Read the Case Study at the end of Chapter 15 and the Case Study at the end of Chapter 16 and thoroughly answer all the following questions in a paper to be submitted to your instructor no later than 11:59 pm on the last day of class. Supplement your answers with outside research using the Ashford Online Library. Each Case Study should be addressed in four to five pages, resulting in a combined Final Paper of eight to ten pages.

Chapter 15 Case Study: The Realco Breadmaster

1. Develop a master production schedule for the breadmaker. What do the projected ending inventory and available-to-promise numbers look like? Has Realco “overpromised”? In your view, should Realco update either the forecast or the production numbers?
2. Comment on Jack’s approach to order promising. What are the advantages? The disadvantages? How would formal master scheduling improve this process? What organizational changes would be required?
3. Following up on Question 2, which do you think is worse, refusing a customer’s order upfront because you don’t have the units available or accepting the order and then failing to deliver? What are the implications for master scheduling?
4. Suppose Realco produces 20,000 breadmakers every week, rather than 40,000 every other week. According to the master schedule record, what impact this have on average inventory level?

Chapter 16 Case Study: A Bumpy Road for Toyota

1. Is Toyota’s focus on quality consistent with Lean philosophy? Can a firm actually follow the Lean philosophy without having a strong quality focus? Explain.
2. Who are the “coordinators” referred to in the article? What role have they played in educating Toyota’s workforce in promoting the TPS (Toyota Production System) philosophy? Why are they so hard to replicate?
3. According to Hajime Oba, what is wrong with Detroit’s approach to Lean? Based on your understanding of American auto manufacturers, do you agree or disagree?
4. There is an old saying “Haste makes Waste.” How does this apply to what is happening in the Georgetown plant? What is Toyota doing about it?

Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:

1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
   a. Title of paper
   b. Student’s name
   c. Course name and number
   d. Instructor’s name
   e. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
6. Must use at least four scholarly sources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford Online Library.
7. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

BUS307: Operations Management & Quantitative Techniques