Introducing Operations Management – Case Study Rip Curl
Student Worksheets
Introduction and overview
1.
Why do most Australian clothing companies now produce off shore?
2.
What reasons are stated for Rip Curl manufacturing at Torquay?
3.
What disadvantages could there be moving your manufacturing operation to another country? (At
the time of filming – mid 2000, political instability in Fiji was causing considerable concern to a
number of TCF companies including Rip Curl)
4.
Is there any marketing advantage in the “Made in Australia” label?
Walkthough
5.
Describe the steps involved in making a Rip Curl T-shirt.
6.
Discuss the relative importance of the placement print on the T-shirts vs. the garment itself.
The Operations system
7.
List the inputs, processes and output.
8.
Are there any additional inputs or processes not listed in this section of the program?
(The program necessarily simplifies the process).
Productivity
Facilities design
9.
What features of the Rip Curl factory affect efficient manufacturing?
10. The Rip Curl factory was built with this purpose in mind. Why would a company sometimes make
use a building that was designed for a different purpose?
11. When planning the factory layout, an amount of time was spent by Brian Beveridge working with a
model of various floor plans. What alternative layouts could you design?
12. How does the lack of supporting columns in the building provide more flexibility for the factory
layout?
13. What advantage would there be using mezzanine floors vs. a second total floor space?
14. The T-shirt manufacturing process is described as a form of assembly line and a process layout.
Would any other form of process be feasible?
Materials Management
15. Describe how the marketing of T-shirts in assorted packs (colour and size) helps with materials
management.
16. What is another name for the system of organising “just enough” fabric for two weeks production?
(Just in time).
17. How does Brian suggest that his suppliers are influenced by the fact that Rip Curl is one of the few
remaining TCF manufacturers producing in Australia?
Quality management
18. Rip Curl uses a simple approach to quality control perhaps related to the “surfing style approach to
business management” explored in our first two programs (Rip Curl Business Surfing Style and Rip
Curl Riding the International Wave). Is it likely that the adoption of Total Quality Management,
Quality Assurance or Continuous Improvement principles would have a noticeable impact on Rip
Curl’s product or production process?
19. How could any of these quality management principles be applied?
New technology
20. What examples of new technology are mentioned in relationship to the clothing factory?
21. With the example of the heat sealing of the T-shirt pack, Check the time taken to pack the T-shirts in
plastic (approx. 8 seconds). Estimate how long it would take to wrap them using a roll of plastic and
tape dispenser. How much time saving would this be in a year given the production figures
provided? (approx. 120,000 T-shirts, wrapping in bundles of 12) (Minimum retail pack is 24 – 2
packs of 12 T-shirts)
22. Why was computer controlled cutting not considered feasible?
(In relationship to sewing, a number of automated machines are available for more complicated
garments – making collars, pockets etc but apply less to such a simple product as a T-shirt)
23. What examples of new technology are detailed in the printing factory?
24. Is it possible that any other forms of new technology could be applied to the T-shirt manufacturing
process that you have seen?