The Lennox Bathroom Case Study

This case study examines the operational practices of The Lennox Bathroom. It delves into their capacity management strategies, emphasizing the use of discounts to influence demand. The analysis also covers production planning, highlighting their reliance on Johnson's rule for task scheduling. Additionally, the case explores their supply chain management, including partnerships with vendors, sustainable distribution practices, and the make-and-buy decision process.

Running head: OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Operations Management
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1OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
1.......................................................................................................................................................2
a. Quality management....................................................................................................................2
2.......................................................................................................................................................3
a. Products and services...................................................................................................................3
b. Facility layout..............................................................................................................................3
c. Project management.....................................................................................................................4
3.......................................................................................................................................................4
a. Performance management............................................................................................................4
b. Feedback control..........................................................................................................................4
c. Performance measures.................................................................................................................5
d. Corrective actions........................................................................................................................5
4.......................................................................................................................................................5
a. Capacity management..................................................................................................................5
b. Production planning.....................................................................................................................6
5.......................................................................................................................................................6
a. Supply chain management...........................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
The Lennox Bathroom is one of the best bathroom fittings and furniture of New Zealand,
operating in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Nelson and Dunedin ("Lennox Bathroom -
Nelson", 2017). The company was established in New Zealand in the year 2002. The company
carters to the customers with the best quality of bathroom accessories, showers, toilets, mirrors,
tap wares, heated towel rails, vanities as well as kitchen sinks ("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson",
2017). The customers range from the household consumers to the professional traders. The
growth of the company has been rapid, with catering to the needs of thousands of customers in
New Zealand. This assignment highlights the quality management techniques that the company
undertakes, in order to ensure the attraction and retention of the customers. The details of the
products and services that are offered to the customers are highlighted, along with shedding light
upon the project management techniques ("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson", 2017). Performance
management, capacity management and product planning are analysed successfully. The
importance of the supply chain and its effective management is also mentioned in this
assignment.
1.
a. Quality management
Quality management is important in any business sector. The quality of the products of
The Lennox Bathroom is high. The products are of superior quality and thus ensure the retention
of the old customers (Gilpin & Reber, 2014). Moreover, the high quality of the products attracts
new customers to purchase the products of The Lennox Bathroom ("Lennox Bathroom -
Nelson", 2017). The high quality ensures that the products have a high longevity, thus gaining

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customer satisfaction. The seven elements of quality management includes the identification of
the causes and effects or problems that might occur while providing quality products. Moreover,
check-sheets are to be prepared in order to ensure that each of the products abide by the
benchmarked quality (Lu & Swaminathan, 2015). Control charts and histograms are used to
understand the frequency distribution and get assistance in decision-making ("Lennox Bathroom
- Nelson", 2017). The Pareto charts and scatter diagrams also assist in quality management.
Finally, stratification technique needs to be used to gather information from a variety of source.
The Lennox Bathroom follows the seven tools of quality management and ensures high quality
of the products.
2.
a. Products and services
The Lennox Bathroom ensures that the products and services provided by them are of
superior quality. While developing these products are services, the company ensures that the
good quality products are provided to the customers that are of low cost ("Lennox Bathroom -
Nelson", 2017). The company incorporates innovation in the bathroom fittings and furniture in
order to gain competitive advantages.
b. Facility layout
The facility layout is effective in The Lennox Bathroom. The stores outlets are of the
company are located in prime locations of New Zealand, with wide area, thus helping the
customers to see the bathroom accessories and furniture ("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson", 2017).
The stores are well facilitated by aids for the elderly and disables, such that they are able to move
around the store in their wheel-chair (Lu & Swaminathan, 2015).

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c. Project management
In order to ensure the successful project management, The Lennox Bathroom uses the
work break down structure, in order to ensure the success of the business. With the help of the
work breakdown structure, the various activities that are taken up by the company could be
planned successfully.
3.
a. Performance management
The performance management is important to be ensured successfully. The performances
of the employees need to be monitored successfully, such that the financial department, the
human resource management as well as the physical resource management team work in
coordination with each other (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). The finance department of The Lennox
Bathroom ensures the transparency in the financial transactions ("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson",
2017). Moreover, the human resource department of The Lennox Bathroom ensures that the
employees are aligned towards the successful fulfilment of the organizational goals. The
performances of the employees are reviewed from time to time, thus encouraging them to work
even more diligently. The physical resource management team ensures that the physical
resources, such as the bathroom accessories, furniture is managed and the demands of the
customers are fulfilled.
b. Feedback control
Regular feedback from the customers is to be taken in order to ensure that the demands of
the customers are met successfully (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). Moreover, in order to ensure

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feedback control, regular monitoring of the feedback and its implementation is necessary
("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson", 2017). The Lennox Bathroom ensures that the innovation in the
designs that are demanded by the customers are met in order to ensure customer satisfaction.
c. Performance measures
The performances are measured by the enhancement in the sale of the products of The
Lennox Bathroom. If the performances are enhanced, then the sale of the products is likely to be
increased as well (Landy, Zedeck & Cleveland, 2017). The satisfaction of the customers will
ensure the increase in the sale of the bathroom accessories and furniture, thus resulting in the
significant increase in the sale of the products. Thus, the enhancement of the sale and the
customer loyalty ensures the performance measures of The Lennox Bathroom.
d. Corrective actions
Continuous development and improvement are important for any business. In case of The
Lennox Bathroom, innovation needs to be incorporated in the products according to the needs of
the customers, such that the demands of the customers are met ("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson",
2017). The corrective actions include elimination of the defects or the incorporation of the
demands of the customers (Landy, Zedeck & Cleveland, 2017).
4.
a. Capacity management
Capacity management is an essential activity that needs to be considered by any business
organization. The capacity management is done by The Lennox Bathroom by understanding the
demand among the customers and ensuring the organizational goals are met, within the set

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deadline ("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson", 2017). The capacity management have to be done
effectively, ensuring the balance between the demand and the supply of the products of The
Lennox Bathroom. The capacity management strategy that is taken up by The Lennox Bathroom
is influencing the demand by offering high discounts and sale.
b. Production planning
Production planning and project scheduling are essential activities. The project
scheduling is done at The Lennox Bathroom by using various task-scheduling methods, such as
the use of Johnson’s rule in order to ensure that the jobs are completed based on the priority of
the tasks. Johnson’s rule is a significant method of scheduling jobs, such that all the tasks are
completed on time, on a priority basis ("Lennox Bathroom - Nelson", 2017). The pre-requisites
of the application of the Johnson’s rule includes the time for each job being constant, job times
are mutually exclusive of the job sequence, all jobs are processed in the first work centre before
going to the second job centre, the priority of all jobs are same.
5.
a. Supply chain management
The supply chain is well managed in The Lennox Bathroom. The distributers ensure
timely distribution of the various raw materials in order to ensure the steady flow of the supply
chain and timely reach of the products to customers. The sustainability of the supply chain is
efficient. The distribution channels are efficient (Van Dooren, Bouckaert & Halligan, 2015). The
products are distributed from the company to the authorized dealers. Many vendors are chosen
for the supply of the raw materials.

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The make and buy decision is one of the important part of the supply chain. The Lennox
Bathroom buys most of their products are bought from outside suppliers. Hence, the
management has to bear the extra cost of getting the products being supplied. There is also the
expense of paying extra tax that is needed to buy products from outside agents.
The outside vendors also play a significant part within the supply chain operations of The
Lennox Bathroom. For different types of sanitary and bathroom products the company hires
separate specialized vendors. The company has formed partnership with several of the other
outside vendors that help them to get a wide variety of products supplied.
In order to deal with large number of vendors and outside suppliers, it is essential to have
the system of sustainable distribution. This will help the Lennox Bathroom to have minimum
amount of impact on the local ecology due to the activities of the supply chain. This is also one
of the important parts of the corporate social responsibility of the company. The overall process
of packing and processing of the products is also developed. This can ensure that the products
are better sustained for the future.
References
Gilpin, B. M., & Reber, G. A. (2014). U.S. Patent No. 8,818,840. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office.
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: pearson.

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Landy, F., Zedeck, S., & Cleveland, J. (2017). Performance measurement and theory. Taylor &
Francis.
Lennox Bathroom - Nelson. (2017). Lennoxbathroom.co.nz. Available at:
http://www.lennoxbathroom.co.nz/index.html
Lu, L. X., & Swaminathan, J. M. (2015). Supply chain management.
Van Dooren, W., Bouckaert, G., & Halligan, J. (2015). Performance management in the public
sector. Routledge.