CASE: Pizza USA - An Exercise in Translating Customer Requirements Into Process Design Requirements
Production & Operations Management
Pizza USA is a chain of pizza restaurants that currently offers sit-down and take-out service. Many customers have said that they would buy more pizzas from Pizza USA if it offered a delivery service. This exercise is in two parts. In Part I, you play the customer. In Part II, you play the manager at Pizza USA who is responsible for developing the pizza delivery process design requirements.
PART I
To start with, you have to think like a customer. This should be easy since you probably have experience with ordering pizza to be delivered. Put that experience to work! Make a list of the attributes of pizza delivery that are important to you AS A CUSTOMER!
As we said, this should be easy. Right? Or is it? In devising your list, consider the following:
What must a pizza delivery service accomplish so that you are reasonably satisfied? Beyond your being reasonably satisfied, what could a pizza delivery service do that would make it really unique and create a differential advantage? In other words, what could a pizza delivery service do that might cause you to ALWAYS order from one particular service (and, perhaps, to pay more for the privilege)?
Assume that this pizza restaurant can make whatever kind of pizza (and side items) that you want.
PART II
Now, put on your “Pizza USA manager's hat.” For this part of the exercise, you will NOT be teamed with some other students. First, using the lists of all of your team members, create a master list. Next, try to group the items on your list under a series of major headings; for example, “condition of the delivered pizza” or “quick, on-time delivery” or “order accuracy,” and so on. Finally, make a list of the “pizza delivery process design requirements” that your pizza delivery process will have to meet. As you do this, think about measurable standards; in other words, what would you measure in order to ensure that your process is operating effectively and efficiently? Why do you
Pizza USA is a chain of pizza restaurants that currently offers sit-down and take-out service. Many customers have said that they would buy more pizzas from Pizza USA if it offered a delivery service. This exercise is in two parts. In Part I, you play the customer. In Part II, you play the manager at Pizza USA who is responsible for developing the pizza delivery process design requirements.
PART I
To start with, you have to think like a customer. This should be easy since you probably have experience with ordering pizza to be delivered. Put that experience to work! Make a list of the attributes of pizza delivery that are important to you AS A CUSTOMER!
As we said, this should be easy. Right? Or is it? In devising your list, consider the following:
What must a pizza delivery service accomplish so that you are reasonably satisfied? Beyond your being reasonably satisfied, what could a pizza delivery service do that would make it really unique and create a differential advantage? In other words, what could a pizza delivery service do that might cause you to ALWAYS order from one particular service (and, perhaps, to pay more for the privilege)?
Assume that this pizza restaurant can make whatever kind of pizza (and side items) that you want.
PART II
Now, put on your “Pizza USA manager's hat.” For this part of the exercise, you will NOT be teamed with some other students. First, using the lists of all of your team members, create a master list. Next, try to group the items on your list under a series of major headings; for example, “condition of the delivered pizza” or “quick, on-time delivery” or “order accuracy,” and so on. Finally, make a list of the “pizza delivery process design requirements” that your pizza delivery process will have to meet. As you do this, think about measurable standards; in other words, what would you measure in order to ensure that your process is operating effectively and efficiently? Why do you