Elaiza Mierz V.

Pante
3BSA1

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Explain how the seven differences between goods and services would be applied to a major airline
service. Provide airline examples that illustrate each difference.

Airline services are good example when explaining the seven differences between goods and
services. First, airline services are intangible. You cannot touch or own the flight itself, what you are
paying for is the experience of traveling. For example, when flying with Philippine Airlines, you are
buying the service of being transported safely and comfortably. Second, there’s inseparability because
the service is produced and consumed at the same time. A flight attendant, for instance, serves you
during the trip, and that moment is when the service happens. Third, variability comes in since the
quality of service may differ per staff or flight. A Cebu Pacific flight may have a very cheerful crew today,
but not as much tomorrow. Fourth, airline services are perishable. A plane seat that was not used during
the flight is lost forever, it cannot be stored or reused. Fifth, there is no ownership. When you buy a
ticket, you are not buying the plane; you are just renting a seat for a short time. Sixth, customer contact
is very high. Passengers interact directly with ticketing staff, flight attendants, and pilots. Lastly,
evaluation of service only happens after it is done. You cannot “test” the flight beforehand, you only
realize the quality after the flight has ended.

2. Explain why a bank teller, nurse, or flight attendant must have service management skills. How do the
required skills differ for someone working in a factory? What are the implications for hiring criteria and
training?

Jobs like a bank teller, nurse, or flight attendant require strong service management skills
because they directly deal with people. They need to be patient, polite, and ready to help in different
situations. For example, a bank teller must be accurate in counting money and patient when customers
have questions. A nurse must be alert, caring, and calm, especially in emergencies. A flight attendant
must be welcoming but also able to act fast during in-flight problems. These workers must manage both
emotions and people. On the other hand, factory workers mainly work with machines, not customers.
Their job focuses on being precise, fast, and following processes. Because of this difference, service jobs
need people with soft skills like communication and empathy, while factory jobs prioritize physical
ability and technical knowledge. For hiring, companies offering services will look for people with good
personality, problem-solving ability, and flexibility. Their training also includes customer handling and
behavior. Meanwhile, factories focus more on machine skills and safety training.

3. Why is process thinking important in operations management? Thinking of yourself as an "operations

Process thinking is very important in operations management because it helps improve the way
things are done. It focuses on steps and flow instead of just results. If we apply this thinking to our daily
tasks, we can become more efficient and avoid wasting time or effort. As a student, I can think of myself
as an “operations manager” of my own education. For example, I can treat studying like a process:
collect the learning materials, take notes, practice solving problems, and assess my understanding. I can
also review how I manage my time and energy. If I know I study better at night, I’ll use that to my
advantage. Process thinking helps me organize, evaluate, and improve my learning method. Instead of
just focusing on passing, I will also improve how I learn, which is more helpful in the long run.

4. Do you think you will be working in manufacturing or services when you graduate? What do you think
will be the role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy in the future?

As a future BSA graduate, I believe I will work in the service sector. Most accounting careers, like
auditing, taxation, or consulting, are focused on helping clients or businesses with financial services. It’s
rare for accountants to work in manufacturing unless they are assigned to cost accounting or factory-
based finance roles. Looking at the U.S. economy, I think manufacturing will still be important but not as
large as before. Many companies already outsource production to other countries where labor is
cheaper. However, I think the U.S. will keep manufacturing advanced products like cars, medical devices,
or tech equipment. In the future, automation and smart factories will become more common, which
means fewer workers but more use of machines and AI. Even if manufacturing is smaller, it will still play
a big role in innovation and the supply chain.

5. Select one of the OM challenges and investigate it in more detail. Be ready to present what you find
to the class in a presentation limited to 10 minutes.

One of the challenges in operations management today is managing supply chain disruptions.
This problem became very obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic when many factories and shipping
ports closed. Because of that, many businesses could not get the materials they needed, which caused
delays and higher prices. To address this, companies started to improve their supply chain systems. For
example, they began to use more than one supplier to avoid depending on just one country. Others
invested in technology, like artificial intelligence, to predict future demand or track the location of their
shipments in real time. Some even opened warehouses nearby to store safety stock. As an accountancy
student, I realize this challenge matters to us too because delays and rising costs affect financial records,
costing, and decision-making. Understanding this issue will help me give better financial advice and
understand how operations affect accounting figures.

PROBLEMS AND ACTIVITIES

1. Describe a customer experience you have personally encountered where the good or service or both
were unsatisfactory (e.g., defective product, errors, mistakes, poor service, service upsets). How might
the organiza-tion have handled it better, and how could operations management have helped?

One customer experience I had that was unsatisfactory happened when I bought a stylus pen
online for my iPad. At first, the pen seemed okay, but after using it for less than 24 hours, it already
stopped working. It accidentally fell once, and the button got damaged right away. I messaged the
online shop and asked for help, but they refused to give me any after-sales service or replacement. I felt
frustrated because the product was clearly not durable, and the seller didn’t care about helping me. The
shop could have handled this better by offering a return or at least some form of assistance. Even just
listening properly would have made a difference. If operations management was applied well, the
company would have set better quality control for their products, especially since they are fragile
electronic items. They also could’ve included a clearer return policy and customer support system to
handle complaints like mine. OM could have helped the business improve both the product design and
the service process, especially when it comes to customer satisfaction.
2. Interview a manager at a local company about the work he or she performs. Identify (a) the aspects of
the job that relate to OM (as in the OM activities in the box "What Do Operations Managers Do?") and
(b) an example of primary, support, and general management processes.

I interviewed Ate Dhey, the manager of the all-ladies dorm I live in. She shared with me how she
handles the daily operations of the dorm, including monitoring who goes in and out, keeping the dorm
clean and safe, collecting payments, and addressing any issues that boarders raise. Regarding operations
management, I noticed that she does several tasks that fall under OM activities. For example, she
handles scheduling of maintenance tasks, manages the inventory of supplies like cleaning materials, and
makes sure the dorm meets a certain quality standard for cleanliness and safety. These are examples of
OM in action. As for the processes, a primary process would be checking in new boarders and assigning
them rooms. A support process could be the way she handles cleaning services or repairs. Lastly, the
general management process is how she oversees the whole operation of the dorm, including decision-
making and supervising helpers. Her job clearly involves operations management, even in a non-
corporate setting.

3. Evaluate how the activities described in the box "What Do Operations Managers Do?" can be applied
to a student organization or fraternity to improve its effectiveness.

The activities described in the box "What Do Operations Managers Do?" can be very helpful in
improving how a student organization or fraternity runs. For example, one activity is designing
processes, which can be applied when planning how events or meetings will be handled — step-by-step
and organized. Another is managing quality, which can help make sure the org provides meaningful and
professional events for its members, not just for attendance. Managing inventory can apply when
handling org T-shirts, event materials, or finances. Scheduling helps in organizing meetings, trainings,
and deadlines in a smooth and timely way. Lastly, improving productivity means making sure every
member has a role and that time and resources are not wasted. If a student org applies these OM tasks,
it can become more organized, efficient, and effective in serving its members and achieving its goals.