Question one
Applichem was a chemical production firm specializing in the production of specialized consumer products based on their demands and needs. It had production spread over four different plants in Europe and the America. The plants had similar leadership in in order to enhance smooth and uniformity in the production. Its major source of funding was the revenue they would register from the sale of their products especially Release-ease that was specially designed and customized for the consumers.
Question two
Before the survey was conducted, the company was registering several challenges with production for instance fluctuations in demand leading to lower and high productions capacity. Furthermore, a ban on some of the raw materials they used in the production process coupled with competition in from European firms also hindered their production.
Question three
The periodic meetings between the productions officers while sharing the best practices in the different production plants helped minimize the excess production. All the production that followed after the intervention was in line with local demand which further minimized waste. Furthermore, quality improvements in the products ensured that loyal customers got retained and swayed new ones into consuming their products.
Question four
Quantity of production per unit input: This metric will consider how much the company produces at each plant divided by the quantity of input. It will help to minimize redundancy and minimize costs.
Quantity of the output actually sold out to final consumer: The metric will serve as an indicator for determining the quantity the company ought to produce in a bid to reduce excess capacity. Data will be collected whenever a new unit is sold out though analysis will be conducted monthly.
Quality control mechanisms: The metric will involve random sampling of units in different lots during the production time are carefully analyzed to see if they conform to the standards using quality control techniques for instance sigma-six techniques.
Customer feedback and satisfaction: The metric will provide information to the company regarding the possible areas of improvement to ensure that consumers are satisfied with the final products on a monthly basis.
Works cited
Flaherty, Marie-Therese. Applichem (A) (Abridged). Case study. Boston: Harvard Business School, 1993. Print.
