Running head VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS PART 11VICE PRESID.docx

Running head: VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS PART 1
1
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS PART 1
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Student Name
Professor’s Name
Assignment Name
Date
Introduction
Walmart is an international retailer that majors in the
distribution of electronics, furniture, clothing, groceries and
many more. The retail company is based in Arkansas, United
States. It is comprised of a number of hypermarkets and grocery
stores to help in the distribution of these products. The vision of
the retail company is to be the best and most dominant retailer
for the customers and for the staff members. The mission of the
company can be seen to help people save their money so that
they can live better. The company’s business strategy obeys
cost leadership which states that they have to present low
prices. Walmart’s just-in-time philosophy ensures that
deliveries are made in time.Evaluation of the key elements of
Walmart’s operational efficiency with its operations strategy

and the tasks that do not align with the operations strategy
Walmart Inc. is an example of a retail company that utilizes
operational efficiency while delivering products to the
customers (Banker, Mashruwala, & Tripathy, 2014). It also
adheres to its business strategy which follows the “low prices
for all” initiative while maintaining high quality products for
the people. The company has an online type of system that
customers can use to get access to products so they can order
and then have the products delivered to their preferred
destination.
For groceries, Walmart uses the “same day initiative” to deliver
products to their accustomed customers. The same day delivery
services are referred to as Walmart to go. They also use a
system of carrier referred to as The FedEx Corp which makes
deliveries directly from the stores.
Apart from online deliveries, they allow buying products online
with the option of picking the package up from the store and
buying online then shipping to the store. They also allow
making purchases directly from the stores within the United
States.
Some of the tasks that are not in line with Walmart’s operation
strategy are profit margins and their business model. The profit
margins in Walmart’s case is considered to be thin which results
from Walmart’s use cost leadership which dictates low prices
for all. The same cost leadership has also contributed to
Walmart’s business model to be easily understood by their
competitors. This means that their competitors can emulate their
business model.New operation’s strategy for Walmart based on
the four competitive priorities (cost, quality, time and
flexibility)
The new operation strategy for Walmart would be to balance
their profit margins. Since they adopt the use of cost leadership,
it means that they often reduce their selling prices. As such,
they should also reduce their profit margins and focus more on
sales (Banker, Mashruwala, & Tripathy, 2014). Since their
business models are emulated by their competitors, Walmart

should opt for a more intense innovation. This means that the
company will always keep innovation in order to enhance their
product and services delivery.
They should also be in close contact with their customers to
keep their business relationship intact. The company should
upgrade their investment on technology because these are some
of the factors that will keep your business models at the best
levels necessary.Structure of the competitive priorities and
infrastructure of the production process
The competitive priorities of Walmart follows the cost
leadership type of strategy that obeys “low prices for all” while
still maintaining quality can also be linked to cost, quality,
delivery and flexibility (Gupta & Sahay). Walmart has installed
the use of Information Technology by the use of a Retail Link
System Technology that helps to establish competitive strategy
by helping in tracking and redistribution of inventories within
the stores and the shelves.Enablers that are aligned with the
long term plan for Walmart Company
The enablers that Walmart can take into consideration would be
opportunities to growth, ones that are related to the customers’
preferences that will enable the business to prosper more in the
future.
Another enabler that Walmart can take into consideration is
expanding their operations, stores and strategies that are
established in developing countries. By expansion, the business
grows and so does the market segment.
Another enabler would be for Walmart to adopt an initiative
that can enhance their human resources procedures.Pros and
cons of the new enablers
The pros to the enablers discussed above would be increased
profitability as a result of the expansion of the business in the
developing countries. Another advantage of this would be the
attraction of investment in the developing countries (Kortmann,
Gelhard, Zimmermann, & Piller, 2014). Growth opportunities
are ones that also enables and gives a particular business a
chance to develop new products and to also adopt new and

future technologies.
The cons to these enablers would be language barriers in cases
where the expansion of the business takes place in foreign
countries (Lin & Tseng, 2016). Unfavorable taxation from these
countries would also undermine the expansion of the business in
the developing countries. Another unfavorable factor that is
most likely to face the new enabler would be to face stiff
competition from other competitors as from the expansion of the
business in other countries.
References
D. Banker, R., Mashruwala, R., & Tripathy, A. (2014). Does a
differentiation strategy lead to more sustainable financial
performance than a cost leadership strategy? Management
Decision, 52(5), 872-896.
Gupta, A. K., & Sahay, A. Wal-Mart India: The Strategy for
Growth. Management, 36(9), 714-721.
Kortmann, S., Gelhard, C., Zimmermann, C., & Piller, F. T.
(2014). Linking strategic flexibility and operational efficiency:
The mediating role of ambidextrous operational
capabilities. Journal of Operations Management, 32(7-8), 475-
490.
Lin, Y. H., & Tseng, M. L. (2016). Assessing the competitive
priorities within sustainable supply chain management under
uncertainty. Journal of cleaner production, 112, 2133-2144.
Chapter 1 • Who Needs a Database 17
Scenarios
These scenarios are designed to give you the opportunity to
experience database development from beginning to end. Each
has its own unique challenges. The scenarios can be pursued
individually or in small groups. I would suggest choosing one

scenario that interests you to follow throughout the term. Later,
if you are so inclined you can return and work through some of
the others.
WiLD WooD ApArTmenTS
Wild Wood Apartments owns 20 different apartment com-
plexes in Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho. Each
apartment complex contains anywhere from 10 to 60 separate
apartments, of varying sizes. All apartments are leased with a
6 month or yearlong lease.
M01_CONG4418_02_SE_C01.indd 17 03/07/13 6:32 PM
Case Study Scenarios from
Hands-On Database
Steve Conger
Prentice Hall, Second Edition (2014)
ISBN: 978-0-13-302441-8
18 Chapter 1 • Who Needs a Database
It is the company’s practice to hire one of the tenants to
manage each apartment complex. As manager, he or she needs
to admit new tenants to the building, collect rents from existing
tenants, and close out leases. The manager also needs to main-
tain the apartments by executing any repairs, replacements, or
renovations. These can be billed back to the parent company.
For acting as manager, the tenant gets free rent and a stipend.
The stipend varies depending on the size of the apartment
building.

Each manager is expected to send a report to the Wild
Wood Apartments company headquarters in San Francisco
every quarter. This report summarizes the occupancy rate, the
total revenues in rent, the total expenses in maintenance and
repairs, and so on. Currently, managers fill out a paper form
and mail it back to headquarters. Many apartment managers
have complained that preparing this report is a very difficult
and time-consuming process. Also, the managers at corporate
headquarters have expressed concerns about the accuracy and
verifiability of the reports.
To allay these concerns and to improve the ease and effi-
ciency with which the apartment managers conduct their daily
business, the company is proposing to develop a centralized
database that can be used by the managers to track the daily
business of their apartment building and to prepare their
reports.
To do
1. List the major topics for this database.
2. Write a draft statement of work. Include a brief his-
tory, a statement of scope, objectives, and a preliminary
timeline.
3. Documentation: Start a notebook, either electronically
or physically, to record your progress with the scenario
database. Add the statement of work and any notes to
the notebook.
Vince’S VinyL
Vince Roberts runs a vintage record shop in the University dis-
trict. His shop sells 45’s, LPs, and even old 76 RPM records.
Most of his stock is used—he buys used vinyl from customers

or finds them at yard sales and discount stores—but he does sell
new albums that are released on vinyl. For a couple of years, he
has kept most of his inventory either in his head or in a spiral
notebook he keeps behind the sale counter. But his inventory
and his business have grown to where that is far from sufficient.
Vince is looking for someone to make him a database. He
knows he needs to get a better handle on several aspects of
his business: He needs to know the extent and condition of his
inventory. He needs to know the relative value of his inven-
tory—some records are worth a fortune; some are nearly worth-
less. He also needs to track where, from whom, and for how
much he purchased his stock. He needs to track his sales. He
often is not entirely sure how much money he has spent or how
much money he has earned.
In addition he would like to allow customers to make spe-
cific requests and notify them if a requested item comes in.
More
generally he would like to make an email list of interested cus-
tomers in order to let them know about new items of interest.
Someday, he would like to expand his business online. But
he knows he needs to have everything under control before then.
To do
timeline.

the notebook.
GrAnDfieLD coLLeGe
The law requires that any business, including a school, track
its software. It is important to know what software the school
owns, in what versions, and what the license agreement for that
software is. There are several different licensing schemes. The
least restrictive is a “site” license that allows an institution to
have a copy of the software on any machine on the business
property. Other licenses specify a certain number of active cop-
ies for an institution but don’t worry about which machine or
user has the copy. The more restrictive licenses do specify one
copy per specific machine or user.
Whatever the license agreement for particular software, it is
essential for the institution to know which software is installed
on which machine, where that machine is located, and which
users have access to that machine. It is also important to track
when the software is uninstalled from a machine, and when a
machine is retired.
An additional useful feature of any software-tracking
database would be to track software requests from users to
determine (1) if a copy of the software is available and (2) if
it is something that should be purchased. All installations are
reviewed and must be approved.
For now, the school just wants the database to track fac-
ulty and staff computers and software. Software for student
machines is a separate and complex issue and will be treated as
a separate project at a later time.
To do

timeline.
the notebook.
WeSTLAke reSeArcH HoSpiTAL
A hospital is conducting a double blind test of a new depression
drug. It will involve about 20 doctors and about 400 patients.
Half of the patients will get the new drug and half will get tra-
ditional Prozac. Neither the doctors nor the patients will know
who is getting which drug. Only two test supervisors will know
who is getting what. The test will last about 18 months. Each
doctor will see 20 patients initially, though it is expected some
patients will drop out over time. Each patient will be coming
in twice a month for a checkup and interviews with their doc-
tor. The drugs will be dispersed in a generic bottle by the two
supervisors one of whom is a pharmacist.
M01_CONG4418_02_SE_C01.indd 18 03/07/13 6:32 PM
Chapter 1 • Who Needs a Database 19
To track this study, the hospital will need a database. It will
need to track patients’ information from their first screening
through each of their interviews. In particular, they are looking
at whether the patient seems more depressed or less, what their
appetite is like, are they sleeping, and what kind of activities
they are engaged in, if any. Also, they will be looking for spe-

cific physical side effects such as rashes, high blood pressure,
irregular heart rhythms, or liver or kidney problems.
Doctors need to be able to see their own patient’s informa-
tion, but not that of any other doctor’s patients. They also need
to be able to enter blood pressures, blood test results, the
depres-
sion indicators, their own notes, and so on for each session.
Patients should be able to see their own medical profile, the
doctor’s notes, and nothing else.
Only the two researchers should be able to see everything:
all patient information, all doctors’ notes, and which drug each
patient is being given.
There is always some danger of spying by other companies
interested in similar drugs, so in addition to the security of the
blind test, the database needs to be secured against outside
intrusion as well.
To do
timeline.
the notebook.
SHoW TimeS: LocAL SHoWS AnD AcTS

Patti and Dennis like to follow local bands. They often miss
concerts because they only hear about them after the event.
Typically, the only advertisement of an upcoming performance
for some of these artists is a paper bill tacked to a street lamp
or pasted on the side of a building. Sometimes there will be
ads in the free community papers, but there is no one place to
locate the information. Many of their friends share similar frus-
trations. It is impossible to have a clear idea of who is playing
where at any given time.
Patti and Dennis came up with the idea of a database that
would store all of the information about artists and shows in
one place. Ultimately they would build a Web page based on
the database that everyone could access and use. They started
by pedaling their idea to some of the more popular venues. The
venues expressed interest. For the most part, they liked the idea
of a central place where people could get a complete picture
of the current music scene. It could result in more customers.
Some even inquired about advertising opportunities.
Patti and Dennis also talked to some artists they knew. The
artists also thought it was a good idea. They knew the hand bills
were not very effective, though some of them liked the artistic
effort of designing them. Another idea they had was that fans
could register and select which artists or genres of music they
liked and be informed of upcoming shows.
Encouraged by the response, Patti and Dennis are looking
for someone to help design the database.
To do
1. List the major topics of the database to track concerts and
venues.
2. Write a draft statement of work, including a brief his-

tory, a statement of scope, objectives, and preliminary
timeline.
the notebook.
SUGGeSTionS for ScenArioS
Scan the scenario descriptions and list the nouns. Identify the
important nouns, the ones that describe features of the poten-
tial database. These should be your major topics. Each scenario
should have at least four major themes. Some have more.
All of what you need for the history and statement of scope
is present in the scenario descriptions. You are not expected to
invent anything new at this stage, even though you might have
ideas about other things the database could do.
At this point, the timeline is pure guesswork. Just give it
your best guess. Think about what the deliverables will be, even
though a lot of them involve things you haven’t worked with
yet. Use the statement of work in the chapter as a guide.
M01_CONG4418_02_SE_C01.indd 19 03/07/13 6:32 PM
IT 650 Scenario Rubric
The Final Project Case Scenario document describes five

different scenarios: Wild Wood Apartments, Vince’s Vinyl,
Grandfield College, Westlake Research
Hospital, and Show Times: Local Shows and Acts. You will use
your chosen scenario to complete all scenario activities
throughout the course. For each
scenario activity assignment you will complete questions from
the textbooks. In answering the questions, use your chosen
scenario for context and to provide
examples. The Additional Information for Final Project Case
Scenarios document will be helpful in providing additional
information on your selected scenario.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
responses (as appropriate) for each element of the scenario
activity.
ly
respond to each element of the scenario activity.
clearly stating the response to each element of the scenario
activity and providing evidence to
support the response.
Guidelines for Submission: You must complete the specified
questions for the assigned textbook chapter(s). Submit your
responses in a Microsoft Word
document and Visio file, with double spacing, 12-point Times
New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Citations should follow
APA format.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs
Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Completeness Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
responses are thoroughly
explained
Responses are provided to the
scenario activities, and all
responses are complete
scenario activities, but some
responses may be incomplete
Does not respond to most or any
of the elements of the scenario
activity, or most responses are
incomplete
40
Correctness Meets “Proficient” criteria, and all
responses are accurate or correct
Responses are provided to all
elements of the scenario activity
with some minor inaccuracies
within the responses
elements of the scenario activity,
but the responses include
significant errors

Responses to the scenario
activities are missing or incorrect
25
Critical Analysis Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supports explanation with
evidence from scholarly research
elements of the scenario activity,
and the responses demonstrate
thorough analysis of the scenario
scenario activities, but the
responses include limited analysis
to support the response
Responses to the scenario
activities are missing, or the
responses are lacking evidence of
analysis
25
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to spelling, grammar,
diagram notation, or organization
and is presented in a professional
and easy to read format
Submission has no major errors

Submission has major errors
that negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors
that prevent understanding of
ideas
10
Total: 100%
https://learn.snhu.edu/d2l/lor/viewer/view.d2l?ou=6606&loIdent
Id=22141
Id=22140
IT 650 Milestone One Rubric
Submit an analysis of the organization that will use the database
developed for the final project. Select one of the Final Project
Case Scenarios provided for the
final project. Using the selected scenario, analyze the
organization to determine the problem/challenge, business
requirements, and limitations of the current
system(s). Explain how the problem or challenge impacts the

various departments and operations within the organization. The
Additional Information for Final
Project Case Scenarios document will be helpful in providing
additional information on your selected scenario.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
A. Problem: Analyze the organization to determine the
problem/challenge, business requirements, and limitations of
current system(s).
B. Departments and Operations: Explain how the various
departments and operations within the organization are
impacted by the issue or challenge.
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a
three- to five-page Microsoft Word document using appropriate
modeling language and/or
diagrams. It should use double spacing, 12-point Times New
Roman font, and one-inch margins. It should include at least
three sources, which should be cited in
APA format.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs
Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Organization: Problem Meets “Proficient” criteria and
evidences keen insight into
identifying key aspects of
complex, multifunctional data
challenges
Analyzes the organization to

highlight the problem or
challenge, business requirements,
and limitations of current systems
Analyzes the organization to
highlight the problem or
and limitations of current systems,
but lacks necessary detail
Does not analyze the organization
to highlight the problem or
and limitations of current systems
40
Organization:
Departments and
Operations
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
shows in depth knowledge of the
intricacies, interrelationships, or
interdependencies between data
challenges and departments and
operations
Accurately explains the how the
various departments and
operations within the organization
are impacted by the issue or
challenge
Explains the how the various

departments and operations
within the organization are
impacted by the issue or
challenge, but with gaps in
accuracy or detail
Does not explain the how the
various departments and
operations within the organization
are impacted by the issue or
challenge
40
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization
and is presented in a professional
and easy to read format
Submission has no major errors
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
that negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors

that prevent understanding of
ideas
20
Earned Total 100%
Id=22141
Id=22140
Id=22140
Assignment 1: Vice President of Operations, Part 1
Scenario: Imagine that you are the vice president of operations
at a production or service organization. You have noticed that
your organization’s current operations strategy is not supporting
the challenges that the organization is presently facing. In order
to maintain a competitive edge, you must address these
challenges with your Chief Executive Officer immediately.
Select an existing production organization. Analyze the
organization’s current vision, mission, business strategy,
operation strategy, supply chain, total quality management, just-
in-time philosophy, forecasting method, statistical technique,
facility location, work design, project life cycle, and project
management. Note: You will need this information in order to
complete this and subsequent assignments.
As you collect the information for Assignment 1 and
Assignment 2, remember that in Assignment 3 you must prepare
a presentation for your Chief Executive Officer.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:
1. Evaluate key elements of the selected production or service
organization’s operational efficiency with its operational
strategy. Determine three (3) tasks that do not align with the
operational strategy. Determine the weaknesses that are evident
in each task.
2. Formulate a new operations strategy for the selected
organization based on the four (4) competitive priorities (i.e.,
cost, quality, time, and flexibility).
3. Analyze both the structure of the competitive priorities and
infrastructure of the production process. Develop three (3) new
enablers that are aligned with the long-term plan of the selected
organization. Evaluate three (3) pros and three (3) cons of the
new enablers.
4. Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this
assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality
as academic resources.
The assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size
12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references
must follow APA format.
· Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the
student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the
date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in
the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this
assignment are:
· Analyze the differences between service and manufacturing
operations management to identify planning considerations.
· Formulate an operations strategy to conduct production or
service operations.
· Explain how an operations strategy impacts product design

and process selection.
· Use technology and information resources to research issues in
operations management.
· Write clearly and concisely about operations management
using proper writing mechanics.

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