Improving Access at the VA

The following post has two assignments namely;

1.Improving Access at the VA

In 2015, the VA ran the largest healthcare system in the United States, with over 1,700 sites of care that served nearly 9 million veterans. One year earlier, a scandal had erupted over a cover-up of the excessive wait times veterans faced getting medical appointments in some VA facilities. The fallout led to the resignation of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a criminal investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the eventual replacement of 14 of VA's top 17 leaders. This case documents the efforts of the new leadership team to improve access, regain trust, and transform the organization to address the broadening medical needs of the nation's growing veteran population Questions: • How did knowledge management play a role in the problems faced by the VA? • Do you think that Sloan Gibson viewed the VA as a learning organization? If so, how did he demonstrate that belief? If not, what actions demonstrate this?

2.Operations Management

The questions below are related to the case Nike and ERP at Nike. Questions: 1a) How does the transformation process in Nike look like? b) Which process(es) take(s) place? Explain your answer. c) How would you position Nike in terms of the 4 V’s? Explain your answer. 2) How would you characterize Nike in terms of costs, dependability, flexibility, quality and speed? 3a) Explain the strategy of Nike and describe how external factors are being dealt with. b) Which strong capabilities are being used the handle the external factors? Explain your answer. 4a) What process type is Nike using? Explain your answer. b) What layout type are the manufactures of Nike using? Explain your answer. c) Explain for Nike the production to demand ratio. 5a) What model(s) of capacity management are applicable for Nike? Explain your answer. b) What type of inventory profile/ model is Nike using? Explain your answer. 6a) Analyze Nike’s supply chain and outsourcing strategy and forecasting method in comparison with their ERP implementation strategy (based on single instance strategy). To what extent are these strategies coherent? b) To what extent are these strategies not coherent? c) What activities in the supply chain will change when Nike decides to outsource their production? Explain your answer. 7) What would be your advice to a company who is about to implement an IT system in the industry and on the scale of Nike? 8) Make a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of customized system solutions. 9) Read the strategic and tactical critical success factors related to successful ERP implementation on page 485 of the text book (Operations Management, Nigel Slack 8th edition). Evaluate them for Nike and motivate your answers.