Operations Strategy & Planning Flashcards
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Read the first 7 Operations Strategy & Planning flashcards as text
Which strategic framework evaluates a company's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to inform operations planning?
Answer: SWOT analysis
SWOT analysis helps operations managers align internal capabilities with external market conditions to shape strategic plans.
A company decides to focus its operations on producing a narrow product line at the lowest possible cost. This is an example of which generic competitive strategy?
Answer: Cost leadership
Cost leadership strategy aims to achieve the lowest production costs across a broad market to undercut competitors on price.
In operations strategy, 'order qualifiers' are best described as:
Answer: Minimum performance standards required to compete in a market
Order qualifiers are baseline criteria a company must meet just to be considered by customers, while order winners differentiate it from competitors.
Which planning horizon is most appropriate for capacity expansion decisions involving new plant construction?
Answer: Long-term (1–5+ years)
Long-term planning covers major structural decisions like facility construction that require multi-year commitment and capital investment.
An operations strategy that prioritizes delivery speed above all other competitive dimensions is best aligned with which customer value proposition?
Answer: Time-based competition
Time-based competition focuses on reducing lead times and increasing responsiveness as the primary source of competitive advantage.
What does the 'sand cone model' of operations capabilities suggest?
Answer: Quality must be built first before adding speed, dependability, flexibility, and cost efficiency
The sand cone model proposes a sequential layering of capabilities starting with quality, then dependability, speed, flexibility, and finally cost.
A firm's operations strategy is said to be 'aligned' when:
Answer: Operational capabilities directly support the business's competitive strategy
Strategic alignment means operations capabilities—quality, speed, cost, flexibility—directly reinforce the firm's chosen competitive position in the market.