Operations Management
“Your Garden Gloves”
Team: Papaya Nick
Presented by:
Jason, Jimmy,
Nick, Rachel,
Richard, Sandy
Professor: Ying Jiun Hsieh
Outline
1. Case Introduction
2. Question Discussion
3. Questions and Answers
1. Case Introduction – “Your Garden Gloves”
Company Background:
• Gardening business
• Established 5 years ago
• Substantially business growth
• Each year 10 new clients and a new employee
• Currently 8 seasonal employees
1. Case Introduction – “Your Garden Gloves”
Company Background:
• Assign crew to do tasks
• Crew size range from 2 to 4 workers
• Largest job took longer time
• Take a investigation
2. Question Discussion
Question 1
Which crew size had the highest productivity? Which
crew size had the lowest productivity? What are some
possible explanations for these results?
Crew Size
Average Productivity per Crew
2
4,234 square feet per day
3
5,352 square feet per day
4
7,860 square feet per day
Productivity Ratios
• 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡
𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡
=
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑤
𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑤 𝑆𝑖𝑧𝑒
• Productivity ratios
Crew Size
Average Productivity per Crew
Productivity Ratio
2
4,234 square feet per day
2,117 ↑
3
5,352 square feet per day
1,784 ↓
4
7,860 square feet per day
1,965 →
Explanation Productivity Ratios
Productivity Paradox
1. New workers
(Grouping of employees with different experience level)
2. Quality of tools
2. Question Discussion
Question 2
After a recent storm, a customer called in a panic,
saying that she had planned a garden party for the
upcoming weekend and her garden was shambles. The
owner decided to send a crew of four workers, even
though a two-worker crew would have a higher
productivity. Explain the rationale for this decision.
Prioritization
Critical activity
with high
importance and
urgency
Rational Explanation
• Time pressure
Crew Size
Average Productivity per Crew
Productivity Ratio
2
4,234 square feet per day ↓
2,117 ↑
3
5,352 square feet per day →
1,784 ↓
4
7,860 square feet per day ↑
1,965 →
• 4 people have the highest total output per
day
• 4 workers should complete the work asap
Illustration
• Assumption: Garden size 20,000 square feet
Case 1
Case 2
Crew size 2
4,234 ft²/day
Duration: 4.7 days
Crew size 4
7,860 ft²/day
Duration: 2.5 days
2. Question Discussion
Question 3
What is a possible qualitative issue that may very well
influence productivity levels that the productivity ratios
fail to take into account?
Qualitative Issues
1. New company:
• Founded only 5 years ago
• Low employee loyalty
Solutions:
• Offer long-term contracts
• Provide a career path
• Develop relationships
Qualitative Issues
2. Seasonal work: (weather conditions, location)
• 6 month operating time
• No continuous work flow through the whole year
• Employees may look for permanent jobs → drop outs
Qualitative Issues
3. Standardization:
• Standardized processes increase the productivity
level of employees
Solution: Introduction of standard operation procedures
• In long term, employees may feel less motivated and
reduce productivity level
Solution: Assign different tasks from time to time
Qualitative Issues
4. Incentive plans that reward productivity can
increase productivity
• Productivity level influenced by structural division
between management and labor
• Goal: Willingness that workers give their best
Solution: Performance related wages
Qualitative Issues
5. Experience of workers
• Employees with longer experience have usually a
higher productivity level than less experienced
workers
6. Quality of tools
• Has an impact of the productivity level
3. Questions and Answers
Sources
• Operations Management by William J. Stevenson (11th Edition).
• http://anywhereworking.org/2013/productivity-hack-friday-actionsurgent-important-matrix/
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Michigan_
in_United_States.svg/800px-Michigan_in_United_States.svg.png
• http://de.climate-data.org/location/17804/