Please study chapter 11, Improvement and Innovation, page 401, required book, Six-Sigma-A-Complete-Step-by-Step-Guide and below article on Marathon business, Findlay, Ohio, and answer to the following questions:

Do we need improvements in Marathon operation strategy and why?

Please identify one of the two improvement strategies (continuous versus radical improvement, page 403), depending on Marathon position relative to the competition (page 402, required book).

Do you think Lean can be implemented as a technique that aim to reduce waste from non-value-added activities at Marathon (page 404, required book and figure 11.2, page 405)?

What are the DMAIC steps (page 406, required book) on Six Sigma as a variability reduction strategy? Present one Real World example of using Six Sigma (Six-Sigma-A-Complete-Step-by-Step-Guide, page 11, attachment). Do you believe Six Sigma is an important tool at Marathon?

If you are the COO (Chief Operations Officer) at Marathon Corporation what operations strategies & improvements and innovations (page 417) & productivity growth (page 415, required book) you will implement to minimize $1 billion loss in 2020?

HINT: You can use also Marathon, Annual Report, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, page 27, 28-29 (see attachment).

Marathon Petroleum posts $1 billion loss

Marathon Petroleum Corp. lost $1 billion during the third quarter as the company continued to face challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite some recovery during the summer months, global demand for the Findlay, Ohio-based companys products and services remained lower than normal, executives said during a conference call with investors Monday, November 2020.

Marathons refining and marketing segment lost $1.6 billion during the quarter, but the companys midstream business made $960 million, up 4% from the same quarter a year ago.

The midstream results primarily reflected the business of MPLX, a partnership that counts among its assets pipelines and processing plants in the Utica and Marcellus shale regions.

Marathon posted a $1.1 billion profit during the same quarter just a year ago.

The company said it was on target to cut more than $1.4 billion in capital spending and reduce operating expenses by more than $950 million, and had already undertaken its previously announced plan to cut 2,050 jobs, or 12% of its workforce, across the country.

Marathon also announced it had started a renewable diesel plant in Dickinson, North Dakota, and planned to convert its idle Martinez, California, refinery to make renewable diesel.

The company said it planned to finalize its $21 billion sale of its Speedway stores to 7-Eleven during the first quarter of 2021.

Marathon Petroleum operates 16 refineries that can process a combined 3 million barrels of crude oil a day. One of those refineries is in Canton. CEO Marathon, 2020 Stockholders Meeting (see Assignment attachment)