Purpose 

In this project, you will gain an understanding of the importance of the control function in a manufacturing business. You will compare actual performance with desired production standards, measure progress toward company goals, and address deviations in performance through corrective action.

Outcome Met by Completing This Assignment

• develop measures and assess outcomes against plans and standards to improve organizational effectiveness

How to Set Up the Paper

Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced using 12-point font.  The final product will be 5-6 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.   

Create a title page with a title, date, course number and section, your name, and the instructor’s name.

Scenario

The following chart displays the results of the first year’s production of the, Lacks Tracks Cycles, an electric-powered chopper-style motorcycle being produced by Lacks Tracks Cycles to compete with Harley-Davidson’s Electra Glide. The metrics table below was created from data supplied by Lacks Tracks Cycles five (5) plants. The purpose of the table is to provide data for management to decide what controls and actions are needed to increase production efficiency.   

You recently joined the Lacks Tracks Cycles’ headquarters staff as a quality assurance associate. Your manager has requested you to do an analysis of the first year’s motorcycle production results.  This information will be used by management to evaluate and improve overall production efficiency.

Lacks Tracks Cycles is known for producing high-quality products at reasonable prices. They plan to compete against Harley’s top-end model by developing superior production efficiency that will allow them to price significantly below Harley Davidson’s Electra Glide model.   

The chart below lists the desired production standards and the actual production metrics for each stage of the electric motorcycle’s manufacturing process that needs to be completed to determine the overall production efficiency at each of Lacks Tracks Cycles’ five (5) production facilities.

A comparison of the production standard to the actual production outcomes using all the relevant metrics allows management to determine which of its facilities is the most efficient producer of the electric motorcycle. This knowledge will help Lacks Tracks Cycles’ management team to determine what controls need to be put into place at their various production plants to match the production efficiency of their most efficient plant. More efficiency means higher production at lower per unit (cycle) costs.

Chart is attached as a document

Use only the BOLDED centered and left-justified headings to write your paper. 

                                                                        Introduction

• Write an Introduction paragraph.  The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper and will be used to describe to the reader the intent of the paper explaining the main points covered in the paper.  This intent should be understood prior to reading the remainder of the paper so the reader knows exactly what is being covered in the paper.  The introduction is often written after the paper is completed.  (Use as needed appropriate in-text citation and include the references in the Reference section)

The body of the paper will cover the following:

                                                                          Controls

• Explain what control means in a business setting.  (Use heading below and in-text citation as required)
• Explain why Lacks Tracks must be concerned with the actual production metrics at its plants. (Use headings below and in-text citation as required)

Control Defined 

Importance of Lacks Tracks Production Metrics

                                                                 Standard Specifications

• Compare the metrics table standards to the actual performance outcomes at each of the five (5) plants and explain your findings for each plant.  (Use the headings below and citations and references as appropriate.) 
• Identify the four (4) most important and common deviations from the standards among the plants and explain why this data is important to Lacks Tracks management. (Use the headings below and citations and references as appropriate.) 
• Using course materials identify and explain two (2) types of controls that could be used by Lacks Tracks management to attempt to correct the deviations from standards at its plants. (Use the headings below and citations and references as appropriate.) 

Metrics Table Plant Performance Comparisons 

Four Most Significant Deviations

Two Recommended Controls 

                                                              Total Quality Management 

• Explain why the implementation of a Total Quality Management (TQM) program could improve operational efficiency at Lacks Tracks.  (Use as needed appropriate in-text citation)

                                                                          Conclusion

Create a concluding paragraph.  The conclusion paragraph highlights the major findings covered in the paper. (Use as needed appropriate in-text citation)

                                                                         References

Review the Paper 

Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present.

The following are specific requirements that you will follow.  Use the checklist to mark off that you have followed each specific requirement.  

Checklist

Specific Project Requirements

Proofread your paper

Read and use the grading rubric while completing the paper to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade. 

Third-person writing is required.  Third-person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first-person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second-person writing).  If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. 

Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.  

Paraphrase and do not use direct quotations.  Paraphrase means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document.  Removing quotation marks and citing is inappropriate.  Instead, put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document.  There should be no passages with quotation marks.  Using more than four consecutive words from a source document would require direct quotation marks.  Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks.   If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this material will not be included in the grade.  

You are expected to use the research course materials to develop the basis for your analysis and to support your reasoning.   There should be a robust use of the course material.  The material used from a source document must be cited and referenced.  A reference can only be included in your Reference list if it has been used for an in-text citation.    

Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference associated with each in-text citation.

You may not use books in completing this problem set unless part of the course material.  Also, you cannot use as references a dictionary, Wikipedia, Investopedia, or similar sources.

Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation. Since the eBook does not have page numbers,  you are to include the chapter title, section heading, and paragraph number.

For citations using a video, you must provide the minutes and second of the cited material.

Sources:

Why It Matters: Control

Control in the Business Setting

The Control Process

Levels and Types of Control

The Need for a Balanced Scorecard

Financial and Nonfinancial Controls

Putting It Together: Control

https://asq.org/quality-resources/total-quality-management