A Case Study on Austin Wood Products
A Case Study Presented to the Faculty of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business Decision Sciences and Innovation Department
De La Salle University - Manila
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course SUPPMAN K31
By Herrera, Lorenzo V. 11224738
Kehyeng, Charise Jessica T. 11144394
Larracas, Danielle Dominique G. 11134917
Lim, Ma. Anna Emanuelle N. 11107669 Zialcita, Raphael Paolo
Prof. Willy Cuason
September 16, 2014
I. CONTENTS:
Summary of Findings
Background Information
Problem Statement if there are any
Analysis of Alternatives
Detailed Recommendations
Answer to Case Questions
Learnings
II.
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This then translates to a 50% chance of not having inventory available during job opportunities. Therefore, opportunity costs might occur. The indifference of the production managers' in these aspects of inventory control is alarming and should be acted upon.
Austin Wood Products should also define their organizational structure more clearly in terms of its centralization, functions and duties especially in terms of the production department. Where in the purchasing agent reports to the VP of Finance, but it is supposedly under production since it is highly involved in this.
The company has been functioning well in terms of generating profit and demand so far. However, there will be a 20% increase in demand for the next month of operations as predicted by management, and the production and supply management's problems may come as a problem they can no longer afford.
III. BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The company, Austin Wood Products (AWP), was founded by Michael Price. Michael realized the opportunity for custom-manufactured doors during the 1980's and was able to ride the fast-growing building industry during that time in developing his business initially in his home garage. As the company grew, the company was able to relocate to a number of places (such as Belton, downtown Austin, current location- Guadalupe Road in Austin). The current plant site composed of 90,000 sq.ft. now facilitates production,
The company started off producing 20,000 units of mountain bikes. We did not change the production quantity. Last year our forecast sales were 24,000 when we only sold 19,866; therefore we thought it would be best to leave production at 20,000 bikes. Having excess inventory, we concluded that 20,000 units should be enough considering our quality has not changed and our advertising will not increase the sales dramatically. Although we had the choice to produce as much as 30,000 units, we felt as though we did not have sufficient money to increase production. We were interested in allocating the money towards marketing as opposed to production. We realized that without awareness, no matter how many units we make, sales would be inefficient.
As a whole the company needs to completely overhaul their current processes and procedures in their supply department in order to address the issues as detailed above.
The company is looking to increase profitability and find a long-term solution to the inventory problem.
Due to the recent economy situation and ever challenging business environment, for the whole of last year, the company recorded cost hike and sales decline. This has impacted the bottom line (profitability) of the company. The top management sees that urgent action plans need to be put in place for continuous survival of the company.
Two-year decrease of liquidity measures including current ratio and quick ratio reveals the problems concerning company’s short-term solvency and liquidity. Butler Lumber Company’s current ratio decreased to 145.05% in 1990 from the level of 180.00% in 1988. The same decrease happened to quick ratio (decreased from 88.08% in 1988 to 66.92% in 1990). As the short-term lender, Northrop National Bank should have noticed that Butler Lumber Company’s ability to pay its bills over the short run without undue press needs to be carefully examined. The decrease of current ratio also implies the decreasing level of company’s net working capital, which is another sign of lower level of liquidity.
The company is weakened mainly by its lack of technological advancement in every area of production. For example, if the company chose to modify their equipment to produce their “Atherley” model as well, it would be able to lower production costs of this model, in turn increasing the profits of this model further. In addition, the Atherley Furniture Company greatest threat is the decreased market for their “Parkdale” model. The “Parkdale” model has the most time consuming and costly production. With lack of a market for this model, the company stands to continue to lose profits. In conclusion, if the company wishes to continue to operate their chair division profitably as well as efficiently, the above issues need to be addressed and corrected.
Lastly, the company suggest to expand their current inventory through increasing production and capacity. With the increase in production rate the company can gain more consumers as a whole through supply and demand. Doing this would give the company an opportunity for more exposure and perhaps better brand recognition.
The history of Timber in Texas begins in the 1800’s. According to Maxwell (2010), there was evidence of sash mills being used before the Texas Revolution to produce lumber. The use of the first steam sawmill in Texas was supposed to be released by John Richardson Harris in 1829, but he unfortunately died before he could come out with this project. His brothers carried out his will and created the sawmill, which led to more than 200 sawmills operating along the Gulf Coast.
Suggest key actions that management should take in order to confront these circumstances. Provide a rationale for your response. (Hint: Your firm’s price must cover average variable costs in the short run and average total costs in the long run to continue operations.)
Tim Horton's one of North America's largest coffee and fresh baked goods chains. Today, Tim Horton's has more than 2,200 stores across Canada and a steadily growing base of 160 locations in key markets within the United States. Our project is focus on the Inventory management of Tim Horton's which located in Bay Shore, 2970 Carling Ave. Inventory Management is the practice of planning, directing and controlling inventory so that it contributes to the business' profitability. Inventory management can help business be more profitable by lowering their cost of goods sold and/or by increasing sales.
Recently approved for a 50 percent tax abatement on new construction, Krestview Woodcrafts, which produces the LuxCraft brand of outdoor furniture, is gearing up to add a new 56,000-square-foot warehouse to its growing complex along County Road 144.
For the novice wood worker, you may have some questions about using hand tools and power tools. It can be frustrating to know exactly how to use these tools safely and at a minimal risk to yourself. If you have a desire to work with wood and do things that you can use in your home or sell for an additional income, you can be overwhelmed with the amount of items that are available for wood work. When you are using hand tools and power tools, keep in mind that while these tools can be dangerous, they are simply tools so you can get your completed wood work project in a more Efficient. Keep these tips in mind when working with hand tools and hand tools.
Second, the classification in inventory management is still inaccurate. That results in some problems such as: the severe lack of some products which are in growing demand (1 inch valve series 230), the redundancy making storage expenses go up and the stagnancy in storage area (to products like gear driven rotary and monitor controller)
|250000 indirect employees & 9000 vehicle for distribution). |position in profitability due to drop in prices by nearly 30% since 1950’s. |
IKEA’s strategy before the mishaps in America could be characterized as going against the norm charting their own path to success using low priced manufactures to secure lower selling prices aimed to target those who were of older age and of middle class standing. Their new strategy was to target those of a younger demographic, young married couples, college students, and 20-30 something singles. By reemphasizing design, promoting through hip quirky advertisements, and encouraging consumers to do away with their old furniture, IKEA revenues doubled in a four-year period. IKEA today has adapted somewhat of a local customization strategy where their store layouts will resemble that of many local household layouts as proven by their success in China where they failed to expand beforehand. They also keep their prices extremely low in some areas as China by sourcing a large percentage of products in the area of operation.