective vs. being efficient has paid off for this organization. Sometimes, a company or organization may have to pay a little more to be ore effective in delivering their product that they want and are needing to get out. In the end, its what is going to pay off for the company when the product is sold to its customers.Good info and article. Kristin Operational Sustainability Pamela Chafed 3/19/2013 10:58:43 PM I would not normally think of using Wall-Mart in the same sentence with the term operational sustainability but an article titled Unexpected A lly Helps Wall-Mart Cut Waste changed my thought process. Wall-Mart courted environmental groups and sought their input on its policies since it first announced a sustainability program. The major push for Wall-Mart to strive towards operational sustainability was to transform the publics' opinion of the corporation.With negative public views towards Wall-Marts environmental impacts and treatment of women in the workforce, H. Lee Scott, the chief executive, now retired, announced wide ranged plans to lessen the environmental impact the company had on the communities it served. The company has met some environmental goals and missed others. One of these was increasing reuse or recycle of waste produced in its stores by 64 percent, not quite the zero-waste goal that was set, but a huge step forward s progress continues to be made. Week In the trolley car problem I would hit the switch to save the 4 people and sacrifice the one because I would not be able to live with myself Just by allowing them all to die. At least even though I would be sacrificing one person I would still be able to save the rest of the people. The reasoning that has allowed me to come up with this decision is based upon my own personal values that I have which Is If there Is omitting that I can do some way shape or form that will allow me to make a difference I am willing to do It especially If It Is for the greater good to be helpful to someone else.By me Just sitting by and watching the trolley car and letting them all die would be something that I would physically be able to do because of the heart that I have. Though I am not a killer I would still weigh the options between the two and come up with one person dying Is better the all 5. When this problem was first Introduced I had the same decision to pull the switch to save the four guys op posed to letting them all die.But I can say that my reasoning behind the decision has somewhat changed before I looked at the situation as damage reduction and choosing between the lesser of the two but now I look at the situation as being to take into account the right thing to do and what I would want someone else to do for me if I were in that same situation. Week In the trolley car problem I would hit the switch to save the 4 people and sacrifice the one because I would not be able to live with myself Just by allowing them all to die. At least even though I would be sacrificing one person I would still be able to save the rest of the people. The reasoning that has allowed me to come up with this decision is based upon my own personal values that I have which Is If there Is omitting that I can do some way shape or form that will allow me to make a difference I am willing to do It especially If It Is for the greater good to be helpful to someone else.By me Just sitting by and watching the trolley car and letting them all die would be something that I would physically be able to do because of the heart that I have. Though I am not a killer I would still weigh the options between the two and come up with one person dying Is better the all 5. When this problem was first Introduced I had the same decision to pull the switch to save the four guys op posed to letting them all die.But I can say that my reasoning behind the decision has somewhat changed before I looked at the situation as damage reduction and choosing between the lesser of the two but now I look at the situation as being to take into account the right thing to do and what I would want someone else to do for me if I were in that same situation.