Operations Excellence
1. Focused Factory Article: Write a brief (1-page max) critique of the article “ Focused Factory”. You are
free to take aim at whatever you really liked or didn’t like. There are no right or wrong answers here, but
some responses are better than others. (Note: It is an old article!) (A PDF is posted, here is the online link:
https://hbr.org/1974/05/the-focused-factory
2. Mass Customization Article: Read the article, “Special Report Mass Customization: A Long March.”
Write-up four concepts that are important to consider when designing a mass customization system. Please
include a short explanation on why you chose these concepts (1-page max) (Here is the link:
http://www.economist.com/node/691227)
3. Scaling Up Excellence: Listen to the 12-minute podcast
https://hbr.org/podcast/2014/01/getting-excellence-to-spread (you can find on podcast apps at HBR
Ideacast). Write up the 2 or 3 key ideas you took from this.
4. Exponential Age: Azeem Azhar wrote a book with the same title (just called Exponential in the U.S.
market). The book argues that there are some fundamental technologies growing exponentially fast. These
technologies will have a profound impact on society and business. For this assignment, just read his
interview with McKinsey. Matt Ridley wrote a short article with some of the same themes, you’ll want to
read that one too. Write-up how you think operations will or won’t change because of the growth of these
underlying technologies.
5. Operations Excellence in Project Management or Just Management: Read one (or more of these
articles attached below). Do a short write-up on how the ideas from the class can be used to help with
project management, product management, or management in general.
a. Why Bosses Should Ask Employees To Do Less- Not More
(https://www.wsj.com/articles/bosses-staff-employees-less-work-11663790432)
b. The Team That Fixed LaGuardia
(https://www.wsj.com/articles/laguardia-airport-renovation-lga-terminal-b-11663203700)
c. The NASA Leader Who Saved the Space Telescope
(https://www.wsj.com/articles/nasa-james-w