4001 Assessment Part 1:

During the day workshop you will review the key elements of this unit and then undertake group discussion sessions, where you will consider each of the questions shown below.  During the workshop you should take notes so that by the end of the day, you will have an excellent draft answer for each question.

By the end of the following week you are to submit your answers via VUC.  Your submission is to follow these requirements:

• Q&A Report format (use the file Assessment Template 1.docx from VUC) adding your name to the filename you upload, saved as Assessment 1_[your name].docx
• As an individual submission
• The length of each answer is to be sufficient to fully explain your understanding of each question.

1. What is a customer service policy? What is the relationship between a company’s customer service policy and the company’s profitability?
2. Describe your company’s customer service policy. Do you regard your workplace procedures adequate to support your policy?   Support your answer with a reasoned argument.
3. The effective management of customer service requires timely and accurate measurement of performance, regular monitoring of performance against the plan, supervision of team members and all teams, and speedy rectification of any shortfall areas. List and describe 5 performance measurements (key performance indicators) that you have observed in a business setting.
4. Why is it important to set goals and make plans for team members, and their team?
5. Why is it important for managers to clearly identify and communicate to all team members regarding the work standards that are expected of them?
6. Coaching and mentoring are different roles, although the terms are often used interchangeably.What are those differences?

Many company policies are released in order to enforce a state or federal law, code of practice, Agreement, international standard, or other binding legislation throughout the company, and which often affect the provision of customer service.  Example: the carriage and storage of dangerous goods.

7. You are to:

• Name one such company policy
• List and name the law, legislation or standard that is being enforced by that policy
• Name and describe one standard operating procedure (SOP) that is in support of the nominated policy.

8. A Moment of Truth (MOT) is any contact a customer has with an organization. MOTs can occur without any contact between a customer and an employee (e.g. over an automated telephone system or a web site or email) or they can involve direct contact, either on the telephone or face-to-face.  These contact moments tell us about the quality of service an enterprise provides and develop an organizations reputation in the marketplace.

       You are to list one specific service that your company provides to a customer.    How many times do staff members (list role titles) in your business have contact with your customers for that     service or order?   Describe the process; pre- transaction, transaction and post- transaction, and also product returns.

9. You reflect on the service that you described in Q8. You know that there will always be conditions or situations that could potentially cause operational disruption or discontinuity, or that could have an adverse impact on the quality of your service to that customer.

List four actual or potential constraints to the service you described in your Q8 response.  Then explain their effect on delivering a high-quality customer service.

4001 Assessment Part 2:

You are to answer and upload all questions and tasks by the due date.  The format of your submission is to follow these requirements:

• In a report format, containing a report cover sheet plus report introduction
• As an individual submission.
• The length of each answer is to be sufficient to fully explain your understanding of each question’s requirement.

Here is some guidance on the content of a business report.  On this course you are encouraged to adapt this basic format to create a style that suits you, and then perfect its layout as the course progresses.

Be sure to shape the submission as a professional document; front cover, introduction, and a bibliography if required.  You should also practice the art of in-text referencing, to demonstrate your breadth of research (be bold – there are no marks in it if you get it wrong!):

http://guides.library.vu.edu.au/harvard

Your research will encompass the course VUC material, reference book, discussion board material, company guidance, and material sourced from the internet.

WORKPLACE REPORT –

PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE

INTRODUCTION

1. In this section you are to introduce your own organization:

• A general description of your company
• Description of its customers
• Products or services it provides
• The geographical location of the company and its customers.
• Storage and handling facilities (e.g. specialist warehousing and / or transport, temperature controlled, perishable, bulk, pallet loads or small parcels, fragile, or time sensitive)

BODY

Organizational systems.  Organizational systems are a series of activities designed to assist organizations in achieving their goals. They ensure that business operations are conducted in accordance with national and state regulations, international or national codes of practice, company policies, and operational procedures. Systems also assist to identify and reduce the risk of breaching regulatory requirements and to remedy any breach that might occur.   For example, increased fleet performance cannot be gained at the expense of breached safe working loads, fatigue regulations, packaging and securing policies, or any non-compliant practice.

Such systems might include quality management system, health and safety systems, risk management systems, or compliance programs such as fatigue management programs.

2. Describe one key workplace system in your organization that plans your customer requirements, and a system that monitors the execution of that customer service plan.

Planning customer requirements.  When planning to meet customer requirements for the length of a contract (or for the next financial year), your organization will maintain an organizational system, structure and resources that assist in researching, confirming, planning, and then monitoring the execution of customer requirements.

3. Describe the communication process and positions your company uses to undertake the above planning functions with your customers.
4. How does your company agree with the customer about timeliness of delivery, quality of goods (or service) delivered, and the cost?
5. After considering your answers to questions 3 and 4, what is the importance of an employee’s job description and a set of standard operating procedures towards managing individual and team performance at the operational level?

Ensure delivery of quality service.

6. What is the importance of a company and site induction process, with regard to following site instructions and guidance, working safely, operating electronic communications equipment (ie. “software and hardware”), and protecting customer and company property?
7. Describe what a workplace mentor is, and provide an example in your workplace.
8. Describe how a workplace coach could assist you to better meet the needs of one of your customers.

Monitor, adjust and report customer service.

The planning, coordination, resourcing and manning plans have all been completed, issued and agreed, and the daily warehousing, transport and distribution service support to your customers is underway.  It is all going well when – disaster!  The main highway crossing the city has been closed because of high winds.  Your contingency plan (ie. to use different, but longer routes) must now be dusted off and implemented.

9. Describe who in your company (and a selected customer) would be involved in deciding how to implement the contingency plan, what changes would be made, how would it be implemented, and who would be told of these adjusted plans.
10. All businesses record WHS reports, audits, KPIs, policies, procedures and instructions in a specific format, on a particular intranet drive, and in accordance with company-wide guidance. You are to list and name your company document that describes how such information is stored, and briefly describe where daily operational results are stored.  If this cannot be located, you are to describe what best practice in this regard would look like.

CONCLUSION.

11. List one customer service area within your company that could be improved. Describe how (if you were given the resources) you would improve this area of customer service, and whom you would work with to achieve the improvement.

 

 

 

 

 

3002 Assessment Part 3:

 

COMBINATION SCENARIO / KNOW YOUR WORKPLACE TASK

 

During the workshop you will review the key elements of this unit and then undertake group discussion sessions, where you will consider most of the questions shown below.  Take notes so that by the end of the day you will have an excellent draft answer for most questions.

 

By the end of the following week you are to finalise and submit your answers.  Your submission is to follow these requirements:

 

• Complete your answers below each question in the Assessment Template 3.docx from VUC and then upload final version, saving it with filename, Assessment 3_[your name].docx
• As an individual submission
• The length of each answer is to be sufficient to fully explain your understanding of each question.

1. Describe your workplace’s process for receiving requests for transport or storage and how the request requirements are recorded in your workplace systems.

Your workplace receives a request to store and then later deliver the following:

                450 cartons of high value, non-hazardous products

                Carton dimensions are given as L 30cm x W 25cm x H 25cm

Carton Weights (tbc) are 12kg

The cartons will be delivered to your workplace in a shipping container, shrink wrapped in lots of 4 cartons.

 

2. Calculate the total volume of the customer’s order.
3. Calculate the total weight of the customer’s order.
4. Calculate how many storage pallets would be required, if you are given the following information:

– Pallets weight maximum 1mt

– Pallet empty weight 43kg

– Pallets height maximum 1.4m

– Pallet dimensions are L X cm x W Y cm x H 15 cm, where you need to ask at your workplace for the X & Y

– Cartons can be layered on a pallet at 16 per layer

5. Calculate the floor storage area of the customer’s order if it is to be placed in the cross dock zone, where space is limited.
6. Calculate the optimum number of delivery vehicle loads required to transport this order to 11 customers on the same day, if you are given the following information:

• Optimum deliveries = the lowest number of largest and fullest  vehicles possible in order to minimise costs (not specified here & not assessed, and not taking into account any vehicle access restrictions into customer delivery sites)
• Customer delivery orders are 9 customers for 38 cartons, 1 customer for 58 cartons and 1 customer for 50 cartons
• Delivery trucks in your subcontractors fleets are

1) 1 x 750kg van with 1 pallet capacity, available for 2 loads per day

2) 3 x 1mt trucks with 2 pallet capacity, but only available for 1 load each

3) 1 x 4mt truck with 4 pallet capacity, but only available for 1 load

 

Your response should include the number of deliveries and the un-utilised vehicle capacity for at least 2 allocation scenarios to show that you have worked through to the optimum solution. Use the following table to show your workings for each scenario you develop, copying the table below and replacing the italics guidance text with your responses:

Vehicle & Capacity	Allocation	Total Load Weight	Load capacity un-utilised	Loads
1 x 750kg van (1st load)	1 x 739kg pallet	739 kg	750-739 = 11kg	1
1 x 750kg van (2nd load)	List max pallet weights	Pallet weights	Capacity less total load weight	Load used (1)
1 x 1mt Truck (1st truck)	List max pallet weights	Pallet weights	Capacity less total load weight	Load used (1)
1 x 1mt Truck (2nd truck)	List max pallet weights	Pallet weights	Capacity less total load weight	Load used (1)
1 x 1mt Truck (3rd truck)	List max pallet weights	Pallet weights	Capacity less total load weight	Load used (1)
1 x 4mt Truck	List max pallet weights	Pallet weights	Capacity less total load weight	Load used (1)
	(check all customer delivery pallets are included in this column)		Total un-utilised kg	Total loads

 

FIRST SCENARIO:

Vehicle & Capacity	Allocation	Total Load Weight	Load capacity un-utilised	Loads
1 x 750kg van (1st load)
1 x 750kg van (2nd load)
1 x 1mt Truck (1st truck)
1 x 1mt Truck (2nd truck)
1 x 1mt Truck (3rd truck)
1 x 4mt Truck

 

SECOND SCENARIO:

Vehicle & Capacity	Allocation	Total Load Weight	Load capacity un-utilised	Loads
1 x 750kg van (1st load)
1 x 750kg van (2nd load)
1 x 1mt Truck (1st truck)
1 x 1mt Truck (2nd truck)
1 x 1mt Truck (3rd truck)
1 x 4mt Truck

 

 

 

7. Describe what physical checks you would do at your workplace if you were asked to inspect one of the loaded vehicles prior to departure which you have planned for in question 6.

 

8. Describe what roles at your workplace are responsible for carrying out the scheduling and loading and checking of an order like the one you have planned for in question 6.

 

 

9. Describe what systems you would use at your workplace if you were asked to plan the order which you have planned for in question 6

 

 

10. Describe what documentation you would use at your workplace if you were asked to plan the order which you have planned for in question 6.

 

11. Describe what codes and regulations are relevant to the scheduling and loading of the order

 

12. Problems in load planning

You are busily working through one important task of your job.  All of a sudden, something that was not planned occurs – oh no!  You are told that the customer may have got the weights of some of the cartons wrong, with some being 20 kg instead of 12 kg. You know that the loads planned in Assessment 4 are being loaded right now and so you go to the loading area.

Describe what actions would be taken at your workplace if a loaded vehicle was inspected and found to be in breach of its load limit due to many of the heavy cartons mixed within some pallets.

4028 Assessment Part 4

 

Documents to submit   Q & A Report

 

 

1. Logistic information to determine organisation requirements – your organisation is looking for new customers to achieve better utilisation on some of its fleet. List at least 3 questions that should be asked of a new customer in order to be able to provide quality consolidated freight services to them. Include an example answer for each of your questions, using either one of your workplace’s customers or an unrelated small quantities freight customer. (e.g. “Our products need …”)

 

 

 

 

2. Products and their logistics requirements – Dangerous Goods are one group of products that require specialised storage and handling. Some of the logistics requirements for dangerous goods are vehicle placarding and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Complete the table below for three (3) other types of products, giving at least 2 example products for each and at least 1 specific logistics requirement:

 

Product Group	Example Products	Logistics Requirements

 

 

3. Vehicle carrying capacity – for compliance, it is necessary to know the maximum carrying capacity of every vehicle used in your organisation’s services. Explain how to calculate the maximum weight carrying capacity of a vehicle new to your transport operations. Apply this approach to a current vehicle at your site, showing your workings.
4. Improvement activities – PDCA – Plan Do Check Act. While some organisations formally use PDCA by name in their operations, all organisations use a version of it from time to time with actions and steps consistent with this improvement technique.

Describe 1 recent example of its use at your workplace in detail using the headings below. Ask your mentor/manager if you are not aware of a recent example.

 

5. Recording and communicating changes – how was your workplace example in the previous question recorded and communicated?
6. Problem solving and dispute resolution – Your manager has asked you to negotiate on her behalf with a supermarket, the local council and a group of complaining neighbours, because they claim that the delivery curfew is being breached again.

 

Explain the steps you would take to:

 

1. Consult with all key stakeholders, and
2. Negotiate as required to resolve any potential areas of conflict or concern.

 

Assessment Task 5

Documents to submit     Scenario Report

SCENARIO – New Logistics Services

Your organisation is planning to expand its operations by taking over an existing warehouse in Laverton to be used as a multi-user DC for both existing customers and new customer growth. The details of the warehouse are confidential as the deal is not yet fully completed, but you are aware that it has both ambient racked capacity and a chilled section.

Your site manager has asked you to confidentially work on some of the development activities, assessing selected opportunities for new customers to add to utilise the warehouse as much as possible.

He told you that he can’t tell you much about the new warehouse yet, other than the following:

• 30 x 50 m chilled space, with no racking and a temperature range of -5 to +18C
• Racked ambient area with spare capacity for new customers of 2 (not 8) racks of 4 high & 30 bays long and a staging area 15 x 10m, but no free block stack space
• Truck & Container docks
• MHE charge stations
• A good condition, marked traffic way, enabling one way traffic into and exiting the site
• truck, staff & visitor parking areas

You are asked to analyze the logistics requirements of 3 businesses interested in using your services, using guide questions the site manager has sent to you, making recommendations on which potential customers to meet with.

 

Potential Customer	Ambient / Chilled	Their Products	Estimated Pallets	Supply points	Destinations
1. World Wines	Ambient	Wines	Up to 900	Various Victorian Wineries	Victorian supermarkets and export
2. Sale Dairy	Chilled	Dairy products (packaged milk, cheeses, yoghurt)	Up to 1,400	Gippsland supplier	Victorian supermarkets
3. Aussie Fresh Foods	Chilled	Vegetables and fruits	Up to 1,700	Bacchus Marsh	Vic Market & South Melbourne Market

 

1. Preferred customers based on capacity and suitability of the warehouse

 

1. a) how many pallets can be stored in the chilled using block stack 1 or 2 high and allowing 20% for aisles, assuming pallets 1.2m square?
2. b) how many pallets can be stored in the ambient racking?
3. c) which customer(s) would you recommend based solely on space utilisation of the ambient and chilled warehouse capacities?

 

2. Storage & Handling

 

1. a) what type of storage requirements will be needed for your recommended customers’ products?

 

1. b) what types of equipment will be required for loading, unloading, picking and putaway for your recommended customers’ products?
2. Warehouse licenses

 

Will licensing be required for the warehouse to service your recommended customers?

4. Outbound Transport

 

Describe the types of vehicles and equipment that will be required for deliveries to your recommended customers’ destinations.

 

 

 

 

5. Cold Chain Logistics Requirements

 

Customers may need cold chain logistics services.

1. a) List a food industry guideline document that should be reviewed so that the products are handled and transported meeting all compliance requirements.

 

 

 

1. b) Describe the primary inventory control stock rotation approach used in cold chain warehousing and its practical application.

 

 

 

1. c) List 3 operational guidelines for distribution vehicles in cold chain operations.

 

 

 

6. Questions for more information

 

You will need more information to finalise your recommendations. List at least 3 questions you would ask either your manager or the potential customers to support your decision making.

7. Draft Operational Recommendations

Develop a business summary outlining your draft operational recommendations and reasoning, as well as your questions requiring answers in order to finalize your recommendations.

Use the following headings as a guide:

 

Analysis

[select headings and contents from the previous questions to complete this section and support your recommendations]