1. Operations Management “Your Garden Gloves”
Team: Papaya Nick
Presented by:
Jason, Jimmy,
Nick, Rachel,
Richard, Sandy
Professor: Ying Jiun Hsieh

2. Outline
1. Case Introduction 2. Question Discussion 3. Questions and Answers

3. 1. Case Introduction – “Your Garden Gloves”
Company Background:
Gardening business
Established 5 years ago
Substantially business growth
Each year 10 new clients and a new employee
Currently 8 seasonal employees

4. 1. Case Introduction – “Your Garden Gloves”
Company Background:
Assign crew to do tasks
Crew size range from 2 to 4 workers
Largest job took longer time
Take a investigation

5. Average Productivity per Crew
2. Question Discussion
Question 1
Which crew size had the highest productivity? Which crew size had the lowest productivity? What are some possible explanations for these results?
Crew Size
Average Productivity per Crew 2
4,234 square feet per day 3
5,352 square feet per day 4
7,860 square feet per day

6. Average Productivity per Crew
Productivity Ratios
𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦= 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑤 𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑤 𝑆𝑖𝑧𝑒
Productivity ratios
Crew Size
Average Productivity per Crew
Productivity Ratio 2
4,234 square feet per day
2,117 ↑ 3
5,352 square feet per day
1,784 ↓ 4
7,860 square feet per day
1,965 →

7. Explanation Productivity Ratios
Productivity Paradox
New workers
(Grouping of employees with different experience level)
2. Quality of tools

8. 2. Question Discussion Question 2
After a recent storm, a customer called in a panic, saying that she had planned a garden party for the upcoming weekend and her garden was shambles. The owner decided to send a crew of four workers, even though a two-worker crew would have a higher productivity. Explain the rationale for this decision.

9. Prioritization
Critical activity with high importance and urgency

10. Average Productivity per Crew
Rational Explanation
Time pressure
4 people have the highest total output per day
4 workers should complete the work asap
Crew Size
Average Productivity per Crew
Productivity Ratio 2
4,234 square feet per day ↓
2,117 ↑ 3
5,352 square feet per day →
1,784 ↓ 4
7,860 square feet per day ↑
1,965 →

11. Illustration Assumption: Garden size 20,000 square feet Case 1 Case 2
Crew size 2
4,234 ft²/day
Duration: 4.7 days
Case 2
Crew size 4
7,860 ft²/day
Duration: 2.5 days

12. 2. Question Discussion Question 3
What is a possible qualitative issue that may very well influence productivity levels that the productivity ratios fail to take into account?

13. Qualitative Issues 1. New company: Founded only 5 years ago
Low employee loyalty
Solutions:
Offer long-term contracts
Provide a career path
Develop relationships

14. Qualitative Issues 2. Seasonal work: (weather conditions, location)
6 month operating time
No continuous work flow through the whole year
Employees may look for permanent jobs → drop outs

15. Qualitative Issues 3. Standardization:
Standardized processes increase the productivity level of employees
Solution: Introduction of standard operation procedures
In long term, employees may feel less motivated and reduce productivity level
Solution: Assign different tasks from time to time

16. Qualitative Issues 4. Incentive plans that reward productivity can
increase productivity
Productivity level influenced by structural division between management and labor
Goal: Willingness that workers give their best
Solution: Performance related wages

17. Qualitative Issues 5. Experience of workers
Employees with longer experience have usually a higher productivity level than less experienced workers
6. Quality of tools
Has an impact of the productivity level

18. 3. Questions and Answers

19. Sources Operations Management by William J. Stevenson (11th Edition).