SO 510 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a statistical analysis report. Each day, operations management professionals are faced with multiple decisions affecting various aspects of the operation. The ability to use data to drive decisions is an essential skill that is useful in any facet of an operation. The dynamic environment offers daily challenges that require the talents of the operations manager; working in this field is exciting and rewarding. Throughout the course, you will be engaged in activities that charge you with making decisions regarding inventory management, production capacity, product profitability, equipment effectiveness, and supply chain management. These are just a few of the challenges encountered in the field of operations management. The final activity in this course will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to apply statistical tools and methods to solve a problem in a given scenario that is often encountered by an operations manager. Once you have outlined your analysis strategy and analyzed your data, you will then report your data, strategy, and overall decision that addresses the given problem. The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Seven. The final project is due in Module Nine. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes: Apply data-based strategies in guiding a focused approach for improving operational processes Determine the appropriate statistical methods for informing valid data-driven decision making in professional settings Select statistical tools for guiding data-driven decision making resulting in sustainable operational processes Utilize a structured approach for data-driven decision making for fostering continuous improvement activities Propose operational improvement recommendations to internal and external stakeholders based on relevant data Prompt Operations management professionals are often relied upon to make decisions regarding operational processes. Those who utilize a data-driven, structured approach have a clear advantage over those offering decisions based solely on intuition. You will be provided with a scenario often encountered by an operations manager. Your task is to review the \"A-Cat Corp.: Forecasting\" scenario, the addendum, and the accompanying data in the case scenario and addendum; outline the appropriate analysis strategy; select a suitable statistical tool; and use data analysis to ultimately drive the decision. Once this has been completed, you will be challenged to present your data, data analysis strategy, and overall decision in a concise report, justifying your analysis. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: I. Introduction to the problem: A. Provide a concise description of the scenario that you will be analyzing. The following questions might help you describe the scenario: What is the type of organization identified in the scenario? What is the organization's history and problem identified in the scenario? Who are the key internal and external stakeholders? II. Create an analysis plan to guide your analysis and decision making: A. Identify any quantifiable factors that may be affecting the performance of operational processes. Provide a concise explanation of how these factors may be affecting the operational processes. B. Develop a problem statement that addresses the given problem in the scenario and contains quantifiable measures. C. Propose a strategy that addresses the problem of the organization in the given case study and seeks to improve sustainable operational processes. How will adjustments be identified and made? III. Identify statistical tools and methods to collect data: A. Identify the appropriate family of statistical tools that you will use to perform your analysis. What are your statistical assumptions concerning the data that led you to selecting this family of tools? In other words, why did you select this family of tools for statistical analysis? B. Determine the category of the provided data in the given case study. Be sure to justify why the data fits into this category type. What is the relationship between the type of data and the tools? C. From the identified family of statistical tools, select the most appropriate tool(s) for analyzing the data provided in the given case study. D. Justify why you chose this tool to analyze the data. Be sure to include how this tool will help predict the use of the data in driving decisions. E. Describe the quantitative method that will best inform data-driven decisions. Be sure to include how this method will point out the relationships between the data. How will this method allow for the most reliable data? IV. Analyze data to determine the appropriate decision for the identified problem: A. Outline the process needed to utilize your statistical analysis to reach a decision regarding the given problem. B. Explain how following this process leads to valid, data-driven decisions. In other words, why is following your outlined process important? C. After analyzing the data sets in the case study, describe the reliability of the results. Be sure to include how you know whether the results are reliable. D. Illustrate a data-driven decision that addresses the given problem. How does your decision address the given problem? How will it result in operational improvement? V. Recommend operational improvements to stakeholders: A. Summarize your analysis plan for both internal and external stakeholders. Be sure to use audience-appropriate jargon when summarizing for both groups of stakeholders. B. Explain how your decision addresses the given problem and how you reached that decision. Be sure to use audience-appropriate jargon for both groups of stakeholders. C. Justify why your decision is the best option for addressing the given problem to both internal and external stakeholders and how it will result in operational improvement. Be sure to use audience-appropriate jargon when communicating with stakeholders. Milestones Milestone One: Introduction and Analysis Plan In Module Three, you will submit your introduction and analysis plan, which are critical elements I and II. You will submit a 3- to 4-page paper that describes the scenario provided in the case study, identifies quantifiable factors that may affect operational performance, develops a problem statement, and proposes a strategy for resolving a company's problem. This milestone will be graded with the Module One Rubric. Milestone Two: Statistical Tools and Data Analysis In Module Seven, you will submit your selection of statistical tools and data analysis, which are critical elements III and IV. You will submit a 3- to 4-page paper and a spreadsheet that provides justification of the appropriate statistical tools that are needed to analyze the company's data, a hypothesis, the results of your analysis, any inferences from your hypothesis test, and a forecasting model that addresses the company's problem. This milestone will be graded with the Module Two Rubric. Final Project Submission: Statistical Analysis Report In Module Nine, you will submit your statistical analysis report and recommendations to management. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric. Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your statistical analysis report must be 10-12 pages in length (plus a cover page and references) and must be written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Include at least six references cited in APA format. Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these instructions. Critical Elements Introduction: Description of the Scenario Analysis Plan: Quantifiable Factors Exemplary Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and description demonstrates insightful understanding of the situation described in the scenario (100%) Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and demonstrates insight into operational processes and factors that may affect performance (100%) Proficient Concisely and accurately describes the scenario (90%) Identifies quantifiable factors that may be affecting the performance of operational processes and supports claims with explanations (90%) Needs Improvement Describes the scenario but description is not concise or contains inaccuracies (70%) Identifies quantifiable factors that may be affecting the performance of operational processes but identification is not supported with explanations or is cursory (70%) Analysis Plan: Problem Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and Develops a problem statement Develops a problem statement Statement statement demonstrates insight appropriate to the scenario that appropriate to the scenario that into the relationship between the addresses the given problem and addresses the given problem but quantifiable measures and contains quantifiable measures statement does not contain problem addressed in the (90%) quantifiable measures or is scenario (100%) cursory or inappropriate (70%) Analysis Plan: Strategy Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and Proposes a strategy that Proposes a strategy but strategy strategy demonstrates insight addresses the problem of the either does not address the into how the strategy impacts company and seeks to improve problem or does not seek to additional operations (100%) sustainable operational processes improve operational processes (90%) (70%) Statistical Tools and Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and Identifies the appropriate family Identifies a statistical family of Methods: Family of identification demonstrates of statistical tools used to tools used to perform statistical Statistical Tools nuanced understanding of perform statistical analysis, analysis but either the tools are statistical tools (100%) including statistical assumptions not the most appropriate to use (90%) or discussion lacks statistical assumptions (70%) Not Evident Does not describe the scenario (0%) Value 4.05 Does not identify quantifiable factors that may be affecting the performance of operational processes (0%) 6.13 Does not develop a problem statement appropriate to the scenario that addresses the given problem (0%) 6.13 Does not propose a strategy that addresses the problem of the company (0%) 6.13 Does not determine a family of statistical tools (0%) 6.13 Statistical Tools and Methods: Category of Provided Data Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and demonstrates insight into the relationship of categorical data and statistical tools (100%) Determines the category of the provided data but category is either inaccurate or discussion lacks justification to support claims (70%) Selects the most appropriate Selects a statistical tool but statistical tool used to analyze the selection is not the most data (100%) appropriate given the data (70%) Does not determine a category for the data (0%) 6.13 Does not select a tool to be used for analysis (0%) 6.13 Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and justification demonstrates insight into the relationship between statistical tools and the type of data (100%) Statistical Tools and Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and Methods: Quantitative description demonstrates insight Method into the relationship between the quantitative method and data relationships (100%) Justifies why the tool chosen is Justifies why the tool chosen is the most appropriate for analysis the most appropriate for the of this data (90%) analysis but justification is either illogical or cursory (70%) Does not justify why a particular tool was chosen (0%) 6.13 Describes the quantitative method that will best inform the decision, including how this method will point out the relationships between the data (90%) Does not describe the quantitative method (0%) 6.13 Analyze Data: Process Outlines the process needed to utilize the statistical analysis (90%) Describes the quantitative method but either the method selected will not result in the most reliable data or discussion lacks how the method will point out the relationships between the data (70%) Outlines the process needed to utilize the statistical analysis but steps are either inappropriate or overgeneralized (70%) Explains how following the outlined process leads to a valid decision but explanation is inappropriate or cursory (70%) Does not outline the process needed to utilize the statistical analysis (0%) 6.13 Does not offer an explanation why following the outlined process leads to a valid decision (0%) 6.13 Describes the reliability of the results but description is either cursory or lacks justification to support claims (70%) Illustrates a data-driven decision that addresses the problem but illustration is either inappropriate or overgeneralized (70%) Does not describe the reliability of the results (0%) 6.13 Does not illustrate a decision that addresses the problem (0%) 6.13 Statistical Tools and Methods: Most Appropriate Tool Statistical Tools and Methods: Justify Tool Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and offers great detail for each identified step (100%) Analyze Data: Valid, Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and Data-Driven Decisions explanation demonstrates a nuanced understanding of how following a process will lead to a valid decision(100%) Analyze Data: Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and Reliability of Results description demonstrates keen insight into identifying reliable data (100%) Analyze Data: Data- Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and Driven Decision illustration demonstrates a deep understanding of the interplay between a problem, the operation, and operational improvement (100%) Determines the category of the provided data, including justification to support claims (90%) Explains how following the outlined process leads to a valid data-driven decision (90%) Describes the reliability of the results based on data sets, including a justification to support claims (90%) Illustrates a data-driven decision that addresses the problem and operational improvement (90%) Recommend Operational Improvements: Analysis Plan Recommend Operational Improvements: Decision Recommend Operational Improvements: Best Option Articulation of Response Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and summary demonstrates keen insight into appropriately communicating an analysis plan to stakeholders (100%) Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and explanation demonstrates keen insight into appropriately communicating a decision and how it was reached to stakeholders (100%) Meets \"Proficient\" criteria and justification demonstrates keen insight as to why the decision is valid and why it is the optimal solution, using audienceappropriate jargon (100%) Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy to read format (100%) Summarizes analysis plan for internal and external stakeholders using audienceappropriate jargon (90%) Explains the decision for the problem and how that decision was reached, using audienceappropriate jargon (90%) Justifies why the decision is the best option for addressing the problem and how it will result in operational improvement, using audience-appropriate jargon (90%) Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization (90%) Summarizes analysis plan for internal and external stakeholders but summary either inappropriately uses jargon or is cursory (70%) Explains the decision for the problem but explanation either lacks how the decision was reached or uses inappropriate jargon (70%) Does not summarize the analysis plan for stakeholders (0%) 6.13 Does not explain decision for the problem (0%) 6.13 Justifies why the decision is the Does not justify to stakeholders best option but justification lacks that the decision is the best how it will result in operational option (0%) improvement, is cursory, or uses inappropriate jargon (70%) Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas (70%) Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas (0%) Earned Total 6.13 4 100%