CGA 6 (Product & Service Design)

Packing Light Is More Science Than Art

Do you love traveling but hate carrying luggage? There might be a new product that is just
right for you. Unbound Merino is a line of travel clothes (t-shirts, hoodies, underwear, and
socks) that can be worn for days, even weeks without washing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjJplz3hP30&feature=youtu.be

Discussion Questions:

1. What external factors created opportunities for the development of this clothing line? Do you
foresee external threats in the near future?

Opportunities :
 Increase craze for travelling.
 Minimalist trend among young people.
Threats :
 Competition among other companies.
 Low brand awareness among the people.
 Existing market is less

2. Quality, price, delivery speed or reliability, and flexibility are the essential competitive
priorities of an operations strategy. At Unbound Merino, which ones are order winners and
which ones are qualifiers?

 Quality : they used a special type of wool which can be thin than a regular hoodie but can
endure more temperature variations.
 Reliability :
3. The article mentions several phases in product development. List and briefly describe them.

 Feasibility Analysis
 Product Specifications;
 Prototype Development;
 Design Review;
 Product Introduction.

4. Unbound Merino outsourced production to China. What are the pros and cons?

Amazon Wants Convenience Stores to Be More Convenient

As Amazon expands its presence in physical retail, it is also trying to disrupt it.

We all dread checkout lines at the grocery store. To eliminate this bottleneck in the shopping
experience, Amazon is experimenting with a new concept that involves digital cameras,
sensors, computers, and phone apps. The company’s initial building project has been scaled
down from large grocery stores to convenience stores. After several years of research and
millions of dollars spent, the project remains at the pilot stage.

In the end, the project may be more about a new, big idea than a store.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPZdWuOPaHY

Discussion Questions:

1. At what stage of the life cycle is this project? Justify your answer.

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2. What are the pros and cons of working on this project?

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3. Why was the project scaled down from a grocery store to a convenience store? Does it
make sense from an operations management perspective?
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4. Waiting lines are a function of arrival and service rates. How are they eliminated in the Go
stores?

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