Lean Implementation at Oak Hill Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lean Implementation at Oak Hill - Case Study Example Their current lead-time of domestic order for the testing equipment lies in between one to two weeks, with international orders yielding up to three months. Urgent requirement lies within the high costs associated with keeping the exploration idle – costing an average of $50,000 to $100,000 per day. In intending to reduce their lead-time to one week, as well as to increase operational efficiency, Oak Hills also plans to enhance customer service with the help of lean manufacturing techniques. Oak Hills level of inventory is much higher than necessary because of the high demand volatility and lack of vendor management. The main issues that Oak Hills facility is facing are, employee related concerns, worn out machines, workload on quality department, the lack of quality checkpoints, and process inefficiency. All of which need to be solved before implanting the lean system. The lean system will help improve the processes and quality of the facility as well as lessen the wastage. However, employees are the key to this change; we need to change the current work environment to help boost the employee morale. Furthermore, machines and systems need to be updated in order to reduce waste of raw material and to save time and manpower. The management and employees at Oak Hills need to work together and communicate with one another in order to implement lean system successfully. Employee related fears: There is a lack of communication from management to employees regarding current lay-off’s due to the economy issues, which has diminished the employee morale. Additionally, issues of unfair bonuses pools are awarded on team basis, which employees are cross functionally trained, and are sometimes forced to assist other employees to complete the rush jobs. Damaged machines: Oak Hills has been utilizing old worn-out machines for years in which are not up to par with current levels. This results in waste of raw materials and employee turmoil at work

Vietnam vs. Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vietnam vs. Iraq - Essay Example They focus more on the differences and thus any similarity, if there exists any, is rejected off-hand. Instead of juxtaposing Iraq with Vietnam, which serves as a symbol of shameful defeat for the US, these proponents who compare this war instead with Nazi or Imperial Japan that were subdued by US forced during the Second World War. There is yet another group that feels that some similarities exist but there are differences too. for example counterinsurgency operations were involved in both cases but there is no force like North Vietnam present for Iraq. Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnam has been the symbol of failed US policies and bad military choices for many critics. It is seen as the worst possible demonstration of misplaced aggression and has been influencing American voters' attitudes towards war and use of force against a third party. Thus Vietnam analogy was something US couldn't keep out of discussion. It had to enter this debate since Vietnam's example is important and every time, US administration is criticized for its aggressive use of force, Vietnam can serve as a suitable reminder. Apart from that Vietnam also shaped the political awareness of generation that now rules America. When we closely study the case in point however more differences than similarities seem to exist between the two experiences. Vietnam in 1960s was a powerful nation and one that had long resisted against foreign domination. Sense of nationalism was strong, mobilized against the French by communists and thus people took extreme pride in their own political and social structure. They did not need a third party to tell them what was right for them. Iraq on the other hand was a weaker nation plagued by years of warfare and internal conflicts. Nationalism was missing because of extreme religious and ethnic tensions. In Vietnam, United States had adopted a vastly different approach of aggression. It had started out as an insurgency that later bloomed into full scale war. That was not the case in Iraq where it had been a full-fledge war from the beginning though it later transformed into insurgency. Similarly while Vietnam was well trained and its military strength was a force to reckon with, Iraq was a fragmented military power with no support from external sources. Apart from this, we also need to understand United States' global strategic position then and now. In 1960s, there were other powers that could keep United States' military aggression in check. Soviet Union could act as a great restraining force but that was not the case now. United States today enjoys a more powerful position globally and it has greater presence in the world than it had with USSR acting as a formidable force. It was now easier for the US to move ahead and overthrow the government in Iraq which was neither the intenti on nor the result of war with Vietnam.