Barilla’s manufacturing Essay Example for Free

Barilla’s manufacturing Essay Manufacturing: Barilla has 25 plants, including large flour mills, pasta plants, and fresh bread, as well as plants producing specialty products. Raw materials, in the manufacturing process, were transformed to packaged pasta on fully-automated 120 meter long production lines. The plants were specialized by the type of pasta they would produce, with the primary distinction based on the composition of the pasta, e.g. dry or fresh pasta, pasta with or without eggs and spinach. Also, even within the same family of pasta products, individual products were assigned to plants based on the size and shape of the pasta. The manufacturing process at Barilla was very precise, and required tight heat and humidity specifications in the pasta dry process, so as to keep the changeover cost low and quality high. Distribution: Barilla divided its products into â€Å"dry† and â€Å"fresh† product categories and maintained a different distribution system for the two categories. The dry products category includes dry pasta and longer shelf-life bakery products, whereas, the fresh products category includes fresh pasta products (with 21-day shelf life) and fresh bread (with one-day shelf life). Barilla had two central distribution centers (CDC) to which the products shipped from the plants. The fresh products were then purchased from these CDC’s by independent agents who then channeled the products through 70 regional warehouses located throughout Italy. From the CDC’s approximately 65% of the dry products went to the supermarkets, 70% of these (65% of dry products) went to super market chains, whereas, the remaining 30% went to independent super markets. The remaining 35% of dry products were distributed from the CDC’s to Barilla’s internally owned regional warehouses, which then distributed them to small  independent shops – Signora Maria Shops. Dry products destined for supermarket chains were distributed from the CDC to the chain’s own distribution organization, known as Grande Distribuzione (GD). While those destined for independent supermarkets were distributed from the CDC to a distributor known as Distribuzione Organizzata (DO), which acted as a centralized buying organization for a large number of independent supermarkets. The CDCs held a month’s inventory for dry products, and 3 days for fresh products. The GD, DO and the internally owned regional warehouses (for Signora Maria shops) held a two-week supply for Barilla’s dry products. The following figure (Figure 1) shows an illustration of Barilla’s distribution system for dry products: Figure 1: Barillas Distribution Network for Dry Products What is the problem faced by Barilla? What do you think are the factors causing this problem? Barilla’s pasta supply chain suffers from classic bullwhip-effect problem. It has been experiencing large amounts of variability in demand resulting in operational inefficiency and increased manufacturing, inventory, and distribution costs. The underlying factors of the fluctuating demand include Barilla’s sales strategy relying heavily on the use of promotions in the form of price, transportation and volume discounts; sales representatives being rewarded based on the amount of product sold to distributors, which led to sales representatives trying to push product to the distributors during promotions, decreasing the ability to accurately forecast sales; the distributors having full control over their orders leading to gaming behaviors; and the lack of a computer forecasting system at the distributor level. Describe the solution proposed by Brando Vitali. Why do you think this would help alleviate the problem? Brando Vitali suggested the implementation of a Just-In-Time Distribution  (JITD) strategy, which is essentially the Vendor Management Inventory (VMI) strategy. Barilla will be in charge of the channel between the CDCs and the distributor and decide on the timing and size of shipments to its distributors. Thus, unlike traditional supply chains in which distributors place orders and manufacturers try to satisfy these orders as much as possible, in JITD Barillas own logistics organization would specify the appropriate delivery quantities – those that will more effectively meet the end customer’s needs yet would also more evenly distribute the workload on Barilla’s manufacturing and logistics system. If implemented, Barilla can make better delivery decisions and improve its demand forecasts, be more effective in meeting end-customers needs, and more evenly distribute the workload on its manufacturing and logistics systems. Also, the inventory levels at CDCs will a lso be reduced. What conflicts or barriers internal to Barilla does the JITD program create? What causes these conflicts? How should Giorgio Maggiali deal with these internal conflicts? The main resistance internal to Barilla was from the sales and marketing functions, which Barilla, until now, has relied upon for its success. The sales representatives feared reduction in both their responsibilities and bonuses due to a flatted sales level. The marketing people also feared a reduction in responsibilities as trade promotions would be difficult to run with a JITD strategy. There were also concerns about inability to adjust shipments quickly to stock outs, lack of infrastructure to handle JITD, vague cost benefits, and increased competitor shelf space at distributors. I think Maggiali should demonstrate that JITD benefits not just Barilla, but also the distributors. He should run experiments at one or more distributor sites and prove his case. Also, Maggiali should encourage the marketing and sales people to look at the overall benefit to the supply chain. By getting the top management involved, by effectively advocating the benefits for the entire supply chain, and by removing the obstacles of sales incentives and reduced responsibility, Maggiali can effectively deal with this problem and get JITD implemented. How do you think a typical Barilla customer would respond to JITD? Why? How would you convince the customer that the JITD program was worth trying? If you are not able to sway the customer, what alternatives would you suggest to combat some of the difficulties that Barilla’s operating system faces? I think a typical Barilla customer, if explained to properly, should be able to comprehend the benefits associated with JITD for the entire supply chain. I would convince the customer by mentioning the benefits of the JITD in removing the bullwhip effect. I would point out the fact that they would actually be reducing their costs significantly because Barilla would be responsible for monitoring and replenishing their inventories when levels are low. Moreover, the reduced inventory levels would also save them the cost for both inventories and space. If however, I am not able to convince the customers, I will try other modes, in my capability, to effectively respond to the fluctuating demand. For this purposes, I would either reduce the varieties of products being offered which will reduce the need to have so many different inventories and SKU for both customers and Barilla. I could also try implementing the Just-In-Time (lean production) approach for Barillas manufacturing processes – processes which are internal and Barilla has full control over.

British Diplomacy in Palestine Essay -- Palestinians

I believe that British diplomacy in Palestine was consistently indecisive and hypocritical but at the same time the British wanted to keep their hands in Palestine’s economy and goods. The reasoning behind this statement is because of the events that played out during the Hussein-McMahon correspondence, the Sykes-Picot agreement, and the Balfour declaration. First, the Hussein-McMahon correspondence was a long-drawn-out exchange of letters between the Sharif of Mecca Hussein bin Ali and British High Commissioner Sir Henry McMahon dealing with the future political status of the Ottoman Empire. The Arab’s were planning on revolting against the Ottoman Empire because of the promise that after the war was over Britain would recognize the independence of the Arab areas of the Ottoman Empire now known as Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, and Saudi Arabia. The British encouraged the revolt against the Ottoman Empire because they were allies with the Germans, during World War I. The British also knew that if the Arab’s would get into World War I and if they could overthrow the Ottoman Empire the British would be able to occupy key positions that could give them the advantage over the Germans in the war. Unfortunately, after the war had ended, McMahon and Hussein could not agree on what areas of the territory to r ecognize the independence of the Arab areas that Hussein had wanted. For a lack of better words this made the relationship between the Arab leader, Hussein bin Ali, and the British High Commissioner Sir Henry McMahon and their people very untrusting of each other and extremely tense. The Second thing that put a lot of tension on the relationship between the Arabs and the British was the Sykes-Picot agreement... ...ing colonizers at just the moment when other Europeans had given up on the idea?† That being said, I believe this statement effectively paraphrases the source of the tension between Jews and Arab opponents of the creation of the state of Israel. Works Cited Fromkin, David (1989). A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East. New York: Owl. pp. 286, 288. ISBN 0-8050-6884-8. Peter Mansfield, British Empire magazine, Time-Life Books, no 75, p.2078 Balfour, Arthur J. "Balfour Declaration of 1917." Letter to Foreign Office. 2 Nov. 1917. MS. Huneidi, Sahar. A Broken Trust: Herbert Samuel, Zionism and the Palestinians 1920-1925. London: I.B. Tauris, 2001. Print. "Quotes About Israeli Palestinian Conflict." (19 Quotes). Web. 10 Mar. 2012. .

Arsenic and Old Lace Essay

The play opens in the living room of the Brewster home, where Abby and Martha Brewster, and their nephew, Teddy live. Teddy, who is rather crazy, believes himself to be Theodore Roosevelt. Mortimer enters and announces to his aunts that he intends to marry Elaine, the minister’s daughter, whom he is taking to a play that evening. Things begin to unravel as Mortimer lifts the lid to the window seat. He discovers the dead body of Mr. Hoskins and assumes that Teddy has killed him. However, Abby and Martha tell Mortimer that it was they who poisoned the man with their homemade elderberry wine – and that he is the eleventh (or twelfth) gentleman they have poisoned. Meanwhile Teddy is down in the cellar digging what he believes is the Panama Canal but is in reality a grave. Mortimer and Teddy’s brother Jonathan arrives. Jonathan is accompanied by Dr. Einstein, a plastic surgeon. Dr. Einstein has operated on Jonathan so that he looks like Boris Karloff, the horror film star. Teddy invites Einstein to join him in the cellar, where he believes he is digging the Panama Canal. Einstein quickly returns and confides to Jonathan that there is a hole large enough to bury Mr. Spenalzo (a man Jonathan recently killed) after everyone goes to bed. Once the lights are out and everyone is supposedly asleep, Teddy goes to the window seat to get Mr. Hoskins. At the same time Jonathan and Einstein go to their car to get Mr. Spenalzo. Both plan on burying the bodies in the cellar. Lights blink on and off, bodies are moved from the window seat to the cellar to the car outside, accusations and threats fly back and forth. Due to the commotion at the house, Officer O’Hara stops by to make sure all is well. When he is sure that everything is alright, he shifts topics and asks Mortimer of a play he is writing. Just then, the lieutenant bursts in and recognizes Jonathan as an escapee from a prison for the criminally insane. Jonathan tells the officers about the bodies in the cellar, but they don’t believe him and take him off to prison. Einstein gets away, and Teddy is certified insane and taken to the Happy Dale Sanitarium. Mortimer happily agrees when his aunts insist on going to Happy Dale with their nephew. The aunts then kindly inform Mortimer that he is actually not a member of the Brewster family. He was an illegitimate child and thus can marry Elaine without fear of passing the Brewster insanity on to his children. Mortimer happily departs, but before the women leave their house, they offer a drink to the head of Happy Dale, Mr. Witherspoon. Witherspoon is a lonely older gentleman, and he gladly accepts a glass of the spiked elderberry wine.

Argumentative Essay On Marijuana - 784 Words

Marijuana is much safer than a lot of other drugs. It can be smoked, vaporized, eaten in edibles, the oil can be extracted from the plant and taken in a capsule or rubbed on a pained area as a lotion, and many other ways. Any one of these ways are safer than snorting or injecting a drug. Other drugs have a higher addiction potential and are very harmful to the body in numerous ways. Other drugs also have a high overdose rate, whereas marijuana doesn’t. Marijuana has no reported overdoses, and in fact, one would have to consume a vast amount marijuana in such a time that is impossible to do so. Marijuana is not very addictive. So, if one had to go however long without it one would be able to; whereas with crack, cocaine, heroin, and many†¦show more content†¦Marijuana is a versatile drug that can be prescribed in many forms, and in many doses. Marijuana can be taken and not produce the â€Å"high† feeling some people despise. Marijuana has many positives despite the few negatives. Other people are afraid that they might become addicted to marijuana, but that is not the case. No part of marijuana is physically addictive, like amphetamines or heroin, but abusers can feel like they’re addicted to the feeling that it can give off if used at recreational doses. People like the high and they keep trying to produce the same feeling, while simultaneously raising the tolerance they have to the psychoactive ingredients. A high tolerance means more of the drug is needed to get high. As more and more of the plant is needed, the user might even progress to a more dangerous drug to get the desired effects, which could potentially lead to addiction. There is also the fear that marijuana will give people cancer or other harmful illnesses. The only proven harm that marijuana has on humans is when it is smoked, because smoking anything is bad for the lungs. There are also diverse ways that marijuana can be consumed, so one doesn’t have to smoke it to get the benefits of it. One can eat it in edibles or a pill, use it as a lotion, or vaporize it. Marijuana is a lot safer than any other drug out there, and even safer than tobacco and alcohol products, as well as manyShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay : Legalization Of Marijuana1387 Words   |  6 PagesAmanda Montoya April 14, 2014 Kathy severance Argumentative essay #2 Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana has been used in religious ceremonies or for medical purposes for thousands of years. I have always been against the use of Marijuana up until four years ago when my husband at the age of twenty seven underwent invasive surgery on his knee and has never been the same since. Colorado took a huge step several years ago legalizing marijuana for medical use and in recent years took the plungeRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Marijuana1203 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana, also known as cannabis, is referred to as many different names by people from different parts of the world. 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