MBA FPX 5016 Assessment 1 Process Improvement Plan

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Capella University

MBA-FPX 5016 Operations Management for Leaders

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Date

MBA FPX 5016 Assessment 1 Process Improvement Plan

Wild Dog Coffee Company can prepare for expansion by standardizing its espresso production process, improving employee training, strengthening supplier relationships, and monitoring service performance. These improvements will help the company deliver consistent beverages, reduce customer wait times, and maintain product quality at its second location. By applying operations management principles, measuring process performance, and addressing the causes of delays, Wild Dog Coffee Company can build a repeatable operating system that supports future growth without compromising customer satisfaction.

Why Process Improvement Matters for Wild Dog Coffee Company

Wild Dog Coffee Company’s espresso and coffee offerings are central to its business model. As the company prepares to open a second location, it must ensure that customers receive the same quality, service, and overall experience regardless of which store they visit. A process improvement plan can help identify inefficiencies, reduce inconsistencies, and establish procedures that employees can follow during both regular and peak business hours.

Operations management emphasizes the importance of designing, managing, and improving processes that create value for customers. Krajewski et al. (2019) explain how effective process management supports operational performance and customer value. For Wild Dog Coffee Company, the espresso preparation process is especially important because beverage quality and preparation time directly influence customer satisfaction.

The company can learn from businesses such as McDonald’s, which rely on standardized procedures, employee training, and consistent supply practices to maintain similar experiences across multiple locations. Wild Dog Coffee Company can apply these principles while preserving the personal service and product quality that distinguish a local coffee business.

Key Steps in the Process Improvement Plan

Standardize Espresso Preparation Procedures

Wild Dog Coffee Company should develop written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for preparing its espresso-based beverages. These procedures should describe the required steps for measuring coffee, grinding beans, preparing the portafilter, extracting espresso, steaming milk, assembling drinks, and presenting completed orders.

Standardized procedures help reduce variations between employees and shifts. They also make it easier to train new baristas and maintain consistent beverage quality as the company expands. The procedures should specify appropriate recipes, portion sizes, equipment settings, and quality checks for each menu item.

Management should periodically review these procedures to ensure they reflect current equipment, product standards, and customer expectations. Employees should also have a clear process for handling customized orders without compromising safety, accuracy, or efficiency.

Improve Employee Training and Performance

Employee training is essential for maintaining consistent service at both locations. Wild Dog Coffee Company should establish a structured training program for baristas, cashiers, and shift supervisors. Training should cover espresso preparation, equipment operation, food safety, order accuracy, customer communication, and procedures for managing busy periods.

New employees should demonstrate competency before independently preparing beverages. Experienced employees can support this process by coaching new team members and sharing practical techniques. Managers should observe performance regularly, provide constructive feedback, and identify additional training needs.

Cross-training employees may also help the company manage fluctuations in customer demand. For example, a properly trained employee may assist with order preparation or pickup coordination when the store becomes busy. However, employees should perform only tasks for which they have received appropriate training.

Strengthen Supplier Management

Reliable suppliers are important for maintaining beverage quality and avoiding interruptions in daily operations. Wild Dog Coffee Company should evaluate suppliers based on coffee bean quality, product consistency, delivery reliability, pricing, and responsiveness to unexpected demand.

Maintaining relationships with dependable suppliers can help the company secure essential ingredients and reduce the likelihood of stock shortages. Management should monitor inventory levels, review purchasing patterns, and establish reorder points for frequently used products.

Where practical, the company should identify backup suppliers for critical ingredients. This approach can reduce dependence on a single source and improve resilience when transportation problems, production delays, or broader supply chain disruptions occur.

Establish a Continuous Improvement System

Process improvement should continue after the second location opens. Wild Dog Coffee Company can establish a system that encourages employees to identify problems, suggest improvements, and report recurring delays or product errors.

Managers should review customer feedback, preparation times, inventory records, and quality issues regularly. When a problem appears repeatedly, the company should investigate its underlying cause rather than relying only on temporary solutions.

For example, if drinks consistently take longer to prepare during the morning rush, management should determine whether the problem results from staffing levels, equipment capacity, order sequencing, ingredient availability, or the complexity of customized drinks. Corrective actions should then be tested and evaluated to determine whether they improve performance.

MBA FPX 5016 Assessment 1: Process Improvement Plan

The process improvement plan for Wild Dog Coffee Company should focus on creating a consistent customer journey, from order placement to beverage pickup. The company should document the existing workflow, identify areas where delays occur, and establish performance standards that can be applied across both locations.

The workflow should include order entry, payment processing, ticket generation, beverage preparation, quality verification, and order handoff. Documenting these activities will help employees understand their responsibilities and enable managers to identify unnecessary steps or bottlenecks.

Process Performance Metrics

Performance metrics allow Wild Dog Coffee Company to evaluate whether its process improvements are producing the intended results. Rather than relying on general impressions, management should use consistent measurements to assess speed, quality, and customer experience.

Order-to-Delivery Time

Order-to-delivery time measures the period between a customer’s order being placed and the completed beverage being ready for pickup. This is a key indicator of operational efficiency because long delays can frustrate customers and reduce the number of orders the company can serve during busy periods.

The assistant store manager at the original location has suggested a target of approximately two to three minutes for beverage delivery. Wild Dog should treat this as an initial performance goal and validate it against actual operating data, drink complexity, staffing capacity, and customer expectations. Customized beverages and large orders may require additional time.

Customer Waiting Time Before Ordering

The company should also measure how long customers wait before placing an order. A short beverage preparation time will not necessarily produce a positive experience if customers spend too long waiting in line.

Tracking queue time can help management determine whether additional cashier coverage, improved ordering technology, or changes to the layout could reduce delays. Online ordering data should be reviewed separately where appropriate because mobile customers may experience a different ordering process.

Beverage Accuracy and Quality

Speed should not come at the expense of beverage quality. Wild Dog Coffee Company should monitor order accuracy, recipe compliance, customer complaints, remakes, and waste. These measures can reveal whether employees are rushing, misunderstanding customized orders, or following inconsistent preparation procedures.

A balanced approach is important because a process that produces drinks quickly but frequently requires corrections may increase costs and lower customer satisfaction.

Customer Satisfaction and Employee Experience

Customer satisfaction can be assessed through brief surveys, customer reviews, complaint records, and repeat-purchase trends. Employee feedback should also be collected because workload, unclear responsibilities, and inadequate equipment can affect performance.

Combining these measures gives management a broader understanding of operational effectiveness. The goal is to create a process that delivers quality beverages efficiently while maintaining a manageable workload for employees.

Beverage Wait Times and Process Performance

Wild Dog Coffee Company analyzed preparation times for 50 beverages to better understand its existing performance. This initial sample can provide a useful baseline for evaluating the process and comparing results after improvements are introduced.

Figure 2 in Appendix 2 presents the graphical representation of beverage wait times. The graph should be interpreted alongside the underlying data to determine typical preparation times, the range of variation, and whether some orders take substantially longer than others.

The company should record preparation times under different operating conditions, including peak and off-peak periods, different beverage types, and customized orders. These details can help distinguish normal variation from recurring process problems.

A target of two to three minutes provides an initial benchmark, but management should not assume that every beverage can be completed within the same period. Performance should be evaluated using the distribution of observed times, the proportion of orders meeting the target, and the relationship between speed and beverage quality.

Standard Procedure for Preparing Customer Beverages

The beverage preparation process begins when a customer places an order. For in-store purchases, the cashier records the order, processes payment, and sends a ticket to the barista. For mobile orders, payment is handled through the ordering application, and the barista receives a ticket identifying the order as mobile.

The barista then follows the appropriate preparation procedure based on the beverage type and any requested modifications. Once the drink is complete, the barista checks the order for accuracy and places it at the designated pickup station. Mobile orders should be placed in a clearly marked area to reduce confusion and prevent customers from collecting the wrong beverages.

Clear handoff procedures are particularly important when several orders are being prepared simultaneously. Order labels, organized pickup areas, and consistent communication between cashiers and baristas can reduce mistakes and improve the customer experience.

Appendix 1 should contain the detailed preparation instructions for each espresso beverage. These instructions can serve as a practical reference during employee training and daily operations.

The Purpose of Standardized Espresso Preparation

Espresso is a foundational component of Wild Dog Coffee Company’s menu. It can be served on its own or used as the base for drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos. Consistent espresso preparation is therefore essential for maintaining the flavor and quality of multiple menu items.

Baristas should follow a defined recipe that specifies the coffee dose, beverage yield, extraction time, and other relevant variables. The supplied process plan identifies an espresso dose of approximately 8–10 grams and an extraction time of around 25 seconds. However, these figures should be reviewed against the company’s intended recipe and equipment because appropriate dose and extraction parameters vary with the basket size, coffee, roast, and desired yield.

The portafilter should be clean and dry before use, and the equipment should be maintained according to manufacturer instructions. Baristas should also monitor the extraction and adjust the grind or recipe when necessary. Under-extracted espresso may taste sour or underdeveloped, while over-extracted espresso may taste excessively bitter or harsh, although flavor can be influenced by several variables.

Consistent recipes, calibrated equipment, and trained employees can help Wild Dog Coffee Company reproduce its preferred flavor profile across locations.

Process Change Analysis and Capability

Process capability refers to a process’s ability to consistently meet defined performance requirements. For Wild Dog Coffee Company, the proposed two-to-three-minute beverage delivery target can serve as an initial benchmark for evaluating service speed.

The analysis of 50 beverages provides a starting point, but a single sample may not represent every shift, beverage type, or demand level. Management should collect additional data after implementing improvements to determine whether performance is stable and whether the target is being achieved consistently.

The company should distinguish between a target and a tolerance. The target is the preferred result, while a tolerance defines the acceptable range of variation around that result. Management must establish these limits explicitly before conducting a formal capability assessment.

If beverage delivery times frequently exceed the accepted range, the company should investigate the underlying causes. A formal process capability study may require more observations and evidence that the process is statistically stable before capability indices can be interpreted reliably.

Comparing baseline results with post-improvement results will help management determine whether new staffing arrangements, equipment, training, or workflow changes have produced measurable benefits.

Cause-and-Effect Analysis of Process Variation

Cause-and-effect analysis helps identify factors that contribute to delays, inconsistent product quality, and service errors. Wild Dog Coffee Company can organize its investigation using the six commonly recognized categories known as the six Ms: manpower, machines, methods, materials, measurement, and milieu, or the work environment.

Manpower

Staffing levels and employee competency can significantly influence service speed. When too few employees are available, baristas may face excessive workloads, cashiers may experience long queues, and order errors may increase. Inadequate training can also lead to inconsistent recipes and inefficient preparation.

Wild Dog should review staffing patterns against customer demand and ensure that employees receive appropriate training before taking on independent responsibilities.

Machines

Older or unreliable espresso machines can slow production, particularly during busy periods. Equipment failures, slow recovery times, and maintenance problems may interrupt service and affect drink consistency.

Management should assess the capacity and condition of existing equipment, establish preventive maintenance schedules, and determine whether additional machines are necessary for the second location.

Methods

Inconsistent procedures can create unnecessary variation between employees and shifts. Unclear instructions, poorly organized workstations, and inefficient communication may increase preparation time and order mistakes.

Documented standard operating procedures and regular process reviews can help address these issues.

Materials

Shortages of coffee beans, milk, cups, syrups, and other ingredients can delay orders or force employees to offer substitutions. Supply disruptions, including those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrate why businesses need reliable purchasing and inventory practices.

Wild Dog should maintain appropriate stock levels, monitor ingredient use, and establish backup supply arrangements for critical products.

Measurement

Without accurate performance data, management may struggle to determine whether a process is improving. Inconsistent timing methods or incomplete records can also produce misleading results.

The company should use consistent definitions for order time, preparation time, and pickup readiness. Employees should record relevant exceptions, such as equipment failures or unusually complex orders.

Milieu or Work Environment

The physical layout and working conditions can influence service efficiency. Poorly arranged workstations, crowded pickup areas, inadequate storage, or unclear movement paths may slow employees and increase confusion.

Before opening the second location, Wild Dog should evaluate the layout to ensure that ordering, preparation, and pickup areas support a smooth workflow.

Recommendations for the Second Location

The cause-and-effect analysis indicates that Wild Dog Coffee Company should address staffing, equipment capacity, training, and supply reliability before and after opening its second store.

Increase Staffing and Strengthen Training

The company should establish staffing levels based on expected customer demand and the number of orders employees can handle without sacrificing quality. Additional employees may be particularly valuable during predictable rush periods.

Hiring should be accompanied by structured training and competency checks. Simply adding more employees will not solve process problems if staff members are unfamiliar with standard recipes, equipment, or order-handling procedures.

Evaluate Espresso Machine Capacity

Management should determine whether existing equipment can support projected demand. If machine capacity is insufficient, purchasing or leasing additional equipment may reduce bottlenecks and improve service during peak periods.

The decision should consider expected order volume, maintenance requirements, available counter space, training needs, and the total cost of ownership.

Improve Inventory Planning and Menu Management

Wild Dog should maintain reliable inventory records and set reorder points for frequently used ingredients. Backup suppliers can reduce the impact of unexpected shortages.

A focused menu may also simplify training, reduce ingredient complexity, and make inventory management easier during the expansion period. However, the company should use customer preferences and sales data to decide which items to retain, rather than removing popular products without evidence.

Monitor Results and Adjust the Process

After opening, management should compare actual performance with the baseline established at the original location. Useful measures include average and median order-to-delivery times, the percentage of orders completed within the target, order accuracy, beverage remakes, customer satisfaction, ingredient waste, and employee feedback.

Managers should review the results regularly and test targeted changes when problems appear. This approach will help the company determine which improvements are effective and which require further adjustment.

Conclusion

Wild Dog Coffee Company’s expansion depends on its ability to deliver consistent beverages and reliable service at both locations. Standardized espresso procedures, structured employee training, dependable suppliers, appropriate equipment capacity, and continuous performance monitoring can help the company reduce delays and maintain product quality.

The analysis of 50 beverages provides an initial baseline for measuring performance, while cause-and-effect analysis helps identify the operational factors that may contribute to variation. By addressing staffing, equipment, methods, materials, measurement, and workplace layout, Wild Dog can develop a more reliable process for its second location.

Ultimately, successful process improvement requires more than faster beverage preparation. The company must balance speed, accuracy, flavor consistency, customer satisfaction, and employee workload. Using measurable goals and ongoing feedback will help Wild Dog Coffee Company establish a repeatable operating model that supports sustainable growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a process improvement plan for Wild Dog Coffee Company?

A process improvement plan identifies ways to make coffee preparation and customer service more consistent and efficient. For Wild Dog Coffee Company, it includes standardizing espresso recipes, training employees, improving supplier management, monitoring service times, and addressing operational bottlenecks before expanding.

Why is espresso standardization important when opening a second coffee shop?

Standardization helps ensure that customers receive similar beverage quality regardless of location or employee. Written recipes and preparation procedures also simplify training, reduce errors, and make performance easier to evaluate.

What metrics should Wild Dog Coffee Company use to measure process performance?

The company should track order-to-delivery time, queue time, order accuracy, beverage remakes, customer satisfaction, ingredient waste, and employee feedback. These metrics provide a balanced view of speed, quality, and operational effectiveness.

How can Wild Dog Coffee Company reduce beverage wait times?

The company can reduce wait times by aligning staffing with demand, improving employee training, organizing workstations, maintaining equipment, streamlining order communication, and ensuring that ingredients are available. Management should use actual performance data to identify the most important bottlenecks.

What are the six Ms in cause-and-effect analysis?

The six Ms are manpower, machines, methods, materials, measurement, and milieu. They provide a structured way to investigate possible causes of process variation and determine which corrective actions are most appropriate.

How can process capability be measured in a coffee shop?

Process capability can be assessed by comparing actual performance with clearly defined service requirements. Wild Dog should first collect consistent data and verify process stability before using formal capability indices. For beverage delivery, it can initially track the percentage of orders completed within its defined time target.

What is the role of continuous improvement in coffee shop operations?

Continuous improvement helps a coffee shop identify recurring problems, test solutions, and refine its procedures over time. Employee feedback, customer comments, and operational data can guide changes that improve efficiency without reducing beverage quality.

References

Aupiais, S. (2020, November 10). Barista basics: How to make an espresso in 14 steps. Perfect Daily Grind. https://perfectdailygrind.com/2018/01/barista-basics-how-to-make-an-espresso-in-14-steps/

Krajewski, L. J., Malhotra, M. K., & Ritzman, L. P. (2019). Operations management: Processes and supply chains. Pearson. https://capella.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9780134824673/

MBA FPX 5016 Assessment 1 Process Improvement Plan

Maia, L. B. (2020, November 23). 28 different types of coffee you drink daily. Lucky Belly. https://www.luckybelly.com/types-of-coffee/

Supply chains and the COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive framework. (2021). European Management Review, 18(3), 363–382. https://doi.org/10.1111/emre.12449