Aarushi finished her Bachelors degree in Management and decided to join Paras Pharmaceuticals. She was placed under the department which oversaw the exact route of each individual item. Her supervisor Kumar explained that their department plays a very important function of looking into the movement of material, performance of machines and operations of labour. She was surprised and asked Kumar the reason and he further explained that the department makes a plan for every item which will ensure the orderly flow of materials from raw material stage to the finished product stage and this will enable continuous production always. He further elaborated on various systems used for quality control. Kumar showed her an existing plan and asked Aarushi to devise a plan incorporating all that he had explained. Explain the first five elements involved in this plan.

Question

Accepted Answer

The plan is the Operational Plan, a blueprint prepared in advance of actual operations ensuring a smooth and coordinated flow of work. Five elements: (i) Routing - determining the exact route or path that a product or service follows from raw material to finished product; it establishes the exact route of each item, part or assembly, ensuring the orderly flow of materials. (ii) Scheduling - fixing the time, day and date when each operation has to be commenced and completed; it determines the time required for each operation and sets starting and finishing dates for each assignment or work, enabling continuous production. (iii) Dispatching - the process of initiating production in accordance with the preconceived production plan by issuing the necessary orders, instructions and guidelines to give practical shape to the plan. (iv) Follow-Up - evaluation and appraisal of the work performed; it helps in detecting errors and defects, reviewing the situation regarding materials and work-in-progress, expediting lagging departments and removing production obstacles. (v) Inspection - comparing materials, products or performance with established standards; it helps set up laboratories or strategies to ensure the predetermined quality of products.