Pick-a-Hat and Get-to-Work: Your Operations Management Challenge

The Big Idea

You're stepping into someone's shoes for the semester. Pick a role, find a real operations problem, and fix it using the tools we learn in class. This isn't busy work – it's portfolio gold that shows employers you can solve actual business problems.

This is 40% of your course grade. Make it count.

How This Connects to Everything Else

• Your Weekly Operations Fixes train you to spot problems everywhere

• Your Simulation Debriefs teach you to explain decisions under pressure

• Your Reality Check shows you what problems actually matter in the real world

• This project brings it all together into something you can brag about in interviews

Step 1: Form Your Team

• Solo or up to 3 people (4 people? Split into two pairs)

• Mixed majors encouraged – different perspectives = better solutions

• Choose partners you trust to show up and deliver

Step 2: Pick Your Hat (Choose One)

🎩 Business Owner: You run a small business (restaurant, online store, service company)
👔 Corporate Employee: You work for a mid-to-large company in operations/supply chain
💼 Freelancer/Consultant: You're hired to fix a specific operations problem

Step 3: Choose Your Business & Process

Pick something connected to your career goals. Examples:

Healthcare Interest? → Hospital discharge process, pharmacy inventory, OR scheduling
Tech Interest? → Software deployment, customer support workflow, data center operations
Retail Interest? → Store inventory management, e-commerce fulfillment, returns processing
Food Industry? → Restaurant kitchen flow, supplier management, waste reduction

Your Process Must Be:

• Specific enough to analyze deeply (not "improve everything")

• Complex enough to apply multiple course tools

• Real enough that someone would actually pay to fix it

Step 4: Apply Course Tools (3-5 That Actually Fit)

Quality over checkbox completion. Better to use 3 tools perfectly than force 5 that don't fit.

Choose from:

• Process mapping & bottleneck analysis

• Quality management (Six Sigma, control charts)

• Inventory management (EOQ, JIT, ABC analysis)

• Forecasting & demand planning

• Lean principles & waste reduction

• Capacity planning

• Supply chain risk management

• Technology integration (IoT, ERP)

Step 5: Do the Work

Research & Benchmarking (THIS is what matters)

• Interview someone who actually does this job (record it!)

• Visit the actual location if possible (take photos/videos)

• Collect real data (times, costs, error rates)

• Find 3+ companies that do this well – what's their secret?

• Document everything with timestamps and sources

Analysis Requirements

• Current State Map (visual, not paragraphs)

• Problem Identification (with actual data)

• Root Cause Analysis (show your thinking process)

• Future State Design (your improved process)

• One Quick Win (something they could do tomorrow for under $100)

• What Went Wrong (document at least one failure/dead end in your research)

• Implementation Plan (realistic timeline)

• Cost-Benefit Analysis (real numbers, show your math)

Deliverables & Grading

Total: 40% of Course Grade

1. Pitch Lightning Talk (Week 3) - 5% of project

• 2 minutes, no slides

• Stand and deliver: What problem? Why does it matter?

• We'll vote on most interesting projects

• Graded on: Clarity and compelling problem statement

2. Progress Check-ins (Weeks 6, 9, 12) - 15% of project

• 5 minutes each, informal

• Show us what you found (data, photos, recordings)

• What's surprising? What's challenging? What failed?

• Class gives feedback

• Graded on: Evidence of real research progress

3. Documentation Package (Week 14) - 20% of project

Keep it lean and visual:

• Executive Summary: 1 page MAX

• Process Maps: Before/After (2 pages)

• Cost-Benefit Analysis: 1 page with clear calculations

• Quick Win: Half page

• Implementation Checklist: 1 page

• Appendices: Raw data only (interview transcripts, photos, failed attempts)

Total: 5 pages + appendices

Note: Use AI to help write this! But if your oral presentation contradicts your report, you'll lose points. The report is your reference document, not your grade centerpiece.

4. Final Presentation (Week 15) - 35% of project

• 15 minutes + 10 minutes Q&A

• Tell the story WITHOUT reading slides

• Show your actual research (play interview clips, show site photos)

• Include your failure story – what didn't work and why

• Demonstrate deep understanding through Q&A

• Each teammate must speak and answer questions

• Graded on: Clarity, evidence of real research, problem-solving logic, ability to think on your feet

5. Individual Interview (Week 15/16) - 25% of project

10-minute one-on-one with instructor

You'll be asked to:

• Walk through your analysis without notes

• Explain a calculation on the whiteboard

• Answer "what if" scenarios

• Defend your recommendations

• Explain what went wrong and what you learned

• Reflect on what you'd do differently

Sample questions:

• "Why did you choose THIS solution over alternatives?"

• "Draw the bottleneck analysis for me"

• "If labor costs doubled, how would that change your recommendation?"

• "What did [teammate] contribute specifically?"

• "Walk me through your biggest failure in this project"

• "What would you do differently now?"

What We're Actually Grading

High Stakes (60% of project grade)

• Oral communication: Can you explain your work clearly without notes?

• Deep understanding: Can you answer unexpected questions?

• Real research: Did you talk to actual people and observe actual processes?

• Problem-solving logic: Does your solution make sense?

• Practical thinking: Would this work in the real world?

• Learning from failure: Can you discuss what went wrong intelligently?

Low Stakes (40% of project grade)

• Written documentation: Is it organized and complete?

• Visuals: Are your process maps clear?

• Calculations: Is your math correct?

• Meeting deadlines: Did you show up prepared?

The AI Reality Check

Green Light (Use AI for):

✅ Writing first drafts
✅ Creating visuals and process maps
✅ Checking calculations
✅ Suggesting frameworks
✅ Formatting documents

Red Light (Can't Use AI for):

❌ Your site visits
❌ Your interviews with real people
❌ Your Q&A responses
❌ Your whiteboard work
❌ Your understanding

The Test: If you can't recreate it on a whiteboard during your interview, you fail. Simple as that.

Success Metrics

A-Level Work:

• You know your project cold – can discuss any aspect without notes

• Your research includes actual conversations with real people

• Your solution would actually work (and you can defend why)

• You can handle "what if" questions smoothly

• You can explain your failures as learning moments

• Your passion for solving this problem shows

• You include at least one implementable quick win

You'll Struggle If:

• You try to BS your way through presentations

• You can't explain your own calculations

• Your "research" is just googling

• You're reading slides instead of teaching us

• Your teammates have different stories

• You can't discuss what went wrong in your process

Pro Tips for Success

✅ Record everything – Every interview, every site visit
✅ Practice explaining without slides – That's the real test
✅ Know your numbers cold – I will ask you to recreate calculations
✅ Prepare for curveballs – "What if your biggest assumption is wrong?"
✅ Make it real – The more actual research, the easier the presentation
✅ Embrace failure – Document dead ends, they show real work
✅ Find a quick win – Shows you understand resource constraints

NACE Competencies You'll Actually Demonstrate

• Communication: Present complex ideas simply

• Critical Thinking: Solve problems in real-time during Q&A

• Professionalism: Handle pressure during interviews

• Teamwork: Support each other during presentations

• Career & Self-Development: Learn from failures and iterate

The Bottom Line

In the real world, nobody cares who wrote the report. They care if you understand the problem, did the work, can defend your solution, and learned from what went wrong. That's what we're grading.

Every employer will ask: "Tell me about a time you improved a process."

This project is your answer. And you better be able to tell that story without looking at notes.

Final Thought: Use whatever tools help you succeed. But on presentation day and interview day, it's just you, your brain, and your ability to communicate. That's what matters in the age of AI – and that's what gets you hired.