| Course | OPM-3010 Operations Management |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Module 1 written assignment: value chains, performance measurement and strategic decisions |
| Length | About 584 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S.B.A. in Operations Management |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for OPM 3010 Module 1
Sixty Loaves an Hour and Counting: Productivity, Order Winners and Measures at a Commercial Bakery
Student Name
B.S.B.A. in Operations Management, Thomas Edison State University
OPM-3010: Operations Management
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Sixty Loaves an Hour and Counting: Productivity, Order Winners and Measures at a Commercial Bakery
The Value Chain
Collier and Evans (2017) describe a value chain as the network of facilities and processes that describes the flow of materials, finished goods, services, information and money from suppliers through the organization to customers. Porter (1985) divided a firm's activities into primary activities, such as inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and service, and support activities that make them possible.
| Stage | Bakery activity |
|---|---|
| Suppliers | Flour mill in Pennsylvania, yeast and packaging suppliers |
| Inbound logistics | Bulk flour deliveries twice weekly into silos |
| Operations | Mixing, proofing, baking in a tunnel oven, cooling, slicing, bagging |
| Outbound logistics | Night shipments to five supermarket distribution centers |
| Customers | Supermarket chains, which sell to shoppers |
| Information and money | Daily orders from distribution centers; payment in 30 days |
Productivity Before and After the New Oven
Last year the bakery replaced its two older ovens with one tunnel oven. Collier and Evans define productivity as the ratio of output to input. Labor productivity counts only labor hours as input; multifactor productivity divides output value by the combined cost of several inputs.
Labor productivity rose 4.2 percent, from 60.0 to 62.5 loaves per hour. Multifactor productivity rose only 1.3 percent, from 1.119 to 1.133. The gap matters. The new oven saved energy, cutting energy cost per loaf from 7.5 to 6 cents, but the bakery added a worker, paid a higher wage of $21 an hour and absorbed $28,000 more in overhead, mostly the oven's depreciation. Judged by labor productivity alone, the investment looks like a clear success; judged by all inputs, it is a modest one.
| Measure | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Loaves produced | 2,496,000 | 2,730,000 |
| Labor hours | 41,600 | 43,680 |
| Labor productivity (loaves per hour) | 60.0 | 62.5 |
| Labor cost | $832,000 | $917,280 |
| Materials cost | $1,123,200 | $1,228,500 |
| Energy cost | $187,200 | $163,800 |
| Overhead | $312,000 | $340,000 |
| Total input cost | $2,454,400 | $2,649,580 |
| Output value at $1.10 a loaf | $2,745,600 | $3,003,000 |
| Multifactor productivity | 1.119 | 1.133 |
Order Winners and Qualifiers
Collier and Evans distinguish order qualifiers, the basic features customers expect before they will consider a supplier, from order winners, the features that make customers choose one supplier over another. For supermarket buyers, food safety certification, consistent loaf weight and competitive price are qualifiers; without them, the bakery is not considered. The order winner is on-time, complete delivery: distribution centers schedule store shipments by the hour, and a late bread truck empties shelves. The bakery's largest customer moved 15 percent of its volume to us last year after a competitor missed deliveries during a snowstorm.
Choosing Performance Measures
Kaplan and Norton (1992) argued that financial figures alone look backward and leave gaps, and proposed a balanced scorecard that adds customer, internal process and learning views to the financial one. Because the bakery's order winner is delivery, its measures should lead with delivery.
| Perspective | Measure | Current | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer | Orders delivered on time and complete | 96.1 percent | 99 percent |
| Internal process | Multifactor productivity | 1.133 | 1.16 |
| Internal process | Loaves within weight specification | 97.4 percent | 99 percent |
| Learning and growth | Operators cross-trained on two lines | 40 percent | 75 percent |
| Financial | Cost per loaf | 97 cents | 94 cents |
Conclusion
The value chain shows that the bakery wins business at the end of the chain, in outbound delivery, more than in the oven. The productivity analysis shows that labor productivity can flatter an investment that multifactor productivity judges more modestly. A balanced set of measures, led by on-time delivery, keeps the bakery focused on what makes customers choose it.
References
Collier, D. A., & Evans, J. R. (2017). OM (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1992). The balanced scorecard: Measures that drive performance. Harvard Business Review, 70(1), 71-79.
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.
OPM 3010 Module 1 instructions, in plain terms
OPM-3010 sets one written assignment per module, six in all, carrying 24 percent of the grade, and each should cite the readings and other sources in APA format. This first one covers value chains, performance measurement and strategic decisions. Expect to map a value chain, compute productivity measures, explain the difference between order winners and qualifiers and choose measures that fit a strategy. Set calculations out in tables, and for each result say what the business should take from it. Use believable figures and say where each comes from. When two measures disagree, as labor and multifactor productivity often do, explain why rather than choosing the more flattering one. Fit the value chain map into one table and save your words for what the numbers show.
Inside the OPM 3010 Module 1 example
The paper maps the bakery's value chain in a table, then computes labor and multifactor productivity for two years in a second table and explains why they tell different stories about the new oven. A section identifies order qualifiers and the order winner with evidence from a customer's shift in volume. A balanced scorecard table proposes measures with current values and targets, and the conclusion ties the measures to the order winner. The productivity table lists every input separately, so a reader can see which costs rose and which fell, and the text attributes the gap between the two measures to wages, an added worker and depreciation.
Reading the OPM 3010 Module 1 grading rubric
Written work earns marks for correct calculations, accurate use of course concepts, depth of interpretation, use of sources and clear writing in APA format. Papers that compare labor and multifactor productivity and explain the gap show analytical depth. Identifying order winners with evidence, rather than assertion, demonstrates understanding. Measures linked to the strategy, with targets, show that the paper connects measurement to decisions, which is the module's central idea. Tables that show every input let a mentor check the calculations quickly. Evidence for the order winner, such as a customer's shift in volume after a competitor's failure, shows that the claim rests on facts. Clear APA citations finish the paper well.
OPM 3010 Module 1 help from the desk
Students lose points by computing productivity without interpreting it, by confusing order winners with qualifiers or by proposing measures unrelated to strategy. Others mix units or forget inputs in multifactor productivity. Show every input and output. Compare single-factor and multifactor results. Support the order winner with evidence. Tie each measure to what customers value. Choose measures that reflect what customers value, each with today's value and a target, so the scorecard is usable. Check that each multifactor input is in dollars and that output is valued at a consistent price in both years. A free first sample on your own OPM-3010 written assignment is available on request.
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OPM 3010 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free OPM 3010 Module 1 sample paper?
A commercial bakery's value chain, productivity and performance measures are worked in the assignment above.
What is multifactor productivity?
The value of output divided by the combined cost of several inputs, such as labor, materials, energy and overhead.
What is the difference between an order winner and an order qualifier?
A qualifier is required to be considered as a supplier; a winner makes customers choose one supplier over others.
What is a value chain?
The network of facilities and processes that moves materials, goods, information and money from suppliers to customers.
What textbook does OPM-3010 use?
Collier and Evans's OM, sixth edition, from Cengage.