Process and Location Strategy:
Module 2 - SLP
OPM300
Process and Location Strategy 2
In looking over the PowerPoint presentation about the four process strategies, I have a better understanding of the different strategies that companies use to run their businesses. Depending on the makeup of a business, a company wants to use the appropriate strategy process. If a company has low-volume and high-variety, a company would use the process focus strategy. If a company has a modular product, they would want to use the repetitive focus strategy. If a company has high-volume, low-variety, they would use the product focus strategy. If a company has high-volume and high-variety, they would use the mass customization strategy.
While FedEx Corporation uses more than one process strategy listed in the four process PowerPoint presentation, the one process strategy that stands out the most is Mass Customization. FedEx has high-volume and high-variety. FedEx does not actually produce a product, but rather a service. When we think of Mass Customization strategy and FedEx, we must think in terms of service, not necessarily product. Using the mass customization strategy, this is a fast pace environment where things move very quickly. People who use the FedEx service are able to customize their service by picking exactly how and when they would like their package to be delivered. Another charactistic of the mass customization strategy that FedEx uses is the sophisticated scheduling that is required to deliver these customized orders [1].
Mass Customization is an operational strategy focused on inducing velocity and flexibility in a make-to-order production process, with the capability of producing at a minimum, a quantity of one, or large quantities with minimal changeovers and interruptions. Mass Customization products compete directly with standard products, providing a company a competitive edge by having the capability to
References: 1. http://rockfordconsulting.com/mass-customization.htm 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FedEx_Express 3. http://www.georgia.org/BusinessInGeorgia/Pages/default.aspx