In this activity, you will continue working on your operations management plan. This final part of your operations management plan requires that you identify the critical factors involved in inventory control systems. After developing this final portion of your plan, compile all of the parts you have work on in the activities for Units 1-9 to develop one comprehensive business plan.
Learning Outcome
Identify the critical factors involved in inventory control systems.
Specifications:
- 2-3 page paper
- Created in a Word document
- Follows APA, 6th edition formatting
- Includes a Reference page for cited sources
Instructions: The operations plan will conclude with a discussion of how you intend to receive, catalog, and store the inventory necessary for the operation of your organization. Write a 2-3 page paper that summarizes your plans for inventory control for your organization. In your operations management plan you should address all aspects of how you intend to acquire, control, and account for your inventory. Make sure that you address the following:
- Identify the challenges you assume you will face in receiving your inventory (i.e. shipping delays, lack of capital, change in consumer demand, etc.).
- Explain whether or not you will implement a cataloging system with your
inventory or a work schedule to effective place employees in departments
that relate to their skills and abilities? - Discuss the ways in which you will store your inventory to ensure you
have proper levels to meet consumer needs or if you can authorize employees to obtain additional supply (if needed)?
Instructions: You may download free software from the link above that helps you get an idea of how a business controls inventory. Consider applying your results with this software to your 2-3 page paper that discusses your inventory plan.
After you have completed this part of the activity, you should combine your
previous papers and this one, assembling the information into one final paper for a complete operations management plan. Make any revisions necessary once you combine the documents into one solid plan.
Please score your paper or have a friend score your paper using the following “rubric,” or “scoring guide.” The levels will equate to the following letter grades:
4 = A; 3 = B; 2 = C; 1 = D; and 0 = F
| Level | Criterion |
| Research and Documentation (40%) | |
| 4 | Any research sources utilized should come from scholarly sources (i.e. textbooks, scholarly articles, etc.). This activity should include at least 4 scholarly sources. Any in-text citations MUST be cited in APA format using the APA Manual 6th edition. You should also include a References page, also in APA format, at the end of your paper to cite any sources used. |
| 3 | The paper uses at least three scholarly sources to support your content, but it does not meet the minimum requirement for 4 sources. |
| 2 | Three or more popular sources (i.e. newspapers, internet sites, magazines, etc.) make up a majority of the references to support your content. The paper lacks credible, scholarly sources and does not meet the minimum number of sources required. |
| 1 | The paper includes one or two sources. The paper lacks the use of credible, scholarly sources and may focus on using popular sources. The number of sources used does not meet the minimum requirement (4 sources) and the resources used may not fully support the content of your paper. |
| 0 | The paper fails to cite referenced sources, or does not include any research or sources to support ideas. The paper is based off of non-original content. |
| Analysis and Argument (40%) | |
| 4 | Your paper addresses the three questions in the instructions with the use of supporting evidence and specific details and explanation. You effectively address the following:Identify the challenges you assume you will face in receiving your inventory (i.e. shipping delays, lack of capital, change in consumer demand, etc.). Explain whether or not you will implement a cataloging Discuss the ways in which you will store your inventory to |
| 3 | The content addresses only some of the questions presented in the instructions section and reflects minimal original thought and /or critical analysis relative to the business. |
| 2 | The content is vague and is weakly supported by researched evidence. The essay lacks critical analysis relative to the business. |
| 1 | The content does not address the required elements; ideas presented are not supported by research or critical analysis. |
| 0 | There is a lack of critical analysis for the operation management plan, and/or the essay does not address the business content from the Unit 1 Activity. |
| Grammar/Style (15%) | |
| 4 | The content contains a maximum of two grammatical, citation, and punctuation errors. The ideas are concise and presented in a logical manner that is easy for the reader to follow. |
| 3 | The content contains three or four grammatical, citation, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. The sentence structure flows in a concise, logical manner. |
| 2 | The paper contains more than four grammatical, citation, punctuation and/or spelling errors that distract the reader from the comprehension of ideas being presented. |
| 1 | The paper demonstrates poor writing skills, reflected by lack of syntax and proper grammar, which makes ideas difficult to communicate. Ideas are not presented in a logical manner that is easy to follow. |
| 0 | The paper contains numerous grammatical, citation, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. |
| Format (5%) | |
| 4 | The paper should properly formatted (paragraph style, margins, etc.), using the APA Manual, 6th edition. The content is typed in MS Word format, labeled with the student’s name and the activity title/unit number, and a reference section to cite any outside sources used. |
| 3 | The paper meets most of the requirements for formatting, using the APA Manual, 6th edition, though may contain some errors. |
| 2 | The paper lacks proper formatting, based on the APA Manual, 6th edition, and it may use another style of formatting (i.e. MLA, Chicago, etc.). |
| 1 | The paper is typed in a format other than MS Word. A style of formatting other than APA may be used, or there are numerous formatting errors that distract the reader’s comprehension. |
| 0 | The formatting does not comply with the APA Manual, 6th edition and is not created in MS Word. |
