Applied Operations Management

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Applied Operations Management

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................3
SWOT Analysis.........................................................................................................................4
Strengths.................................................................................................................................5
Weaknesses............................................................................................................................5
Opportunities..........................................................................................................................6
Threats....................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Executive Summary
Inner-City Paint Corporation is a small and medium scale paint manufacturing organisation
based in Chicago. The company is following a centralised decision making and business
operation structure headed by Stanley Walsh. The on-going issues are analysed in the
following SWOT analysis. The corporation is operating with several problems, such as lack
of financial and management control, lack of skilled workforce, the high manufacturing cost
of products, high business operation time, and the poor delivery deadline of products, poor
customer loyalty, old manufacturing plant and office premise, and lack of engagement of
stakeholders in decision making. Moreover, the American housing industry is also going
through challenges due to the recent Housing Bubble. These issues and problems are
affecting business profitability and sales growth as the company is facing substantial net
losses and rising debts.
Stanley Walsh needs to bring changes in the management operation functions, decision-
making process, and decision-making structure. Since its establishment, Inner-City Paint
Corporation is following centralised strategy development and decision making method and
these needs to be changed by introducing decentralised decision making and democratic
managerial approaches. Instead of part-time employees, full-time skilled employees need to
be hired to strengthen the experienced and knowledge level of the workforce (Mingers,
2015). Moreover, the management control team and the financial control team should be
developed and headed by the professionals.
The recommended solutions are highly appropriate. First of all, replacing part-time
employees by full-time employees will strengthen the workforce of the company, and it is
necessary for Inner-City Paint Corporation considering current situation as the company is
facing product quality, deadline management, and service efficiency problems. Secondly, the