DECA Team Whitewater PI

Explain the nature of operations

• What it means: Operations encompasses all the day-to-day activities and processes required to run a business efficiently and deliver goods or services to customers.

• How to address it in the case study: Explain how the business in your case operates on a daily level. Mention key operational functions like inventory management, quality control, production, logistics, facilities management, or customer service delivery.

Explain the nature of overhead and operating costs

• What it means:

  • Operating Costs: The everyday expenses needed to keep the business running (e.g., raw materials, direct labor, utilities).

  • Overhead Costs: Fixed ongoing administrative expenses not directly tied to producing a specific product or service (e.g., rent, insurance, executive salaries, software subscriptions).

• How to address it in the case study: Identify the main expenses relevant to the scenario. Discuss how your proposed solution impacts the company's bottom line—whether it reduces overhead, optimizes operating costs, or requires a capital investment that pays off over time.

Discuss business process thinking and its impact

• What it means: Business process thinking is the practice of viewing a business as a series of interconnected workflows (processes) designed to achieve specific goals, rather than as isolated departments.

• How to address it in the case study: Show the judge that you understand how a change in one area (e.g., purchasing) impacts other areas (e.g., customer satisfaction or order fulfillment). Explain how optimizing workflows leads to greater efficiency, fewer errors, and better team collaboration.

Explain the causes of business process change

• What it means: Identifying the internal or external drivers that force or encourage a business to modify how it operates.

• How to address it in the case study: Clearly state why the business in your prompt needs to change its current operations. Common causes include:

  • External: Technological advancements, shift in customer expectations, new market competition, or regulatory changes.

  • Internal: Bottlenecks, rising costs, poor quality control, scaling/growth challenges, or inefficiency.