POM Tutorial Guide 0312

1

TUTORIAL GUIDE Taylor’s University Undergraduate Business Programs

BUS2534

Production and Operation Management

March Semester 2012

2

TUTORIAL 1 (WEEK 2): INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS

MANAGEMENT (CHAPTER 1)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

• Revise Topic 1

• Tutorial exercises

• Discussion on Tutorial questions

LEARNING OUTCOME:

• Seeing the important role of operations in organisations

• To understand the task of managing operations - transforming inputs into saleable outputs

• To understand the difference between services & manufacturing

READING:

• Heizer, Jay & Render, Barry (2011). Operations Management, Tenth Edition, Pearson, New

Jersey.

• Slack, N Chambers, S and Johnston, R., (2010). Operation Management. 6th Ed Prentice

Halls, Harlow.

Instruction / Requirement

1. What is operations management? What are the key elements of the operations task? Illustrate

your answer with examples.

2. Identify an operations system in your own life. What are the inputs, operations process

activities and output involved?

3. Select two services and two manufacturing businesses of your own choice. From an operations’ perspective, what are the similarities and differences that exist?

Extra Exercises:- to be discussed in class

View the following video at the following link - http://youtu.be/LeeTy3YaMu0

The purpose of this video is to help you in your understanding about what Operations Management

is.

Read the short case - Oxfam International (Slack et. al, 2010) and answer the question at the end of the case.

3

Question

1. What are the main issues facing Oxfam’s operations managers?

4

TUTORIAL 2 (WEEK 3): THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT AND

OPERATIONS STRATEGY (CHAPTER 2)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Tutorial exercises

� Discussion on Tutorial questions

LEARNING OUTCOME:

� Seeing the important role of operations in organisations

� To understand the task of managing operations - transforming inputs into saleable outputs

� To understand the difference between services & manufacturing

READING:

� Heizer, Jay & Render, Barry (2011). Operations Management, Tenth Edition, Pearson, New

Jersey.

� Slack, N Chambers, S and Johnston, R., (2010). Operation Management. 6th Ed Prentice

Halls, Harlow.


Read and answer the questions at the end of the case - Giordano.

5

Questions.

1. In what way did Mr Lai’s experiences change the market position of his Giordano

operation?

2. What are the advantages of sales staff talking to the customers?

6

Tutorial Exercises:

Kwik-Fit customers’ needs

In an industry not always known for the integrity of its companies, Kwik-Fit has carved out a

reputation for service which combines low cost with fast and trustworthy service. Founded in 1971,

the company is one of the largest automotive parts repair and replacement firms in the

world, with more than 10,000 staff servicing the needs of over 8 million customers through a

network of approaching 5,000 service points by 2005. The service dilemma of the company is

how to satisfy (or even delight) customers who do not want to be in a repair shop at all.

Customers have not planned to have a breakdown; they are making a distress purchase and can

often be suspicious of the company. They may believe that it is in the company’s interest to

recommend an expensive repair or replacement, even when it is not necessary. Customers want

to be able to trust the diagnosis and advice they receive, get served as fast and with as little

hassle as possible, have their problem solved and not be charged an excessive amount. These

competitive factors have shaped the company’s operations performance objectives, summed up

in its code of practice.

The people in our centres will always:

� Treat your vehicle with care and always fit protective seat covers.

� Ensure that your vehicle is inspected by a technically qualified staff member.

� Examine the vehicle with you and give an honest appraisal of the work required.

� Give you a binding quotation which includes all associated charges prior to work

commencing.

� Ensure you are aware that any non-exchange part or component removed from your

vehicle is available for you to take away.

� Ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with the company's laid down

procedures.

� Inform you immediately of any complications or delays.

� Ensure that all completed work is checked by a technically qualified staff member.

� Offer to inspect the finished work with you at the time of delivery.

Question :

1. How do customer needs and competitor actions influence the major performance objectives of a Kwik-Fit centre?

7

TUTORIAL 3 (WEEK 4): PRODUCT DESIGN (CHAPTER 5)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 1, 2 & 3



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To understand the Product Life Cycle (PLC) as well as to describe a product development

system.

� To describe how products and services are defined by OM.

� To describe customer participation in the design of product and services.

READING:

� Heizer, Jay & Render, Barry (2011). Operations Management, Tenth Edition, Pearson, New Jersey.

� Slack, N Chambers, S and Johnston, R., (2010). Operation Management. 6th Ed

Prentice Halls, Harlow.


Tutorial Exercises:

You are required to answer these questions as you have to submit the answer during tutorial:

1. Why is good product and service design important?

Extra Exercises: - to be discussed in class.

1. You are required to view this video at home - link provided on BB7 before coming

for a discussion in class. Click on the link below to view the video and answer the

following questions at the bottom. The video is titled ‘The Daniel Hercheson

Blowdry Bar at Top shop’.

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/intl/ema/ema_uk_he_slack_opsman_6_myomlab/video/topsho

p.html

a) Why is this new service so attractive to the Daniel Hercheson organisation?

8

2. Customers design their own services

Almost all companies will say that they listen to their customers and find out what they

want before they design products and services. However, some experts think that most

companies do not go anywhere near far enough in giving customers real influence over

the final design. Rather than design for customers, increasingly design is being carried out

with customers, or even by customers. There are many opportunities for customers to

contribute. For example, some of the 100,000 and more visitors at the Boeing Tour

Centre in Everett, Washington, contribute to the design of Boeing aircraft interiors.

Boeing, together with Teague, a Seattle firm that designs Boeing airplane interiors, have

teamed up to establish the Passenger Experience Research Centre adjacent to the normal tour

centre. ‘The purpose of the research is twofold’, says the company, ‘To influence the design

of airplane interiors with input from actual users, and to provide our airline

customers with valuable information that will help them select their interiors. We like to do this

kind of research to find out what passengers prefer rather than designing interiors according

to what we think passengers might want’. After being measured in an outer

lobby, participants are given hand-held remote control devices and shown to their

assigned airplane seats. A survey is shown on the screen at the front of the cabin and

participants answer a series of multiple choice questions, submitting their answers using the

remote control. ‘It’s not hard to get volunteers’, says the company, ‘People are happy to have

a chance to make their preferences known’.

a) What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of involving customers this closely in the design process?

b) How could providers of education ‘products’ adopt this idea?

9

TUTORIAL 4 (WEEK 5): PROCESS DESIGN & CAPACITY PLANNING

(CHAPTER 7)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 4



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To describe the four production processes.

� Determining capacity

READING:


Jersey.


Halls, Harlow.


Refer below :-

Tutorial Exercises:


1. What type of process is used for making each of the following products?

a. Beer b. Automobiles c. Big Mac


Refer to below and discuss the answers to the questions below -

Wembley: A New Stadium for a New Century.

The new Wembley football stadium is the new home of English football. Completed in 2007, it is suitable just not just for football but can also host rugby and athletics events (Wembleystadium.com, 2007). Outside of sport it has already been used as a major music venue for concerts such as Live Earth which attracted a crowd of approximately 60,000 people (BBC, 2007).

All around the stadium is a concourse designed to make entrance and exit of the stadium safer and easier for the fans, a

10

maximum 90,000 of which can attend a football game there (Wembleystadium.com, 2007). Throughout the year, it’s estimated that approximately 1 ½ million people will attend the stadium to watch football and rugby alone (Wembleystadium, 2007c). During event days it is estimated that there will be 100 trains arriving per hour at the three stations that serve the area (Wembleystadium.com, 2007j). Previously it had been envisaged that “the Stadium will officially open with The FA Cup Final on 13 May 2006 (Wembleystadium.com, 2007a)” however due to delays in it’s construction, it was only officially opened in March 2007 with a community day for 60,000 local residents (Campbell, 2007). Just by reading through some of the facts and figures, the scale of the new stadium is impressive. The circumference of the new stadium is 1 kilometre, and within that area there is so much seating that if it were placed end on end, it would stretch for 54 kilometres - approximately the distance between Bristol and Swindon (Wembleystadium.com, 2007b). The new stadium is also on a bigger scale to the one it replaced. The capacity includes 17,000 places for „corporate’ fans, whose seats are now padded and have extra-leg room. There are now 2,618 toilets compared to previously when there were only 361 and the catering outlets (688 in total) outnumber the previous stadium which only had 152 (Campbell, 2007). This catering is just part of the other services that the stadium can provide. Tours of the stadium are now available and last approximately 90 minutes (Thestadiumtour.com, 2008). This service is now a common feature of modern stadia. The stadium offers tours daily from 9.30am to 4.30pm (Mondays to Sundays) excluding match days and days where there are major events (Thestadiumtour.com, 2008). Tour Prices are £15 for adults, £8.00 for children (with children under the age of 4 entering for free) and concessions at £8. There’s also a Family Ticket (2 Adults, 2 Children) priced at £38.00 and a group discount of 10% for groups over 30 (Thestadiumtour.com, 2008). These are roughly twice the cost of tours around the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (Millenniumstadium.com, 2007). The stadium

also offers “a range of first class facilities which can accommodate catering from three people up to capacities of 1000 for conferences and over 3000 for receptions (Wembleystadium.com, 2007d).” Conferences are designed to last all day. There are a number of rooms available, each with their own capacities :

Source: Capacities (Wembleystadium.com, 2007e), Room Hire Prices (non-inclusive of food and beverage provision - Wembleystadium.com, 2007f)

11

The management of Wembley have a keen eye on access for all. When considering facilities for “disabled visitors, World Stadium Team (the Stadium’s architects Foster and Partners & HOK Sport) have designed facilities following consultation with specialist user groups (including the National Association of Disabled Supporters), Sport England and Brent Council. The design is in keeping with legislation and relevant guidance documentation including the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds 1997 (the Green Guide) (Wembleystadium.com, 2007g).” Inside the stadium itself the services include:

� An accessible entrance for disabled users at every turnstile � Headsets are available for commentary on the games � Over 20 lifts and 30 escalators

� 147 accessible toilets

� 7 cash point machines (all at accessible heights) � Two dog relieving stations (designed specifically for guide dogs)

(Wembleystadium.com, 2007h) � 310 seats for wheelchair users and another 310 seats for their personal

assistants � 100 enhanced amenity seats (Wembleystadium.com, 2007i).

All in all, when you look at the new stadium it’s hard to disagree with Tony Blair when he says “There is no doubt this is going to be the most spectacular stadium in the world (Wembleystadium.com, 2007i)”. References:

BBC, 2007. BBC NEWS | Entertainment | EBay sets Live Earth charity levy [Online] Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6566921.stm [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Campbell, D., 2007. Stunning: verdict as new Wembley opens [Online] Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/wembley/article/0,,2036811,00.html [Accessed on September 10th, 2007] Millenniumstadium.com, 2007. Millennium Stadium : MILLENNIUM STADIUM TOURS [Online] Available from: http://www.millenniumstadium.com/tours [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Thestadiumtour.com, 2008. Wembley Stadium Tour [Online] Available from: http://www.thestadiumtour.com/Home.aspx [Accessed on July 17th, 2008] Wembleystadium.com, 2007. Wembley Stadium - The New Design [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/thenewdesign/keyfeatures.htm [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Wembleystadium.com, 2007a. Wembley Stadium - The New Design [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/thenewdesign/theconstructionprocess.htm [Accessed on September 10th, 2007] Wembleystadium.com, 2007b. Wembley Stadium - The New Design [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/thenewdesign/factsandfigures.htm [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

12

Wembleystadium.com, 2007c. Wembley Stadium - Stadium Uses [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/StadiumUses/ [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Wembleystadium.com, 2007d. Welcome to Wembley Stadium [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/specialevents/ [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Wembleystadium.com, 2007e. Wembley Stadium - Conferences and Events [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/specialevents/SpecialEvents.htm [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Wembleystadium.com, 2007f. roomhirerates.pdf [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/NR/rdonlyres/475B8A5C-E012-4AAA-954B- 8F87148A4797/0/roomhirerates.pdf [Accessed on September 10th, 2007] Wembleystadium.com, 2007g. Welcome to Wembley Stadium [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/accessforAll/ [Accessed on September 10th, 2007] Wembleystadium.com, 2007h. Wembley Stadium - Access for all [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/accessforAll/insidewembleystadium.htm [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Wembleystadium.com, 2007i. Wembley Stadium - Access for all [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/accessforAll/seating.htm [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Wembleystadium.com, 2007j. Wembley Stadium - Travel And Location [Online] Available from: http://www.wembleystadium.com/brilliantfuture/localcommunity/ [Accessed on September 10th, 2007]

Please note: Some of these websites are no longer current.

This is why the references include the data websites were accessed.

They have been included as examples of the type of referencing I would expect in an assignment.

Questions. 1. Of the different capacity plans highlighted in the lecture (e.g. level capacity plan, chase

demand plan, demand management plan, yield management, mixed plan) which of these ways

of dealing with demand would you chose for the New Wembley Stadium and does it match

their current strategy?

2. What effect do you think the completed Wembley Stadium will have on the capacity strategies of other operations in the surrounding area? (Other operations could include pubs,

restaurants, public transport services such as buses and trains. You may wish to visit

http://www.wembleystadium.com/about/localcommunity/ for some ideas on what the affect of

the stadium will be) [Link Checked September 18th 2009]

13

TUTORIAL 5 (WEEK 6): LOCATIONS AND LAYOUT DECISIONS

(CHAPTER 8 & 9)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 5



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To identify and explain the seven major factors that affect location decisions.

� To understand layout designs

READING:


Jersey.


Halls, Harlow.


Refer below. Tutorial Exercises:


1. List the factors, other than globalization, that affect the location decision. 2. List the techniques used by service organizations to select locations

3. What are the two major trends influencing office layout?


Form into groups. Answer the following question.

1. List out all the layout strategies and provide the advantages and disadvantages of each

strategy. Please provide examples in your answers. Present your answers in MS Power point.

14

TUTORIAL 6 (WEEK 7): QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS (CHAPTER 6)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 6



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To understand quality standards and strategy.

� To understand the use of the seven tools of TQM

READING:


Jersey.


Halls, Harlow.


Refer below.

Tutorial Exercises:

E-learning week - MCQ online test to be done as part of assessment. Students are required to log onto BB7

for a MCQ online quiz.


Work in groups of 3 on the following questions. You are required to answer these questions as you have to submit the answer during tutorial:

What are the aspects of total quality management that you’ve experienced

1. What aspects, if any, would translate across to:

a. An large automotive manufacturer based in Malaysia b. A large supermarket based in Malaysia

c. A small retail outlet based in Malaysia?

2. What are the barriers to introducing such an innovation to these three type of organisations?

15

Tutorial on how to write a good essay.

EXTRA : LEARNING OUTCOME FOR ESSAY:

� Outline the requirements for essays at Level 2 and the marking criteria for this module

� Clarify the academic conventions of assessment at this level

� Reinforce the correct way to reference source material in the Harvard style � Clarify what constitutes an assessment offence and how to avoid accusations of plagiarism � Discuss how to research academic work and clarify what constitutes appropriate source material (and where it can be found)

� Discuss „best practice’ in writing academic essays, particularly as regards structure � Clarify what is meant by the term „critical evaluation’.

� Briefly outline key points in relation to each essay question

READING:

Make sure you are familiar with the following terms:

� Harvard Referencing System

� Grading & Assessments

� Plagiarism

� Submissions

� Other requirements

Tutorial Exercises:

1. This week’s seminar will be used as a workshop to discuss your group essays. Tutors will

provide general and specific guidance on researching and writing your essays. You should come prepared to discuss any problems or issues you might be having with your essay.

16

TUTORIAL 7 (WEEK 8): MANAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

(CHAPTER 11)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 7



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� Explain the strategic importance of Supply chain

� Understand supplier selection

� Explain issues and opportunities in the supply chain.

READING:


Jersey.


Refer below.

Tutorial Exercises:


1. What are the objectives of Supply Chain Management (SCM)?

2. List out the supply chain strategies and explain the advantageous and disadvantageous of

each.


Form a group of three (3) to work on the above questions. You may attempt this question using

Microsoft Powerpoint. You are required to make your presentation in class.

1. Read & answer the questions for the case - Dell’s Value Chain, Pg 476, (Heizer, 2011)

2. A major company decides to move to a more collaborative stance with a supplier. What would be the first key changes it would need to take? What possible initial responses might be made by the supplier?

17

TUTORIAL 8 (WEEK 9): JIT, LEAN OPERATIONS, AND THE TOYOTA

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS (CHAPTER 16)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 8



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To identify the types of wastes present in any operations

� To better understand the concept of JIT and its impact on reducing waste

� To better understand the use as well as the importance of Operations Scheduling Systems

READING:


Jersey.


Halls, Harlow.


Refer below :-

Tutorial Exercises:


1. Outline the challenges that an organisation would face should it choose to change from its traditional

approach to one of JIT.

2.How would an organisation choose to overcome these challenges?


Read the case below and answer the questions at the end of the case :-

18

QUESTION:

Although different from a manufacturing company, some of the principles which apply in the Little Chef case are similar to those used in a JIT manufacturer: What are they?

19

TUTORIAL 9 (WEEK 10): MANAGING PROJECTS (CHAPTER 3)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 9



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� Defining the importance of Project and Project Management

� Understanding the project management techniques

READING:

� Heizer, Jay & Render, Barry (2011). Operations Management, Tenth Edition, Pearson, New Jersey.

� Slack, N Chambers, S and Johnston, R., (2010). Operation Management. 6th Ed Prentice Halls, Harlow.


Tutorial Exercises:

You are required to answer these questions as you have to submit during tutorial: Read and answer the questions at the end of the following case :

From Gandalf to Gantt Charts: Project Management in Middle Earth Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy are among the most successful and critically lauded films of all time. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was nominated for 13 Academy Awards™ and won four as well as winning 3 BAFTAs and a Grammy (imdb.com, 2006a). The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers picked up 2 Oscars™ out of 6 nominations, alongside another 3 BAFTAs and a further Grammy (imdb.com, 2006b). The most successful of the three films however was the The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This gained the joint highest total for Oscar™ wins ever, with 11 - and of the films to have won this much, it is the only one to win in every category they were nominated in. The franchise earned another 5 BAFTAs, 4 Golden Globes, 2 Grammys and last but not least, a Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award (imdb.com, 2006c)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the second highest grossing film of all time, took $1,129,219,252 at the box office worldwide, compared to $921,600,000 and $860,700,000 for the Two Towers and the Fellowship of the Ring respectively - both of which are in the top 15 all time best sellers (imdb.com, 2006d). These figures do not take into account the numbers of DVD sales or rentals, let alone other merchandising. This merchandising covers everything from soundtrack recordings to model figures of the main characters in the films. Peter Jackson spent one day sculpting models with these figure manufacturers. They were joined by the head of special effects, Richard Taylor who was dumbfounded that Jackson had even turned up. As a sign of the commitment the director gave to his three films “he said he had never known Peter to take a day off in the eight years of Lord of the Rings (Perry, 2006).”

20

Filming, for all three films, was carried out throughout New Zealand, sometimes in remote areas that were only accessible by helicopter. This presented problems for some, such as actor Sean Bean (who played the part of Boromir), who had to overcome a fear of flying. This wasn’t the only inconvenience faced by the Sheffield actor. Whilst filming in one of his trademark roles (the Napoleonic-era Rifleman, Sharpe) he states that he “wore a wig to make my hair a bit longer. The wig was only a half piece, so it wasn’t as itchy as when I filmed The Lord of the Rings, where I had to wear a full wig, all day every day. That was so itchy I just couldn’t wait to get it off (Bean, 2005, p9).” Another Sean, Astin, also didn’t face a totally smooth ride. His first challenge, for the role of Samwise Gamgee, was before he had even landed the part. For his first audition, he had 2 days in which to perfect an English accent (Astin, 2004, p64). At this point, he didn’t even know anything about the book let alone the character he was about to play. Astin was no stranger to going to extremes to work in film. He’d once lost ten pounds in weight within ten days so that he could play the role of a drug addict (ibid, p18). On another occasion, to land the part of an American football player, he had had to do the opposite and gain 10 pounds of muscle.

Following an intense session with a dialect coach, the auditioning process involved a first audition with the actor himself, the casting director and an assistant who helped video the performance. This was to be repeated around the world for each audition and for each actor (ibid, p79). The second audition was in front of the director, Peter Jackson, and the scriptwriter, Fran Walsh.

As far as the films themselves are concerned perhaps the key person is the one in charge of the whole project - the director. Each director brings something new to the role. The directional style of Peter Jackson has been described as non-tyrannical with elements of a showman (ibid, p84). In the case of the LOTR, “Peter actually directed 6 or 7 other directors (ibid, p84)” due to filming being carried out simultaneously across New Zealand. “He’d had to say to John Mahaffrey (the second unit director), essentially, “You need to film the sequence, I trust you…that was the nature of his job, to serve as general manager of the project…that required him to be all things to all people and to never show the strain of the effort (ibid, p85).”

Challenges continued for the actors during filming too. Sean Astin took a cut in pay to be in the films. For the fee that he would normally charge for one film he’d work “for three films and anywhere from 18 to 21 months of uninterrupted work, during which time, of course, I’d be unable to accept any other offers. And it would be several months before I’d receive a penny.” On top of this, he’d just bought a new house and decided to move his family over to New Zealand for the duration of the filming. This the whole family saw as a great adventure (ibid, p91). Astin had other thoughts. He had a feeling “that the „times’ on the contract would bear little resemblance to what we actually did.” (ibid, p93) He believes that “contract was structured to allow for the production’s ownership of my time. On some level I expected to go down to New Zealand and give myself over to Peter [Jackson].” (ibid, p93). “There was almost no free time (ibid, p97).” “We’d been warned that the production would require us to be on location for eighteen months, with very few breaks (ibid, p99).” “I knew on an instinctive level that it would be the hardest work of my life (ibid, p95).” Sometimes this involved working an 18 hour day on set. “A normal day for the hobbits [the actors] involved getting to the set at…4.30 in the morning and spending a couple of hours in the makeup chair, having prosthetic feet applied, as well as ears, wigs and costumes (ibid, p206).” This was even worse for John Rhys-Davies, the actor who played the role of the Dwarf, Gimli. Early on in filming he developed an allergy to the prosthetic make up that was being applied to his face, which resulted in a great deal of discomfort.

21

The film also provided a challenge for the production company, New Line, that was financing the venture. They tried hard to get the contract to favour them, if they hadn’t, then the chances are that the films would never have been made. Sean Astin states that “Everybody made sacrifices, at every level. It’s my guess that virtually everyone accepted less money up-front than they had earned before, or less than they could have if they had chosen to work on something else. On some level, we all understood that this was an opportunity to do something special. There was a feeling of frustration and exhaustion that permeated the entire project, and yet no one would admit to that, in part because of job security, and in part because they realised the sacrifices were, in the end, worth it.” (ibid, p94) “I was involved in something important. Something hard, yes, but also something that had the potential to be extraordinary (ibid, p172).” Viggo Mortensen, who played the role of Aragorn, “was told of the project one day, and flew to Wellington the next morning, without seeing so much as a word of the script, and jumping immediately into heavy sword training (ibid, p202)” such was his enthusiasm for the project. “The cold, hard truth, however is that Hollywood couldn’t have made this movie. Working within the traditional system, the Lord of the Rings would have taken ten years and cost a billion dollars. It just wouldn’t have worked. Most of the time in Hollywood, everyone looks out for themselves. On this project, just about everyone, to some extent, sublimated their own immediate self-interests to be part of the process and to get the work done.” (ibid, p95) “There are times, and The Lord of the Rings was a perfect example, when the (union) guidelines become an almost insurmountable obstacle. (ibid, p96).”

Sean Astin also had concerns over the safety associated with some of the long hours that people were working. “It was amazing to me that not a lot of people got hurt in the process; that no one died making these movies is a fact I found, frankly, stunning. I saw drivers taking catnaps behind the wheel, moments before trying to guide massive trucks along rugged mountain precipices…I was stunned to see the conditions people worked under, and what they did without question or complaint (ibid, p213).” At one point, those safety concerns seemed very relevant. One scene involved the Sam Gamgee character running into a lake. “I had taken only a few heavy steps into the water, however, when I felt a searing pain in my foot, the kind of pain that instantly signals a severe injury…It felt as though something had gone right through my foot (ibid, p255). The blood streaming down my prosthetic foot was a fairly clear indication that something bad had happened. I’d been stabbed probably by a branch or a shard of glass (ibid, p256)…The very next day I returned to work.(ibid, p258)”. Other injuries included Viggo Mortensen using some super-glue to fix a tooth back, the usual story of stunt workers breaking bones and in one extreme case Billy Boyd (in the Peregrin Took role) undertook dental surgery without anaesthetic so as be able to speak clearly in a scene to be shot later that day. On returning to the set he was, however, to find out that the scene had been rescheduled for a later day. He wasn’t a happy Hobbit.

Before filming had started, there were strict confidentiality agreements that all the actors had to sign. The one signed by Sean Astin “stipulated that if I disclosed anything I’d seen in the process of making The Lord of the Rings, they could sue me. (ibid, p115).” However, communication between the actors and Peter Jackson was a two way process (ibid, p90). They wanted to know early on whether they could work together for such a prolonged period. “Peter develops important relationships with important people based on trust and mutual respect” (ibid, p144). In the view of Sean Astin “Peter Jackson’s brilliance, at least as it pertains to filmmaking, stems primarily from his cleverness and his relationship to power, and the way that he can exert his power comfortably (ibid, p144).” “If you wanted another take, Peter was, within reason, willing to give you another one. To a large degree, he trusts the actor (ibid, p224).” The writers “were totally open to suggestions, so as long as their authority wasn’t questioned (ibid, p228).”

22

The film was truly an international venture. The scoring of the movie was carried out in the UK, parts of the set were built by the New Zealand army (fotr, 2001). The majority of the wigs used in the films (which were worn by all but one of the cast) were sourced from Russia (Astin, 2004, p123). Face moulds were cast “In order to make a mould they’d have to put some kind of gloop all over my face, stick straws up my nose so I could breathe, and that if I didn’t calmly endure the discomfort, I’d be forced to go through it all over again. (ibid, p129)” This would be inconvenient for most people, but for someone who suffered from mild claustrophobia, someone like Sean Astin, this could be a major problem. Prior to the face mould session, Astin was so worried that he suffered a panic attack. Instead of cancelling the session, he waited until the mould was set before heading to the doctors to check that his attack wasn’t something more serious. Obviously, he’d removed the mould first!

Some of the statistics about the film give an idea of the vast scope of the $270 million project. There were 900+ days worth of miniature photography. Four or five helicopters would ferry cast and crew to remote settings in New Zealand while, up to 25 cameras placed around various sites in New Zealand would produce hours worth of footage each day (ibid, p155). The special effects section of the films were ordering more foam rubber than any other company in the world (ibid, p152). Actors had dialect coaches as well as personal trainers focusing in on skills such as sword and archery training, horse riding, and canoeing (ibid, p171). Other tasks for the actors including re-recording dialogue after filming - ADR or Additional Dialogue Recording (fotr, 2001). The vast majority of dialogue in the films was done this way “probably as much as 90% (on a normal film, that figure is closer to 10% (Astin, 2004, pp. 246-7).” There was also the inevitable press and media circuses, “the endless ride of parties and premieres and public relations (ibid, p298)” that all films now seem to have to be paraded through, regardless of how „big’ they are. “Unlike most production, this project could nimbly adjust everything to accommodate radically changing conditions in weather, set construction, or a myriad of other scheduling exigencies that might arise. (ibid, p179)” “Sets would be rebuilt, cast and crew dispatched, scenes rewritten. Sometimes this would happen days or weeks after the scene had been originally shot; other times it would happen months, even years, later, when we returned to New Zealand (ibid, p206).” All of this had to be done to strict deadlines. Premiere dates are non-movable events. These films had not one set but three sets of premiere dates to hit (as well as further work on the extended DVD versions!). All in all, whichever way you look at it, whether it is one film in three parts or three separate films, the amount of work and effort put into The Lord of the Rings was just as much a challenge to make as the original journey recounted in the books themselves. References:

Astin, S. (with Layden, J.), 2004. There and Back Again - An Actor’s Tale: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Lord of the Rings. London, Virgin. Bean, S. (as told to Hunt, Anna), 2006. Sharpe Focus in Radio Times, 22-28 April, 2006. London, BBC.

Imdb.com, 2006a. Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) [online] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/awards [Accessed 8th September 2006] Imdb.com, 2006b. Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) [online] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167261/awards [Accessed 8th September 2006]

Imdb.com, 2006c. Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) [online] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/awards [Accessed 8th September 2006]

23

Imdb.com, 2006d. All-Time Worldwide Box Office [online] http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegross?region=world-wide [Accessed 8th September 2006] Perry, Alan, 2006. Personal Correspondence (email). 29th June 2005.

fotr, 2001. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. DVD Extended Edition Commentary Track 1: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens.

1. Consider the three main aims of project management as highlighted by the project triangle,

namely that the project be completed on time, on budget and to the required quality of the

customers. To what extent did The Lord of the Rings films achieve these aims?

2. How did it achieve these aims?


1. Presentation of answers to the above case.

24

TUTORIAL 10 (WEEK 11): MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY

DECISIONS (CHAPTER 17)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 10



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To describe how to improve system reliability

� To distinguish between preventive and breakdown maintenance

READING:


Jersey.


Halls, Harlow.


Refer below :-

Tutorial Exercises:


1. What would be the potential sources of failure for a passenger at a big railway station? What measures can the railway station take to prevent future failures from happening?


1. What are the features of a good maintenance facility?

2. Why is it important for an organisation to have maintenance?

25

STUDY BREAK WEEK

Study Break week offers the opportunity for you to engage in a range of activities at Taylors. It also gives

you the opportunity to spend some time to think about the POM exam independently of your seminar

sessions. Some of this time should be spent preparing for th exam in terms of deciding which topics you

might cover and planning your approach to this. Part of your planning will involve visiting the library and

finding extra sources of literature.

Any specific questions you may have relating to the exam can be addressed directly with your tutor in

subsequent seminar sessions, once you’ve had the opportunity to focus your ideas.

26

TUTORIAL 11 (WEEK 12): OPERATIONS IMPROVEMENT

(CHAPTER 18)

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Revise Topic 11



LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To identify the importance of improvement for an organisation

� To understand the use of the tools for improvement

READING:


Halls, Harlow.


Tutorial Exercises:


1. Why is improvement so important in operations management?

2. What techniques can be used for improvement?

27

TUTORIAL 12 (WEEK 13): FINAL EXAMINATION REVISION

CLASS ACTIVITIES:

� Practice exam essay writing

� Discussion on interpretation of questions and how to structure an answer

LEARNING OUTCOME:

� To provide practical advice such as, how to prepare for the exam, time management during the exam and pitfalls to avoid (e.g. not answering the question, not recognising the key terms in the

question, not offering critical analysis or argument, not arriving at any conclusions regarding the

question, and so forth).


It is important that you prepare for this session.

A few past year exam questions are posted up on BB7.

POM Tutorial Guide 0312

Documents

Transcript of POM Tutorial Guide 0312