Tuesday, April 26, 2016

OPERATIONS:Expert Interview

Below are notes from Scott a magazine publisher. My recording did not take – so I part of the interview is recorded and the rest is noted below.  

What are the main steps in the publishing process?
·         The main components of the publishing process are the editorial side and the sales side. There is also the distribution element.
·         On the editorial side we have a full time editor who works with the freelance writers. We also have a full time staff member who takes care of the distribution.
·         We mail about 7,000 magazines each month, and we print about 13,000
·         The most expensive part of the process is the printing
Where do things usually go wrong and slow down the schedule?
·         We can sometimes have trouble with finalizing the stories. We have a monthly magazine, but our customers don’t really notice if the magazine comes out on the first of the month or the tenth of the month.
2) Describe the most interesting and useful insights that you learned about operations.
That this publisher goes to the added expense of direct mailing more than half of his magazines. I’m surprised that it’s cost effective for his company to absorb those costs. But that also means that they are achieving acceptable margins.
3) Describe if there is anything you learned about interviewing process. How did you feel during the interview? Was it easy or not? Do you feel like you need to adjust any of your questions or your overall approach?

It was an easy interview. I wrote two questions for this interview regarding the operations process. I did not have to change the questions. This was an easy interview. 

Friday, April 22, 2016

FINAL: Reflection

 

1.         Look through your blog for this semester. Recall various experiences with exercises you've had a long the way. 
I think overall I enjoyed the format of this class. I had not done a blog before, I love the fact that it’s so easy to access and it’s a nice record of my progress and the process.
2.         What are the three most important things that you learned in this class?
The most important thing I learned in this class is how to conduct factual, and accurate research that is reliable. I found the 5 Forces Model helpful and it is something that I will continue to use as I consider new ventures. I also learned how to do a customer interview and gain feedback without asking a direct question that could bias the answer. We all want to please one another and even when conducting an interview – the interviewee wants to give you the answer that you are looking for, it’s better the gain knowledge of want the customers really thinks instead of what you think the answer should be.
3.         Which exercise(s) you found the most useful?
I found the break even analysis and the Essence assignments the most useful. The break even gave me a chance to assign a unit cost to producing one completed page in my magazine and it allowed me to determine when I could expect to a break even point. In considering that information – I could make adjustments to try to reach break even at a faster rate. The Essence assignment was good in that I really had to take a hard look and what I was trying to do and determine its value in simple language. The Essence is something that I can use when talking to others about my venture, because it uses short easy to digest language to give the project’s value.
4.         Which exercise(s) you found the least useful?
I did not love the process of completing all of the assignments, but as a person who is serious about starting a venture one day soon, I can’t say that I would have wanted to skip any of them. I think they are all valuable and they were all useful in some way.   
5.         What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to take this course in the future?
As soon as the assignments are posted, review them so that you have an idea of the time commitment. Even with that – it’s really best to work ahead of the schedule because upon review an exercise may appear simple and easy, but once you start working it – it could very well take much longer than you anticipated.


OPERATIONS: Bottlenecks

OPERATIONS BOTTLENECKS

Where are you likely to have bottlenecks in your service delivery or manufacturing process and how will these be anticipated and addressed. 
·             Advertiser not getting ads to publication on time – have to contact client
o   Have sales staff contact advertiser well in advance of deadline
o   Offer to create ad for the client
·             Ads not arriving in print ready format – have to contact client
o   Offer to create ad for the client
·             Authors not meeting deadlines with articles
o   Build in two draft stages before the final
o   Build a network of reliable authors over time
·             Content of articles not as Editor expected
o   Build in two draft stages before the final
o   Build a network of reliable authors over time
·             Photographer provided several photos – but none are as expected
o   Attend the photo shoot
o   Review photos at the shoot
·             Not selling enough ads to fill space
o   Develop filler material
o   Offer discounts to ad buyers
·             Not selling enough ads to cover costs
o   Maintain a contingency fund
o   Discount early cash payment
o   Discount bundled ad buys
·             Layout not on schedule 
o   Daily communication with layout designer
o   Resolve issues as they occur – do not put them off
·             Printing is delayed – magazine not available on schedule
o   Keep printer informed of your schedule
o   Have a back up printer available

Describe the lead/lag times that characterize the fundamental operating cycle in your business.
Regarding ad sales, ads are sold as far in advance as possible. Ads are received by the publisher as much as two months before the magazine goes to print. The payment is received after the magazine is printed and distributed with the ad.
Regarding magazine content – it follows the same schedule because everything has to be laid out and reviewed before printing. Therefore, content is received at least 60 days in advance of the distribution date.  

Explain how any seasonal production loads will be handled without severe dislocation (e.g., by building inventory, using part-time help in peak periods).
Election season both local and national affect printing schedules, as candidates generally have large printing orders that can interfere with routine printing.

What quality consistency issues exist and how will consistency of quality be ensured? What controls exist, for instance, to ensure every burger is cooked exactly the same?
In addition to maintaining the look feel and texture of the publication, quality consistency also needs to be maintained with the magazine content. Editing, writing quality, artwork and photography have to be at a certain standard for the magazine to be considered upscale. The controls that will be in place at the start of the venture will be the executive team. Once the magazine has been in business for a few years – the team will be at a point where they can create ‘Standard Operating Procedures,’ for some aspects of the publication process to maintain certain levels of quality.