Unit 10

JOURNAL: INTERVIEW

Interview Introduction Interview Instructions

In this interview, you will be assessed based on the following Outcome:

MT435-5: Evaluate the purpose of forecasting and inventory management within operations management.

This journal is different than many journals you may have encountered during your time at university. In fact, it is better to think of it as an interview than a journal.

Part of learning about business is networking. This interview is to get you motivated and networking with business professionals in your local area. If you want, you can also set-up an online interview using Google Hangouts; however, you should make an effort in your local area if at all possible for this experiential learning opportunity to conduct a face-to-face interview.

You will conduct a 30-minute interview with a business professional who has experience with forecasting and inventory management.

During the interview, ask permission to submit their first name, last name, and email address as elements of your interview summary, in case your professor wants to check-in with them on their thoughts of the interview.

As the person conducting the interview, you should dress professionally for the interview, and be prepared with some initial research of the person you are interviewing (review their LinkedIn profile) as well as, their organization (online research, corporate website, etc.). The point is to show up as a business professional, and to be properly prepared and engaged for the interview. You will be asking the questions, and you should be prepared to be an active listener and to ask pertinent follow-on questions.

The three main question sets you are to ask, allowing about 10 minutes of discussion each, are:

Question Set 1: (Forecasting)

Does your organization use both qualitative and quantitative forecasting methods? What methods do you use to support your business with forecasting (examples: regression analysis, Delphi Method)? Is there a special team focused on forecasting, or is it a responsibility of each professional within your organization?

Question Set 2: (Inventory Management)

How does your organization implement inventory management? What types of information systems does your organization utilize to support effective inventory management? Does your organization implement JIT, Just-In-Time, or some other form of lean applied to inventory?

Question Set 3: (Reflection on Operations Management)

Take a moment to share and reflect, with the professional you interview, on what you have learned during our term, focused on operations management. After reflection, continue to discussion with the following questions. How does operations management ensure the “mission happens” for a successful organization? How does the “puzzle pieces” of various traditional areas of business connect within your organization? Does your organization have a vertical (mechanistic) or horizontal (organic) organizational structure? Do you have a top “lesson learned” related to effective operations for a business?

To successfully complete this interview, review the rubric prior to the interview and ensure you complete all required elements. However, in general, you will be composing 2-pages of meeting minute format summary of the interview, highlighting who you selected to interview, their contact information, the three responses, any other follow-on questions or key points, and then close with a summary and your reflection on what you learned in relation to the course topics.

Advice to Avoid Plagiarism in Interview Assignments

· Do not list the questions in the interview document you submit

· Use headers such as Question Set 1: to separate out your interview narrative

· Ensure all writing is the direct words of the person you interviewed, using quotes on their responses, or your own original narrative as part of the interview process, or your own reflections

· Ensure your reflection is in your own words

· Check your TII Report!

Directions for Submitting Your Journal: Interview

Compose your meeting minute format summary of the interview in a Word document and save it in a location that includes your name and the title. Submit your interview summary to the Unit 10 Journal: Interview