SwiftRelief is a not-for-profit organisation that assembles and delivers emergency “Shelter Kits” after floods and cyclones. Each Shelter Kit contains a standard list of items (tarpaulin, rope, basic tools, hygiene pack), but the kit is customised at the final stage depending on the destination (e.g. mosquito nets for tropical areas, extra blankets for cold regions, translated instruction sheets).
SwiftRelief operates a small warehouse with three zones:
Demand is highly variable. During quiet periods SwiftRelief assembles kits for inventory, but after a disaster it must switch to rapid build-to-order for specific locations. Visibility (customer contact) is also variable: most destinations receive kits through partner agencies (low visibility), but some high-profile deployments involve live tracking updates requested by government and media (high visibility).
SwiftRelief is planning the first shipment for a new disaster zone. One shipment consists of 200 Shelter Kits and requires the following activities, durations and dependencies:
| Activity | Description | Duration | Immediate predecessor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Confirm destination requirements and bill of materials | 0.5 day | None |
| B | Pick standard items from inventory | 1.0 day | A |
| C | Quality inspection of picked items | 0.5 day | B |
| D | Print and prepare destination-specific instruction sheets | 1.0 day | A |
| E | Final kit assembly and packing | 2.0 days | C, D |
| F | Palletise and label for customs and partner agency | 0.5 day | E |
| G | Book carrier and produce shipping documents | 1.0 day | A |
| H | Load and dispatch | 0.5 day | F, G |
SwiftRelief is considering two operational changes:
SwiftRelief’s operations manager must decide how to design and control the transformation process to cope with both surge demand and high-visibility deployments.
Analyse how TWO of the four V’s (volume, variety, variation in demand, visibility) create operational trade-offs for SwiftRelief’s Shelter Kit transformation process. Your answer must link each chosen V to at least one specific decision about process design (e.g. capacity, staffing, inventory policy, or standardisation) in this scenario.
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transformation processes - the influence of volume, variety, variation in demand and visibility (customer contact) - sequencing and scheduling – Gantt charts, critical path analysis - technology, task design and process layout - monitoring, control and improvement
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