Convincing Features
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Frito-Lay, the massive Dallas-based subsidiary of PepsiCo, has 38 plants and 48,000 employees in North America. Seven of Frito-Lay’s 41 brands exceed $1 billion in sales: Fritos, Lay’s, Cheetos, Tostitos, Doritos, Ruffles, and Walker’s. Operations is the focus of the firm—from designing products for new markets, to meeting changing consumer preferences, to adjusting to rising commodity costs, to subtle issues involving flavors and preservatives—OM is under constant cost, time, quality, and market pressure. Here is a look at how the 10 decisions of OM are applied at this food processor.
In the food industry, product development kitchens experiment with new products, submit them to focus groups, and perform test marketing. Once the product specifications have been set, processes capable of meeting those specifications and the necessary quality standards are created. At Frito-Lay, quality begins at the farm, with onsite inspection of the potatoes used in Ruffles and the corn used in Fritos. Quality continues throughout the manufacturing process, with visual inspections and with statistical process control of product variables such as oil, moisture, seasoning, salt, thickness, and weight. Additional quality evaluations are conducted throughout shipment, receipt, production, packaging, and delivery.
The production process at Frito-Lay is designed for large volumes and small variety, using expensive special-purpose equipment, and with swift movement of material through the facility. Product-focused facilities, such as Frito-Lay’s, typically have high capital costs, tight schedules, and rapid processing. Frito-Lay’s facilities are located regionally to aid in the rapid delivery of products because freshness is a critical issue. Sanitary issues and necessarily fast processing of products put a premium on an efficient layout. Production lines are designed for balanced throughput and high utilization. Cross-trained workers, who handle a variety of production lines, have promotion paths identified for their particular skill set. The company rewards employees with medical, retirement, and education plans. Its turnover is very low.
The supply chain is integral to success in the food industry; vendors must be chosen with great care. Moreover, the finished food product is highly dependent on perishable raw materials. Consequently, the supply chain brings raw material (potatoes, corn, etc.) to the plant securely and rapidly to meet tight production schedules. For instance, from the time that potatoes are picked in St. Augustine, Florida, until they are unloaded at the Orlando plant, processed, packaged, and shipped from the plant is under 12 hours. The requirement for fresh product requires on time, just-in-time deliveries combined with both low raw material and finished goods inventories. The continuous-flow nature of the specialized equipment in the production process permits little work-in-process inventory. The plants usually run 24/7. This means that there are four shifts of employees each week.
Tight scheduling to ensure the proper mix of fresh finished goods on automated equipment requires reliable systems and effective maintenance. Frito-Lay’s workforce is trained to recognize problems early, and professional maintenance personnel are available on every shift. Downtime is very costly and can lead to late deliveries, making maintenance a high priority.
Critically analyze TWO (2) strategies that Frito-Lay can implement to enhance supply chain resilience while effectively managing supplier reliability and fluctuating commodity prices, given its reliance on just-in-time (JIT) deliveries, tight production schedules, and the challenges of handling perishable raw materials with minimal inventory levels.
(430 words)
Examine TWO (2) benefits derived from Frito Lay’s commitment to maintaining low raw material and finished goods inventories.
(430 words)
Frito-Lay operates in a highly competitive industry where quality and efficiency are paramount. Given its reliance on high-speed, automated processes and just-in-time inventory management, how can Frito-Lay integrate TWO (2) Total Quality Management (TQM) principles into its production process without compromising throughput and capacity utilization?
(430 words)
Frito-Lay employs cross-trained workers and operates 24/7 to maximize capacity. Considering the challenges of shift-based work and the need for high employee engagement, what are the TWO (2) HRM strategies should Frito-Lay implement to balance operational efficiency with employee well-being in a high-demand production environment?
(430 words)
Conclude the overall report with significant analysis that you have provided for each topics or questions given.
(280 words)
An Executive Summary SHOULD be provided (before the Contents page) for this assignment. It provides a reader with a summary of why the report (coursework/assignment) was prepared, what it covers, and a summation of the conclusions, and/or recommendations. It should be about 10% of the assignment length, single line spacing, and is excluded from formal word counts. It is not an introduction but should function as a self-contained removable document for readers who will read no more of the report. It should contain all pertinent information including conclusions and recommendations in a concise summary, but should not contain any theory.
All submission should be submitted with a comprehensive table of contents, with section numbers, section headings, and page numbers. It should include the List of Tables, a List of Figures, a List of References, and a List of Appendices; all with page numbers indicated; all with page numbers indicated. All sections and pages should be fully numbered.
This is an academic assignment, so your statements must be justified by relevant academic theory. At the postgraduate level, you are expected to be able to apply recognized theory to situations and form opinions. You should be developing analytical and communication skills. You are expected to use your judgment to analyse problems, and make value judgments as to whether it is good or bad (or both); use existing academic theory from a range of sources to justify your position, and to argue whether something is valid or not. In the study of management, there is no right or wrong answers, only lots of opinions; many of which change over a while.
Referencing is NOT just inserting a list of publications at the end of the report (coursework/assignment), and this is not acceptable. Referencing is NOT just inserting a citation at the end of each paragraph, and is not acceptable. At the postgraduate level, you are expected to cite at least 10 to 15 different sources of reference material and to make multiple references to such material. References MUST be cited using the APA system (which is author/date). Please do not use footnotes, etc. Read your Communication skills handbook for information on how to cite reference materials. References must be listed alphabetically by the author in a single List of References at the end of each coursework/assignment. Do not put multiple lists of references at the end of each section or part.
There are many instances where diagrams and tables would assist in the communication of information and the reduction of word length. Figures and tables must be numbered in some logical way, so they can be listed on the Contents page, and referred to in the text. A recommendation is that you call it Figure/Table X.1, X.2 etc., where ‘X’ represents the section number. Consecutive numbering through the whole document (rather than by section) can mean lots of renumbering if there are changes. Tables should not run over onto following pages. Start them on a new page to avoid this. If they are multi-page tables, then think about making them into an appendix. Use a smaller font size (10 pt) and single line spacing to reduce the size of tables.
Larger amounts of relevant material (such as sample documents or supporting material) should be put at the end of the assignment in an Appendix after the List of References. Smaller charts or summaries could be located in the text, but anything over a page becomes a distraction. Appendices should be numbered sequentially (Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.). Unnecessary and irrelevant information should not be attached. Size of assignments has no bearing on marks achieved.
The similarity index should be less than or equal to 20%.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. When completing an assignment, it is necessary to cite all information gather from other sources – including direct quotation and paraphrases – within the text of the paper. The penalty for any suspected plagiarism or late submission will undergone process in line with the University’s Academic Regulations and Policies, 2017 (Ref pdf; Section 6.6.3 and Section 6.6.4).
Students are not permitted to use AI tools for assignments. Any unauthorized use will be considered a violation of academic integrity. Students are expected to present work that is entirely their own, without assistance from automated tools. Additionally, students should be aware of potential risks associated with AI-generated content, including inaccuracies and intellectual property concerns. Students are responsible for assessing the validity and applicability of AI-generated content submitted for assignments. Violations of this policy are considered academic misconduct.
This coursework requires a total word count of 2,000 words, not including executive summary, tables, figures, references, and appendices. The word count is indicative. Thus, try to stay with the allocated word count as far as possible. Marks are gained for facts and conciseness, and marks are lost for unnecessary material. As a postgraduate student, there is no excuse for poor spelling, bad grammar, or lack of formatting. Use 1.5 lines-spacing with 12-point font size, and pages must be numbered. Use Times New Roman font ONLY.
The DUE DATE for this coursework is on 27 April 2025, latest at 11.59pm. Coursework submission should be done on SPARK LMS. You are advised to submit at least 1 day earlier than the due date to ensure you meet the Turnitin requirement. Besides, you are advised to ensure your student identification number have the access to this course in the SPARK LMS once the semester commences. Thus, late submission due to unable to access this course on the SPARK after the due date will not be accepted.
If the submission was not done by the due date, a late submission penalty will be imposed on submission as below:
• Late submission between 1 and 5 days, results in 1 mark deducted per day up to a maximum of 5 marks from the total coursework/assignment marks.
• Late submission between 6 and 10 days, results in 2 marks deducted per day from day 6 to 10, plus the 5 marks deducted from day 1 to 5 up to a maximum of 15 marks from the total coursework/assignment marks.
• Late submission between 11 and 15 days, will only be able to secure a passing grade of 50% provided the work is secure more than 50%. For coursework that has secured less than 50%, the marks will be maintained.
• For late submission of more than 15 days, the coursework will not be accepted and will result in an automatic 0% for coursework/assignment marks.
a) Academic journals (especially from year 2020 onwards)
b) Industry reports
c)Reputable business news sources
5 marks will be deducted from the total marks graded for violating this rule.
i) Cover Page
ii) Executive Summary
iii) Table of contents
iv)Body/ Content
v)References (APA)
vi) Appendices – Each appendix in a single page format (if any)
